LOWER YOUR ALTIMA, NOT YOUR STANDARDS
December 15, 2022
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Spotlighter
Star Bright
Street Concepts Shining Star
Author
Neil Tjin
Photography by Scott Killeen
Have you heard of a company called Street Concepts? If you haven’t, get ready, as this month’s cover car belongs to its founder, Shawn Williams. But before we get into the story of this Mitsubishi EVO VIII, we have a couple questions for you.
What makes a good tuner shop? How do you know if a tuner shop has the right personnel to help build the car of your dreams? How important is it for a tuner shop to have credibility in the scene before you hand over your keys and your money?
We have a feeling that most readers will agree when we say that the answers to all those questions are critical for anyone looking for the right shop. With that in mind, let us give you the rundown on Street Concepts and its totally tricked-out EVO VIII.
Not only does Street Concepts know what serious enthusiasts are looking for, but it also knows how to build wicked tuner cars. Street Concepts is run by some of the biggest names in the industry and has some of the highest-profile clientele you can imagine. Williams is not only the owner, but he is also a very respected car builder and the main man for Valvoline at numerous car show events around the county. Along with Williams and a very talented staff is none other than Joe Galante, owner and builder of one of the most respected Supras of all time.
Now that stacks up very well on the personnel side. So imagine dropping your car off and handing over your keys to either one of these guys. We would definitely have to say going in that you and your car would be in good hands at Street Concepts. But don’t just take our word for it. Look at some of the corporate icons that this crew has worked with over the years, like Pepsi and Oakley. And if those brand names don’t do it for you, think Kenwood USA, Nissan Motor Company, Mitsubishi North America, Toyo Tires, Nitto Tires and Hyundai Motor America. Those are some of the corporate accounts that have called upon Street Concepts for its services.
Not only that, but some very big names have also worked closely with Williams and his staff. R.J. DeVera has been seen at the shop on several occasions. In fact, Street Concepts played a major role in helping him design and build both of the Pepsi Blue EVO VIIIs.
Okay, this provides a little background on Street Concepts; what else has it done to pump up its reputation? This is the question many enthusiasts have asked Williams and it goes something like, Do you build anything for yourself?
Not only does Williams build tricked-out cars for customers, but he also owns a couple of toys that will stop you dead in your tracks which leads us to the focus of this story: a firsthand, intimate look at his newest and by some opinions, wildest creation to date.
The first thing that catches your eyes when you look at this car is the beautiful candy-yellow paint job or maybe it’s those huge 19-inch gunmetal Volk wheels. Of course, it could also be the massive GReddy front-mount intercooler. With a car of this caliber, it’s nearly impossible to concentrate on just one modification. The Street Concepts EVO VIII has been built to perfection and each and every modification just screams for attention.
Even the exterior has been modified from top to bottom and is oh-so-hot. The interior is clean and totally done up in black suede and carbon fiber, the audio/video is sweet and to the point, and the motor has been outfitted with tons and tons of toys from GReddy. So where do we even begin to explain all the hard work and detail that has gone into this car?
Not only is this EVO VIII ultra-impressive, but wait until you hear how quickly it was built! This Street Concepts work of art went from stock to holy crap! in just under 30 days. It made its debut at the 2003 SEMA Show, with a presence no one could forget.
You can tell right off that the entire exterior of this car has been totally reworked. Before the crew at Car Prep could apply the new candy-yellow paint, it was responsible for removing the stock front and rear bumpers and the original side skirts. Next, the team installed a new body kit from C-West, which included a front fascia, side skirts, rear valance and eyelids. Once all the pieces were test-fit and prepped, sanded and smoothed, only then was it time to apply the custom paint.
After several coats and hours of detailed painting, the car was beginning to take shape. Once the paint had dried and the car wet-sanded and buffed, Car Prep finished off the exterior by installing a JSP carbon fiber rear spoiler. The final touches came with a clean and simple graphics package from Garage Graphics. Sponsor logos were the main concern here and Street Concepts made sure that each company involved got the love and attention it deserved.
With the paint still smelling fresh, the car went from Car Prep straight to Diamond Star Specialties for some special engine modifications. Williams knew that if he wanted to keep with the tradition of building hot cars, he would have to do something to the stock EVO VIII motor. He made a couple of calls to his good friends at GReddy and within days, a bunch of new toys arrived for the EVO VIII. Diamond Star installed the huge GReddy front-mount intercooler, an E-manage system, Profec E01, oil catch can and an engine oil cooler. To go along with the GReddy parts, the crew also installed a set of Sampco hoses, Vitek custom wires, Mackin cat-back exhaust, Rod Millen downpipe and undercarriage brace, RMR valve cover insert and a healthy dose of nitrous from the boys at NX.
Once all the engine modifications had been made and the car had been tuned, it was time for Williams to bring the car back to Street Concepts for the interior and audio buildup. With time quickly running out before SEMA, he knew that they still had quite a bit of work to do. Not only did the entire interior have to be wrapped in black suede, but the audio setup still had to be built from scratch. To top it off, the suspension, big brakes, and wheel and tire combo had to be installed.
As soon as the car arrived back at the shop, the crew went to work by stripping out the interior and building a false floor for the new audio setup. While one team was working on wrapping the seats, door panels, roof liner, pillars, dash and back deck in black suede, another was installing the Eibach coilovers and the big 14-inch Brembo brakes. After the suspension had been tweaked and the new brakes installed, it was time to bolt up the gunmetal 19×8.5-inch Volk wheels, matched up with 235/35R19 Toyo Proxes 4 tires. Not only does the Volk and Toyo combo look hot, but it is also a perfect match to go along with the new performance upgrades.
To match the new black suede makeover, the Street Concepts team also installed several gauges from GReddy, a MOMO steering wheel and GReddy shift knob. For the I.C.E. Rockford Fosgate came through and supplied the EVO VIII with tons of its latest products. The audio system features Rockford Fosgate speaker wiring and a new Pioneer DVD/video head unit, which produces all the fresh beats. Rockford also supplied a set of FNQ3614 6-inch component speakers for the doors and a set of HPC2206U 6-inch coaxials for the rear deck. These are some of the best sounding speakers we have ever heard. As you pop open the trunk, you will find a Rockford KC4 four-channel amp and a set of RFP4210 10-inch subwoofers, housed in a custom enclosure designed by Street Concepts.
Now that you have an up-close and personal look at what Street Concepts calls a demo vehicle, what do you suppose this crew could do with your car? We think the Williams team outdid itself and there’s no question that it raised the bar for any future projects. Street Concepts set a standard that will be difficult to duplicate, let alone beat.
It has been an honor for us to work with these guys and to bring you one of the hottest EVO VIIIs around. We look forward to seeing what Street Concepts has in store for this year’s SEMA show. There’s little doubt in our minds that people and companies will be beating this shop’s door down in the hopes of having it build something equally as special for their show-off displays. Who knows, you just might pick up HCI in 2005 and see yet another wild Street Concepts creation on the cover. At least we hope so.
ARTICLE SOURCES
Street Concepts
562-236-6237
562-332-9014
E-mail:[email protected]