207. Nelson Racing Engines, 2000HP Streetcars, the SSC Tuatara, Fast and the Furious w/ Tom Nelson

The Chevrolet Corvair is a classic American car best known for its rear-engine layout, which was unusual for its era. The podcast context specifically mentions it being used for SCCA road racing as a kid, highlighting its role in motorsport and enthusiast driving. That’s why it’s a memorable topic: the Corvair’s design made it a distinctive platform for handling-focused builds.

SCCA road racing refers to events run by the Sports Car Club of America, which organizes amateur and club-level racing in the U.S. “Road racing” means racing on closed circuits (not drag strips), typically with production-based or prepared cars.

“Top loader” is a nickname for a specific style of manual transmission used in classic muscle cars, where the shift mechanism is mounted on top of the gearbox. It’s mentioned here as part of the 1970 Boss Mustang’s drivetrain setup.

“Twin turbocharged” means using two turbochargers to force more air into the engine, allowing higher power output than naturally aspirated operation. With two turbos, builders can tune boost response and airflow characteristics for the specific engine setup.

The Lamborghini Pantera is a mid-engine V8 supercar from the 1970s/early 1980s era, known for its dramatic styling and strong performance. Here, it’s specifically described as being twin-turbocharged in a garage build.

“Drawing through” describes a turbo setup where the turbocharger pulls air/fuel mixture through the intake system in a particular arrangement. It’s often associated with older carbureted or unconventional forced-induction plumbing rather than modern direct injection layouts.

An intake manifold is the engine component that routes air (and sometimes fuel, depending on the setup) from the intake system to the engine’s cylinders. In turbo builds, manifold design and placement can strongly affect airflow and boost behavior.

In an engine, “rods” usually means connecting rods, the parts that link the pistons to the crankshaft. The discussion here is about rebuilding connecting rods and how their geometry affects how they behave under load.

“Honing” is a precision abrasive finishing process used to achieve the correct surface finish and geometry. In this context, honing is being used to make the rod’s bearing surfaces look correct and to avoid visible defects (“shadow”) that would indicate the part was altered improperly.

“Rod bolts” are the fasteners that clamp the connecting rod’s bearing cap to the rod. The host is describing a bad practice where the rod is modified so that clamping causes the bolts/cap area to bend, which can compromise alignment and durability even if it looks good after machining.

“True the shoes” refers to making the honing abrasive shoes (and their contact surfaces) perfectly straight/aligned before honing. The host emphasizes that if the shoes and stones aren’t aligned, the honing process won’t produce a straight, correctly shaped surface.

In honing, “stones” are the abrasive segments that do the cutting/finishing. The host notes they must be straight and properly seated so the honing stays uniform and doesn’t create taper or bowing.

Line honing is a machine-shop process used to straighten and size a set of related bearing bores in an engine block (often main bearing caps). The goal is to restore correct alignment and dimensions so the crankshaft can spin with proper oil clearance.

In engine-building talk, “mains” refers to the main bearing journals and their bearing bores in the engine block. When the speaker says the mains are “all like this,” they’re describing misalignment or uneven machining that can hurt crankshaft fitment.

A mandrel is a precision tool used to guide or support machining so the cut happens in a straight, controlled way. Here, the speaker emphasizes getting the mandrel “straight and true” before line honing to avoid incorrect bearing alignment.

A Corvette is Chevrolet’s performance sports car line, known for big-engine power and a strong aftermarket. In this segment, the speaker mentions building a twin-turbo 427 Corvette, which highlights how the platform can be pushed far beyond stock output.

“427” refers to the engine displacement in cubic inches—an iconic big-block V8 size associated with classic American performance. In the context of a twin-turbo 427, it signals a high-displacement V8 that can make huge power when boosted, but also requires careful engine building to handle the stresses.

“Pump gas” means gasoline you buy at regular retail stations, not race fuel. In high-boost turbo builds, using pump gas is notable because it limits how much compression and boost you can run without knocking.

“American Hot Rod” is mentioned as a media outlet that showcased their turbo build. In this context, it’s used to explain how the project gained early notoriety with enthusiasts.

SEMA is the Specialty Equipment Market Association show, a major annual trade event focused on aftermarket automotive parts and custom builds. People in the tuning and fabrication world use it to network, showcase products, and meet customers and builders.

“Anvil motor” is a nickname for an engine that’s treated as extremely tough and durable. In context, it suggests they had a robust base engine that could handle the stresses of a major turbo upgrade.

The Chevrolet Camaro is a classic American muscle car platform, and the “70 Camaro” refers to the 1970 model year. It’s a popular choice for big turbo builds because the engine bay and aftermarket support make it relatively straightforward to fit high-power setups.

“1500 horsepower” is an extremely high power output, typically associated with purpose-built turbo engines and careful fuel/boost management. At this level, drivetrain strength and cooling become as important as engine tuning.

The host says the project coverage eventually turned into an ESPN TV show. This highlights how extreme builds can move from niche magazines/online attention into mainstream sports entertainment.

An engine shop is a specialized automotive business focused on building, rebuilding, and modifying engines. In this context, the host is describing a shift away from a full supercar shop toward hands-on engine work.

A super car shop is a high-end performance-focused workshop that typically handles specialized repairs, upgrades, and custom builds for exotic or track-oriented cars. The host says they scaled back from that broader role to concentrate on engine work.

Fuel injection is a modern way of delivering gasoline (or other fuels) into the engine by using electronically controlled injectors. Instead of relying on a carburetor, the system meters fuel based on engine conditions like throttle position and engine speed.

Sizing turbos means selecting the right turbocharger size and configuration for a specific engine and target power. The turbo’s compressor and turbine characteristics affect boost response (how quickly it spools) and how much airflow it can support at higher RPM.

A sequential transmission is a gearbox where you move through gears in order (like 1st → 2nd → 3rd), rather than an H-pattern you can shift to any gear. It’s common in racing because it can be faster and more consistent under load.

6xd is a gearbox brand being promoted here specifically for sequential transmission strength and durability. The host claims that a large portion of the FD (Formula Drift) field runs 6xd gearboxes, and that even very high-power cars (like 3000 hp Vipers) can’t “tame” what 6xd can handle.

“FD” here refers to Formula Drift, a professional drifting series. Saying “half the FD field” is a way of claiming 6xd gearboxes are widely used by top-level drift teams.

“87” and “91” are gasoline octane ratings, which indicate how resistant the fuel is to knock (premature combustion). Using a lower-octane fuel than an engine is tuned for can increase knock risk and, in extreme cases, lead to overheating and internal engine damage.

“Torched” is a slang way of describing severe overheating or combustion damage to an engine cylinder head. In the context of running too-low octane, it often points to detonation/knock or extreme thermal stress that can damage metal surfaces and combustion chambers.

A trophy truck is a purpose-built off-road race truck designed for desert racing, typically with long-travel suspension and high durability under repeated impacts. Using an LS supercharged package in that context implies the engine is expected to survive harsh, sustained loads.

A “tear down” is the process of disassembling an engine or drivetrain to inspect internal components for wear, damage, or failure causes. The host compares it to an “autopsy,” emphasizing that the goal is to diagnose what went wrong and why.

Pistons are the moving parts inside the engine cylinders that compress the air-fuel mixture and transfer combustion force to the crankshaft. Inspecting piston “barrels”/cylinder wear after hard use helps diagnose clearances, lubrication issues, and ring or cylinder damage.

A data log is a recorded file of engine sensor readings over time (like throttle position, RPM, temperatures, and pressures). In performance tuning, it’s used to see what the engine was actually doing during a run, not just what the driver felt.

