PROJECT DrIfT: Lancer Evolution VIII MR

[civic_guy]

Part 1 of this project has to do with the front bumper.

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p...6/IMG_0272.jpg



Here is the mild front bumper, I went to the hobby shop and got two packages of evergreen styrene sheets...one sheet metal style and one smooth/plain style. For those of you who are interested in making your own intercooler...the sheet metal style styrene is absolutely PERFECT.

I'm going to widen the center hole of the bumper so the intercooler will be nice and big. The two smaller side holes will be dremeled out and I will put the intercooler piping in those. I will also hollow out the grill...not a big fan of the piece of plastic jutting in the middle of the grill on the evo viii (that's why I prefer the evo IX.

Anyway here's a computer mock-up of what the finished product might look like. I know it's a crappy pic...but I did this before i got photoshop...I had to use a cheesy knock-off called photostudio on an extremely crappy computer...lol




http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p...guy116/EVO.jpg




The piping maybe a little smaller...and the smooth sides of the intercooler may have to show to make it look less awkward. The intercooler will be painted chrome and I'm going to hand draw on every other line...the dark intercooler coils.
And yes...I bought an extra bodykit package from radioshack (they were on clearance for $3) just incase I mess up lol

Part 2: will be cutting a hole in the hood and putting mesh in its place (i've already cut the hole I just need to smooth it out a bit)

Part 3 I'm gonna make a nice looking exhaust and find a drifting style wing for it

Part 4: Will be chasis work. XI alluminum chasis, liths, and as many alloy parts as I can get my hands on. Also the XI drifting motor...maybe stacked FETs...either that or the V2.2 board. I haven't decided yet. It will definately be my biggest project yet. This part may have to wait for summer....because I'll need to save money...lol

WORKING ON THE FRONT BUMPER:


I've wrapped the car's front bumper in some painter's tape; this will not only guide me (because the gray colors make angles hard to see) they will provide a small cushion incase my X-acto knife slips or I mess up with the dremel tool. I know it won't give me much of a safety blanket but it will prevent those irritatiing small scuffs of scratches.

I'll widen the center horizontally and make the inlet a bit deeper. I will then make the inlets on either side deeper and slightly wider. The whole entire grill will be removed and replaced with mesh.

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p...6/IMG_0377.jpg

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p...6/IMG_0365.jpg




As you can see, there are several layers so it'll provide a little better cushion for mistakes.

This is part 1 to the front bumper mod: I'm eliminating the grill in favor of a gaping hole . Before I dremeled I did some trimming on the front part of the chasis so when I did cut the grill out there would be a hollow space rather than just revealing the plastic from the chasis.

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p...6/IMG_0490.jpg



For those of you with a lancer you can probly tell the difference if your chasis is still stock. Here's another view with the hood on. Notice how the hood covers the plastic that hangs in the front between the front bumper fixtures. Before the plastic hung past the hood.

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p...6/IMG_0492.jpg


Like I said before, if you don't have a lancer you probly don't see the point in anything I did above...lol. Here's the good part!






http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p...6/IMG_0494.jpg
http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p...6/IMG_0498.jpg
http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p...6/IMG_0501.jpg
http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p...6/IMG_0505.jpg


I still have to do some slight trimming here and there but the grill cut-out is pretty much done. It's nice and smooth...it is even and there's no hanging plastic pieces but it's hard to tell because of the different shades of gray due to cutting and sanding.

You can see where I've started sanding into the center of the bumper. I'm trying to make it slightly deeper for the intercooler soon to be going in there....that's part three. Next up (part 2) Is some headlight modification. I've never been a big fan of the gray eyelid on the mild front bumper's headlights so I'm going to switch those lenses out for the stock bumper's lenses. I may paint the chrome housing gray as well.



http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p...6/IMG_0506.jpg
http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p...6/IMG_0508.jpg



Some pics of the rear. I took the super street plate off and replaced it with the Evolution MR plate. I never like the super street plates. I did the same to my other widebody lancer.


To recap:

Part 1: Cut out grill = complete
Part 2: Head light conversion and modification = in progress
Part 3: Front bumper widening/ deeping for intercooler = in progress
Part 4: Intercooler fabrication and install = coming soon


I'll post any updates here so if you're interested keep checking back!


EDIT: This single post has combined two weeks worth of updates from another forum so if the way it progresses doesn't make sense, that's why...lol


All comments welcome!

[bigmike17]

Man, that front end is going to look lean and mean. Great idea on that intercooler. Should look great when finished.

[color0]

Well-documented, I'll give you that. Looks like a nice start, so best of luck to you!

