Whenever you are looking to build a monster of a car, you have to start with the heart.  The heart is the center of any project build and in our case our heart is a 2.2 liter balance of performance and reliability.  More specifically, a GSC Power-Division 2.2L XR-1.7 4G63T short block.  Thanks to Westboro Mitsubishi, we were able to obtain a brand new 4G63 MIVEC motor to hand over to the master mind behind GSC’s XR-1.7 motor package, Greg Caloudas, to begin over evolution of 8 to 8.5.

GSC’s motor package isn’t a basic bolt on power upgrade.  This is a complete package offered to serious owner’s looking to get the most out of the 4G63 without compromises.  Specific features include:

• New Mitsubishi OEM 4G63 Short Block and piston squirters.
• Power-Division 4340 Billet Crankshaft (31 pounds, 94mm Stroke) knife edged and balanced
• Power-Division Custom Forged I-Beam Connecting Rods for 1.7 Rod Ratio
• CP Pistons 85.5mm Bore, 9310 Wrist Pins, (10.0:1, 9.5:1, 8.5:1 Compression).  We went with 9:5:1.
• Clevite Tri Metal Main Rod and Thrust Bearings
• Power-Division Race Balance Shaft kit
• Power-Division Race Main Stud Kit

A nice drool list for a bottom end, which means we couldn’t skimp out on the head.  Starting off with a stock Evolution 9 MIVEC head, we added GSC’s S2 cams and a complete valve train upgrade from Supertech.  A conservative head for a great motor build.

With the motor sorted out, it was time to match a new turbo kit with the performance capability of the XR-1.7.  Cue in Boost Logic’s SC 61 turbo kit.  Boost Logic is new to the Evolution world, but have a big reputation for making gobs of power in the Supra market.  Their SC 61 turbo kit shows right away the proof in the power making pudding, especially with features that compare to what the more expensive kits have for less money.  Features include:

• Ceramic Heat Coated SS304 Tubular Manifold w/ true merge collector(1/2″ Thick flanges)
• Tial 44mm Wastegate
• SS304 Dump Tube
• PTE SC50 T04E DBB Turbo w/ vband outlet
• Boost Logic Water Line Kit(assembled with Aeroquip pushlock fittings)
• 3″ SS304 Vband Downpipe
• 3″ SS304 Vband Midpipe w/ flex joint(Bolts to stock catalytic converter)
• 3″ Aluminum Intake Pipe 3″ K&N Filter
• 2.5″ Mandrel Bent Aluminum Intercooler Pipe
• 3 Ply Silicone Hoses and SS Hose Clamps
• Boost Logic Oil Feed and Return Kit(Assembled with high quality SS line and AN fittings)
• All nuts and bolts needed for installation
• 10″ High Flow Fan

Installation of the entire setup was complex and will require professional help.  With our lack of wrenching skills we opted to go with pros to get everything installed correctly.  Atlantic Motorsports was the shop we went with to get the final installation done.  Being a MIVEC conversion, we had to grab a spare Evolution 9 main harness (engine harness) in order to get it all plugged up with our AEM EMS (we had to purchase a new unit to control MIVEC).  The conversion isn’t rocket science but does require a large portion of time to make sure all the details are taken care of.

With the basic installation out of the way, the proper motor break-in procedure needed to be performed: 2 heat cycles, then an oil change, then a low boost break-in, 200 miles of driving, and finally another oil change.  Atlantic Motorsports then put their focus on tuning the beast.  With a few clicks on the laptop and a ton of dyno pulls, the car was ready for action.  Final Power Output: 498 whp & 399.3 ft-lb @ 23psi.

Street Test
Of course street testing is fairly limited when testing peak performance.  Our intentions for this test was to bring out any reliability issues, lower rpm performance issues, or anything else worth mentioning that impact everyday use.  After our 3 days of street testing, a couple of items did come up:

• Noticeable turbo lag with larger turbo vs. stock. Full boost came on closer to 4,000 rpm.  The motor definitely helped reduce turbo lag, but when you are using a larger turbo, lag is a common issue that is difficult to combat.  A smaller turbo will definitely cure this issue, which Boost Logic can provide within their SC 50 kit.
• Maintaining speed limit and traction under boost.  The power is tremendous enough to break loose the tires, which requires a bit of driving skill to keep under control.
• With the S2 cams, idle is a little rough but tolerable.  More time spent on the tune could smooth things out more.

With this amount of power at our control, the thought of being able to over take anything on the road was empowering.

