1997 Hyundai Coupe AWD 2.0 Turbo (F2 Evolution II)

Hyundai

Coupe

1997

0

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Mods

Engine: Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IV engine swap, Hyundai Coupe Modified subframe, Custom engine crossmember, Battery relocation to below front left fender, Moroso Accumulator 3 quart

Intake: Lazada Blow-off-valve modified to diverter valve operation, AliExpress Water-to-Air Intercooler, Custom PVC Piping as charge cooler reservoir, Custom intake and charge piping, Lazada and AliExpress assorted silicone couplers, elbows and reducers, Lazada T-bolt clamps

Exhaust: Ebay Lancer Evo 8 Turbo outlet cover and downpipe, Custom 3in. exhaust system, Resonator from aftermarket Subaru Impreza GC8 exhaust, Trust Super Tuning System Muffler (unknown origin)

Cooling: Custom Twin-row copper radiator, Rear mounted Suzuki aircon condenser, Lazada Oil Coolers (oil and charge cooling), OEM Evo 4 oil cooler (power steering cooler)

Fuel: Subaru Legacy BG5 fuel tank, Lazada 300LPH external fuel pump with custom surge/feed tank,

Drivetrain: Lancer Evo VII OEM flywheel and pressure plate, Hyundai Starex OEM clutch disc, Mitsubishi RVR propeller shaft (shortened), Hyundai Starex propeller center bearing, Mitsubishi Chariot rear differential with viscous LSD, custom front and rear axle shafts

Suspension: Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IV front struts and modified control arm, Modified Subaru Legacy BG5 rear suspension assembly, custom bracket adapting Subaru rear knuckle with Hyundai Coupe struts

Brakes: Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IV GSR front brakes, Subaru Legacy BG5 rear drum brakes with Kone Sport Performance PCD converter adapters, Subaru BG5 hand brake cables, 1" master cylinder

Wheels and tires: 15in. Hyundai Elantra OEM Wheels, 195/60-15 tires

Works in progress: Lancer Evo 5 ECU swap and remapping, Front Helical LSD, 6-point Rollcage, Tiburon TGX OEM rear spoiler, plumbing, wiring, getting it drivable!

Build story

Thank you very much for making us finalists in Tuner Taste, Super Modified, and Fastest Buck categories in the 2021 Deboss Garage ICS! For more information about our builds, check out our social media accounts!

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/kuholTV
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kuholgarage
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/khlmotorsport/

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Apparently, back in 1997, Hyundai in the United Kingdom made a limited edition Coupe F2 model, inspired by the F2 Kit rally car they were fielding at the time. They even made an F2 Evolution model with a body kit designed by Peter Stevens, the same guy who styled the Mclaren F1.

As a Hyundai fan, I want my own F2 Evo. But given that I am in the part of the British Isles called the Philippines, that might not be that feasible. And, of course I would like to improve on a few things on the concept like the degenerate that I am.

So, here is a work in progress on what I feel like dubbing as a 1997 Hyundai Coupe F2 Evolution II.

A well worn 1997 Hyundai Coupe (Tiburon) was acquired late September 2020. Initially intending to just get it running, I had the great idea of making it AWD. It just so happened that I had equally crappy Subaru Legacy BG5 wagon on hand. While making that chassis a rally-esque tuner car would have been the easier approach, fears of ringland failure and Subaru parts costs made me quiver at my boots. So we just yanked the rear suspension off it and grafted it to the rear of the Coupe.

Similar subframe bolt locations and track width made the BG5 rear suspension assembly a relatively straight forward install. We got rid of the Subaru rear differential and replaced it with a Mitsubishi Chariot diff with a viscous LSD. We are also utilizing a shortened Mitsubishi RVR propeller shaft paired with a Hyundai Starex center bearing to support it at the middle.

After much haggling, we purchased a Japan-surplus Lancer Evo IV powertrain assembly and struggled mightily to install it in the cramped Coupe engine compartment. We had to modify the Coupe front subframe to clear the Evo IV transfer case. To use the Evo IV GSR front brakes, we modified the Evo IV lower arm to make it bolt on to the subframe. A lot of grinding on the calipers allowed us to use 15in. wheels from a 2012 Hyundai Elantra.

The engine did not come with the air-to-air intercooler, so we decided to try a water-to-air setup, to get the shortest possible charge air routing and a relatively stealth look at the front end. Fuel system is courtesy of the BG5 fuel tank, a custom surge tank, and an external fuel pump sourced from Lazada.

