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Andrew Hawkins on Why RB26 Builds Fail in America, RB vs 2JZ Debate, GTR Festival

Andrew Hawkins on Why RB26 Builds Fail in America, RB vs 2JZ Debate, GTR Festival

Street Alpha Podcast Apr 10, 2026 105 min
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About this episode

Andrew Hawkins breaks down why RB26 builds often disappoint in the US, arguing it’s less about the engine and more about know-how, trial-and-error, and tuning. He compares RB vs 2JZ through the lens of chassis and real-world traction, then defends RB30 swaps as “capacity is king.” The conversation goes deep on RB cylinder heads, oiling (catch cans/dry sump sizing), and “chopping off” peak-torque in tuning to protect drivetrains. Hawkins also talks GTR Festival’s growth, cross-country plans, and why the event welcomes everything from stock Nissans to extreme builds.

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Concept

GTR Festival

"And we will be going to GTR Festival again this year. [27.8s] So this episode is brought to you by GTR Festival."

GTR Festival is a car event focused on Nissan GT-Rs. It’s known for lots of modified cars and fans who build and race these platforms.

Car

Nissan Gtrs

"...y see in the States. Obviously, there's a ton of GTRs behind us. However, the way they do things in Au..."

The Nissan GT-R is a very fast sports car built for performance. The podcast mentions how many of them you can see around, especially in the U.S.

Concept

SEMA

"But SEMA was a blast. Did you see anything interesting that you, you know, that you liked that you haven't seen in Australia?"

SEMA is a big car show in the U.S. that’s mostly about modified cars and aftermarket parts. If you see a lot of a certain type of car there, it usually means that platform is getting popular in America.

Car

Nissan Skyline Gtrs

"...what I did enjoy was seeing there was a lot more skyline GTRs at SEMA this year than probably ever before or l..."

The Nissan Skyline is a performance car model that’s known for being popular with car enthusiasts. The podcast mentions seeing lots of them at a major car show.

Term

700 horsepower

"I miss having a 700 horsepower Getrag H pattern car that I can take on a twisty mountain road and go to cars and coffee on a Sunday. Yeah. But yeah, the builds are different,"

Horsepower is how much power the engine makes. More horsepower usually means faster acceleration, but you still need roads where you can actually use it.

Concept

1200 to 2000 horsepower

"that can build you a 1200 to 2000 horsepower Skyline GTR. Well, here you need enough customers who want to do it."

They’re talking about very high power numbers—on the order of 1,200 to 2,000 horsepower. Builds at that level usually need a lot more than just a simple tune, and the car has to be set up to handle the stress.

Term

RB 26

"So you think a RB 30 can sound just as good as a 26? The weirdest way to explain it is this, until 8000 RPM, the 30 doesn't sound as good."

RB26 is a well-known Nissan engine (the 2.6-liter twin-turbo inline-six). People often debate how other RB builds compare to it in how they sound and how they feel when revved.

Term

dyno graphs

"...not proving it. Like I've I've got all the videos, the racing, the dyno graphs,"

A dyno graph is a chart from a test machine that measures how much power and torque an engine makes at different RPMs. It helps show whether a build is strong across the rev range, not just at one point.

Company

HKS

"...they respond really well to like a drop in camshaft, like a HKS or a Tomei drop in or a Kelford drop in."

HKS is a Japanese performance parts company known for turbo kits, exhausts, and engine components like camshafts. In this segment, HKS is mentioned as an example of a “drop-in” cam option for an RB head.

Part

oversized Vows

"...pull all the way to the gaskets, go oversized vows, double Vow springs, titanium"

Oversized valves are bigger engine valves than stock. They can help the engine breathe better at higher RPM, but the head has to be set up correctly to make it work.

Term

cylinder head

"I'm like, how many more things are going to be wrong with this head? ... So with that cylinder head... I picked up a cylinder head and it was brand new from Colby."

The cylinder head is the top part of the engine where the fuel/air burns. If it’s damaged or not set up correctly, the engine can run poorly or fail, so people often rebuild or machine it for performance builds.

Term

valve seats

"I think a couple of valves just got a like like valve seats. I think two valve seats are like it's just worn like let's just freshen it."

Valve seats are the contact surfaces where the valves seal shut. If they wear out, the engine can lose compression and efficiency, so builders sometimes rework or replace them.

Concept

lap time

"I'm handy enough to put down a lap that's not, you know, completely off. Did a 56, four freezing cold first lap in the 32, 54, four."

Lap time is how long it takes to go around the track once. Faster lap times usually mean the car is working better in corners and braking too, not just on the straight.

Concept

drag strip

"So then we went to the drag strip and I did exactly what I said. I went 10, 8 at 135 straight away."

A drag strip is a track where cars race in a straight line. Instead of turning corners, you focus on how fast the car accelerates and how consistent it is.

Concept

ABCD

"You're going to blow that up because of ABCD. And they're like, nah, all right."

“ABCD” appears to be a shorthand for a specific failure chain or set of tuning/engine-management factors the speaker believes causes the build to fail. Because the acronym isn’t expanded in this excerpt, it likely refers to known RB high-power pitfalls (e.g., fueling/ignition/boost/heat management) rather than a generic term.

Term

High volume oil pump

"Think about what it says. High volume oil pump. It's not just pressure."