Track Test
Our favorite place to test.  On track, we were able to start pushing the envelope of power to see how fast this new package was.  With a set of Nitto NT-01’s mounted and at full temp, we loosened the leash and hammered down the throttle.  At full throttle the car pushed our stomachs towards the back of our brains as we reached our 8,000 rpm limit.  Going through each gear, the once mild manor Evolution 8 was no more.  Full attention was needed to keep the car inline with counter steer and throttle input.   This beast was serious and we needed to respect it.  Entry and apex of each turn proved to be easy compared to the exit.  As soon as throttle was introduced into the party, the dam breaking surge of power would be too much for the level of grip and our abilities as drivers.   On long straight-aways the immense power propelled the Evo into supercar like state of top speed uncovering issues within our aero package (we had none!).   Realizing the insanity of the situation, the most logical step would have been to dial back boost and possibly switch to a smaller turbo size.  With each lap clicking by, the once logical idea slowly slipped further out of memoryville.

Our track day ended with grin’s on our faces, bbq’d front abs sensors, blown rear shocks, and an appreciation for having a chance to drive such a car on track.

Conclusion
Did we have to do this modification?  No.  Was it worth it?  Yes!  The XR-1.7 engine package is a phenomenal modification through and through.  We have logged in over 5,000 miles of abuse without fail.  With more time spent on the tune and possibly a smaller turbo, the car could be more useable for street and track use.  Until then we will continue to suffer with the epic amount of power and god like command of the street and of course, the track.

Related Links

• GSC Power-Division
  
• Boost Logic
• Westboro Mitsubishi
• Supertech
• Atlantic Motorsports
• EvolutionM
• AEM

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There’s no one in the world that can come up with a good enough excuse as to why they changed a perfectly good body part with a carbon fiber piece. Why did we do it? Our reasoning is that Carbon fiber is an addictive narcotic that seems to grab a hold of any logical reasoning a person may have and make them do things that a non Carbon Fiber junkie wouldn’t do. But if you get the right (well made) Carbon Fiber piece it will convert any non Carbon Fiber junkie into an addict, which is what happened to us.

Our front fenders didn’t need to be replaced but just the idea of having carbon fiber front fenders seemed like a cool idea. The stock fenders are extremely light to begin with, but very flimsy. Going with a good set of CF fenders wouldn’t provide a significant weight reduction over stock, but will prove to be much stronger (dent resistant). With several manufacturers available to supply anyone with a replacement piece, we went to RaceOnUSA for their OEM style fenders to maintain the original bodyline and complete our carbon theme. Fitment is the biggest issue when it comes to CF replacements and was a big worry for us. Luckily our worries went out the door the day we installed the new fenders. The build qualities on these are extremely nice. The edges and mounting points are strong with a good finish, the CF weave is straight without noticeable imperfects, and the clear finish is smooth enough to be show ready. The fenders really hold true to the “OEM” title. Installing was a snap and a little adjustment was made to make sure everything fit perfectly. One thing to note is the holes for the corner lights may need to be dremmelled a little due to thickness of the CF fenders, but nothing major. Once we got everything lined up and installed we sat back to find any imperfections. After examining every square cm, we were happy to see no significant gaps or any other fitment issues, fitment was flawless.

Once we finished test fitting the new pieces we decided to take them off and get them painted to match the rest of the car. Yes we do realize it seems to defeat the purpose of getting a CF replacement part if we are going to just paint over it. The truth is we had a set theme for the project car that we needed to maintain (more on this coming soon in future articles). The CF fenders took about 2 days to get them finished up and they were back on the car for another test fitment. With the two fenders painted and on the car, it was pretty difficult to notice a difference between the stock fenders and the new CF replacements. We added a bit of exposed carbon fiber within in the paint scheme (as you can see in the pictures) to give it away.

Overall we couldn’t be any happier with RaceOnUSA’s CF front fenders. The quality and fitment of fenders are wonderful. If you are looking for change and want to get a set of CF fenders, check out RaceOnUSA’s selection.

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Before we get into this review, one thing needs to be said upfront so everyone is on the same page. The stock rear control arms have nothing wrong with them. They are perfectly sufficient for the average Evo owner. This review isn’t intended for you to go out to replace a perfectly good stock part if you don’t need to.

Now with our disclaimer out of the way, we can now get down to the review. So why did we replace our stock rear control arms with the Agency Power Rear Control Arms. For some reason the rear camber in our project car wouldn’t go past -1.2 degrees. The car was experiencing some rear sidewall rub on our tire when going through tight portions of certain tracks. The goal camber setting we were looking to get was -2.0 degrees and we were definitely not going to get that out of our current setup. Trying most of the suggestions posted on the forum without any luck we decided to find another solution. With a little research we came across Agency Power’s Rear Control Arms. Each arm comes in two pieces, which gives its ability to be adjustable (a rod end mated with the main portion with 2 bushings). It was very intriguing and at this point we were willing to try anything.

With any new aftermarket part there are always pluses and minus. A minus that should be mentioned is by adding these new arms won’t save weight but rather add more (9 ounces more per arm with the 2 pieces assembled). This is primarily due to the rod end portion of the arm. It’s made with heavy gauge metal in order to maintain strength. The main portion of the arm not only has 2 urethane bushings, but it’s also extremely light in weight. Made from a very thick aluminum (6061 aluminum) and reinforced with steel sleeves, the chances of the arms ever failing are pretty slim. The plus side with these arms is obvious; we can now get more camber! Weight savings is important but 9 ounces per side wasn’t going to kill us.