[RedSXmodder]

Color0, it seems you always post in threads with "drift" in them alot don't you, lol.

Aayway, you got a nice start on things. I love seeing custon intercoolers. Can't wait to see it done. Good luck.

Later,
RedSXmodder

[civic_guy]

Thanks guys. I wish I had more time to work on it but college is really making it tough to get everything done. So it's goin to be a long and slow process.

I replaced the headlight covers from the mild bumper with the ones from the stock headlights. I don't like that gray eyelid thing going on. It looks a lot better I'll post pics tonight....I'm at work right now...

[Numbchux]

looks like a cool project. The further back you can mount the intercooler into the bumper. the better it will look.

btw....the pics are 900pixels wide....
just post links next time, thanks!

[civic_guy]

Sorry bout that ...I'll make the next batch smaller.

[Sweed]

Originally Posted by RedSXmodder

Color0, it seems you always post in threads with "drift" in them alot don't you, lol.

Hm... I wonder why most forums' resident drifter would only post in drift topics. Wierd. Must be the money, I guess...

Looks good, what color will it be?

[REDisFASTER]

civic_guy, that looks great! I can't wait to see how your progress goes along! Props on using Evergreen's styrene sheets, they're great stuff!

[chase4494]

dude this is one sick evo8 you are maken my dream car right there lol and tht inter coller is way cool !! and the paint is sweet !! lol

[civic_guy]

Originally Posted by Sweed

Hm... I wonder why most forums' resident drifter would only post in drift topics. Wierd. Must be the money, I guess...

Looks good, what color will it be?

I love the graphite gray on evos so I'm going to keep it the same color. I have a habit of keeping my Xmods the stock color...I don't buy Xmods when I don't like the color..usually...which explains why I still don't have a TC or red gen1 supra...lol

[THE EDJ]

if you are gonna keep with the stock color (or even if you dont) theres a WAY better way to cut out the grill and such that wont leave any thing left behind in the way of extra plastic and you wont be as likely to damage the body, it works great for me! http://www.xmodsource.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6435

hope that helps you out man, nice lookin project!

[BlackSky909]

Looks like a well thought of project, should come out nice. Props to you sir!

[civic_guy]

Originally Posted by THE EDJ

if you are gonna keep with the stock color (or even if you dont) theres a WAY better way to cut out the grill and such that wont leave any thing left behind in the way of extra plastic and you wont be as likely to damage the body, it works great for me! http://www.xmodsource.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6435

hope that helps you out man, nice lookin project!

I already cut the grill out...it worked out just fine I used painters tape to protect the areas around it. Thanks though. I shouldn't be cutting any more holes...just making the existing holes a little deeper and wider so I can fit a good size intercooler in there.

[civic_guy]

No intercooler yet...but I did make a rather large decision to change (what I consider) a major part of the car's look. I've decided not to go wingless...most of my cars are wingless and I was watching some D1 videos the other day and decided that I wanted to put a giant wing on my Evo

Here's how I did it.

Since the wing comes from a model kit and I'm a perfectionist, I had to figure out a way to attach the spoiler and not have the huge stock spoiler holes showing and it also be even (it bugs me when things aren't even).

I cut the bottoms off of the stock lancer spoiler put them in the holes so the rear was flush I then put a piece of double back tap on top and lined the spoiler up until it was even...then put on the double back tape. This way when I lift the spoiler up the bottoms come with it and I can glue them to the model spoiler and attached the spoiler to the body just like I would attach the stock spoiler.







I hope that made sense...lol...it makes sense to me...here's some pics


My supplies, styrene sheets, gloss black enamel paint, and chrome enamel paint. The styrene and chrome paint will be for the intercooler and the black paint for my headlights/ taillights and spoiler.











I finished shaving the chrome off the head and taillights, I'm going to try and paint them this weekend.






And finally....my Evo...so far...there's still quite a bit of work to do but it'll get done, slowly but surely.

[streetballerzz3]

is that wing there for permanent use or jus temporary?!

[civic_guy]

Like I said...I'm going to glue it to the tabs that I cut off from the stock evo spoiler so it can be attached and removed as if you bought it from radioshack; just like the stock spoiler.

[streetballerzz3]

ohhh ok i understand my bad for not reading throughly

[DRFTKO]

I believe the wing may be too **** big, imho

[civic_guy]

It looks fine to me...it's a drift car and generally the wings on drift cars are oversize. I may put some lead tape (they use it on tennis rackets to make them heavier) to make the wing functional...I'm not sure if it'll work on this scale though.