028: Engine Swap Mistakes to AVOID with Speed Academy [

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 'KZbinr'? On this week's episode of the High Performance Academy 'Tuned In' podcast, Andre is joined by Dave Pratte and Peter Tarach from ‪@speedacademy‬to help answer all these questions and many more.
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Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your first HPA course here: hpcdmy.co/hpa-...
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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 KZbin. 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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Learn more about Performance Engine Building by coming along to the next FREE lesson: hpcdmy.co/enginebuildingf
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Andre first digs into what it actually takes to make money as an automotive 'KZbinr', 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 KZbin-dominated scene we find ourselves in today - for better or for worse.
#highperformanceacademy #learntotune #enginebuilding101 #dontletthesmokeout #wiring101 #supra #r34gtr #datanerd #gofasterwithdata #motorsports

[@michaelblacktree]

When I was younger, I tried the "one car to do everything" approach. I thought I could save some money that way. Big mistake! Having a dedicated daily driver and a dedicated "fun car" makes life so much easier!

[@Kj16V]

Yep. Mostly because your fun car spends 60% of the year off its wheels in the garage! Of course, when you're a young broke petrol head, you don't usually get the choice, lol.

[@descent8275]

i own a s13 and a yaris. I thought the yaris is the perfect daily driver since it has some horses, awd, turbo... why not? well, somehow it ended up as my main track car. 🤣

[@michaelblacktree]

@@descent8275 - Funny how that works out. 😎

[@bmxriderforlife1234]

Depends. I have an idea for a relatively speaking daily driver fun car. R34 skyline but not a gtr. R door sedan. Gtr body kit. Gtr driveline but a buikt option already set up to support 1000hp but keeping the car under that. Helps reduce weight. Larger displacement engine set up. Rb30 block but short stroked relatively speaking. Set up for revs but a bit better off the line torque. In the conversion due to how im planning it ill save weight money and time plus get better performance going after market all right away versus factory style oem conversion. But its also like going all stage 3 or 4 all at once with some stage 5. But also trying to make it an efficiency monster. And a bit of a really built sleeper. 2.8 to 3L rb engine built to potentially rev to like 9k maybe 10k. Twin charged. But 4 door decent daily car. Also good chassis platform. Can tweak space issues and weight issues in the conversion. Wont be the best fuel economy but like 20mpg range is possible under daily driving type conditions. And keep temps down. Interchiller and regular heat exchange combo set up. Potentially swap the ac compressor to just handle max rpms on the engine anyways keep it interchilled even in endurance situations. Interesting boost control and map idea. But this is all on regards to an r34 gtr spec car. Makes it more daily drivable. Less weight helps acceleration and power to weight. Lots of tuning stuff available. Decent daily sports car. But you dont always need or want a sports car. But not a bad all arounder.

[@TheCarPassionChannel]

Great info, that more people should be listening to!

[@canadianmarauder1923]

Couple of cool phrases from this one that I’ve got to remember. “Oem plus” which is exactly what I’m trying to do but didn’t know how to describe it and “analysis paralysis” I spend a ridiculous amount of time researching everything. Good show Andre

[@hpa101]

Glad you enjoyed it and picked up those terms! 'Analysis paralysis' is something we try and help people overcome every day via email etc. The biggest one is thinking you need a list of tools etc before you start learning and people can spend weeks or months faffing around on little things like that which would have been better spent just diving in and learning, HPA or otherwise, as what you need is something you learn naturally as you figure out what it is you're actually doing 😎 It can be very hard to convince people otherwise and help them take the first leap though, but very satisfying for everyone when you can help! If you ever see one of your friends going down that same path make sure you get in there and help them find some confidence to just dive on into the first step - Taz.

[@TheGCJourney]

I would like to use the comment section for sharing a POSITIVE opinion... Podcasts aren't a new concept and I myself, over the years, have gotten many recommendations of some that are worth listening to but never found a podcast that managed to capture my interest enough for me to actually listen to it from start to finish. This is the first podcast I really enjoyed and didn't want to end. I love Speed Academy and I love HPA and having a chance to enjoy them both at the same time was something I couldn't miss! I have also decided to dedicate my KZbin channel to building my car and I believe it will be apparent who I get the inspiration for my thumbnails from 😉 I probably wouldn't be doing a detailed project the way I am without the knowledge I received from your courses. Thank you for this content and thank you for everything you're doing to contribute to the car enthusiast community! You guys rock!

[@AdanielH]

One thing I learned from a close friend is , unless you are competing in a series , building your car to that performance level turns into a massive money pit . He started with a stock 07 Shelby , Converted it to a built 5.1 coyote with a AEM stand alone system , fuel cells , gutted , painted , half cage , seats . Many hours and checks invested . He just went to- couple of track days and did not compete After a year he had to rebuild his engine and was planning on getting a full cage and a Dual clutch transmission. Kind of overkill. The car became more of a garage ornament than a working track car . I mentioned the idea of a track toy like a radical or a performance spec track car . He now drives a ZL1 1LE and has gone on more track days then he has ever in the purpose built track car of his.

[@NoClassic]

Excellent combined channel content here. Both crews some of the best and most dedicated out there.

[@papamidnightfpv]

This podcast is great, I've learned so much and you aren't even talking about my build. I think there's different kinds of smart people and I'm glad there are smart people out there that come in my flavor. I just found you guys but you got a real good thing with what your doing.