Installation was very simple and with the right tools on hand it can be done in about an hour. After installation, we headed straight to the alignment machine to get everything dialed in. The following was our initial setup (Keep in mind we still run stock sway bars):

- Front: -2.5 degrees of camber with 1/8th toe out
- Rear: -2.0 degrees of camber with 0 toe

The car was setup and ready to hit the track. Luckily Car Guys was holding a track event at Shenandoah a few days after we installed the arms, so we signed up and patiently waited for the weekend. The weekend finally arrived and we logged in our first few sessions. On some of the tighter corners, the car seemed like it needed some more camber on the front (slight push during corner entry). With a few more changes to the camber in the front we went out again. This time the car felt much better. The rear felt very planted and didn’t have the usual instability experienced on the straights when running too much camber. Turn in was crisp and responsive. The car had a tendency to push from the apex out, which wasn’t too bad because it made the car more predictable. With more track time, we could definitely iron out the small issues.

Unfortunately since it was our first time at Shenandoah, we didn’t have a base line time to compare to. What we can say is the car did feel very response and gave us more confidence to push the car more, which is based on our driving style. The nice part about having these arms is the fact that the rear camber settings can be adjusted very easily for quick changes, which was a big time saver in-between sessions.

With the track results out of the way, it was now time to talk about the project car’s street experience. Since we drove the car to and from the track we got to experience how the car felt on the street. In reality it didn’t feel very different. The only time we could tell a difference was when the car hopped through road bumps. The rear felt very light while it was going over the bumps but very stable. Purchasing these arms for just the street would not be recommended because there really wouldn’t be a need to run aggressive camber (aggressive camber settings will shorten the life of your tires dramatically). We feel that the arms would be better suited for the track junkie or possibly the car show participant. What ever the case may be, if more rear camber is needed and it can’t be accomplished with the stock setup, then give the Agency Power Rear Arms a try. Stay tuned for more follow-ups and long term results!

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Contributing: Matt Freeman

The Beatrush under-panel was in our Install bin for way too long, and now that we finally have it on our project Evo, we regret having not put it on earlier. The car was suffering from front-end lift at the last VIR driving school event. The stock under-panel has been off for some time now because we grew tired of removing it every time we get the evo strapped to the dyno.

A while back, we ran the car at Summit Point Raceway with and without the stock piece in place to make sure that there wasn’t any noticeable aerodynamic difference. The mistake we made was running the test when the car was completely stock. Now that the project car has a lot more power, a significantly stiffer suspension, and wider stickier tires, it became increasingly obvious that we made the wrong choice in ditching the under-panel and we’ve regretted it since, until now.

Instead of refitting the stock piece, Kami Speed had a solution for us: Beatrush’s under-panel. The under-panel is lightweight, features more aerodynamic efficiency, and promotes more down-force than the stock unit. Installation was the only tricky part because of the multiple screws, bolts, aero pieces, and instructions only in Japanese. However, everything slowly came together with a bit of trial and error. The best feature of the under-panel is that once it’s on, it’s not only easy to take it off, but there is also a removable hatch that offers easy access to the front tow hook for dyno pulls.

Once the panel was all bolted up, it was time to perform a road test. The highway was the only public area we could perform an immediate test of this modification at higher speeds. We couldn’t legally get going fast enough to show the true potential of this product. At 65mph, the road noise did seem slightly reduced, and lane changes felt a bit more precise.

As soon as we got the car on the track, the Beatrush under-panel really showed its race function and design. At higher speeds the car’s nose felt planted and the lift was eliminated. The new modification instilled the confidence to take the project car hurdling down the straights at a higher rate of speed. This as well as the decreased lift and consequently increased cornering ability ultimately shaved down our lap times.

To be fair, we had to ask ourselves if the under-panel really provided all these changes we were experiencing on track. To test the effectiveness of the panel, we decided to do one session with the panel on and one without. During the first session we were able to pull a best lap time of 1:29 (Summit Point Main Track). For the next run, we put the panel back on and ran the car. Best lap time out of the second session was 1.26. (Keep in mind that during these sessions, that there are other cars out on the track (traffic), which can obviously affect lap times.) Three seconds is a very substantial improvement and considering other factors we could safely say that the panel decreased lap times by one or maybe two seconds. The biggest source of improvement was the increase in straight-line speed, which was 15 mph faster than without the panel.

The Beatrush under-panel is well worth your money if you are having issues with front end lift. It also looks better then stock and allows for much easier dyno setup, so if you want form, function, and time savings then this is a great mod to get.

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*** This review will be great for anyone running an AEM EMS and a stock turbo in their EVO.

In this edition of our Project Evo part install review, we look at two products:

AEM Serial Gauge
DC Sport Turbo Manifold

We’ve got two items to add to your list so brush the dust off that credit card and get ready to burn it up again!

What Are The Benefits?
This is an important question. There have been countless times where consumers are trapped into thinking a certain part will give them the magic result they’ve been looking for. Later to find out (after that hard earned dollar was spent) that the product failed to produce that magic result. So for this part review, let’s focus on the facts and see if both of these products will serve their purposes and not disappoint us later. Since this is a review for two separate parts, we’ll highlight the benefits of each part separately:

AEM Serial Gauge – In our opinion this product has been a missing piece to the EMS puzzle. If you’re like most of the self-taught EMS tuners out there, taking your laptop out to tune is part of the job requirements. Running data logs and making changes based on the data collected is common practice. This set up was great when you’re out specifically tuning. Now what happens when the tuning sessions are over? All that’s left is basic maintenance and monitoring. At this point the hard part is over and it’s time to enjoy the car. This is where the laptop can get in the way, especially if you start taking passengers with you. In comes the AEM Serial Gauge to the rescue.

The AEM Serial Gauge can be your eyes without having to run the laptop. Imagine having a gauge that reads your knock readings? How about monitoring your IAT readings? It can be done with this gauge. There are a few things that we really liked about this gauge that should be pointed out:

1. The ability to daisy chain more gauges to read different parameters (you can read up to 19 different parameters simultaneously)
2. Easy installation
3. User programmable
4. We can read parameters that other gauges can’t read.

Rather then list every specific detail about the product. You can find the details here: click here

DC Sports Turbo Manifold – Our first impression with the manifold wasn’t the best. We were a little skeptical about its ability to produce any significant gains (over stock) to make it a worthwhile mod. On the other hand, the build quality on the manifold is pretty nice and who can resist not seeing a manifold like this under the hood of their Evo. The stock manifold isn’t the prettiest, but it works very well (especially when ported.). So what are the benefits of running this manifold over stock? We were looking to get better throttle response, as well as, better mid to high range power. This should benefit anyone who attends HPDE’s, Autox’s, Drag strip events or any other motorsport event. The throttle response and the higher mid to high range power should help improve overall times.

More info can be found here: click here

Installation
Manifold: The manifold install was pretty straight forward. Make sure you have a long padded (using rags) crowbar, a new manifold gasket, and a new turbo gasket. The following are the steps needed to install the manifold (remember to disconnect the battery cables from the battery. It’s not necessary but it doesn’t hurt to be safe):

1. Remove stock heat shield from stock manifold.
2. Remove the 4 (12mm) nuts and 2 (14mm) nuts connecting the manifold to the block
3. The next step is to remove the 2 bolts and 2 nuts connecting the manifold to the turbo.
4. This step is pretty tricky and you must be careful when doing this step. A crowbar padded with towels will be needed. You may need a friend to help you out. Slide the padded crowbar in between the block and the turbo in order to wedge it. Be careful that there aren’t any hard lines in your way. Also don’t use a lot of muscle when pulling back.
5. Have one person pull back on the crowbar in order to pull the manifold off the block.
6. Once the manifold has cleared the block studs, lift the manifold up off of the turbo. Now release the pressure on the turbo, returning it back to its original location.
7. Next you should remove both the manifold gasket and turbo gasket with new replacements.
8. With the same crowbar, pull the turbo back again and position the base of the new manifold onto the turbo.
9. Line up the manifold in order for it to slip onto the block studs and slowly release the turbo back to its original location.
10. At this point the manifold should be aligned and ready to bolt on. Make sure to put the nuts on areas of the manifold that have close clearances before you completely bolt everything on. You need some room to move the manifold around slightly in order to get everything on.
11. Last step is to bolt everything in. Make sure everything is tight to insure there aren’t any leaks.

Remember, you will get the best results if you have the car retuned for this mod. Contact your original tuner for more information.

Serial Gauge: This gauge will probably be the easiest gauge you will ever install. The steps are very simple and should be easy to follow (the gauge comes with a set of instructions as well):

1. Remove battery cables off of the battery. * This step must be done before anything else.
2. Find a location for the gauge. We used a gauge pod that fits on the steering wheel column.
3. Make sure to locate the 8 pin single row located behind the gauge.
4. Next connect the 8 pin cable to the back of the gauge.
5. The next step requires a switched 12v source to tap into and an area for a ground. We used the same power source that our turbo timer was using.
6. Tap the red wire to the 12v source and ground the other wire.
7. Next plug the flying lead to the harness connected to the gauge.
8. Run the wire behind the dash in order to hide it from sight.
9. Connect the DB9 portion on the flying lead to the serial output on the EMS.
10. Make sure all connections are secure. Then disconnect the DB9 connection from the EMS.
11. Connect battery cables back onto the battery
12. Turn the key to the “On” position and make sure the gauge turns on.
13. Open AEM Pro and connect to the EMS. Wait for the EMS to finish downloading.
14. Click on “VIEW” and select the telemetry wizard from the wizards drop down menu. In the telemetry wizard, left click on “AEM Serial Datastream Gauge: and click OK.
15. Close AEM Pro, connect the serial gauge to the EMS, and cycle power to the EMS. The EMS is now configured to output data to the gauge.

