Jack McNeill shares insights into his latest van build and the challenges of creating engaging automotive content on YouTube. He discusses the balance between passion and profitability, the importance of relatability in his projects, and the emotional rollercoaster of video performance. With a focus on modifying accessible cars, Jack reflects on his journey, the lessons learned from both successful and underperforming builds, and his aspirations for future projects. The episode captures the essence of pursuing automotive creativity while navigating the complexities of content creation.
Why do vans work so well on YouTube — and what does it really cost to build them?In this episode of Road To Success, I sit down with Jack McNeill, one of the most consistent and honest creators in the automotive YouTube space, to break down why van builds perform, what’s coming next, and the pressure most people never see.Jack opens up about:Why “everybody knows a Caddy” — and why that mattersTurning everyday work vans into high-performing YouTube buildsThe strategy behind sticking with what worksHis next insane van build ideasThe real cost of builds and chasing viewsWhy some videos nearly broke him mentally and financiallyThe responsibility that comes with employing a teamWhy YouTube success is earned, not viral luckThis isn’t just a conversation about cars.It’s about building something sustainable, understanding your audience, and surviving the pressure that comes with growth.If you’re building a channel, a business, or just love automotive content — this episode will give you real perspective.Don’t forget to subscribe to our channel for more exciting content about your favourite shows and celebrities. Hit the bell icon to stay updated on all our latest episodes👍 Like, Comment, and Share this episode. Join our discussion in the comments sectionCheck out Tweak: https://www.tweakuk.com/🔗 Follow Us:Instagram: @Roadtosuccessofficialpodcast@benedictfowlerTimestamps:00:00 – Trailer01:05 – Why vans are so relatable02:30 – Performance vans vs normal builds03:55 – Why audiences buy into van projects05:20 – Wanting the car finished and driving06:45 – “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”08:10 – Why vans are doing so well on the channel09:30 – Jack’s next van build ideas11:05 – