Another one gone over to the dark side..
 

Gone and done it again - S2000's gone and wanted 4 doors and something the family can get in this time when I'm not having fun with it.

Shortlisted a hawkeye or highlighy tuned S4 bi turbo, or an Evo.

But a rather nice Evo8 caught my eye running some nice but sensible mods both to engine, suspension and bodywork with good mileage 2 owners from new and a UK.

Went to look at it today and just couldn't resist, one very well sorted genuine UK motor and forgot how well the Evo's perform all round. So yet another has defected to the dark side. Looks like there might be a couple of Evo's trawling about in here now, hope you don't mind.

Running 360 – 380bhp and 360 - 380 lb/ft torque

54 Reg and first registered in Jan 2005.

Exterior
Carbon front splitter painted black
Evo 9 Rear Bumper
Evo 8 Carbon Spoiler painted in charcoal
RalliArt mud flaps
Evo 8 MR Gray Wheels
Carbon RalliArt design sparkplug cover
US Spec clear rear lights
High level 3rd brake light
RalliArt Number plate surrounds

Interior
Evo 8 Recaro bucket seats (the proper ones not the flat bottom 260 ones) and matching rear seats
Parrott Bluetooth car kit
JBL Speakers
Pioneer Head Unit
Pioneer iPod connection
Boost Gauge
RalliArt carpet mats

Performance
Evo 8MR Bilstein dampers
Tien Springs – 35mm lowered all around
HKS Superdragger cat back Exhaust
Milltek De-Cat (Original cat and downpipe is included)
HKS Downpipe
Blitz SUS Air filter
GSC S1 Cams – Fitted April 2010
Evo 9 80Series Turbo (only had 500 miles on it) – Fitted April 2010
3 port boost solenoid
Evo 9 metal re-serc valve
Mapped by Geekmapper – Lee5

Still got the scoob and might sell it, but I'm tempted to keep it and juggle my insurance about and keep the scoob as a dedicated track hack. I've even thought about renting out the scoob for track events to others for a fixed fee, you break it you just 'AA' it back to me. ?!

You know where I am Rob, although not around tomoz.
Be good to compare against today's drive in a Hawkeye ;).....

I dont pick it up till next weekend :( gona be a long wait. Totally different drive to a Hawk I suspect. The hawk will have more of a low end punch and feel more refined. I Wouldn't mind the low end grunt, but coming from the S2000 I love to be able to scream the revs and have a wider powerband when I want to push on hard.

The Evo on tiens, billies, AYC really makes it stick beyond what you would think a car can do.

sounds like a nice car rob,i would love a gta evo 7,because its got triptronic gearbox,would mean i can have turbo car on my handcontrols.they have 276 bhp standerd which would be cool 4 me and i think they are rare aswell,with a few mods i would take it to 350 bhp and be well happy:grin:

Come over to the dark side didlo. Rob you bought one after telling us in the pub that there ugly & overpriced Mmmm Well i for one think you have made a good choice. I will still say the Scooby is a better road car & far more family friendly. :drive:

Not sure i'd call a few on this site family friendly lol

LOL :D I remember where your username came from - you've got history ;)

Sounds like a good one though :)

gone to the dark side yes....will it stay long with you Rob....no:lol:

Ha! Ha! your not wrong Mr fooi :drive:

:wless:

Evos are stunning cars, i prefer the 5 and the 6's but certain 8's also have their appeal too :-)

Bit curious though, everytime someone changes their car they allways say their going to the darkside, how many times can you go over without going back to the light lol ;-)

If it were the only family car then I would say yes, but this is my car that needs to seat the family some times and for this the Evo ticks the box better than a scoob. The evo is more or a toy and have always said its a more sorted bit of kit straight out of the box. And I like the longer gears the 5 speed box gives.

And little details like the seats have hard plastic backs unlike scoobs which are cloth and get covered in foot prints from the kids kicking the backs of the seats. Dead easy to clean the plastic not so easy with cloth. And the back seat is a bench type seat with 3x3point seat belts to can seat 3 kids in comfort.

They are over price compared to scoobs, but its the whole supply and demand and exclusivity thing. Coming for fords, its nice having something a little different to the masses, and TBH just a change from lots and lots of scoobs.

Pics arn't good but gives you the idea of what its like:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...5/DSCF7630.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...5/DSCF7632.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...5/DSCF7634.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...5/DSCF7638.jpg

If I get bored/tired of this then I think the only place to go next would be a BMW 335I or a RS4 B7. But can't wait to get my hands on it now and no regrets at all so far.

really like that, the splitter makes a massive difference on this shape evo :ok:

Looks very nice Rob.

whats the mileage?

