Tuned In

What's the best way to tackle a big build project and actually follow through to its completion? Just how useful is learning how to design in CAD? Is stance dead? And just how the hell did Ferrari manage to build such an overweight and underpowered car?

These questions and many more interesting head-scratchers are all answered on this week's episode of the High Performance Academy Tuned In podcast with our guest, Mike Burroughs of StanceWorks.

Use ‘STANCEWORKS50’ for 50% off HPA's 3D Modeling & CAD for Motorsport Course here: hpacademy.com/courses/3d-modeling-and-cad-for-motorsport/

From humble beginnings, Mike became one of a few key figures that helped to push the automotive landscape in a whole new direction during the 2010s. This week's conversation kicks off by exploring Mike's emergence onto the international car scene through his founding of StanceWorks and his internet-breaking builds, before discussing the 'stance' scene's meteoric rise, unavoidable peak, and inevitable decline.

 Mike was able to translate that early success into a full-time career, and now runs a successful YouTube channel alongside the ever-popular StanceWorks site. Andre digs into this transition and how it's actually financially viable, before discussing Mike's biggest selling point — his insane builds.

Mike has zero relevant qualifications and has simply learnt everything as he goes, documenting it all for the world to see. This means he's picked up plenty of lessons along the way, and talks Andre through the most important things he's learnt when it comes to tackling big builds — and that means learning how to fabricate, weld, CAD design, and everything else in between.

Then there's the bright yellow elephant in the room — Mike's Honda-powered Ferrari 308 project. Although the purists might turn their noses up at this build, Mike dives deep into explaining exactly why he took a pristine classic Ferrari and tore it to pieces in order to create a 1000hp, K24-powered, street-legal time attack weapon.

If you love the buzz that comes with getting another job done on your build, or you're just about to pull the trigger on a new project car, or maybe you just love a little controversy — this is going to be a great listen for you.

Want to learn how to do your own fabrication work on your build? Here's the perfect place to start: https://hpcdmy.co/fabb

Follow Mike here:
www.stanceworks.com
IG: @mike_stanceworks
YT: Stanceworks

How do you trigger both Mercedes and Mazda purists at once? This. This is how you do it, and we think it's awesome.

Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your first HPA course here: https://hpcdmy.co/hpa-tuned-in

Tuning and wiring specialist Adam Peeling of Smart EFI (who we've spoken to previously at Pikes Peak) gives us a rundown on this build and his involvement.

Originally a 1993 FD3S but looking far from stock these days a Mercedes M120 6L V12 with custom rods, pistons, cams, valve train, 5-stage dry sump, ported heads and more is the new heart of the Pistachio RX7, which was previously swapped with one of those tiny wee V8 numbers too as well as having a pretty serious turbocharged rotary build via someone else's hands in the 90's (think OG Fast and Furious, but without the 18-speed Roadranger movie gearbox special).

The cable-driven Hi-Boost individual throttle body (ITB) equipped  M120 is running 11.8:1 compression, a 1.96 rod-to-stroke ratio to match the 9,000rpm or so limit the team is gunning for 850hp to 1000hp using ethanol-based fuel to gain the upper hand over AMG's 720hp Pagani Zonda M120 offering/s (they had a few versions). The variable cam timing has also been removed and as Adam helps explain the use of an HGT Precision 6-speed sequential customisable ratios the car is setup to stay in 'the sweet spot'.

A distinct Live To Offend (LTO/Kyza) body kit wraps the shell which also contains a @haltech NEXUS R5 'Swiss army ECU' that has a ton of onboard features, including a 16-channel PDM. There are enough outputs to power this build, but the use of Kaizen relays is an easy addition if that changes in future.

Adam also runs us through some of the wiring work including how to work some magic when it comes to booting connectors that are not designed for it in order to fully seal the concentrically twisted harness along with some explanation on the use of 'Milspec'  connectors vs the likes of Souriau offerings or the Autosport line from TE Connectivity.

While this is a build you could say is somewhat typical of SEMA when it comes to the fact it is not yet running, we think the historical achievements of @GooichiMotors and the team they surround themselves with ensure that this won't disappoint when it's time to put those Toyo tyres to the test. No pressure guys.