Overall Impressions

Street: AEM Serial Gauge: Driving around with this gauge is not dramatically different than driving around with a normal gauge. As a test run we decided to setup the gauge to read knock. The gauge’s max limit was set low to test out the warning function as well. Overall everything works pretty nicely and depending on where you position the gauge, the led’s and digital read out are easy to read compared to a traditional gauge. If there’s a problem, it will definitely catch your eye. (** Special item to note, in the pictures you will notice that we installed the gauge on the steering column).

Street: DC Sports Turbo Manifold: We couldn’t really tell if there were any significant changes until we opened up the throttle. As we laid down the throttle you could feel the slight power difference as you start climbing through the rpms. The turbo seemed to spool up faster and throttle response also seemed to improve. Not wanting to drive recklessly on the street we decided to back off and take it to the track. Driving normally you can’t really tell a difference between the stock manifold and this one. The one thing we did notice was the audible differences between the two manifolds; the DC sports manifold was noticeably louder.

Track (road circuit): AEM Serial Gauge: During the Evo Tuner Shoot Out we were able to get a few laps in to see if the gauge was easy to read while on track. We ran the same test as we did on the street and used the gauge to read knock. We also set the max limits lower to make sure the warning led’s would catch our eye. Each lap we went through, no matter how intense the driving situations were, the gauge was easy to see. In some cases we didn’t need to see the actual numbers, just the red warning lights. Overall it’s a good setup that can be used in track and street conditions. (** Special item to note, in the pictures you will notice that we installed the gauge on the steering column).

Track (road circuit): DC Sport Turbo Manifold: This is where the product showed it’s true potential. We effectively got what we wanted, more mid to high range power, faster throttle response, and an extra benefit: FASTER SPOOL UP. The engine note sounded wonderful with the new manifold. The car felt very alive and ready to take any corner with everything it had. At some corners, we were caught off guard with the power coming in a little too hard. Overall the project car turned into a different animal on the track. It felt like the horsepower was there all along, but it needed a way to come out. Unfortunately we couldn’t provide time improvements because we ran the car with the stock manifold at a different track. We will be taking the car to the original testing ground in order to get actual time improvements. Based on our calculations; however, the car should be able to pick up another second with the current setup.

Conclusion
With any part review, we try to provide you with as much info as we can. In our opinion both parts worked very well for our application. Both parts performed very well on the track and street. One thing we do need to emphasize is you should have the care retuned after the manifold is installed. You will not feel a noticeable difference if you don’t retune.

As a consumer you should use this review as a starting point to figure out if these products are right for your application. If you are looking for the same results we were, then look no further.

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Cost effective, more efficient, and quality build are the words that best describe the Mishimoto radiator. Lighter then stock, this radiator is great replacement to the stock unit and provides a greater cooling efficiency. Paired with a black finished silicone hose kit, this radiator makes a great addition for those looking for a stock replacement

Installation
Installation was straightforward and very easy to do. The Mishimoto radiator fits as perfect as the stock unit without any problems. Evo 9 owners will probably have to modify the hose to make sure you have a perfect fit, but nothing major. The most difficult portion of the install was draining the fluid in the stock unit. Total install time should be less then 2 hours.

Impressions
On the street, temps weren’t any different then stock. On track was where the difference was apparent. After a full weekend of beating the snot out of the car, the overall temps averaged 7 – 10 degree cooler then the stock unit. The silicone hoses held up to the high heat without leaks and the radiator maintained its performance throughout the weekend.

Conclusion
For under $300 this radiator is a bargain for those looking to replace their stock radiators for something that runs more efficient and is lighter then the stock unit. Longevity is something we are currently testing but after a couple of months the unit has held strong without issues. If you are in the market for a new radiator with silicone hose kit, give the Mishimoto Radiator and Hose Kit a try.

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As many of you already know, when you start on a path of modification sometimes it’s difficult to figure out when to stop modifying your car. You initially set up a goal in order to give yourself a sense of accomplishment. The funny thing is when you reach the top of the mountain; you end up saying to yourself “Can I do more?” Everyone knows the downward spiral from here. You immediately start thinking about the possibilities, which start to brainwash you. You convince yourself that your car is boring and you need a change. At this point this is where you end up in a “fork in the road” type of situation. Should I start a new project or shouldn’t I?

You immediately start to rationalize and think back to the pain and struggle you went through to get the car to its initial goal. Thinking to yourself, “That downtime wasn’t too bad”. Well now you know how we felt when we got a chance to try out Tanabe’s new set of Sustec Pro Seven suspension and the TEAS unit to go along with it. We wanted change and this setup could help us with that change.