Wide open throttle (WOT) means the throttle is fully opened, commanding maximum airflow and fuel delivery for the engine. It’s a key condition for testing durability because it creates the highest cylinder pressures and thermal load.

Jet boat racing is a motorsport where boats use a jet drive instead of a traditional propeller. The engine and cooling demands can be extreme because the setup often runs long, high-throttle sessions and depends heavily on water flow for heat management.

Here “routing water” refers to how cooling water is directed through the engine to remove heat. If the water path is wrong, hot spots can form and components like exhaust valves can overheat and fail.

Exhaust valves are the engine’s valves that open to let burned gases leave the combustion chamber. They’re heavily heat-stressed, so overheating them (like from poor cooling or exhaust routing) can quickly lead to failure.

A dyno (dynamometer) is a test stand that measures engine output—typically horsepower and torque—while the engine is run under controlled load. Builders also use dynos to validate fueling, cooling, and durability before real-world runs.

A supercharger is a forced-induction device that uses engine power to compress incoming air before it enters the engine. More compressed air lets the engine burn more fuel, which is how supercharged builds make significantly more power than naturally aspirated versions.

“LS” refers to General Motors’ LS-series V8 engine family, and a “twin turbo LS” means adding two turbochargers to that engine. The point is that it’s a common swap/build platform where forced induction can be packaged as a complete performance setup.

Headers are exhaust manifolds designed to improve exhaust flow from the engine’s cylinders. On turbo or supercharged builds, better exhaust flow can help the system spool more efficiently and support higher power levels.

An engine rebuild is a restoration process where an existing engine is disassembled, inspected, and repaired or replaced with new/updated internal parts as needed. The host contrasts rebuild work (repairing a customer’s existing engine) with full “package” builds (top-to-bottom new assembly).

A camshaft profile describes the shape of the cam lobes—how long and how aggressively the valves open and close. Small changes to the cam profile can shift power where it makes best (low-end torque vs. high-RPM horsepower).

A head gasket seals the cylinder head to the engine block, preventing combustion gases and coolant/oil from mixing. If the head gasket fails, you can get overheating, loss of compression, or oil/coolant contamination.

An engineered package is a matched set of engine parts designed to work together—rather than random “best of” components. The goal is to reduce compatibility issues and improve results because the shop has tested and refined the combination over many builds.

In engine-building, “block” usually means the engine block—the main casting that houses the cylinders and supports the crankshaft. It’s the foundation part that determines displacement and many fitment details.

“Cranks” refers to crankshafts, the rotating shaft that converts the up-and-down motion of pistons into rotational motion. In performance builds, crank selection affects strength, balance, and how much power the engine can safely handle.

Crate engines are pre-built engines sold as complete units (often with standardized components) rather than fully custom builds. They’re popular for performance shops because they reduce uncertainty and speed up turnaround compared with one-off engine machining and sourcing.

Priming the motor means getting oil circulating before the engine is actually started. This reduces the chance of dry starts and helps ensure critical parts like lifters and rocker arms are lubricated immediately.

A pushrod motor uses pushrods to transmit camshaft motion to rocker arms that operate the valves. This architecture is common in many high-performance engines, and it makes oiling the lifters and rocker arms especially important during startup and testing.

Exhaust temp is the temperature of the exhaust gases leaving each cylinder. Checking exhaust temperature cylinder-by-cylinder helps catch issues like a clogged or disconnected exhaust component that could indicate a problem with combustion or flow.

“Loading the rings” refers to the controlled break-in process where piston rings seat against the cylinder wall. During dyno testing, they vary load and run short cycles to establish proper ring seal without overheating or scuffing.

The cylinder wall is the inner surface of the engine block where the piston rings ride. Ring seating and sealing depend heavily on the cylinder wall condition and the break-in procedure used during testing.

Cutting the filter means inspecting the filter media by physically sectioning it to see what debris or contamination it captured. It’s a diagnostic check to confirm the engine’s “health” during testing by looking for abnormal particulate or metal.

RPM stands for revolutions per minute, and it’s how fast the engine’s crankshaft is spinning. When the host says “5500 RPM,” they mean they’re pulling the engine at a specific speed so they can compare behavior and data consistently.

Engine knock is abnormal combustion where the air-fuel mixture detonates too aggressively, creating a pinging/hammering effect. It’s dangerous because it can damage pistons and bearings, so tuners check for it during dyno pulls and adjust the tune if needed.

Static timing is setting/confirming ignition timing with the engine not running (or in a non-running reference state) to ensure the base timing reference is correct. If static timing is off, the engine can be effectively “tuned wrong” from the first pull, leading to immediate severe issues.

A Hall effect sensor is an electronic sensor used to detect position/rotation (often crank or cam position) so the ECU can schedule ignition and fuel correctly. If the Hall effect sensor is mispositioned, timing can be wrong and the engine may fail almost immediately under load.

The fuel curve is the ECU’s programmed relationship between engine operating conditions (like RPM and load) and how much fuel is injected. Adjusting it tailors the air-fuel mixture so the engine makes the intended power safely and consistently.

Oil pressure is the force of lubricating oil circulating through the engine’s bearings and moving parts. Adequate oil pressure is critical during high-load dyno testing; low pressure can indicate a problem with the oiling system and can quickly lead to engine damage.

Fuel injectors are electronically controlled valves that spray fuel into the engine in precise amounts and timing. The host’s point is that the injectors must be firing correctly as part of validating the engine before it goes to the customer.

“Certified” wiring here implies the harness and connections have been verified to ensure correct electrical signals to sensors/ignition/coils. In performance builds, wiring errors can cause misfires, wrong timing, or sensor faults that lead to poor running or engine damage.

A “safety package” is an added set of monitoring/controls intended to reduce the chance of catastrophic failures by detecting problems early. Here, the host says they use “zero to 100 sensors” to watch critical conditions across the build.

“Zero to 100 sensors” is the host’s way of describing extensive instrumentation—adding many sensors to measure engine/vehicle conditions. More sensor coverage can help catch issues like knock, overheating, oil pressure problems, or misfires sooner.

“Fuel duty” refers to the fuel injector duty cycle—the percentage of time the injectors are commanded to open. By monitoring it, the system can detect abnormal fueling conditions (like low fuel pressure or a pump issue) and respond before damage happens.

A “duty spike” means the injector command jumps to a higher duty cycle than expected. In this context, it’s used as a diagnostic signal that something in the fuel supply is failing, so the ECU can trigger protective behavior.

“Grenade it” is slang for catastrophic engine failure—when an engine is pushed into conditions that cause rapid, destructive damage. Here it’s used to describe why the safety logic cuts the engine when sensors detect dangerous states.

“Over boost” means the turbocharger or supercharger is producing more boost pressure than the engine management system considers safe. Excess boost can raise cylinder pressures and temperatures, so the ECU may cut the motor as a protective measure.

Holley is an aftermarket performance brand best known for engine management systems and fuel/injection components used in swaps and high-power builds. In this episode, the host says most of their customers run Holley because it’s widely supported and easier to get help for.

“Life racing” is presented as a high-end engine management platform used on super high-end builds. The host also connects it to “Cyvex,” suggesting they’re related or that one is derived from the other, and frames it as better than MoTeC for their preferences.

MoTeC is a high-end motorsport engine management brand known for advanced tuning and data logging. The host contrasts it with “life racing,” saying MoTeC is more user friendly, while the other system is viewed as better for their application.

Cyvex is mentioned as being “off of life racing,” implying a relationship between the two engine management/tuning ecosystems. The host is unsure about the exact corporate/technical relationship, but the point is that Cyvex is part of the same family of systems.

“Raw torque” refers to the torque reading the dyno reports without additional interpretation or correction steps beyond the measurement process. Nelson notes watching a gauge and recording torque at intervals (every 500 RPM) to build a torque curve.

