Laurie's EVO 8 | The True Evleye

It's just one of those cars that catch your eye and the more you look, the more details you see. We caught up with Laurie, a long time Carbonetics family member and automotive enthusiast. We spent the day with Laurie shooting some great content along with getting to know a little more about him and his beloved Evleye.

So the most obvious question is, why did you pick your Evo 8? What about it stood out to you over other jdm or euro models?  that you decided to dedicate your time and money?

I was looking for a car as I was just about to get my full license and having previously owned a few jdm cars, I wanted to keep that trend going. My twin brother had just purchased a V8 and I wanted to be different. I had narrowed it down to either a s15 or an Evo. Both are beautiful cars and staples in the car community but the s15's were P plate legal and I wanted to step out from that look. So I went with the Evo. I have always been a fan of the Evo 7-9 shape ever since I was little. I was always collecting Hot 4’s magazines and going to Autosalons. I always loved the way an Evo looked, the presence it had and how easy it was to modify.

What was the car history like? Because finding a good one can be difficult. 

When looking for the car, I know I had to find a good example because these cars can be abused and neglected. Luckily my car was owned by an enthusiast. He was an older bloke, who always had it regularly maintained by reputable workshops. I have tons of receipts that came with the car when I bought it. I have had the car for about 4.5 years and loving every moment of it. 

What is Evleye? What is the meaning behind it?

Well, when I was younger I always wanted to have a car up with a custom number plate to show for it. My brother had put a custom plate on his car and I had finished the car and needed ideas. I have one headlight that has an air vent and one that was normal. It gives the car a little big of a menacing look, so I thought Evleye. It just suits the car perfectly.

What are your goals with Evleye? 

I'm really satisfied on how the car is looking now. I've owned the car for quite some time so I was never in a rush to do everything at once. The goal was always to build a practical street show car. I wanted to be able jump in and drive it wherever and whenever I wanted but done well enough that it could be seen as a show car. I have done a lot to the car but I still plan on doing more things to the car in the near future. This is only the beginning of Evleye.
(Spec sheet at the bottom of the blog) 

Explain your design choices and the way you set up the car? What are some unique details?

It is all about the detail for me. I tried to not be like every other Evo out there and add that level of refinement to the car. When I bought the car I always had a vision of how I wanted it to turn out. I always loved that track look but never wanted to go overboard where you lose the lines of the car. I focused heavily on swapping a lot of elements of the car to carbon fibre. I went with clear white taillights to keep the white and black theme going.

The refined details of the car are the fact I sprayed my turbo the same colour and my rocket cover. I decided that the engine bay bolts and wheel nuts would all be titanium and that it would create a great contrast against the black and white car theme. I have a functional headlight intake which blends with the car and isn't an eyesore. But one of my favourite details and in fact my first mod were the tyre writing. Always loved them and I think they are a great aggressive touch. 

You will always get people who will tell you to do this or change that. At the end of the day, do what makes you happy and don't be scared to try new things. This is an ever evolving process. 

Is this your dream car? Are you planning on getting anything in the future or upgrading to something bigger?

It's hard to say because I have a history of buying and selling cars. But, every time I jump in it, I feel like a kid in a candy store. The way the car market is now, I don't think there is anything I would be happy to replace her with when you compare it to the same market value and fun factor. The car has been great and hasn't given me a reason to sell it yet. I don't think i'll part with her anytime soon.

You are an active member of the car community. What do you love about car culture?

Whether your car is a jdm, Aussie classic, muscle car or a euro model, you're always meeting new people who share the same passion as you. I always meet the most interesting people with great stories. So many of them have also helped me learn new skills and information along the way. My car wouldn't be where it is today without the help of other fellow enthusiasts.

What do you think Sydney car culture is missing? What changes do you want to see? 

We need more big events in Sydney and the Aussie car community. Places we are able to showcase our pride and joy properly. People look forward to competitions, so if you bring back more Autosalon type of events, I think you would see more of the quality of builds people have to offer instead of having meet ups where basic car mods are the main feature. There is nothing wrong with basic car mods, every car has its place in the scene. I just would like to see more high level showcase style events.

Evleye will keep evolving and we are here for the journey. We are looking forward to getting out and creating some more great content with Laurie. To see more of Laurie's car, see some great content or learn more about what was done to Evleye, check him out at @evleye_ on Instagram. 

 

Spec Sheet:

Engine:

  • Built head
  • Kelford 272 cams
  • Supertech valve springs
  • Locators and retainers
  • GSC zerotic lifters
  • Bronze exhaust guides
  • Arp head studs
  • 5 layer head gasket
  • Hks timing belt and hks cam gears
  • Plazmaman cooler
  • Plazmaman piping
  • SME manifold
  • Intense 5960 gen 4
  • 3inch dump/ screamer
  • Tomei expreme ti exhaust system
  • Catch can
  • Koyorad radiator
  • M&W coil packs
  • Battery relocated in boot
  • 1250cc injectors
  • 3.5 inch mafless intake
  • Titanium dress up bolts
  • Orc 559 twin plate clutch
  • Walbro 525 fuel pump
  • Clear cam cover
  • Billet oil cap
  • Dress up bolts
  • Engine heat shield
  • SSP overflow bottle

  • Zeitronix eca 2 ethanol content analyzer kit w/sensor

Exterior:

  • Varis carbon bonnet v2 painted in white with carbon accents
  • Carbon fibre Ralliart style mirrors
  • Carbon fibre bumper canards
  • Carbon front lip
  • Flow designs splitter
  • Carbon front fender addon 
  • Carbon fibre side skirt extensions
  • Carbon fibre rear pods
  • Carbon fibre pillar trim
  • Carbon fibre vortex generator
  • Carbon fibre antenna
  • Carbon fibre diffuser
  • Carbon fibre side skirt spats
  • Carbon fibre engine cover 
  • Carbon fibre radiator shroud
  • Blacked out indicators
  • Clear tail lights
  • Intake headlight
  • Genuine Mitsubishi weather shields 
  • SSP number plate bracket

Wheels/Suspension: 

  • Ce28 wheels 18x9.2+22 wrapped in a 235 hankook rs4 tyre with tyre writing
  • Neomax coilovers
  • Cusco control arms
  • Braided brake lines
  • DBA slotted discs front
  • Mishimoto titanium wheel nuts
  • Ultra racing front bar strut 3 point
  • Ultra racing front power brace
  • Ultra racing rear strut bar
  • Ultra racing rear strut bar

 

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