Before we received the suspension I started to research the set up through the site and any other resource I could find. The list of features the suspension had to offer was very attractive. I immediately looked for the spring rates to see what I was going to be dealing with: 12kg in the front and 10kg in the rear. Pretty high rates but Tanabe claimed that this set up could be used for various driving environments (street and competition), which is very appealing. I wanted to find out for myself.

Installation
After a week of waiting, the UPS man came with the goods. After tearing the box, I could see four nicely packaged coilovers. I had to get these on the car! I immediately got the car on the lift and started the install.

Installation was very simple for the suspension and was completed in less then 2 hours (I love air tools!). The TEAS installation was also an easy install and took us about an hour or so to install. We did spend a little extra time making sure that everything was torque’d down correctly so we wouldn’t run into issues later. After the final inspection, the car came off the lift and was sent out for the initial test drive.

Product Build
We usually don’t talk too much about the build quality on some of the parts we review, so I figured I would take the opportunity to do so with the Teas and Sustec pro. The overall construction of the Sustec pro is pretty nice. The welds look strong and overall appearance looks very good. The hardware (camber plates, height adjustments, etc) were very well constructed as well.

With the Teas, the overall build is very basic and simple (small and light), which is what I prefer when it comes to electronic control boxes. The unit is small enough to fit it most places of the car, so mounting solutions shouldn’t be too difficult.

Initial Driving Impressions (Street Only and the car was not dialed in)
This initial drive wasn’t to test out the handling characteristics of the car, but more so to play with the TEAS. I initially set the damper setting to 1 (front and rear). Driving around with this setting was interesting. The setting was very soft and many of you who like a firm setup will not like this setting. I had to turn the dial up. The next damper setting I went to was 5 (front and rear). Finally we are getting somewhere! The ride was firmer then the previous setting. This setting was a good compromise for the street, firm but not so much that your head gets knocked around.

Finally I decided to see how far we could take this. I tried 10 (front and rear) and 16(front and rear). Wow what a difference. Definitely something I wouldn’t leave set especially for the street. My body was bouncing around like a rock in a can. I have to admit though it was pretty fun to drive the car in the stiff setting because it made the car feel very responsive and minimized body roll.

After an hour or so of parading around town, I decided to get the car dialed in to see how the setup truly feels.

Part 2 – Driving Impression (Street Only with the car dialed in)
Now that the car was dialed in, it was time to find out the car’s road handling characteristics and to really use the TEAS to its full potential (speed sensitive dampener controlling). The impressive thing about the TEAS active mode is you can also preprogram the unit to specifically set the dampener settings on the suspension based on a specific speed (as slow as 5mph).

TEAS Impression
The only other car I’ve ever been in to have some type of automatic dampener control has been the MB E55 AMG, but without the speed sensor option. I felt that this feature would be great on an Evo especially for owners who don’t want the full “Race” setup all the time and would prefer a way to adjust stiffness settings whenever they feel like.

The best place to test the TEAS was on the highway and some of the back twisty roads that most of you are familiar with. The first test was the highway. I set the TEAS to active mode and got on the on-ramp of the highway. The TEAS immediately started to tighten things up during my trip on the on-ramp. Once I merged onto the highway, I gave it a little gas and it continued to tighten things up. Very cool! The next test was driving the car on some twisty back roads.

As I did in the previous highway test, I set the TEAS in active mode and headed out on the back road. The TEAS did its job of stiffening the suspension to accommodate the driving, but there was a big difference between this test and the highway. Highway speeds are always consistent, whereas, other forms of driving where not. Tuning the TEAS was necessary in order to get the right dampener setting for this type driving.

After playing around for about an hour, I finally programmed a setup I liked. The car was crisp and in control.

In Conclusion
Overall I have to say that Tanabe’s Sustec Pro Seven and TEAS is a fairly good package all together. It can be overwhelming at first because of the many different features you can play around with, but once you figure it out it can be a blast to drive around in. As I said before, the one thing I liked about this set up is its ability to accommodate a wide range of driving environments. You also have an option to fine tune your settings and save them as preprogrammed options. Great for the daily commuter and weekend track monkey. All you need is a little patience to get the setup tuned right for your needs and some gas money. Stay tuned for part 2 when we take the car to the track.

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Engine Torque Damper

With the current power levels on the Project Evo, something had to be done about the drive train lash we were experiencing. The Evo suffers from a good amount of engine movement due to the soft stock motor mounts. Some issues that results from the motor movement are increased stress on exhaust mounts (and motor mounts), problems shifting, and excessive wheel hop.

Upgrading the motor mounts was the only solution I could think of, until I was introduced to the Stiffy from Ingalls Engineering. The Stiffy seemed like the best solution if you didn’t want to go through the hassle of installing upgraded motor mounts or inserts. Plus it had the ability to adjust the stiffness level, which is a great feature especially if you drive your Evo daily.