The car will have a lot of heat exchangers. A custom copper radiator handles engine coolant, which we plan to supplement with an auxiliary cooler, space permitting. Twin 15-row oil coolers will serve to radiate oil and intercooler heat, respectively. The OEM Evo IV oil cooler, deemed too small for the 4G63 by Mitsubishi itself (EVO 5 got a slightly bigger unit), will be the hydraulic power steering cooler. There is no more space for an appropriately-sized aircon condenser so we located it under the fuel tank!

The Evo IV AWD transmission is basically stock but we will be putting a helical LSD in its transfer case soon. We uprated the clutch to Evo VII-IX spec with an OEM Evo VII flywheel and pressure plate. We used a new Hyundai Starex clutch disc because it was cheap, new, and bolted on.

Our Coupe F2 Evolution II is a work in progress. To get to this state has already taken 6 months at the time of this writeup. Hopefully she runs in a month or so, so we can surprise all the unsuspecting Honda boiz in the PH streets.

More information about the build progress can be found on this YouTube playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvDs6qWx1kmixsm6bsi0XSJIpF_AOWv-z

[BRACKETRY]

Among several brackets fabricated, repurposed, and otherwise hacked in the process of creating an AWD Coupe, I am most proud of this bracket mounting the Subaru rear knuckle to a Hyundai rear shock absorber.

The shock mount on the Subaru knuckle is mounted forward of the axle centerline. The stock Coupe shock mount is located just about on the axle centerline, above the outer CV joint. Possible solutions include reworking the strut towers to accommodate a revised shock position, or making a custom spindle.

But we had some scrap mild steel plate, an angle grinder, a stick welder, and lots of patience. So we will make the sketchiest bracket in this competition!

We first made a prototype using CAD, which means Coconut-lumber Aided Design in our case. Random pieces of cocolumber were used to make the initial bracket. Then we translated it into metal.

Is it a workable solution? I leave it to the BOM boys to tell us it sucks. We may make a version 2 of this bracket, depends on our initial test drive of this build.

[FACTREE]

Behold, our custom charge cooler reservoir, made out of 4in. PVC drain pipe and in its natural orange color, mounted on top of the gas tank and inside the cockpit. Holds more than 10 liters, more than enough water for spirited street use, I hope. If this isnt an OEM piece, I dont know what is.

[ENGINUITY]

The 4G63T EVO IV-IX series of engines are transversely mounted at the same orientation as a stock 1997 Hyundai Coupe. Meaning, the transmission is in the drivers side (we are an LHD country) and the engine is in the passenger side.

However, the engine does not bolt on in the slightest. The powertrain is a couple of inches too long for the frame rails, and the turbo did not allow us the use of a radiator in the standard location.

We had to hack a few corners of the frame rails, modify all engine supports and their mounts on both the engine and the chassis, practically make a new crossmember, hack the subframe to an inch of its life to clear the crossmember, etc, etc, etc.

We didnt use the Evo IV multi-link rear suspension setup, because (1) we dont have the parts to begin with, and (2) putting a Lancer floorpan into a Hyundai chassis seems to be a ridiculously difficult exercise. We had a BG5 donor, though. Seeing that the track width and the overall suspension design was pretty close to the stock Coupe assembly, lets just say we got it in with relative swiftness. We had to use a rear diff with an appropriate ratio matching the rest of the powertrain. A Mitsubishi Chariot diff was used, which is very similar to the Evo 4 RS diff to begine with. There are a lot of ratios of this diff, so we made sure to acquire an appropriate one (we actually obtained two diffs, hmph).

We are armed with a stick welder (SMAW), an angle grinder, an acetylene torch, a tiny drill press, and tons of chutzpah. No plasma cutters, no MIG or TIG, no computer aided design, no rotisserie. The only fancy tool we have is a 2-post lift, whose provenance came by way of junkshop.

[FASTEST BUCK]

Hondas have biggest automotive mod scene by far in the Philippines. While speed parts are numerous locally, choice parts like engines have a huge price premium. For about the same price as a B16A powertrain you can get an engine set from an EVO IV. 160hp vs 280hp? No brainer.

I submit that this build would not have the absolute best power to budget ratio in this contest, or even considering other combinations available in my country. Sadly, LS engines are not exactly growing on trees here. We have a lot of Japanese engines here though.

But if you think about it, the ratio should be pretty low. I may be throwing my money on this build, but every attempt to reduce cost has been done. I don’t think this project (including the whole car) will cost more than USD 10 grand. Targeting it to be below eight grand, actually.

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