Pikes Peak and land speed record racing couldn’t be more different when it comes to motorsport, and that’s exactly why Scott Birdsall from Chuckles Garage is so interesting. From 1,000+ HP diesel hill climb monsters to a 2JZ-powered, land speed record-holding Toyota Hilux, Scott is into everything cool and fast.

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In this episode of Tuned In, Scott shares his journey from a childhood passion for cars to becoming a successful automotive entrepreneur. He discusses the importance of his hands-on education through auto shop, and the challenges of navigating a career in the automotive industry. Scott reflects on the founding of Chuckles Garage and what it’s become today.

He dives into the wild build story of Old Smokey, a 1949 Ford F1 truck, breaking down the engineering challenges of extreme diesel performance, compound turbo systems, and the brutal demands of the Pikes Peak Hill Climb. After a massive crash at Pikes Peak left the truck beyond repair, we explore Scott’s plans to rebuild the iconic machine—faster and more extreme than ever.

We also cover his venture into land speed record racing at Bonnieville, detailing the unique challenges of tuning for wide-open-throttle for long periods of time and the strategies required to achieve record speeds using the 2JZ Toyota platform.

Scott’s approach to building vehicles is truly unique. His ability to take an unexpected or unconventional platform and turn it into an insanely fast machine for a specific discipline—while doing it all with his own unmistakable style is simply impressive. 

👉 Use the code ‘PODCAST500’ to get $500 OFF HPA's VIP Package: https://hpcdmy.co/podvip

Follow Scott here:

Instagram: ChucklesGarage
Facebook: ChucklesGarage
Youtube: ChucklesGarageOfficial

Timestamps:

0:00 1000+HP Diesels to 2JZ Weapons — Chuckles Garage Does It All
3:53 Where did the passion for cars come from? 
6:08 What was the first cool car you owned and started modifying? 
8:40 What do you learn at an Auto Shop?
10:58 What was your formal education after High School?
18:24 What was your plan to build your passion into a business?
22:40 How did you build your fabrication skills?
27:18 How much of a game changer is a 3D printer?
30:23 Overview on your business today
38:31 How important are Sema level builds for your reputation?
40:00 Tell us about Old Smokey 1949 F1 Ford
44:29 How to make 1400Hp out of a Cummins diesel?
50:20 Are you doing the diesel tuning?
52:14 Why are you using a compound turbo setup?
59:49 How much can you rev these diesel engines?
1:02:10 What are the challenges of racing old smokey at pikes peak?
1:05:06 Tell us about your crash in old smokey
1:14:27 What’s the plan with old smokey from here?
1:18:06 How did you get involved with a land speed record attempt? 
1:21:22 2jz Dart block, what are the advantages?
1:22:52 Was there any other engine options for the land speed truck?
1:24:46 How long are you at wide open throttle at Boniville?
1:26:39 Where do you see the advantages of methanol? 
1:30:36 How did you figure out how to break the land speed record?
1:35:36 What’s it like to drive at 250mph?
1:42:08 Final 3 questions