You can find Adam & Smart EFI here: https://www.facebook.com/SmartEFI/

“Circuit drivers see one corner 1000 times — rally drivers see 1000 corners one time.” In this High Performance Academy Tuned In episode, we’re joined by the one and only Dave Carapetyan of Rally Ready.

Use ‘RALLYREADY50’  to get 50% off HPA's Suspension Tuning & Optimization course: hpacademy.com/courses/suspension-and-car-setup

Better known as ‘Texas Dave’, this driver and instructor owns and operates the Rally Ready driving school on a converted cattle ranch 30 minutes outside of Austin, and joins podcast host Andre Simon for a dive deep into the world of rally. 

Dave first breaks down the sport, explaining the ins and outs of stages, co-drivers, service intervals and everything in between, before jumping into the mechanical side of the equation to talk about damper setup, braking needs, and the importance of horsepower.  

There’s a lot that goes into building a winning rally car and, as you can probably guess, it’s more than just piecing together a rapid machine.

Time is also spent covering the best ways for an amateur to get into this sport, from the right vehicle to pick, to setting realistic expectations, to just how much money you really need to be competitive. The guys also have an interesting chat around FWD vs RWD vs AWD that may surprise a few listeners.

Lastly, although there’s a lot that goes into building the abilities needed to become a podium-level rally driver, Dave still thinks there are a few key skills that, when mastered, will get all the aspiring Sebastian Loebs out there a long way towards success — even rally newbies like Daniel Ricciardo.

Want to take your driving skills to the next level? Start here: https://hpcdmy.co/driverb

Follow Dave here:
IG: @texas_dave, @rallyready, @brcc_motorsports
FB: Rally Ready Driving School
WWW: rallyready.com

Factory Mazda parts quality and their limits, knock/detonation in a rotary engine, lightened rotors, stud kits, clearancing plus ethanol fuel advantages are just a few of the topics discussed with Rob Dahm adding more and more specific details the deeper the discussion gets.

Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your first HPA course here: https://hpcdmy.co/hpa-tuned-in

Rotary engine building traditionally has had 2 extremes, those building them poorly and blaming engine, and those building them well via experience they don't wish to share sometimes for understandable commercial reasons.

Rob Dahm considers himself an entertainer, but through that role, he has helped share his journey into the world of rotary engine tuning and building with no filter on his successes or failures and insight into the work trailblazers like PAC Performance and similar have accomplished so far.

At SEMA we had a chance to pick his brain about this journey, what he has learnt and now what advice he can give others keen to dive into this world too.

No matter how you feel about electric vehicles, there's no denying the incredible performance that can be achieved with these impressive driveline systems.  With more and more rapid EVs hitting the streets every day, inevitably, enthusiasts are now beginning to ask just what can be gained when working with them.

This week's HPA Tuned In podcast guest is Sasha Anis of Mountain Pass Performance, someone who has dived deeper than most into the world of high-performance EVs.

Use 'SASHA100'  to get $100 OFF HPA's Wiring Starter Package: hpacademy.com/hpa-wiring-starter-package/

Sasha is an accomplished driver and tuner who has, in recent years, refocused his efforts into the EV world, and his insight into this fairly new and constantly changing field of hyper-performance is invaluable.

In this episode, Sasha first breaks down the basics of how an EV system works, and spends time clearing up a few misconceptions around what is and isn't possible, the constant compromises that need to be made, and the future of EV tuning. MoTeC's M1 Build platform and how Sasha uses it in his EV builds is also discussed.

More of this new breed of vehicle on the roads equals more people crashing them, and that means some seriously enticing drivelines have begun popping up at the local wreckers. Sasha was an early adopter of EV swap exercises, and takes us through the process of swapping these monster drivelines into conventional ICE vehicles, and details what needs to be considered, eliminated, and purchased before the first spanner is turned. Mountain Pass Performance's Blue Lightning — a Tesla-swapped Lotus Evora package — is also picked apart.

Sasha also spends time discussing the braking and handling upgrade options he provides for Teslas, as well as a deep look at his well-known Nissan 350Z time attack car that uses a monster NA VQ engine working in tandem with a custom hybrid KERS system that Sasha has spent years developing and improving himself.

It doesn't matter how you feel about electric vehicles, this conversation with Sasha Anis of Mountain Pass Performance is genuinely fascinating and well worth the listen.

Follow Sasha here:
IG: @sashaanis14, @mountainpassperformance
WWW: mountainpassperformance.com

Want to learn more about motorsport wiring? Claim your spot for the next FREE lesson: https://hpcdmy.co/wireb 

The RZ34 Z is the newest offering in the Nissan Z line, and AMS Performance was quick to set a world-first 9-second pass using (by today's standards) relatively basic upgrades.

Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your first HPA course here: https://hpcdmy.co/hpa-tuned-in

Back in 2022 9.92 at 137mph was the first run in the 9's in a RZ34 Z 2023 Nissan Z Proto Spec and Nick Cassara of AMS Performance gives us some insight into the similarities and differences of this new platform compared to Infinity Q50 and Q60 models when it comes to the 3l V6 twin turbo VR30DDTT engine, and Nissan 370z on the chassis front.

The car is running upgrading turbocharges, a bigger DI fueling system, drag slicks and not much else to make 719hp with the aid of EcuTeks reflash tuning software capabilities. The biggest issue to overcome with this platform, party due to its very compact packaging, is heat soak and cooling complications making it the first port of call for any owner looking to make more power with aftermarket mods and tuning.

On this week's episode of the High Performance Academy Tuned In podcast, Andre is joined by an absolute legend of the import scene.

John Shepherd has been around since the very early days of import drag racing. Through campaigning his AWD Eagle Talon, John lead the first charge and pushed the boundaries of just what was possible with a Japanese performance car.

Use ‘SHEP100’ for $100 off the HPA Tuning Starter Package: hpacademy.com/hpa-starter-package/

John talks about his early days and the many workarounds and bodges that were necessary during the sport's infancy. The Ohio-based racer and car builder was squeezing record-setting high-ten-second quarter miles out of his 4G63-powered Talon, and as the game progressed, so did the car. Andre and John track the development of the Eagle through to its retirement, at which point it was running 7.7-second quarters — all still in a time well before billet blocks, proper race transmissions, and modern turbo technology.

John has since moved on to Nissan GT-Rs and Audi R8s, and lays down his recipe for what he considers to be the "perfect" street car when working with these platforms. Easy to live with, perfectly fine to take on long road trips,... and capable of mid-seven-second quartermiles.

Finally, the guys dive into the world of dual clutch transmissions. These DCTs have become ShepTrans' bread and butter in recent years, and John goes into detail on how the clever gearboxes work and how we can make them far stronger in order to put up with the massive torque figures modern performance engines provide.

There's plenty of nostalgia to be found in this episode, and if acronyms like DCT and TCM have always left you scratching your head, you definitely don't want to miss this one.

Don't forget, you can use ‘SHEP100’ for $100 off the HPA Tuning Starter Package: hpacademy.com/hpa-starter-package/

Say goodbye to the old saying "cast ain't fast" with Dart's 2JZ cast iron engine block.

When it comes to the many limitations factory cast blocks have when we try and take them from 200-300hp to 2000-3000hp or more, the go-to option in the aftermarket is generally a billet alloy block that offers more strength and improved design (sometimes application specific), but at a substantial cost given the nature of manufacturing.

Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your first HPA course here: https://hpcdmy.co/hpa-tuned-in

On display at SEMA, @DartMachinery  has come to the rescue with their newly developed cast iron engine block which gives us a middle option where we can gain many of the advantages we get with billet offerings, namely design improvements that address known weak points, for a lower cost,. This allows us to safely produce more power and also gives us a reliable source for replacements if the worst does happen as secondhand factory 2JZ blocks become more scarce with time too.

As Mike from @racewinningbrandsautomotiv766 explains with this aftermarket cast block you can expect added thickness to the bores and deck surface, reduced core shift, and a billet 4-bolt cap (centres are 12mm, outers 10mm) for improved strength as well as screw-in freeze plugs helping prevent a blow out which OEM press-fit versions sometimes do after a head lift. Additionally, the block can be clearanced on order to take alloy rods, making it perfect for those running stroker combinations and it retains the ability to run your factory accessories when it comes to oil and water pumps etc.

While at the moment we can still source factory-cast 2JZ blocks from Toyota, Dart's more accurate casting process ensures consistent rather than unpredictable wall thicknesses and they don't force you to purchase accompanying factory components that you will never use in your performance build. Yes, this is the angle you can take with the wife when you tell her how much you are SAVING when you buy this block. It's foolproof, honest.