The product arrived at my door within a weeks time. Included in the package was the following:

- Stiffy Engine Torque Damper
- Engine Mounting Bracket
- Chassis Mounting Bracket
- Hardware Kit (includes: two 12mm engine mount nuts, two 12mm washers, two bolts, two nylon locking washers, and two washers.)

Installation was simple and took about 30 minutes to complete. Once I finished the install I was out on the road testing it out.

Impressions

After the install I made sure to set the damper to the softest setting before heading out.

Softest/Lowest Setting

Initially I couldn’t feel a difference in the car’s behavior, until I started playing with the throttle. I tried to reproduce the drive train lash I experienced before to see if there was any improvement. I did notice a slight improvement. My shifting was also a little smother than before. Cabin vibrations were very mild, but keep in mind the project Evo has a lumpy idle due to the 272 cams so I’m pretty used to the car being shaky.

Medium/Middle Setting

This setting was a definite improvement from the last setting. Shifting improved and the lash experienced during the last run had reduced. This time around I was able to feel vibrations within the cabin. Again I’m not ultra sensitive to cabin noise or vibrations so this was tolerable for me on a daily basis.

Stiffest/Highest Setting

Finally I decided to go all the way and set the damper to the stiffest setting and head out for the final test run of the day. On this run I could definitely tell that the product was making a difference. Shifting was really smooth this time around. I tried to reproduce the lash again but this time it had greatly reduced from the first setting. Cabin vibrations were definitely noticeable and may be a pain to deal with on daily basis.

At the end of the day I have to say this is a good mod that was easy to install and easy to use. It’s a great alternative to motor mounts, especially if you drive your Evo on a daily basis. A little Dynamat around the strut tower could also help absorb any vibrations experienced, if any. I would also keep the Stiffy set anywhere between the softest to the medium setting for everyday use. I would recommend only using the highest setting on track days.

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(Check out my video clips for this article here: CLICK TO WATCH VIDEOS)
I know, not your typical part review, but I wanted to try something new. It’s always nice to see something different and out of the normal routine. This is the first part of what will be many more articles to come about my personal path to obtain my license in order to enter into NASA Time Attack series. The car of choice is the project evo, obviously. With all the part reviews we do with this car, it has everything needed to be a good track car and a serious competitor. By running this car through each HPDE weekend also opens the door to follow up articles on how some of the modifications on the car hold up after a solid HPDE season.

So now let’s start from the beginning. Why am I doing this? This was a dream of mine since I was 8 years old. With the near death experience I went through that ultimately took Mark’s life, I decided that now would be the best time to pursue some dreams of mine. I have the car, so now all I need is the experience behind the wheel. With any project, I always like to plan out what my path will be and try to stick to it the best I can. This project isn’t going to be easy and will be challenging at times, but in the end I think it will be worth it.

What’s the first step? Well there are many choices to make before you get into this. The first and most critical decision is to decide which driving school program to go with. I wanted to go with a driving school that carried a big reputation for having one of the best instructor staff and was able to hold a fair amount of track events in a season. The other nice thing is to have these events at tracks that are close by and easy to get to. I’m sure you’re thinking “why not stick with NASA?”. NASA has a good driving program, however, they are a regional sanction and have events at tracks that may be too far to attend. I wanted to stick with one school as much as I could in order to get consistent instruction (or close to it). Once I get to a more advanced level, I will then go through the NASA ranks to obtain my license. So in the end, the program I decided to go was the one at Car Guys. They’ve been around since the late 80’s and carry the experience that will help improve my ability as a driver. The company owner, Aryan, is a phenomenal driver (One ride along with him in his Z3 and you’ll understand why I use the word “phenomenal”) and with his knowledge/experience, he has developed a very successful HPDE program. I’m not new to HPDE events. I’ve attended a few HPDE sessions before with Nasa and other racing organizations. The only difference now is, I have a goal and this was the program to go with.

The next decision is to really figure out the costs associated with all of this and to see if it’s worth pursuing. Many of you attend HPDE events and know that the costs vary. Between the amount of money for gas, alignments, tires, brakes, fluid changes, HPDE entry fee, etc, it starts to add up. If you are not taking the same path as I am then the costs will probably be much less. You really wouldn’t need R compound tires, race brakes, high temp fluids, etc. You can still go out and enjoy the weekend and do things with your car that you wouldn’t be able to do on the street, without the big bill at the end. Anyways to bring us back to the original point. The total average I was looking at was about $1,200 per weekend. That includes the HPDE entry fee, fluid changes, incidentals, replacement (brakes, tires, etc.), hotel stay at some tracks, and food. Pretty big bill for a weekend! It may look like an overestimate but it’s better to do that then to underestimate. The decision wasn’t easy, but in the end I decided to go for it.

With a plan set in place, I decided to sign up for the 2 day event and get ready for VIR.

