Story: Phillip Pratt. Shots: Tony Proenza
I think it’s safe to assume if you’re reading this, that you’re the type that would relish the opportunity to build a full-race car. In a perfect world, we would all have a daily-beater, and a monster living in our garage. For many of our kind – that is a reality. Heck – most of the people who assembled this very magazine are living that life.
Not yours truly, though. My beloved 2002 WRX and I hit the streets daily – which is why I try to stay within 20 miles of my home or my mechanics (shout out to the WRXperts!). But we’re not here to talk about my Subie’s questionable reliability. Matter of fact, even mentioning it in this article might be a cardinal sin. That’s because we’re talking about Sethum Moorley’s 2011 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X.
It may not look it, but Sethum’s 10th Generation Evo (with more than 100k real miles on the dash) hits the pavement as often as my Bugeye. Arguably, Lancer Evolutions have a better track record than Subies in terms of reliability – but technically, the rally-bred machine has already failed its master once. While still compressing air on stock internals and factory turbo, the car belts out 430HP before calling it quits.
For a lot of us, that would have spelled doom and maybe even a part out. Not for Sethum though. Atop of growing up building cars at home – Sethum is an experienced mechanic.
“That’s what I love doing – been a dealer tech since 2009.” He doesn’t just stick to one make either.
Sethum has gained experience with Honda, BMW, Nissan, Maserati, Ferrari, and Tesla. At the moment, he’s wrenching at MPI (Miami Performance Inc.) – a South Florida shop known for producing some of the fastest street and full-race cars in the state.
With a bevy of experience under his belt, Sethum took his blown-up 4B11T and began to massage it into what it is today. Tackling the engine’s failed bottom end he installed a fleet of strengthening pieces including CP pistons, Manley TT rods, ARP head studs, King race bearings, and a Fluiddamper crank pulley. For added protection under pressure, he also had Golden Eagle block sleeves and O-rings maneuvered into place – the only bit of work he didn’t perform himself.
Surely the cleanest Auto-X engine bay we’ve ever seen.
The head received a similar amount of attention with some customary porting, Supertech valves & springs, Kelford camshafts, and an exhaust side cam gear sprocket from Torque Solutions. Now onto the stuff, we can see! Guiding air into the head is a JM Fabrications tubular manifold. The snail of choice is a ATP GTX3582R turbo – attached to a Tomei exhaust system the combo allows the DSM to crone a satisfying note ripping on the track or cruising down the boulevard.
Lots of air is great, but without a decent ignition system, fuel management, and a beefed-up drivetrain, the Evo wouldn’t get too far… or start. A custom-wired Radium dual fuel pump, hanger, external filter, and fuel rail paired with a set of Injector Dynamics 1700X injectors, supply the engine with all the accelerant the cylinders can handle.
The full-time, four-wheel drive, S-AWC system is supported by an ACT lightweight flywheel, HD pressure plate, and 6-puck clutch. Torque Solutions makes another guest appearance supplying a short shifter, bushings, and solid front and rear mounts.
While the 430HP from the stock engine sounded fun – the 600HP that the current set-up safely produces is much more impressive. Unlike many who would settle for going in a straight line quickly – Sethum instead chose to put the Evo’s 4WD system to better use.
Ripping up the track down in Homestead’s AMR Motorplex
Outside of dodging South Florida potholes, and or now native species of iguana – Sethum has become an avid weekend Autocrosser. The red Evo X is a staple at AMR Motorsports during Street Racing Made Safe’s sorta bi-monthly events. With an engine putting out that much power and the course’s tight turns – the Evo would undoubtedly need help in staying connected to the pavement.
To help combat body roll and lower the car’s center of gravity, Sethum installed a set of Tein coilovers, like Whiteline’s entire catalog including swaybars, endlinks, camber/ toe arms, roll center ball joints, and tie-rod ends. Widening the Evo’s wheelbase are STM extended studs and 15mm spacers.
Again, because this car is a streetcar as much as it is a racecar, Sethum keeps more than one set of tires handy. For normal use, he utilizes Toyo R888R 295/30 tires. For special occasions – a set of Yokohama A048 285/30 are installed onto his 18×10.5 Konig Hypergram wheels.
In optimal form, this entire setup helps rocket Sethum’s Evo sub-51-second passes on the AMR track – which is about 6 to 7 seconds faster than the average driver. That’s a lot. With aspirations of competing in Time Attack events – his second shaving skills will come in handy.
“I like to push the limits…” Sethum admitted. “I like watching documentaries on YouTube of different people competing at certain events across the country. However, [the] car needs a few things to be able to attend – mostly safety equipment – but the power and handling are there.”
Sethum’s Evo X epitomizes everything we love here at SRI Magazine. A machine that performs on a track but isn’t above a trip to the grocery store, and can probably survive waiting in a Chick-fil-A. As he continues to sharpen his blade and push his DSM past its designed parameters – he’ll most likely do what we all do. Keep building.