We're hoping to see these on the market in late 2023 for around $4,500 USD, but note no price has been confirmed yet.

What makes a good intake plenum? How do you fabricate one to ensure it can handle 100+psi of boost without blowing itself to pieces? And why do we even need to fit an aftermarket intake plenum in the first place? This week’s episode with D’Arcy French of Plazmaman answers these questions and many more.

Use “PLAZMAMAN50” for 50% off our HPA 3D Modeling & CAD for Motorsport course here: hpacademy.com/courses/3d-modeling-and-cad-for-motorsport

D’Arcy started his journey in the motorsport world as a machine shop apprentice, but it wasn’t long before he stepped up in a serious way by joining the crew of a Top Fuel team as the blower tech. Eventually, this translated into full-time work designing and CNC milling parts for highly-regarded Australian performance part specialist, Plazmaman.

Plazmaman is well known for its ultra-high quality intercoolers, throttle bodies, and intake plenums and this is naturally where the conversation heads, as Andre and D’Arcy discuss the process of designing and fabricating these works of art that do a great job of attaining an ideal balance of form and function.

Throttle body sizing, the intricacies of plenum design, CAD modelling of parts, 3D printed prototyping, expected results of fitting an aftermarket intake manifold, and much more are all covered in this episode.

Follow D’Arcy and Plazmaman here:
IG: @biggercncguy
IG: @plazmamanracing
FB: Plazmaman.com
YT: PlazmamanAus
WWW: plazmaman.com

Don’t forget, use “PLAZMAMAN50” for 50% off our HPA 3D Modeling & CAD for Motorsport course here: hpacademy.com/courses/3d-modeling-and-cad-for-motorsport

Converting a FWD Honda to a RWD platform is not easy task, but it does come with some solid benefits as we will discuss looking at this F20c powered space framed Honda Prelude [TECH TOUR].

Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your first HPA course here: https://hpcdmy.co/hpa-tuned-in

With an Ethanol fed, 24-26 PSI boosted, 9,000 RPM 750hp Dandy Engines F20c boasting Eagle Rods, factory crank and camshafts (because they're that good), aftermarket pistons, SuperTech valves and a new Garrett G35-900, this Fastr sponsored RWD converted Honda Prelude is no slouch in its regular appearances in the ACL Race Series.

Professional driver Brett Dickie took a few moments while at the World Time Attack Challenge to discuss his build (with the help of his skilled father) discussing the some of the advantages the rear wheel drive (RWD) conversion gives a driver behind the wheel along with his thoughts in passing on EMtrons torque management system.

As you might have guessed, the car runs an ProWire Performance Wiring fitted EMtron KV8 ECU along with a MoTeC CDL dash for some extra logging bandwidth and driver display duties which Brett felt was the best combination he could get for performance and his requirements without blowing out the budget too far. 

We caught up with Brett just before his first run with the new Garrett G35-900 turbocharger which is replacing a 3076 and we look forward to getting his thoughts on a comparison next time we chat along with some of the data this system can and will provide him with as he and his team gets it all dialed in with the help of a Turbosmart E-Gate (electronic wastegate), DBW blow off valve, MAP sensors pre and post the throttle body and an exhaust pressure sensor.

With no bolt-on solution available, the dry sump setup is a mix of BDG dry sump components and a custom sump, with Brett sharing some thoughts on what he has learnt and would do differently second time around. 

Tucked behind the F series engine is a 6 speed TTi GTO sequential gearbox and Motorsport Services strain gauge lever which feeds a GJ Drivelines driveshaft and R200 LSD diff center nicked from a Nissan Skylines rear end. The Nissan parts list also includes the uprights, with 300ZX ones used to help try and reign in custom work and give more bolt in part options, and of course being something that physically worked with the package.

Also touched on are some of the boost control strategies employed, but Brett is pretty straight up that his knowledge is more focused on being behind the wheel than behind the laptop, and with 20+ years of it his no doubt his feedback goes a long way to help dial things in for race day.

You can catch Brett and this build racing in the ACL Race Series, and you can catch Brett racing other cars like the previous title winning Elusive Racing DC2 Integra at the World Time Attack Challenge as well as other cars in Global Time Attack and Pikes Peak Hill Climb events.