The Real Reason Project Cars Take Forever

[@alternator7893]

“Give a man a fish and he won’t be hungry for a day. Give a man a project car and he’ll be hungry for the rest of his life”

[@owensparks5013]

Light a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a night. Light a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.

[@arcuz7862]

@@owensparks5013 Deep and inspirational.

[@zerohecks4864]

This

[@bake162]

All hail

[@JakeFaulkner]

@@owensparks5013 GNU Terry Pratchett

[@Hossdelux]

Self aware Matt is the craziest Matt known to man. "We are only going to install the airbox... it took me a week" What a great episode this'll be.

[@fredygump5578]

So you're saying he's the Matt-est Matt?

[@Dannyvirk]

I had to give up my Lakers tickets.............

[@gorehammer1]

@@notfiveoit only happens to me working on others peoples cars while I take a brake from screaming at mine.

[@rickden8362]

I've been through this w/ several vehicles, what I've learned is that the second...and I mean ''the second'' you deviate... from going from bolt-on pieces to: " Oh that looks cool, with a little modification I can make it work in mine". Those fatal little words, ''with a little modification'' have sent you into the twilight zone of countless hours of unplanned tedious work. If you find yourself doing this, I suggest making one of those useless machines like you see on KZbin, but in this when you press the button, a skeleton hand exits and slaps you in the face. If it doesn't bolt right on, it's not for me.

[@TheChupacabra]

Sometimes his sarcasm is so heartfelt you have to play it twice to hear it.

[@smg950u]

RIP to the jag, may we pray for it's return after the viper is done, the honda goes through 3 more engines, and the land speed record is set.

[@RoamingAdhocrat]

what happened to the jag?

[@Ryukachoo]

Yeah uh did the jag meet some horrible fate? I thought he was driving it around

[@dank_69_420_memes]

I think they mean that the ADHD curse has struck and the project will remain semi-finished

[@JH-tc3yu]

The viper is "done"

[@jackcphelps]

it did not get "mid engine eclipsed"

[@dathat555]

"Still beats having a real job." Words to live by.

[@PatrickKniesler]

Full time dreamchaser

[@itsvondell]

Despite your setbacks and unforseen challenges, I would trust you to run Bolivia

[@MarianoLu]

Nah.. he will get stuck in Ecuador on his way there remaking some rear end...

[@stevemonkey6666]

I think it would be good for this channel if Matt actually did overthrow Bolivia 👍

[@SolarMillUSA]

@@MarianoLuwho hasn’t gotten lost chasing rear ends in Bolivia

[@adamstagnaro]

"The correct cutter is the one that was in the lathe when you got there." Pure gold.

[@headwerkn]

Absolute truth. Why spend half an hour setting up the correct tool when you can just use what’s there, drown it in coolant and pray it doesn’t break.

[@HomebrewHorsepower]

Quick change tool post.

[@lotuselansteve]

@@HomebrewHorsepower Best mod I made to my lathe.

[@426baron]

I now want Matt to build a 100% SendCutSend car, engine included. And I am pretty sure the idea has crossed his mind.

[@JessSimpson1313]

Love these videos! Nothing makes me feel better about how badly I get lost in tasks then watching someone else do the same thing.

[@Tannerlegasse]

Haha right there with you!

[@jschoneger]

Yep, this is real life!

[@brianmacadam4793]

Truer words never spoken

[@SmackeysGarage]

Completely agree!

[@oakgriff]

As a fellow adhd mechE, I don't know if it's more therapeutic or triggering watching your working process, all I know is I love to see it. As a fan of doing things the right way (but only if the right way is easiest, and if it isn't, then deciding to come up with a newer easier righter way) I can't get enough. Thank for the great content Matt!

[@ScottBryant-wi7gb]

I sat down to watch this 12 minute clip and it took me 47 minutes to complete it.

[@beethekay]

"we are just installing an airbox... So the upper control arms"

[@operaatio5117]

Yeah. I know the feeling. I tried building a nuclear power plant in my backyard, but the airbox installation took way too much time.

[@gamemeister27]

And don't even get me started on getting all those smoke detectors!

[@douglasburnside]

@@gamemeister27 You should probably go with fusion instead of fission, then you don't have to scrape all that Americium 241 off the smoke detector sensors to get your radioactive stuff.

[@gamemeister27]

@@douglasburnside ah yes, I'll build the first energy positive nuclear fusion reactor for my next diy project.

[@herrbrahms]

Just keep the air away from the NaK.

[@JTCF]

Holy shit, the amount of cross-dependent stuff would drive me insanely anxious. This project is awesome, and you are awesome!

[@cheeseburger3119]

Maybe if cars were just a little bigger it wouldn’t be such a pain to work on them.

[@IVIRnathanreilly]

@@cheeseburger3119 You're getting your wish with newer cars..... Well the bigger part anyway.

[@Mart77]

Make sure to add rubber protective boots to every ball joint. Our local guy had uniball suspension on his drag car. One of the ball joints in front suspension got stuck (probably some sand in there) and car started to lean, so he started to compensate with turning the steering wheel. But steering wheel didnt turn as tie rod joint was stuck. So he gradually steered harded until the balljoint came unstuck and this sent the car 6 times over the roof at 200km/h.

[@dustinbaird1008]

I can tell this is getting a little exhausting for you. I just want to say thank you for pressing on and keeping these videos funny even when it's not a very funny week. This is why you're my favorite content creator of all time.

[@infinitelyexplosive4131]

The way you narrate perfectly captures the experience of trying to do something but getting distracted and knowing you're distracted but not being able to stop.

[@-Jethro-]

“I like doing things the right way, but only when it’s easy” is so relatable.

[@stanceworks]

The "control arms" title card popped up and I felt a home-like warmth.

[@gigiopincio5006]

on the other hand, when i install an airbox i don't usually find my camber angles to be magically fixed

[@why6212]

I had a project motorcycle. But then I got a project house. So I still have a project motorcycle

[@andoletube]

Even though you gave us ample warning, I found myself riding the rollercoaster with each problem and modification - like "oh no!", "oh good, he's fixed it" "oh no!", "phew he fixed it", "OH NO!"...... rinse and repeat. I guess I'm exactly the type of viewer you want - irrationally devoted to your projects. 😅

[@andrewshoe6832]

I think the ultimate win in all this is finding the hose clamp you lost in the garage. I am truly impressed.

[@corychristensen5917]

I love it, man! The car, your dry humor, and how your showing it as it is. No Hollywood magic, just real car building. Thanx

[@ricoolivier]

A terrible day in the garage beats a brilliant day at work any day...

[@TheZanzaroni]

Matt will perfectly restore the viper with sketchy cuts and welds all covered up nicely by splashed paint, when he tries to start the engine.

[@christophernoto]

To Do Lists are fractal! The closer you get to being done, the more tasks reveal themselves. Also, that other Pain in DeAss, Zeno, probably has something to do with it. In any case, thanks, Matt, for your willingness to tackle this infinitely regressing series of videos! All the best, and May the Algorithm be with you! 🔥

[@gamemeister27]

You know what they say, 20% of the job requires 80% of the work, and it's always the last 20% of the job.

[@drybread1146]

@@gamemeister27 true that! Years ago I was told that the Golden Rule of project management is that "the first 90% of your project takes 90% of the time and budget. The last 10% of your project takes the other 90% of the time and budget."

[@Spectral_Penguin]

90% of the job takes 90% of the time. The final 10% takes the other 90% of the time.

[@crottemole]

"only install the airbox, it took me a week" man. This hit way too close to home... exept it end up taking me two weeks. Or never. Who knows.

[@ryandenney351]

The DIY Wilwood brake "upgrade" should be entertaining. I saved around $2K using OEM rotors and designed brackets and had sendcutsend cut them out.

[@zachbelstra4901]

Matt, your content is genius. I’m sure you’ve already seen some of her stuff, but I feel like you and Sarah-n-Tuned are peas in a pod. You’re both very good at rabbit-holing yourselves out of days of progress, and we all love you guys for it.

[@solarguy6043]

I had the thought that both channels would probably benefit with a shared project.

[@tturi2]

​@@solarguy6043they would start and never finish lol, kinda like us mortals

[@silent_tofu7921]

She would have an aneurysm with the way he painted that suspension lol

[@-Mike-69]

​@@silent_tofu7921It would have to be nothing but factory Dodge paint, applied with a factory approved paint gun applied in a hyperbaric chamber free of any possible contamination at a microbial level.

[@SolarMillUSA]

@@-Mike-69 I had no idea who this person was before today but this comment alone makes me immediately interested in her channel

[@andrewsalmon100]

I have a car project in my mind and this is why it will stay there. Thanks Matt.

[@loco816598]

Thank you for making me feel like im not the only one that makes mistakes like this when designing something from scratch. It is hard to take into consideration all those factors you aren't taking into consideration.

[@peterplouf2836]

I am afraid to order from send cut send because once I do I know I will never stop.

[@denismilic1878]

Matt don't worry, you are super fast 7 days ago I planned just to refresh the paint of my 5 m² (50 ft²) office. Seven days later I'm finishing installing new drywalls and pouring self-leveling floor. A $50 job becomes a $5000 restoration project monster. I hate myself, but it's easier on my soul when I watch your videos.

[@TheRealAlpha2]

I'm going to use this video as a perfect example of why anything I promise to do isn't done yet.

[@thomasales144]

As someone in the middle of V70R project hell, I feel this in my bones. Especially the taking the week to install an airbox.

[@reallyhappenings5597]

Share the hell video-wise, R's are worth the attention.

[@ferdinandstrat]

The way Matt jumps to a completely unrelated thing to do while doing one thing would make Bad Obsession Motorsports proud

[@DasNik25]

Last month i wanted to paint my callipers. Long story short my C6 is dead in the driveway the rear cradle and the saddle tanks are next to it on the ground. The plastic retention thingy i broke is stuck in customs but the replacement fuel pump got lost in shipping anyway. My plan is to drive it again before it starts to freeze. Wish me luck. At least my driver's side callipers look nice again.

[@SubTroppo]

CAD (and a well exercised SendCutSend account) reminds me of that 'back in the day' idea: 'the paper-less office'. How we laughed!

[@kavno]

I feel this on a personal level. Wanted to build engine mounts for the ls swap im doing. This required fully dressing the engine. Ac had to move to clear suspension. This requires different accessories drive. That requires other stuff. $1000 and 2 months later, I cut and welded 2 tubes to a pair of bushings and had engine mounts done in 2 hours....

[@weibrot6683]

What a beautiful opening to the video, he starts talking about the airbox and we immediately start to fix the camber of the car

[@TBendez]

Man, not getting it to SEMA must suck, if you really wanted to go, I can't tell from your voice if you really wanted to or not. Anywho, loving this progress!!!

[@evanbarnes9984]

I don't do car projects, but I'm going to have to show my girlfriend this video as a perfect example of why my building projects take so long! Sometimes to make a writing desk you have to make several custom tools and jigs to make a different jig to properly align the folding desktop

[@dan4653]

You have now idea how much I'm feeling this, in my shop, this week. Need to move a lathe. But need to mount the a winch on the trailer. First have to move the bandsaw, to cut the too long steel. And clean the shop to move the welder... and so on.

[@SolarMillUSA]

Dude, same

[@whippingstar]

I'm in the beginning phase of LS swapping an NB Miata. Sendcutsend (which I learned about via your channel) has been an absolute godsend. The amount of things I'm going to be able to design and fabricate without buying from other suppliers will massively (while still not being cheap because its a car and a project) cut costs, reduce compromises, and allow for a few trick ideas. Or at least that's the hope. The future looks bright. Thanks.

