When I first picked my Evo up, I didn’t have very big plans for it. Having done the whole big-turbo, high horsepower, unreliable route before, I was ready for something I could drive hard and not worry about — the Evo definitely fits that category. Addicted to modifying anything with a motor, I knew I’d have to upgrade a few things over time, so I set out a plan of attack.

I wanted to make nice, usable power, keep noise at a moderate level and be able to out-handle most cars without rattling the interior to pieces. Seemed easy enough, and for the first time, it really was no sweat at all. In this Garage, you’ll see the progression of a basic street Evo IX to a track-ready, fully-streetable and all-weather capable sedan.

[Photos: Alex Bernstein]