2003 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII in Apex Silver, side on at sunrise with hot air balloons over Leeton, NSW

Private sale · Leeton, NSW

Lancer Evolution VIII

2003 · CT9A · Apex Silver · ~90,xxx km

A$42,000 includes spares + extras
Make an enquiry
Year
2003
Complied
2014
Odometer
~90,xxx km
Engine
1,997 cc 4G63T
Forced induction
FP Red turbo
Output (prior tune)
~310 kW ATW
Transmission
6-speed manual
Fuel
Flex · E85 / 98 RON
ECU
Link G4+ · installed and tuned by Benchmark Solutions
Registration
00EVO · NSW · 11 / 07 / 26
PPSR
Clear · 07 / 05 / 26

01

The car

Purchased through Elite Motorsports in 2014 with approximately 52,000 km on the clock, as the first Australian owner. Predominantly street driven since — a handful of motorkhana events, no circuit work, no track days.

Mechanically it's been kept up with and built progressively. The car's been moved in and out of the shed over the years as space and projects came and went — the sun has done its work on the finish, and the asking reflects that. Rust free.

It's being sold because it isn't getting driven enough to justify the space it takes up, and the next person will use it more than I do. If that's not someone reading this, I'm content to keep it and continue the build — this isn't a sale I have to make.

The buyer takes every included spare part and extra. There's a lot of it — full list below under What comes with the car.

02

Driving

What it's like to drive — so you know whether it's the car you're actually after.

This is a back-roads car. Not a Sunday-morning showpiece, not a daily commuter. It comes alive when you commit to driving it.

The FP Red is a larger street turbo on a journal bearing, which means it doesn't snap into boost the way a small ball-bearing setup would. It rewards revs and load. Light-throttle creeping in traffic isn't its happy place; getting on it through a 4,000 rpm sweeper absolutely is.

The suspension is the same idea. MCA coilovers on 10 kg/mm springs, Whiteline 26 mm sway bars front and rear, Whiteline rear strut brace. It's stiff. You feel the road. Very little body roll. The car was set up to be driven.

The clutch is a 6-puck ceramic single plate. No slipping, no chatter. It's not a soft factory clutch — once you've found the bite point you're fine. Sitting in stop-start traffic with it gets old fast.

The brakes (DBA T3 4000 slotted rotors, performance compound pads, braided lines) need temperature to be at their best. Cold squeal is normal. They warm up quickly once the car's being driven, and once warm they're excellent.

AYC and ACD are both factory and both still operational. Through a mid-bend surface or camber change, the car stays composed. That's what those systems are for.

Everything on this car is tuned for operating temperature and committed load. It doesn't shine on a school run or in a carpark. Take it somewhere with elevation and corners and you'll get it.

03

Specification

The build, in detail. The supporting work has been done.

Engine

Stock bottom end with comprehensive supporting modifications. At ~72,000 km the engine and gearbox came out for major servicing — full gasket programme and clutch replacement.

Head gasket
Cometic MLS
Studs
ARP head studs
Gasket kit
Full kit, replaced concurrent with above
Timing
Gates timing belt and tensioner kit; water pump
Camshafts
Kelford 8-TX268
Valve springs
Kelford KVS63-BK kit
Cam gears
AEM adjustable, beneath a Zaklee clear timing cover
Cam angle sensor
Flipped 180° with a relocation kit for thermal protection
Coils
Yaris coil conversion
Catch can
AT Performance; rocker cover modified with AN fittings
Oil regime
Minimum biannual, viscosity adjusted seasonally

Turbocharger & induction

Turbocharger
FP Red (Force Performance), journal bearing, stainless housing
Manifold
Tubular
Intake
4-inch
Intercooler
Plazmaman Race Series, front mount kit
Wastegate
Turbosmart 38 mm external, with screamer pipe
BOV
Turbosmart Dual Port
Dump pipe
Force Performance cast (same brand as the turbo)
Front pipe
3-inch stainless
Mid-pipe
Race / test (no catalytic converter)
Catback
Hookerfab 3.5-inch with Varex cannon, hardwired switch

FP Red specifications

Compressor wheel
76 mm exducer / 54.8 mm inducer (76HTZ)
Turbine wheel
67.3 mm inducer / 58.8 mm exducer
Compressor housing
84 mm, flow-advancement port cover
Flow rating
~61 lb/min
Capability
525+ wheel horsepower

The hardware is here for more power than the current tune is making — it just needs to be tuned for it.

Engine management & fuel

ECU
Link G4+, installed and tuned by Benchmark Solutions
Prior output
~310 kW at the wheels on the previous ATP GTX3076
Current state
FP Red fitted; not yet fully re-tuned to suit
Boost control
4-position selector
Launch
Rolling launch control configured
Tune file
Unlocked, accessible via Link software
Fuel pump
Walbro 450 lph, modified factory hanger
Feed
-6AN feed line; stock fuel lines used as the return
Fuel rail
Radium Engineering
Injectors
Injector Dynamics ID1300x
Regulator
Turbosmart FPR
Flex sensor
Fitted; ECU calibrated for E85 / pump blend
Monitoring
Oil pressure · oil temp · fuel pressure · MAP
Dash
Plex SDM300, column-mounted

Cooling

Radiator
Mishimoto
Fan
Mishimoto
Thermostat
68 °C
Diversion plate
ARP — included, not currently fitted

Driveline

Transmission
Factory 6-speed manual
Clutch
Competition Clutch single plate, 6-puck ceramic
Flywheel
Lightweight
Retained
AYC (pump operational) · ACD · transfer case · driveshafts

Suspension & brakes

Coilovers
MCA Street Performance
Springs
Custom 10 kg/mm front and rear
Sway bars
Whiteline 26 mm front and rear
Bracing
Whiteline rear strut brace
Geometry
Whiteline bump steer correction kit
Alignment
Performed ~1,000 km ago
Rotors
DBA T3 4000 Series slotted, front
Pads
Performance compound
Lines
Braided throughout

Wheels & tyres

Wheels
Lenso Type-M · 18 × 8 · +37 offset
Spacers
15 mm fitted (studs shortened to suit)
Tyres
Michelin Pilot Sport 4S · ~235 / 35 R18
Tread
Good usable remaining

Note. The existing studs are cut down to suit the spacers. To remove the spacers, the cut-down studs need to be swapped back to standard factory studs.

Interior

Predominantly factory, with subtle upgrades.

Seats
Factory Recaro
Steering wheel
OEM Momo
Head unit
Pioneer double-DIN with CarPlay
Auxiliary display
Plex SDM300
Dash trims
Carbon-look fitted; originals retained and included
Battery
Relocated to the boot. Factory connections at the OEM positive terminal are serviced by a busbar in the original battery location.
Headliner
Excellent condition
HVAC & locks
Air conditioning, windows, central locking all operational
Cage
AGI bolt-in half cage previously fitted, since removed; cage included. Mounting holes from the cage installation and eye bolts from previous harness anchors remain in the floor.
Boot trim
Modified around the rear brace and battery relocation; functional, not cosmetically perfect

Service history

Consistent maintenance throughout single ownership.

Engine oil
~200 km ago
Spark plugs
Iridium · ~500 km ago
Transmission, transfer, AYC, coolant, brake fluid
All within ~5,000 km

Receipts available to the buyer on request post-sale.

04

Condition

Honest assessment, no auction grading. The wear is part of the story — the car has been used.

Exterior

Fair overall, and reflected in the asking. The car has been moved in and out of the shed over years as space and other projects came and went — that cumulative sun time is showing in the finish now. It's rust free.

  • Front bumper. Nose-chop modification with quick-release setup. Prior cracking around the securing tabs (driveway incident) has been substantially reduced by a recent cut and polish; minor paint flake is the remaining issue.
  • Front lip. Replaced with an unpainted black plastic lip — paint required. The original front bar's ducting and mesh have been retained almost in full and are included, though none of it is currently fitted.
  • Bonnet vents & mesh. Recently refinished in factory black.
  • Passenger guard. Replaced and colour-matched after rock damage. Refinish work is well integrated.
  • Driver's side roofline. Paint along the upper door and roof edge has thinned. Recent detailing has stabilised it as far as is possible without paintwork — it won't deteriorate further in this state — but proper restoration requires actual paint.
  • Side skirts. Stone chipping along both sides.
  • Rear quarter. Light scratches near the passenger door; small paint chip with surface rust at the rear-quarter wheel arch.
  • Carbon spoiler trims. OEM clear-coat is peeling on the top surface — a chassis-wide common issue. Moderate UV damage to the carbon weave on the underside.
  • Door handles. Paint peeling — driver's side particularly worn. Additional spare handles are included in the sale.
  • Weather strips. A well-known Evo weakness — both sides need replacing. Previously deferred by covering with vinyl / pinstripe material; that covering has itself begun to break down with age.
  • Brake caliper paint. Original caliper paint has faded on all four — cosmetic only, function unaffected.
  • Headlights. Restored and wrapped in clear protective film.
  • Windscreen. Replaced; no cracks or chips.
  • Roof & antenna. Replica MR fins fitted; short antenna installed.
  • Rear bar. Evo IX bar fitted and colour-matched.
  • Detailing. Recently and extensively detailed across the body to remove minor imperfections where possible.

Interior

Predominantly factory with subtle upgrades, presents well. Factory Recaros, OEM Momo wheel. Pioneer CarPlay head unit, Plex SDM300 auxiliary display in the cluster. Air conditioning, windows, central locking all operational. Battery has been relocated to the boot; the original engine-bay positive terminal is serviced by a busbar where the battery used to live. A bolt-in half cage was fitted previously and has been removed (included with the sale); the floor mounting holes and the harness eye-bolt mounts remain. Boot trim was modified around the rear brace and battery relocation — functional, not cosmetically perfect.

Mechanical

Mechanically good. Drivetrain has been progressively built over long-term ownership. At ~72,000 km the engine and gearbox came out for major servicing — full gasket programme (Cometic MLS, ARP studs), Kelford camshafts and valve springs, Gates timing belt + water pump, AEM adjustable cam gears, Yaris coil conversion. FP Red turbocharger currently fitted, Plazmaman intercooler, Walbro 450 lph fuel pump on Injector Dynamics ID1300x injectors, Link G4+ ECU tuned by Benchmark Solutions on a previous turbocharger configuration (310 kW ATW achieved on the previous setup; the FP Red is not yet fully re-tuned). MCA coilovers on custom 10 kg/mm springs, Whiteline sway bars, alignment fresh within ~1,000 km. Brake hardware is DBA T3 4000 rotors, performance pads, braided lines. AYC pump operational, ACD active.

See Specification for the full mechanical detail, and Driving for what it's actually like behind the wheel.

Things you should know before driving away

  1. 3rd gear, light load. Under exceptionally light throttle the box can disengage to neutral in third — a slightly bent shift fork from a previous clutch service. Normal driving and load are unaffected.
  2. 2nd gear synchro wear. Present, and consistent with widely-known CT9A six-speed behaviour. Shifts cleanly; this is a characteristic of the gearbox.
  3. FP Red not fully re-tuned. Current configuration runs the boost map from the previous turbocharger. Re-tuning is recommended to extract the FP Red's potential.
  4. No catalytic converter. A race/test pipe is currently fitted. Local registration and inspection requirements should be considered by the buyer.

05

What comes with the car

Buyer takes the lot. A ute or trailer is advised.

06

Provenance & enquiries

Identification

VIN & engine no.
Listed on the PPSR Certificate
Compliance
2014 (Australian import)
Located
Leeton, NSW

On price, swaps and inspections

The asking is A$42,000. That's set against the build, the spares list, and the condition described above. It's not a haggle starting point. The car keeps getting cared for either way — this isn't a sale I have to make.

The car lives in Leeton, NSW — about 6 hours from Sydney, 5 from Melbourne, 4 from Canberra. That's a meaningful trip for any buyer travelling to inspect, and the asking already accounts for it.

Sight-unseen offers have a wider negotiation window. If you're committing without travelling to inspect, the room on price reflects the risk you're taking on. I'll send every photo, video and detail you ask for so you can decide from home. Independent inspections in Leeton are welcome and at your expense.

Inspected offers have a much narrower window. You've seen the car. The sight-unseen discount doesn't apply, but there's still room to talk if there's something specific worth talking about.

Swaps considered. Open to part or full swap for a late-model diesel 4WD set up for towing and touring — either a dual-cab ute or a full-size wagon (Land Cruiser, Patrol, or similar) — provided it meets all of the criteria below. Mention it in your enquiry if you've got something that fits.

Must have

  • Late-model diesel 4WD — dual-cab ute or full-size wagon
  • 3.5 tonne (3,500 kg) towing capacity
  • Towbar fitted
  • Brake controller
  • Lift kit
  • Bullbar with winch
  • Canopy
  • Drawer system
  • Full service history
  • Relatively free from damage

Highly desirable

  • Certified GVM upgrade (pre- or post-rego)
  • Provision for additional cameras (e.g. caravan reversing camera)

Offers made without prior inspection are treated as a commitment to purchase on those terms. Test drives are conducted by the seller unless otherwise agreed.

Additional photographs and videos are available on request for serious buyers — particularly interstate buyers wishing to undertake due diligence prior to travelling.

08

Over the years

A look back across long-term ownership.