Builds
Project cars, modifications, and the art of the build.
Stories
10
The First Six Changes to Make a Tuner Build Work
A clear starting order for a tuner build: condition, tires, brakes, alignment, suspension and a considered power plan.
Springs, Dampers and the Stance You Can Actually Use
Understand the kit, preserve usable travel and document the setup behind the finished stance.
Suspension 101: Getting Stance Right
Ride height, clearance, alignment and travel: what a considered stance setup needs beyond the photograph.
Your engine swap will cost more than the engine
A used motor is the cheapest line on the invoice. Mounts, wiring, cooling and paperwork are what turn a weekend swap into a two-year stall on jack stands.
What does turning up the boost actually break?
A rising gauge needle is not the same thing as an engine making power. Here is what happens between another two psi and a rod exiting the block.
Fueling a modified engine, from injectors to E85
Most engines that let go on the dyno were starved rather than overboosted. The failure was designed into the fuel system weeks before the tune.
Finish one car. The other two are why you're broke.
Three projects, none running, each one explained in detail to anyone who asks. It is a pattern, it has a cause, and the fix is deeply unpopular.
Everyone lies about what their build cost, including you
The number people quote is the price of the last big part they remember buying. The real total is roughly double, and it arrives $80 at a time.
How to buy coilovers without wasting $1,200
Coilovers are the most regretted purchase in this hobby. Ask six questions before you pay and you will never be the guy defending a bad set.
Which tools to buy first, and which can wait
Buy the wrong tools in the wrong order and you get a drawer full of regret and no safe way to lift the car. Here is the sequence that matches the work.
Vehicles
8
BMW M3 G80
Sedan
BMW M2 G87
Coupe
BMW M4 G82
Coupe
Ducati Monster M900
1993–1999
Ford Bronco
2021–present
Jeep Wrangler JL
2017–present
Toyota Tacoma N300
2015–2023
Toyota Land Cruiser J80
1990–1997
Also tagged
Topics this content shares