Is modifying a rare and desirable vehicle a really stupid idea? What's the secret to building a great street car? What makes a good engine swap? Can you actually make a career as an automotive 'YouTuber'? On this week's episode of the High Performance Academy 'Tuned In' podcast, Andre is joined by Dave Pratte and Peter Tarach from Speed Academy to help answer all these questions and many more.

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Dave and Peter have been in the automotive game for many years, starting off in with a long run in the print media world working at car magazines before eventually transitioning into the online space — specifically YouTube. Through their channel Speed Academy, they've successfully built a career online, and now spend their time taking on interesting builds for the world to see.

All those hours spent either in front or behind a camera, pedalling fast cars, or swinging off the end of a half-inch driver, has given the guys a really interesting perspective on what it is we do as enthusiasts.

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Andre first digs into what it actually takes to make money as an automotive 'YouTuber', before discussing the potential monetary pitfalls of modifying something like Speed Academy's R34 GT-R and JZA80 Supra projects — vehicles that are quickly becoming more of an investment opportunity than driveable cars.   

Peter and Dave then dive into the world of engine swaps — when it's a good idea, when it's a bad idea, how to do it well, and the mistakes that so many people make on their first time around. While still on the subject of swaps, Peter makes the case for DCT (dual clutch transmission) swaps being the new manual gearbox swaps, now that the industry is catching up and providing aftermarket support for CANbus integration.

With discussions on what makes a great street car (hint — horsepower chasers aren't going to love the answer) and much more, this is an entertaining conversation with two experienced veterans of the modified import scene. These guys have seen it all, from the pre-Fast and Furious days, all the way through the growing pains of the last two decades to the current YouTube-dominated scene we find ourselves in today — for better or for worse.

Check out Speed Academy's YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and website.