[@phmiii]

I Love how the "rear end" got involved with the "air-box" insulation. Please keep up the wonderful work!

[@erictorin1703]

I love the storytelling here. I think we’ve all started projects like this, with nearly infinite cascading dependencies.

[@jasonrivers7518]

I build cruiser bicycles nowadays- it used to be cars, but, having spent 3 days perfecting the headlight mount, I can absolutely relate, mate- every mod creates 3 problems, the fixing of which creates more problems, and so forth, etc. Great video, Matt!

[@davidyates748]

As someone currently building a project car, this one hit me right in the feels.

[@anthonyrawsthorne656]

I've been building one for 20yrs... Can definitely relate 😬🙈

[@krustostoianov9792]

Well I can relate, I wanted to change the exhaust manifold with better one on mine car and it let to an engine rebuild ...

[@anthonyrawsthorne656]

@krustostoianov9792 once the engines out, may aswell replace the engine mounts, and the brake lines, whilst they're easy to get to, and those suspension bushes don't look too healthy now I can see them.....🙄🤣

[@krustostoianov9792]

@@anthonyrawsthorne656 also from what I see my pocket is almost empty 🥲 maybe that is why I spend my time with the car and not a girl 😅

[@its_generik]

I'm sweating bullets over a magnifying glass trying to desolder and resolder a micro drone's motors. My back hurts. I'm tired. I'm butthurt. Then I see a new video from Superfast Matt????? My day just got so much better. Let me watch somebody else struggle. We Love it. Can't wait to see this thing rip offroad.

[@MikeDS49]

Matt builds himself into a corner just for the extra challenge.

[@patrickfreeman8257]

Watching you paint those parts underneath the car reminded me that I saw a guy yesterday painting trim on a house black...spray painting...out of a can.

[@SolarMillUSA]

😵‍💫🫣🥴🫠

[@SilviuHoratau]

"I like to do things the right way but only when it's easy" is my new mantra 😅

[@The0rnate]

I'd like to say "this was my favorite video in a long time" but I simply love all of your videos so much. Recently picked up a 1999 4Runner v6 and am super excited to start wrenching. Rice&beans and no free time for me.

[@highoctanememe3617]

took me a week too i had a2a piping that collided with the stock airbox set up redesigned the pipes relocated the intercooler remade where the airbox mounts just so they had to have enough room to not rub on eachother. must have test fitted each part 50 times and it was meant to be the simpler of jobs.

[@firstlast-nh6ke]

Thanks for this. I build similar things and am constantly amazed by the process: discover a problem, do a bunch of research, design a part, print it out in plastic, repeat the previous step 6 times to get the really cool version, make the real part, install it, realize that you didn't need to solve the problem at all. Move on to the next one. -jon

[@fredygump5578]

I like the optimisim, where he explains there is undesirable bump steer in the CAD model....but the model is wrong, so it'll probably be fine in reality... That will work out exactly 0.173% of the time!

[@jaymacpherson8167]

Absolutely hilarious that you additionally recorded and narrated this frustrating mod. BTW, Nice welding helmet! A friend has a 1967 Camaro project car. I learned from him to never try to project a car…I don’t have the skill or the tools. Wheel nuts that “spec” the make/model but don’t fit…a growing disease?

[@Papajin68]

This describes nearly the entirety of my car project, and I'm not even trying to do anything this complicated...

[@dynomantar9733]

I'm actually impressed how fast this build is moving forward. I'm doing a "simple" LS swap on my 944, and the smallest most miniscule steps somehow always end up taking days.

[@TheRegulator]

That last second "still beats having a real job though" really cut me to the heart... as I sat in back to back meetings from 9am till 5:30pm. But hey it bought me a Porsche though!

[@LongPeter]

The true testament to what a chore the air-box was is in the colour difference of his beard between the intro and algorithm bit at the end.

[@balzacq]

Never try home renovation. It took a year -- A YEAR -- to get to the point on my kitchen rebuild where I wasn't taking stuff out anymore and was just putting stuff back in.

[@McsMark1]

Watching you take 3 steps forward and 2 steps back gives me hope that one day I actually may attain my goal, but at a much slower pace for I make 3/4's of a step forward and 1/2 a step backward in any project I attempt.

[@headwerkn]

‘Stay focussed Matt.’ *Rolls into Sofia driving a Viper modified into a tank* ‘Ah crap…’

[@electronsmove]

If the front tires move about 20 to 30 degrees when turning about the king pin inclination angle, could you rotate the rod end on the outer tie rod end 90 degrees and bolt it to the steering arm? This would give infinite rotation of the joint and allow maximum vertical travel of the A arms.

[@quintessenceSL]

Missing from this- Half-day locating all the tools I think I'll need for the job. Full day shopping for tools that... well, they were there (I have 4 hammers by the way). Wait for new tools to arrive. Find missing tools, curse my lack of organizational skills. Forget what I was going to work on in the first place.

[@VashSpiegel]

Fall 2018, two of my piston crowns shattered...it was at that point it became my ultimate project car. That was 5 years ago 😂

[@ScotlandsGold]

Matt truly deserves a genius at work sign

[@aaronlitchfield1268]

Yeah but true geniuses don’t need that shit. A sign like that is really for a merely smart, pseudo genius. Matt’s a little more than that- he doesn’t need to tell the world that he’s a genius.

[@thepigofill7547]

​@@aaronlitchfield1268still deserves it😀

[@wldiss5122]

In Rod we trust!!! With the support of Rod i see this getting done soonish! Keep up the chaos Matt.

[@Eqwipman]

I like that u include the gremlins that u ran into. very normal for custom installations. Thnx

[@merr6267]

That last line though . . . Watching this from my desk at my real job, having just watched coverage of Drag Week, wishing I was home, doing any of the pedantic tasks required to build my future Drag Week car. Having a real job hurts. Lol.

[@marcellemay7721]

This is why CAD was invented. But, it's so much more fun when we can cut and weld the same part 3 or 4 times.

[@nateolmsted22]

All hail the algorithm! I absolutely love the dry humor and relatable laziness. "The correct cutter is always the one that was already in the lathe when you got there" "I like to do things the correct way.. but I only like to do things the correct way when they're easy" I'm excited to see what this thing looks like driving into Sema 2026!

[@GenderSkins]

In the close to 40 years I have been working on car's, the one thing I have learned about working on car's is a simple job is never simple. Especially when you go to modifying things, as once you mod one simple little item it can end up taking you months to mod everything else to put the geometry back into a working state. Case in point, changing out the starter on a 2001 Ford Ranger Edge, turned a 20 minute in and out job into a 3 hour affair because I had to clip one wire. which should not have taken so long but did because the starter solenoid was clocked differently, and the trigger wire was soldered on not bolted on like the original.

[@walkermediaworx]

Came here looking for a how-to video on installing airbox on my lifted viper. Ordered the parts for a DIY car crusher from send cut send instead. Thanks Matt!

[@SolarMillUSA]

That’s how they get ya

[@CraftComputing]

This is totally Hal replacing a lightbulb. *Matt painting the panhard bar* YT: Hey, are you ever going to install the airbox? Matt: WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE I'M DOING?!?

[@UtmostOutdoors]

I fucking love you man! No word of a lie, this channel brings me joy! Pure fucking JOY! Thank you for being you and for the endless entertainment man!

[@777RocketS]

Funnily enough this isnt the first video Ive seen from the Matt of all Matts, but it is fantastic! Almost as fantastic as that viper! Cant wait to see it complete and a R&D test I want one! And I have got to get a CAD 🤩

[@drmememachine]

Wow I can't believe the SendCutSendAirbox that SendCutSendMatt was installing took longer than a SendCutSendDay

[@riverracer]

Cannot wait for the "Custom Laser Alignment Machine Using Only Send Cut Send and An Arduino" video. Seriously, we all want one...... and you do to. As long as it will work on my '72 Vette, I'm all in.

[@dcaonoek]

Many would have simply bolted a couple K&N filters to a couple of aluminium pipes and a couple silicone hoses to the throttle bodies.

[@blinkbp534]

In one of the future episodes: "Remember those two spacers under the steering rack? Without those the engine doesn't start."

[@Cloxxki]

SEMA seems to exist only to get builders to get to work a slight bit more than they'd otherwise had anyway. There will also be a next SEMA, seemingly a few months after the previous.

[@SidewaysGts]

Once upon a time I worked at a shop by the name of DC-Performance, better known as "The Viper Shop". We did anything from oil changes to super charger installs, and we did a *lot* of those aluminum steering bushings (To the point that i had a wrench modified just to do them). Would be amusing if this was a car that'd passed through the shop at one point in its life. Those shims BTW are to adjust the height of the rack so you can adjust the bump steer. Normally id not recommend leaving them out, but with your suspension changes... no clue. That shits voodoo magic to me!

[@SSSpmarg]

I wish I had the dedication to edit videos like you because I have a few of these around my shop. Best of luck with the build!

[@louisjones2653]

My '86 Jag project came to bits to replace some subframe mounts. It was supposed to take a weekend. That was back in 2020. Now, 3 years later, the engine is on a stand being rebuilt, there's a manual transmission conversion sitting in the corner of the garage, and one subframe is fully restored with the other in process. I feel your pain.

[@dragontalontsiawd]

I have my DSM, 2GB Talon, 4G63 turbo all wheel drive, 500HP, factory look but all money time and effort under the hood. It's taken me since 2004, probably ran for a year straight since I've had her. I understand this more than you know. 1 thing leads to 1000 things. I have DSM Link V3, and a plethora of mods. It's something I want to finish so my kids can enjoy it as well, down tuned of course.

[@handbannana3610]

Several offroad vendors sell what they call "repair washers" or "fix it washers" that index into a larger hole. For example the Ruffstuff Fix it weld washer for a 5/8" hole would index into a 7/8" hole. They are meant for 1/4" thick brackets though so you might be looking at lathe work either way.

[@StackBundle]

I love your dry humor and I appreciate the effort you're putting into this. Can't wait to see it driving.

[@hainkm]

"The correct cutter is always the one that was already in the lathe when you got there" - no truer words have been spoken.

[@Chris-ut6eq]

Good progress. Airbox was just the excuse which caused overall progress and a sarcastic video monologue. Plus some well done send cut send advertising.

[@Stepica]

"we dont have all day here, we are just installing an airbox" while cutting into your upper control arms...at 2:20 mark in 12 minute long video. I knew then and there this is gonna be a good one 🤣

[@L88PEX]

Dodge Viper Factory Service Manual "Re-Installing Cross Brace: Pry, and wedge, and hammer it in there, then tap it and pry it in place. Standard time: 1:15"

[@nickalfonso8616]

I feel like im watching that clip from malcom in the middle where the dad goes to change a lightbulb and ends up needing to fix everything along the way

[@tristanscott4118]

Oh how I wanted the arduino laser alignment bit to be real… have had a dream of doing this myself.

[@HannyDart]

6:13 i hope you also checked the clearances with a steering wheel angle other than zero..

[@KO-pk7df]

I'm so happy to find out that all these things happen to people who are even smarter than I am. I constantly just keep telling myself over and over that there is nothing easy.

[@ronarmstrong835]

When I sketch something, I imagine how many of these scenarios are going to occur when I actually have that something made.

[@Storebj0rn]

Hearing you say you wanted it to be done-done, I finally realized why getting things done is so hard. It’s because the stages of done are done done-done and «dun-dun-dun» (dramatic movie score style)…. Only me? oh, well.

[@cdrderfyt]

Thank you for sharing your frustrations with your project. It's a nice reminder that things rarely go as planned and that we are laterally doing this in our garages and backyards.