It would nice to see this one before you sell it.

Going round "The Ring" may be ??

liking that,looks a good one rob!!!

Nice choice

Now there's an idea :mrgreen:

Thanks all, the splitter, MR wheels, Evo 9 rear bumper really sets the car off. And its in the fastest colour silver which I like.

Its covered just 37K, having full service history, 12 months MOT, just been serviced including AYC, new stage 1 clutch, 6 months tax. Basically a low mileage UK car with supported mileage (unlike imports) with FSH and theoritically no money need spending on it for at least 12 months. So it was a bit of a no brainer.

I'm sure it would perform very well on a track or the ring but not my intentions for it at the moment. But if I can decide what to do with the scoob then that might well see some track action and possibly the ring if my le-mans trip is called off this year which is a posbility.:D

Thats very nice Rob. I can actually see you keeping this for a while.

Very nice - I do like the 8's!

Very nice Rob.
I was amazed at Nige's around brands, it was like s h i t to a blanket

I would have no problems with buying one.

Were you looking at it through Rose Tinted spectacles.
Rob will take his pair off in a couple of weeks and it'll be up for sale.

I must admit I have been looking on PissedOnHeads, just that if I jumped to the dark side, the Orange SES flags will look a bit odd either side of it,

Looks good

How long will you be keeping it?

Nice Rob, very nice :cool:

:D When I get it and so long as it still pushes my buttons as it did at first viewing and its as clean as I thought it was at the time, and it don't start letting me down badly, and all the time company work is good I can see this one being a keeper... Honestly Guv!

Before purchase of this one, and as sad as it is.... I even done a tick box of wants and needs for a car at this point in time, and this one ticked every box... So bodes well for its future.

My only niggle on the car and its a very small one and pedenatic one at that, is that the rear bumper does not match in shade 100% to rest of car, but this seems to be a common problem on Evo's due to plastic v's metal, and can only just been seen on the sides not square on at the rear. But everyone I have ever looked at, both via internet or real life seems to be the same... But I'm sure it could be sorted at a good bodyshop for not allot if it really bothered me that much. But I'm getting allot more relaxed about these sorts of things these days.

The darkside was pulling me to it last year, i drove a 400bhp 340fq and my current STi in the same week and just couldnt change from scoobs, not because the scoob was better, but the Evo just had something missing when driving

I had the same kind of scenario when I bought my STi8 back in 2004. I test drove the car I have now and an Evo8. I have always said this, that I admit that the Evo was the better car, quicker just, sharper just, cheaper just! But it lacked something.

I have always said that the Evo is a great car, but it has no soul. Wher the scooby is flawed, but easily "de-flawed" but it has a soul. Something almost etherial!

That happens alot, particularly with light metallics on modern cars.
I noticed it when we were looking at a silver SEAT, the match was terrible.

I think it is a combination of 2 things, the metalwork being electrically charged when painting on the production line and hence the mettalic flakes lay different to those on the plastic.
Also the 2 parts are not painted at the same time.

I know its not a scoob or an EVO but i looked at a silver SEAT Leon Cupra and had bad matching body/bumpers. But the same Silver on an SEAT Leon FR with SEAT approved bodykit (painted after production) was a better match as the bodyshop had matched the bumpers to the car.

It also looks alot worse on modern cars as the bumpers mold/shape into the metal body panels i.e no accute angles to reflect the light.

Sounds like your EVO9 bumper may be factory paint from another Silver EVO.

It’s been a long time since I've had one and impossible to make a full appraisal on it until I’ve owned it for a while, and only time will tell I guess. But I’ll be only too pleased to impart my thoughts on it as time goes on.

The main draw to it, for me right now was rarity, the AYC which really is an incredible bit of kit if not cheating slightly (why some of the Evo boys remove it I will never know). The fact I can drive it on, or beyond its limit and get away with it is a real plus. The more discerning looks are a plus to me these days as well. It’s a personal thing but I’ve never got on with how the rear of any of the newages look.

And I like the fact just a few subtle, relatively inexpensive bolt on/off mod’s can take the car to semi reliable 400bhp. Mines running short of 400 with a safe map but I’m happy to not have stupidly lumpy cams on idle and a map that’s on the side of safe for the sake of 20-40bhp.

It’s been said before by me as a road car, quick is quick enough for me. If I’m ever feeling brave enough good luck to anyone trying to keep up with me down some twisities even if they had a gazillion HP car. It would get very silly and scary very quickly, and I know which one wouldn’t end up in a ditch upside down.

I loved the E46 M3 but that was too accomplished and heavy and didn’t have soul, I love AWD and lighter nimble cars so the Evo was a good logical choice . But on viewing it, it was as much a decision with my head as my heart as well.

I love both and always will, just a change of direction within a very similar type of car.

Scott, Know what you mean seen many a production car that dont look great either even spotted a RS focus in the geen that was a horrid match.

The Evo 9 bumper was painted to match the car, and I have pictures of before and after work showing no damage and only reason for change was cosmetics. If it were me I would have taken it back or had a discussion with the bodyshop but thats just me being a bit anal again. Just one of those things I guess and I need to live with it. I think any bodyshop would look at me if I were insane, if I took it in for paint job just for that, and even then not so sure any bodyshop would be able to get it any better. That said I'm fairly sure the front bumper has been painted because it barely has a stone chip on it and that matches or appears to match spot on.

The rear looks fine square on at the rear its just where it wraps round the sides and only in certain light. Everyone I have looked at prior to this or after at web pics all seem to suffer the same so I've resided myself to the fact its probably as good as it gets and dont be so anal about it.

All the Evo bumpers & boot lids dont match especialy silver just one of them things. AYC is removed as it can react to slow & has been known to through cars off. Mitsi replaced this with SAYC in 2005 i think on all but the base models. Rs diffs on big bhp Evo's replace the SAYC as they cant put up with the power 550+ :drive:

nice

I like the look of them, nice to work on. I just cant become one with them when driving them..

Simon

That sounds very Zen Simon! :cool:

I just cant become one with them when driving them..

Teach me more oh master! :ninja:

Lol

The car just feels like an extention of you, you think left and you go left, I could never get to that point with the evos I have driven, even the one I owned for a year. Nothig against evos just me

Seen your moves once before whilst being in a car following you to work on the A21 one morning. Lucky a car wasnt coming towards you at the Robertsbridge roundabout (do evos come with an auto brake pedal?)and then to top that off a very close shave at the Tonbridge Wells roundabout. Good job similar incidents havent happened to you through a country lane (no escape route) as you would have been well and trully screwed.

That extract is taking things a little out of context but seeing as you felt obliged to post about a situation many years ago.........the reason I made that move was because I had brake fade big time (no breaks in fact) and was blocked out by the car that was along side me from taking the correct path. The alternative path was clear to do the move I did, so I took that option rather than side swipe the car/you! that was along side me.

Call it advance driving or call it wreckless if you like, but it was the only option under the circumstances.

But granted my lesson learnt that day is dont under estimate the importance of breaks as well as BHP. Breaks have a limit and use decent break fluid that don't get cooked.;)

Oh and if I did ever feel brave enough to push on really hard down a lane I would always opt for putting myself in harms way first and put the car into a ditch or a wall first rather than the other.! But I can't remember the last time I ever played to that extent or ever likely to. Which also goes to reinforce my other point I have made in the past about the fact that fast is fast enough as a road car. Its all down to how much bottle/how wreckless you want to be on a public road not about how much BHP you have.

Have experienced brake fade myself but never on a single heavy load use from, the speed both vehicles were goin, down to 40.

Sorry to get off topic Rob :doh:, very nice car and do like the rarity of an evo in Hastings. :drive: One day i hope to own something simlar myself.

As much as brake fade it was also just **** brakes that wernt up to the job. I had **** 2 pot front breaks with **** cheepo pads, and was trying to outbreak Brembo's ...... In hinesight I was hoping a bit and should have known better, but you live and learn.

As petrol heads I'm sure if were all honest we've all driven like a tit at one point in our life. But I like to think the older I get the wiser I get..

All good and no worries mate....

I think it's a very true comment Rob. :agreed:

As a rule, we can probably all say that we are fairly good drivers, some are better than others.

But yes, we all have done something incredibly stupid at some point along the way. And we do live and learn from them as a rule.

:drive:

Another lovely example of one of your many cars Rob.......

You certainly find the good ones, hope this one keeps ticking the boxes for you:ok:

so true guys,ive took some risks in my time 2,but now find it safer playing with my self :drive:

Talk for yourself :D

Not whilst out in the car i hope.....:whistle:

Haha theres plenty of dogging car parks if you neeb some friends to play with

lol ,yes drivers do it with there cars

anger,wots these dogging car parks then... is it some kind of dog show :mrgreen:

Ask Chunk or Andy... There the experts on here

wot do they have a map:mrgreen:

:lol:

So all that "Detailing Equipment" they use is actually lube and toys :norty: :cath:

I love it when a thread gets THIS far off topic! :lol:

my little bitch loves her toys and the odd bone:grin: