JDM Evo IX MR
Oct 25, 2018, 06:53 PM
#1
Newbie
Thread Starter
JDM Evo IX MR
Hi everyone, I have a Japanese Evo IX MR that I've been working on for a while now and thought I'd share with this pretty active forum, its a bit of a long story but hopefully one you find interesting and enjoy!
I'm a Brit and have always loved Motorsport, I even used to race and even won a couple of FIA touring car championships for my efforts back in the Middle East. I left the Middle East for New Zealand in June 2017 and after a while in I decided I needed a car to scratch the driving itch as racing wasn't an option due to the time an resources it takes up not being compatible with my having a new baby.
Back in November I purchased this Evo at auction in Japan through a trusted importer.
I was told it was clean, low km and almost completely original.
The auction sheet and inspection on site seemed to confirm this too.
Here is the car at auction, the papers and a photo from the first seconds I saw it on NZ soil.
Once we got it back to the dealership where we prepped it for registration we were able to get a better understanding of what I'd actually bought and I started to put a list of things together which I wanted to do. I like my cars in as good a condition as possible but wound up a little without compromising any long term durability. I had in my mind the equivalent of an Evo FQ360/400.
The car arrived with a full service history and all the documents from the 1 dealer it has only ever been to in Japan, which enabled me to confirm with that dealer that the car was due a timing belt (which was promptly done by Ralliart here in NZ).
We also discovered that the car had been given a comprehensive Cusco suspension upgrade with braces all over and Zero2R Coilovers.
I doubt you want to hear every thing I've changed but in summary I've...
Spent a week cutting and polishing the paint.
Installed an alarm & tracker.
Serviced all fluids and timing belt kit.
Remove bumper and wrap brace with black tape to make it stick out less.
Reinstalled a new front grille badge.
Removed all the grilles and the bonnet vents and painted them black.
Removed and repainted the wiper arms.
Remove titanium resonator on exhaust and replace with a Ralliart rear muffler.
Remove HT Lead cover and install the period correct Evo IX cover.
Remove, strip, repaint and rebuild calipers and engine valve cover.
Raise coilover ride height and set geometry for fast road configuration.
Purchase, refurbish (for a small frikkin fortune) and install original BBS optional wheels.
Replace old worn tires with Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tires.
Install tailored, waterproof seat covers
Replace mirrors with Ralliart mirrors.
Drivers seat bolster refurbished.
Reinstalled the OEM badges on the rear.
Replace fuel pump.
Replace 2 port boost solenoid with 3 port solenoid.
Remove Cat.
Tune ECU.
Together this looks like this...
...next up is to replace the brake lines with braided Goodridge hoses and install a replacement to the 2din radio with a 1din radio and 1din defi gauge pod in matching colour configuration so I can monitor oil temp/pressure (boost is already tracked on a turbo timer).
...and thats me up to date, I love the car and am having fun taking it to the great roads on weekends! If you want more up to date info on what I'm upto its best to follow my instagram on @banzaievo but I'll update this thread too as time goes on if there is interest.
I'm a Brit and have always loved Motorsport, I even used to race and even won a couple of FIA touring car championships for my efforts back in the Middle East. I left the Middle East for New Zealand in June 2017 and after a while in I decided I needed a car to scratch the driving itch as racing wasn't an option due to the time an resources it takes up not being compatible with my having a new baby.
Back in November I purchased this Evo at auction in Japan through a trusted importer.
I was told it was clean, low km and almost completely original.
The auction sheet and inspection on site seemed to confirm this too.
Here is the car at auction, the papers and a photo from the first seconds I saw it on NZ soil.
Once we got it back to the dealership where we prepped it for registration we were able to get a better understanding of what I'd actually bought and I started to put a list of things together which I wanted to do. I like my cars in as good a condition as possible but wound up a little without compromising any long term durability. I had in my mind the equivalent of an Evo FQ360/400.
The car arrived with a full service history and all the documents from the 1 dealer it has only ever been to in Japan, which enabled me to confirm with that dealer that the car was due a timing belt (which was promptly done by Ralliart here in NZ).
We also discovered that the car had been given a comprehensive Cusco suspension upgrade with braces all over and Zero2R Coilovers.
I doubt you want to hear every thing I've changed but in summary I've...
Spent a week cutting and polishing the paint.
Installed an alarm & tracker.
Serviced all fluids and timing belt kit.
Remove bumper and wrap brace with black tape to make it stick out less.
Reinstalled a new front grille badge.
Removed all the grilles and the bonnet vents and painted them black.
Removed and repainted the wiper arms.
Remove titanium resonator on exhaust and replace with a Ralliart rear muffler.
Remove HT Lead cover and install the period correct Evo IX cover.
Remove, strip, repaint and rebuild calipers and engine valve cover.
Raise coilover ride height and set geometry for fast road configuration.
Purchase, refurbish (for a small frikkin fortune) and install original BBS optional wheels.
Replace old worn tires with Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tires.
Install tailored, waterproof seat covers
Replace mirrors with Ralliart mirrors.
Drivers seat bolster refurbished.
Reinstalled the OEM badges on the rear.
Replace fuel pump.
Replace 2 port boost solenoid with 3 port solenoid.
Remove Cat.
Tune ECU.
Together this looks like this...
...next up is to replace the brake lines with braided Goodridge hoses and install a replacement to the 2din radio with a 1din radio and 1din defi gauge pod in matching colour configuration so I can monitor oil temp/pressure (boost is already tracked on a turbo timer).
...and thats me up to date, I love the car and am having fun taking it to the great roads on weekends! If you want more up to date info on what I'm upto its best to follow my instagram on @banzaievo but I'll update this thread too as time goes on if there is interest.
Last edited by banzaievo; Oct 25, 2018 at 06:57 PM. Reason: more info
The following users liked this post:
Is2scooby (Oct 27, 2018)
Drool JDM goodness.
Oct 25, 2018, 07:35 PM
#4
Newbie
Thread Starter
Hi, yeah no undersealing on em from Japan, this one lived in Toyota its whole life (the precinct not the showroom). Which is south enough for them not to salt the roads so rust is less of a concern.
This one had 78,000km as on the auction sheet. It now sits at just over 81,000km. It only ever really does weekend trips out but when I take it out I like to enjoy it.
I have a set of MR bilsteins at home too that I intended to put on it but I enjoy the coilovers too much so I'll keep them in storage until I want them.
This one had 78,000km as on the auction sheet. It now sits at just over 81,000km. It only ever really does weekend trips out but when I take it out I like to enjoy it.
I have a set of MR bilsteins at home too that I intended to put on it but I enjoy the coilovers too much so I'll keep them in storage until I want them.
Oct 25, 2018, 09:22 PM
#5
Super clean Evo! Hardly any rock chips or blemishes on the car. It's also good to see that the chassis is rust free. Single stage paint is easy to refinish and it looks like it has been done well. I would recommend ceramic coating the paint to protect the finish and make it last even longer.
Oct 26, 2018, 01:14 PM
#7
Newbie
Thread Starter
Thanks, i have a Gyeon ceramic coating kit on standby, just need to secure the space in a friends showroom to apply it.
The BBS were indeed pretty steep, but the look I am trying to achieve is as original as possible unless you look really closely.
I want to remove the cusco front brace in future, but only if I can swap the crash bar off another one for it.
The BBS were indeed pretty steep, but the look I am trying to achieve is as original as possible unless you look really closely.
I want to remove the cusco front brace in future, but only if I can swap the crash bar off another one for it.
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Nov 14, 2018, 05:53 PM
#9
Newbie
Thread Starter
Small update, my private plates arrived! (2 days in isolation dealt out by the wife).
The car is now on Goodridge hoses, while the back went on easily, various nuts and nipples were on very tight, to the point that a couple started to round and needed persuading with a blowtorch to help get them off eventually, however it isn't an exercise I'd like to repeat soon!
(fun fact, thats not penetrating oil overspray, its spittle from me swearing till I'm blue in the face at that seized nut!)
close up of the offending SOB (again, not vice grip marks, but teeth marks)
I noticed the front hoses also don't sit correctly in the pipe locator brackets and the retaining clips don't go back on without a bit of filing. All good in the end. I bled, bled and re-bled the brakes to make sure the system was as air free as possible and while I now have a solid pedal that responds immediately to any pressure, however the pads now need upgrading to something with more initial bite.
While out test driving the brakes to make sure there were no leaks and everything was buttoned up propperly I took the opportunity to check the oil on a flat surface (my driveway/car port is on a slope) and the oil was bang on the minimum line! Thankfully I always keep some oil in the car so I topped it up and its now on the max line again.
The car is now on Goodridge hoses, while the back went on easily, various nuts and nipples were on very tight, to the point that a couple started to round and needed persuading with a blowtorch to help get them off eventually, however it isn't an exercise I'd like to repeat soon!
(fun fact, thats not penetrating oil overspray, its spittle from me swearing till I'm blue in the face at that seized nut!)
I noticed the front hoses also don't sit correctly in the pipe locator brackets and the retaining clips don't go back on without a bit of filing. All good in the end. I bled, bled and re-bled the brakes to make sure the system was as air free as possible and while I now have a solid pedal that responds immediately to any pressure, however the pads now need upgrading to something with more initial bite.
While out test driving the brakes to make sure there were no leaks and everything was buttoned up propperly I took the opportunity to check the oil on a flat surface (my driveway/car port is on a slope) and the oil was bang on the minimum line! Thankfully I always keep some oil in the car so I topped it up and its now on the max line again.
Nov 15, 2018, 12:04 PM
#11
Newbie
Thread Starter
1 DIN gauges on order next and I need to find a stereo also. I'd ideally like one like a Kenwood Mask from back in the day which had no buttons on the face and had to flip open to push the buttons (very clean).
Nov 16, 2018, 04:12 PM
#13
Damn nice purchase mate.
looks super clean. Just a question about the seat bolsters I may have missed. How did you restore them so nicely?
and what do you mean by tailored water proof seat covers?
thanks.
I did the same with purchasing through the auctions etc but for an evo8 gsr best purchase to date haha.
BTW I lol when I read the 2days in isolation for the purchase of the plates. Classic.
looks super clean. Just a question about the seat bolsters I may have missed. How did you restore them so nicely?
and what do you mean by tailored water proof seat covers?
thanks.
I did the same with purchasing through the auctions etc but for an evo8 gsr best purchase to date haha.
BTW I lol when I read the 2days in isolation for the purchase of the plates. Classic.
Nov 16, 2018, 06:40 PM
#14
Newbie
Thread Starter
Damn nice purchase mate.
looks super clean. Just a question about the seat bolsters I may have missed. How did you restore them so nicely?
and what do you mean by tailored water proof seat covers?
thanks.
I did the same with purchasing through the auctions etc but for an evo8 gsr best purchase to date haha.
BTW I lol when I read the 2days in isolation for the purchase of the plates. Classic.
looks super clean. Just a question about the seat bolsters I may have missed. How did you restore them so nicely?
and what do you mean by tailored water proof seat covers?
thanks.
I did the same with purchasing through the auctions etc but for an evo8 gsr best purchase to date haha.
BTW I lol when I read the 2days in isolation for the purchase of the plates. Classic.
2) There is a shop in the UK that sells seat covers tailored to the seat shape and bolsters, theyre comfy and prevent any spills/UV damaging the seats while not making the seat any less comfortable to sit in.
Yeah the wife wasnt best impressed putting it politely. Anyway, my club of WRC homologation cars has a run out tomorrow so itll be getting a nice hard drive out on some great roads!
Jan 7, 2019, 12:28 PM
#15
Newbie
Thread Starter
Happy New Year!
So I had a couple of projects over the holidays
1) Remove double din radio and insert 1 din radio and 1 din Defi gauge set in its place
2) Ceramic Coat the car myself
<iframe src="https://onedrive.live.com/embed?cid=D86E8ADF3B903C21&resid=D86E8ADF3B903C21% 212877&authkey=AMlxvsMPn36K2fI" width="320" height="180" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen></iframe>
3) Replace the old Ralliart panel filter with a new K&N one (old one when removed wasn't in bad condition aside from lots of bugs trapped between the fins).
Oh, and I bought a baby evo as a daily to replace my motorbike!
So I had a couple of projects over the holidays
1) Remove double din radio and insert 1 din radio and 1 din Defi gauge set in its place
2) Ceramic Coat the car myself
<iframe src="https://onedrive.live.com/embed?cid=D86E8ADF3B903C21&resid=D86E8ADF3B903C21% 212877&authkey=AMlxvsMPn36K2fI" width="320" height="180" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen></iframe>
3) Replace the old Ralliart panel filter with a new K&N one (old one when removed wasn't in bad condition aside from lots of bugs trapped between the fins).
Oh, and I bought a baby evo as a daily to replace my motorbike!