2 years ago on this day, we lost an iconic actor, car enthusiast and father, Paul Walker. With the anniversary of his passing falling on today, we took the ride out this past weekend to LRA Enterprises in Bristol, PA to visit our friend Rob and his Evo VII.
However something about this Evo VII is special. This is the only Exterior “Hero” Car used in the second part of the F&F series that was a full car, and driven by Paul Walker himself.
Upon entering the museum showroom, I was greeted by two realistic cutouts of Paul Walker and Vin Diesel. This couldn’t be a better home for such a car. Rob acquired the Evo from an auto auction in Arizona. The car is all original as it was in the movie.
One of the most notable features of the Evo is the Lancer rear end that was adapted to the chassis. The Evo VII was not sold in the United States, so they wanted to mix both the Japanese Evo with the Lancer to generate a “hype” for both models in the United States with the Evo VIII coming soon. TYC tail lights and some custom body work were used to pull this off.
The DAMD Styling body kit replaces the stock bumpers and side skirts on the car to give it an aggressive styling, appropriate for the automotive trends in the early 2000’s.
The classic livery and name vinyl is an iconic design from the second movie of the F&F series.
The adjustable ARC rear wing gives the rear end a sporty and functional appearance, while some American classics lurk in the background.
Motegi Racing wheels and Toyo tires keep the car planted to the ground, while the factory Brembo brakes provide plenty of stopping power for the lightweight sedan.
What F&F movie car would be complete without nitrous? Only this time, there were no flames protruding from the exhaust pipe in the showroom. Oh, and yes, the car does still have the blue StreetGlow neon underglow kit as it did in the movie!
A tastefully done interior features some APEXi gauges mounted to the dash, custom Recaro seats and some other subtle touches, like the mirror bracket.
Rob spends a lot of his time with the car out at local shows and traveling around the Northeast with the popular show series, Hot Import Nights. The car draws a massive amount of attention and Rob uses it to raise money for the Paul Walker Foundation. As a huge F&F fan, Rob just wants to be able to give back to the community and continue to educate younger generations on what this Evo VII stands for.
Make sure to hit Rob with a follow on Instagram for some more photos of the Evo out at shows!
We had a great time shooting last weekend and hanging out with Rob @ his family’s museum. There were tons of awesome cars that you may see in future articles (we shot a lot of content).
I would like to Rob for letting us come out and taking the time with us as well!
In Memory of Paul Walker (9/12/73 – 11/30/13)
Words & Photos: Mike DeFusco
Additional Photos:
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