Nitrous (nitrous oxide) is an engine power-adder that injects gas to increase oxygen availability, allowing more fuel to be burned and producing a big power boost. Nelson compares his early dyno-loading method to the way nitrous changes engine behavior and requires careful control.

“Engine Masters” is a competition format where engine builders test engines on dynos and are ranked using standardized scoring. In this segment, Nelson explains the scoring method: average horsepower/torque over a specific RPM band (2500 to 6500) becomes the final contest number.

Dynamic Test Systems (DTS) is a dynamometer brand Nelson Racing Engines uses for engine testing. He notes that DTS is still his current dyno, but it struggles when power levels get very high.

The Cadillac DTS is a full-size luxury sedan from Cadillac, built to provide a comfortable, high-end driving experience. The podcast context references “Dynamic Test Systems” (DTS) and Superflow, which suggests the acronym is being discussed in a technical or testing context rather than the car itself. Still, the DTS name is commonly recognized as Cadillac’s flagship-style sedan of its time.

Superflow is a company involved in dynamometer equipment, and Nelson says DTS was bought by Superflow. That places Superflow as the corporate owner of the dyno platform used in this shop.

A rev limiter is an engine control feature that prevents the engine from exceeding a set RPM limit, protecting the engine from over-rev damage. Nelson warns that with very high-power engines, if the rev limiter isn’t set, the dyno test can become unsafe or uncontrolled.

In this dyno context, “steam” describes water being heated rapidly by the dyno’s load/braking system until it vaporizes. Nelson uses it to explain why the dyno’s water-based load control can become problematic at extreme horsepower levels.

KOD is an acronym used in some drag-racing/engine-building circles, often referring to a specific engine failure mode or outcome. In this excerpt, it’s asked as a possibility for what kind of setup is making “2500 horsepower engines.” The exact meaning isn’t fully established in the provided text.

Chevy is the common shorthand for Chevrolet, another major American automaker Nelson includes in the “who makes the best power” comparison. It points to Chevrolet engine platforms and performance culture.

Mopar is the enthusiast nickname for Chrysler’s performance lineup (including brands like Dodge and Plymouth historically). Nelson uses it as shorthand in a classic American “Ford vs Chevy vs Mopar” power debate.

“Horsepower per cube” is a shorthand for how much power an engine makes relative to its displacement (the engine’s total volume). It’s often used to compare different engines fairly when their sizes differ.

“Coyote” refers to Ford’s modular V8 engine family (commonly the 5.0L Coyote) known for making strong power with relatively small displacement. In street/drag builds, it’s popular because it’s modern, supports aftermarket upgrades, and responds well to tuning.

“10 three” is almost certainly shorthand for a 10.3-liter big-block displacement (10.3L). In engine talk, that kind of number is used to describe how much volume the engine displaces, which strongly influences potential power and torque.

In engine building, the “deck” height is the distance from the crankshaft centerline to the engine’s cylinder head mounting surface. A taller deck can allow a larger displacement build (more stroke and/or bigger bore) and affects how the engine is packaged.

“Mechanical sympathy” is the idea that you should treat mechanical components with care—understanding what stresses them and how to operate them without abusing them. In engine-building contexts, it often means designing and tuning for durability and smooth interaction between parts.

“Miramid’s turbos” appears to be a branded/engine-builder-specific turbocharger design or patent by Nelson Racing Engines’ Tom Nelson. The key point in the discussion is that he says he patented them to avoid conventional one-rotation turbo layouts and to keep the engine bay symmetrical.

“Intake tubings” are the piping and ducting that carry air from the intake system to the engine (and often to the turbo inlet). Their routing affects packaging and can also influence airflow quality and tuning.

“V8” is an engine configuration with eight cylinders arranged in a V shape. It’s a common layout for high-power street and drag builds because it balances smoothness with strong torque potential.