In an effort to organize all my builds I've been trying to keep build threads updated to keep track of what I've done and when I did it. That being said, I've owned an evo 8 for nearly 9 years now. Basic bolt on car, buschur 2.3, FP black, 2150s etc. The car has gone a little beyond what I'd consider a reliable HPDE/TT car and remain budget friendly. I've been road racing a C5 corvette and an LS swapped e30 the past 5 years and I've been passively trying to trade the c5 for a stockish evo to road race instead. In comes my evo 9. I've wanted a white evo 9 before I owned my black evo 8, but never could find one that fit the bill until now.

2006 MR

Engine:
-AEM intake
-RRE Stealth TBE with QTP cutout
-Sheepey Intercooler

Wheels/Suspension:
18x9.5 Gram light 57Transcend
Tanabe SustecPRO coilovers with JIC magic camber plates
Whiteline 26mm rear bar

The car is currently wrapped but it's WW underneath and I plan to peel the wrap here shortly. The plan is just a reliable daily that I can road race. My C5 was about as reliable/perfect of a daily track car as you can get. Upper 20's MPG to the track, race all day and drive home, the best track car- but it was never meant to be a keeper. I was in the middle of doing an LS swap in my e30 which was supposed to be the track car when the C5 popped up. It was only meant to be a temporary replacemenet for the e30 until it was done. The e30 has turned into much more fun of a track car, despite having far less tire, less weight, more gear, and more power I've consistently turned faster lap times in the e30. The vette ended up on the chopping block.

Day 1-
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/189478104@N06/, on Flickr

by https://www.flickr.com/photos/189478104@N06/, on Flickr

With my evo 8.

by https://www.flickr.com/photos/189478104@N06/, on Flickr

Would you believe that a 91 montero is the fastest vehicle I currently own. In all fairness its a boosted 6.0LS that makes over 600hp

by https://www.flickr.com/photos/189478104@N06/, on Flickr

It needs some maintenance, tires, and an alignment. I have a track day on the 21st and plan to try out the new advan Apex tires in a 265/35/18. I ran A052s on my bmw and currently run an RS4 since I drive the car way too much on the street to use A052s. Next will be a set of ohlins and probably an e85 tune and that should be about it for now.

 

So this is what its like to live in state that doesnt give a **** about emissions.

Looking forward to more updates! It looks nice!

 

nice!

 

Most of the state cares, but not my county. I'm not even sure what emissions equipment is anymore

Not sure why I'm getting double picture posts. I go to edit and it's only showing one link so I'm not sure how to fix that.

 

Awesome, stuff! I did the same:

https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/pr...-mr-build.html

Sadly, my journey is at it's end and I'm selling, but it's great to see others carrying the torch.

 

I was eyeballing your car on the marketplace before I got mine but I would've had to sell my vette to get it and really didn't want to deal with selling it. Looks like youre at a point of being able to just race the car, you should keep it!

 

It's been pretty much trouble free for the past two years. I guess that's the benefit of everything being new and keeping HP levels in check. LolBut, I bought another track toy so now have two car payments. I'd rather just have one. Selling the Evo pays off another car, so that's really my plan.
But, if the Evo sticks around long enough without being sold, I might be able to find a way to pay off the other car on my own and keep both.

 

Peeled the wrap and went racing! I put a set of 265/35 Advan apex 300tw tires on the car, set the alignment with a tape measure, turned the boost down to 10lbs and headed for the track. The results were impressive! My PB at this track is a 64.6 in my LS1 swapped e30 with a 245 square r-compound tire, coilovers, e46 m3 brakes, and some suspension bushings. The e30 works really well for how over power, under tire the car is- comparatively my PB in my C5 with a 305 tire, lots of suspension work and bolt ons was a 65.5. My first session out in the evo clicked off a 62.9 severely over driving the car into every braking zone. 10lbs of boost was actually more than enough power for everything technical on the track so I opted to leave it at that and not turn it back up just work on driving and getting comfortable road racing an evo again. I had ride alongs for every session afterwards and went 62.7 then 62.5 by the end of the day. The car with a better driver willl easily go low 61s out here, but these tanabe coilovers are way undersprung and probably half blown out at this point which made it hard to push the car further. There was an evo 8 out that has raced here a few times before also near stock with some UHP 245s on stock evo 8 wheels and he set his PB yesterday with a 67.9 being the fastest lap time I saw.

I need to service the drivetrain and replace my now non existent diff bushings along with some suspension bushings and fresh coilovers. I plan to turn the boost back up for the next event. There's 4-5 tenths worth of time left just having power down the straights.

by https://www.flickr.com/photos/189478104@N06/, on Flickr

by https://www.flickr.com/photos/189478104@N06/, on Flickr

by https://www.flickr.com/photos/189478104@N06/, on Flickr

Waiting on my videos to upload...

 

Finally got my bumper back from paint! Looks so much better in white. Pulling the rear diff this weekend, the last event it sounded like the intro to calling in the air on every shift so diff bushings are in order and a plate restack while its out.

by https://www.flickr.com/photos/189478104@N06/, on Flickr

by https://www.flickr.com/photos/189478104@N06/, on Flickr

 

Wow, looks real nice. My bumper cover is still track day awful. Hope to get the inspiration to do what youve done & get it cleaned up?

Would like to see a nice rear quarter shot. Liken that front fender for sure

 

Thanks! If this front bumper wasn't primer under the wrap I probably would've left it since it's getting tracked, but I didn't want to run around with a primer bumper. Luckily I have a few buddies in the paint industry so they spray all my parts for pretty reasonable. Hopefully this will suffice for a rear quarter shot. I made some poor mans evo 7 tails today out of the evo 8's someone decided to put on the car. I'd like some JDM 9's down the road but this is much better.

by https://www.flickr.com/photos/189478104@N06/, on Flickr

by https://www.flickr.com/photos/189478104@N06/, on Flickr

Also knocked out the rear diff bushings and restacked the diff plates with some fresh Diaqueen fluid. I let my buddy that helped me drive the car afterwards so I haven't personally tested it out yet, but he was happy to run it around and said it was working good and no more drum solo in the rear during shifts.

by https://www.flickr.com/photos/189478104@N06/, on Flickr

Race day next weekend, so we'll see if this improves any. I need to figure out how to heel toe this damn car. My e30 has the brake and gas so close you almost hit the gas while on the brakes under normal braking making it real easy to heel/toe. The evo pedals are like my corvette was and requires a real awkward foot position. Between some smooth heel/toe and having the boost turned back up to 23lbs it should do really well I think. My buddy that drove the car today races a gen 4 3SGTE swapped ST165 alltrac and he managed to hammer down a near second faster lap time than me last event after I beat his PB so he's getting nervous now that the car is getting dialed back in.

 

Ended the day with a 1:01.5 yesterday which was a PB in the car by a full second. The diff restack helped tremendously. I could steer the car everywhere with the throttle. If i can get comfortable with trail braking the car I can certainly shave another second or more in braking zones alone. The added power (24lbs vs 10) helped a bunch too, but I'm definitely reaching the limits of a 300tw tire out here and the tanabe coilovers are far too soft. Still a great day of racing. Included a video of some of the giant fireballs it was making, my buddy thought the car was going to light up. I didn't even know it was kicking them out that bad!

by https://www.flickr.com/photos/189478104@N06/, on Flickr


Next event is easter and I doubt I'll have time for changes before then.