SP Rides: Tuned to perfection

sp-112913-cover-joshua-meeker-2003-mistubishi-evo-8-1826

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By MICHAEL KITCHENS

Owner: Joshua Meeker
Age: 25
Occupation: USN
Hobbies: Golf
Engine: 3-inch intercooler and piping, 1650 injector clinic, full-blown double pumper, new 1/4-inch fuel lines, AEM fpr. FP HTA 3586r turbo, ETS manfold, Snow Performance meth injection kit with bulkhead solenoid valve, Spark Tech coil on plug, Koyo half-width radiator. HKS high power 3-inch exhaust with high flow cat, Tial 50mm blowoff valve and 44mm waste gate, Kelford 272 cams, Beehive springs and retainers, Redline lifters, AEM adjustable cam gear and clear cam gear cover.
Exterior: Seibon carbon fiber hood and trunk, rolled fenders.
Interior: AEM oil pressure and air/fuel gauges, Defi boost and water temp gauges, custom shift nob.
Suspension: Tein lowering springs
Wheels and Tires: 18-inch Work Emotion 11Rs with Federal SS-595 255 /35ZR 18’s.

For some car lovers, it’s difficult to beat American muscle. Whether you’re talking Ford or Chevy, the straight goodness of a V8 thundering under the hood just can’t be beat. And for Joshua Meeker, he was born and raised to build domestic power. His first project, in fact, was a ’56 Plymouth with a 400 small block.

“All my buddies had Mustangs, fastbacks, notchbacks … that’s what I was into for a very long time,” says Joshua.

That all changed when Joshua entered military service and his friend, Jeremy Leppenan, introduced him to a 4-cylinder engine that could create 600HP through forced induction. Josh was amazed that so much power could be extracted from such a small engine. He admits to always being a gear head, but the technical aspects of the challenges presented intrigued him and pushed him into the realm of import power.

His first performance car was an ’89 Nissan 240SX, but eventually he grew tired of the drift-heavy aspect of the car. After getting a taste for all-wheel-drive through his friend’s DSM, Joshua worked out a deal to purchase a more family-functional AWD platform upon his return from deployment. Out went the 240 and in came this 2003 Mit-subishi Evolution 8.

While performing steady research, Joshua spent two years putting the pieces together. Although he had his low spots, the anticipation was always there as he built the car to his liking. Some of the parts included 3-inch intercooler piping, a Koyo half-width radiator, all new fuel lines, an AEM fuel pressure regulator, and a full-blown double pumper. The engine was prepped with Kelford 272 cams, Beehive springs and retainers, Redline lifters, AEM adjustable cam gear and a clear cam gear cover. With the help of Sonic Motorsports and his friend, Nivez Singh, the car was put together properly in its final stages.

Josh is still a big fan of reliable power, so he did his research and decided that an FP HTA 3586r Turbo would hit his desired horsepower numbers. Tuned by Chris Black of AMS Performance, the ride features 1,650 injectors and a Snow Performance Meth injection kit with the Evo pulling an impressive 500-plus HP on the dyno.

For looks, the car was equipped with Tein lowering springs with 18-inch Work Emotion 11Rs also fitted with Federal SS-595 255/35ZR18s all around. The exterior is kept stealthy with Sei-bon, a carbon fiber hood and trunk setup, and rolled fender panels. The interior has a wide selection of monitoring gauges for oil pressure, air/fuel, boost and water temperatures.

When asked how he feels about the car, Josh replied, “It’s just fun. I wanted to see how much power I could extract. It still amazes me every time I get on it.”

You could say this Evo is tuned to perfection.

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