[@incolink]

yep spot on to many people building cars for dyno sheets and bragging rights and don't understand what makes a car fast ..

[@customzdream]

Yes. Good advice. Less is more . With great power comes great responsibility. And if you can weld or own a pick up truck you will have more friends than you ever need. Just thought I would throw that one in.

[@SMAC364]

I just bought my dream car / engine swap. Its a Ford Focus RS Mk1 with a 2.0L Cosworth YB engine and 4wd drivetrain, modern electronics i.e. Simtek ECU with Aim dash, DBW, coil-on-plug. This is the car that Ford fans wanted after the Ford Escort RS Cosworth was replaced by the Focus RS, which was FWD and even though a great car it did disappoint the real RS fans. Great podcast as always HPA!

[@hpa101]

Hell yeah! You're living a lot of peoples dream there for sure dude!

[@WilliamJenkins-tx5jr]

Just like a podcast I listen to, they had a guy on that said he had a stock 5.3 LS with 200,000 miles from a junk yard. said he didn't gap the rings or anything and made 28 psi of boost with it 😂

[@michaelallen2501]

Love these dudes. Been following them for years!

[@dee1089]

biggest mistake 95% of people make is the cost of doing a swap and reaching their goals. whatever your # is , multiply it by 2 or 3 and there is your realistic budget. unless you are lucky to have a TON of hookups whom will sell you parts and labor and knowledge and tools for cheap, this is the reality. there WILL be mountains to get over as well as comprimises to be made. be realistic and you wont be disappointed.

[@magnusdanielsson2749]

I would encourage anyone interested in building an engine to to it! If you are somewhat familiar with basic mechanics have a bit of a technical inclunation and can read manuals. Its not really that hard. But be prepared to spend time and money. Also keep your expectations in check. Im building my first engine at the moment. I havent done anything with engines since I was 15 and worked on mopeds. Im an electrical engineer that took my drivers license at 25 (now 41) Have had somewhat of a interest in motor sports but not really driven or tinkered with it before. When I started I had a medium size Kamaza toolcase Ive had for 20 years. Then just buy tools as I go along Its alot of fun and interesting. But ive realized that keeping a certain budget is really hard 😅 Also a tip is to forget the ”horsepower race” and build within your limits. That might mean that you start with a renovation of an engine. With a good valve job and bowl blend plus other simple mods you will still be very happy in the end.

[@hpa101]

Yes the boys here have a great chat about that horsepower race, and also what getting a little older means when it comes to what you want from your performance build that is also street legal (all bets are still off for a track car) - Taz.

[@michaelallen2501]

Also, not gonna lie, I have made changes to fuel and spark maps on my Camaro purely in an attempt to make it sound like a V8 Supercar on decel lol. Who doesn't love that?!

[@ghettoracer]

great episode, thanks for good laughs. thanks for the parge space capable

[@davegt27]

this is a great pod cast

[@hpa101]

Thanks for the support! If you have a question for Andre leave it as a review and he'll do his best to answer it in a future episode too. Reviews also really help the show out. No pressure though :) - Taz.

[@hpa101]

Here are the details: HELP! Enjoyed this podcast? Help us, we'll make you 'podcast famous' and give you free stuff! Leave a review, it can be in the form of a question and if we read it out at the end of a future episode we'll also give you a free tee, mug or clippings of Andres back hair, your choice! Apple Podcasts reviews helps the podcast the most, here's the link: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/tuned-in/id1579263731 BUT, we don't mind where you do it, you'll find the other platforms here: www.hpa-tunedin.com/ PS: Thanks for the support and for tuning in (dum, dum, psh!)- Taz 🧔🏻

[@davesuninterestingstuff5026]

I'm deep into my e46 + vq37 swap project and there are more than a few comments in here that rang true!! I had zero idea in hindsight what I was getting into 🤣

[@michaelblacktree]

VQ37 is a Nissan engine, I think? Sounds like a pretty ambitious project.

[@davesuninterestingstuff5026]

@@michaelblacktree that's correct, from the 370z and 370gt skyline etc. Should be a lot of fun but I can see why it's not a common swap!!

[@michaelblacktree]

I also have an E46, and am considering an engine swap (after I blow up the original engine). But I'm leaning towards GM engines. That's what I'm familiar with. GM has a 3.6 liter DOHC V6 which I think would be a nice choice.

[@TheOnlyHardestR]

as soon as he said he had to swap out an e46 engine he became uncredible

[@turbo8954]

To answer ur question in the first few seconds, a Coyote. Can be bought directly from ford for about 1k dollars brand new and will hold 800 whp on stock internals without breaking a sweat

[@brandonmiller9155]

No way. Absolutely no way. A coyote for $1000? Bullshit

[@turbo8954]

@@brandonmiller9155 yes short block

[@grahamerosewarne6656]

Always awesome content from HPA. Always so informative content. That's exactly how I learnt through my Father.👍💯😎🆒 Aussie Fan 💯🇦🇺

[@beyblayder]

Best street car? Ice cream and burnouts. Turbo LS

[@BUZDRIFT]

One of the most hated Channels around! Everyone's human, but these guys are idiotic! HPA is pro AF, but SA is a friggin joke! But hey, that's just my op, hate started with their 2J build and the blatant and 0 research errors and mistakes! But hey each their own and it's no small feat to stay competitive on YT!