First Day
I got in at around 9pm the night before after a grueling 6 hour drive to the track (traffic was horrible). That night I decided to hit the bar and calm down the nerves before the event the following day. Being this was my first time to VIR, I made the mistake of talking with other experienced VIR attendees about what to expect on the track. Usually at this time at night with a couple drinks down, some people can get overly dramatic with their stories to say the least. I was told, “watch out for turn 10. if you lift you’re done for!” or “make sure you’re careful through turn 8 and 9 because someone had a bad accident there last time”, pretty overwhelming stuff the first night.

The weather early in the morning wasn’t pleasant. With a layer of frost on the car, I was hoping that my run group wasn’t going to be the first ones out. Luckily I wasn’t going out till mid morning, which gave enough time for the track to heat up. The advanced run group went out first to help the heat build up as well, which was nice.

With any HPDE event the first thing to do is to get the car tech’d inspected. Basically a check to make sure your car is mechanically able to run on the track. (I should mention that I did receive a tech form in the mail a few days after I registered for the event, in order to get the car checked out by a mechanic before hand. ) The next thing you do is to get ready for the morning class/meeting. The classroom sessions help first timers and even seasoned attendees on how everything is suppose to go. Flag definitions, passing zones, lines, etc are all discussed in the classroom. After my classroom session, I got to sit back a little and just wait for my run group to be called. CarGuys were very well organized when it came to the schedule. Nothing really overlapped and I got a ton of track time that day.The instructor assigned to me was extremely helpful the first day. A pro driver with a very detailed oriented mindset, he gave me a 4 page packet with a survey and rules to follow. At first I was pretty annoyed that I had to read a 4 page packet and fill out a bunch of questions so early in the morning, but after the first session I realized why it was important. It really helped set the tone for the instruction and we were basically on the same page the entire time. What also really helped was that he took me for a ride along earlier to learn the line of the track. Sort of like an orientation before we started our sessions.

The first session out was sort of an “installation session”, basically getting comfortable with track, looking for the flag stations, etc. The next few sessions got better and better. I was faster each session out and was improving pretty quickly. After I was able to pass a couple of C6’s (Z06’s by the way), I knew I was doing something right. Before I knew it the day was already over and I was exhausted. The horror stories from the night before exited my head and all I kept thinking about was the next day. I got a taste and I wanted more!

Second Day
Now one thing that’s really important not to do on the last day, is to get overly cocky about your driving ability. Remember this is the last day and if you drove the car to the track you should really want to be able drive it back home. The classroom session on the second day specifically includes this topic in their discussions. Aryan has done this for years and knows the feeling you get after a good day. That’s why he specifically brings the entire group back to reality by showing a video of an instructor driving a Ford GT, who made a mistake by driving it a little too hard, and ended up in the wall (even instructors can make mistakes). Sending himself and passenger to the hospital and causing $50,000 + worth of damages to the car, something that no one wants to do. It seemed a bit morbid, but it got the point across.

On this day I decided to start off slow in the morning and progressively turn the dial up in the later sessions. With the lessons I learned the day before; I made sure to apply them today and tried my best to make sure I was consistent. After the first session in the morning I was feeling pretty good and my instructor was basically speechless during the sessions. He was surprised at my improvement and basically pointed only a few minor items to fix. At my last session, I was basically passing most of the cars in the group. My instructor recommended me to move up to the next run group for the next event (Nov. 11th & 12th @ Shenandoah).

Project Evo
Let’s face it; doing something like this isn’t really good for the life of the car. But what’s the point of having this much potential and having most of its life wasted on the street. With each session that went by the car would perform without any issues. I would constantly check tire pressures and fluid levels at the end of every session. The car never showed any signs of weakness. The Nitto NT-01’s still have enough rubber for another weekend, which is pretty good considering it already went through a full weekend before. Plus I drove the car 500 miles round trip to the track and back. The brakes (GiroDisk Rotors with Ferodo DS2500 Pads) held strong each day with no signs of fade. This car was born on the track.

Conclusion
This was honestly one of the best HPDE experiences I’ve had in a long time. The Car Guys group really did a good job of keeping things organized. Their instructors were top notch and provided a ton of input to help improve your driving. I felt very satisfied with my level of improvement and really can’t wait for the next event. This was the first step towards my goal and it couldn’t have gone any better. A special thanks to Mhyar (aka Az3ar) for being a great friend and helping out when I needed it. Also it was great to meet other evo owner’s and I hope to see more f you in the next coming events.

See similar:

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• Video: EvolutionM Project Evo @ VIR (October 2006)
• EvolutionM Project Evo Is Back
• Beatrush Under-Panel
• Two Part Install AEM Serial Gauge & DC Sports Turbo Manifold
• Project Evo: Tanabe Sustec & TEAS Review

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See similar:

Other Posts That May Interest You:

• EvolutionM Project Evo @ VIR
• EvolutionM Project Evo Is Back
• Beatrush Under-Panel
• Two Part Install AEM Serial Gauge & DC Sports Turbo Manifold
• Project Evo: Tanabe Sustec & TEAS Review