A high-volume oil pump pushes more oil than stock. That can sound good, but if the engine can’t drain oil back properly, it can cause oil to build up and vent out where it shouldn’t.

Term

catch can

"But where? Out the breather of the catch can. Right. So if you have a 10 litre sump, how big should your catch can be?"

A catch can is a small container that collects oily vapors from the engine. Instead of letting that oily mist go into the intake, it gets trapped in the can.

Part

dry sump

"Or forget all this. Just dry sump it. I know it's expensive, though... if you're going to block my advice is over a thousand, put dry sump on it and just be done with it if you can."

Dry sump is an oil system that uses pumps and an external tank instead of relying on oil sitting in the engine. It helps keep the engine supplied with oil during hard driving and reduces oil-related problems.

Term

boost

"instead of it being stupidly aggressive when it comes on boost. And I've had this conversation with Lee here, too, with these cars,"

Boost is extra air pressure from a turbo/supercharger. That extra air helps the engine make more power, but it can also make parts work harder, so the tune has to be right.

Term

water temp

"So Croydon will say to me, don't even blip the throttle till 50 degrees water temp [3267.4s] or over 50 degrees water temp. [3268.9s] You just let it idle."

Water temp means how hot the engine coolant is. Waiting until it warms up before you rev helps the engine parts expand evenly so things stay in the right range.

Term

methanol

"But if you're building a drag one on methanol, that's different. You've got a tiny radiator... and it's on methanol, and they'll actually build them with slightly different clearances to suit being able to kind of run a bit colder anyway."

Methanol is a racing fuel. It helps keep the engine cooler because it absorbs heat as it turns into vapor, which is why it’s common in drag setups.

Term

300 horsepower

"...dude, they got 300 horsepower cars, man. Just stay out of the argument."

Horsepower is how strong the engine is. More horsepower usually means the car can accelerate harder and feel faster.

Concept

wear and tear

"Like why would I want to put huge wear and tear on my pride and joy? It's my baby."

“Wear and tear” means parts get used up over time. Driving a high-power car a lot can make it need more maintenance and repairs.

Term

RPM

"If you know how to tune properly, you change the rate of return based on boost pressure and RPM. So if you're at one pound of boost at 4,000 RPM, you clearly just..."

RPM is how fast the engine is spinning. The computer changes its strategy depending on RPM.

Term

electronic throttle

"And you can do, if you've got electronic throttle, you can do blip on downshift, you can do clutchless downshift, everything."

Electronic throttle means the gas pedal talks to the computer, and the computer controls the throttle. That makes it easier to do automatic throttle blips.

Term

paddle shift

"And you could paddle shift it or you could do like one of those. Wait, so you'd put that in a Supra and Mark IV Supra?"

Paddle shifters are the little levers behind the steering wheel that let you change gears yourself. You don’t have to use a clutch pedal to do it.

Term

Gear ratios

"[4658.6s] Gear ratios and diff ratios is the most underrated thing people look at [4662.5s] when it's changing their car."

Gear ratios are the “multipliers” between the engine and the wheels. Different ratios can make the car feel quicker or smoother depending on how you drive.

Term

wheel spin

"...have to try to pedal your way through that wheel spin before you pull second."

Wheel spin is when the tires spin but the car doesn’t accelerate as much as it should. It happens when there isn’t enough grip for the power being made.

Term

torque

"...you feel that torque sort of right in, you can short shift into second."

Torque is the “twisting push” that makes the car move. On turbo cars, torque can show up suddenly when boost hits, which can spin the tires.

Concept

drag racing

"Do you want to make it slightly better at drag racing or circuit when it comes to every part of the car? Kona has changes of direction just a little bit, if that makes sense."

Drag racing is all about getting down the track as fast as possible in a straight line. The car setup usually focuses on traction and acceleration more than cornering feel.

Company

Shipbox Garage

"Jordan from Shipbox Garage is coming over. Yeah, my god, Jordan's coming out too."

Shipbox Garage is a car channel/community that people in the scene recognize. Here, they’re just being mentioned as someone who’s coming by for the event.

Company

Mighty Car Mods

"Guys from Mighty Car Mods will be there. So everyone that watches them, go be there again."

Mighty Car Mods is a well-known car YouTube/auto media group. They’re being referenced because their fans should show up to the event.

Term

butchered your car

"can tell you, are you butchered your car? How dare you butcher it, right?"

“Butchered” is enthusiast slang for making irreversible or overly destructive modifications that reduce originality or value. The speaker describes a common internet/club argument: purists vs. modders.

Car

Nissan Navara

"Our biggest truck there is a Navara."

A Nissan Navara is a pickup truck. It’s the kind of vehicle you’d use for work or everyday hauling, not a performance car.

Term

speed cameras

"They're ruthless there with speed cameras, huh?"

Speed cameras are automated systems that detect vehicle speed and record violations for later fines. The speaker is saying the area is strict about enforcement, which explains why they’re dealing with tickets.

Term

tolls

"Oh, no, you got a couple of tolls as well. [5344.2s] I can't. [5344.7s] Tolls?"

Tolls are fees paid to use certain roads, bridges, or tunnels. In the transcript, the speaker mentions they also got “a couple of tolls,” implying the same trip generated multiple charges beyond the speeding ticket.

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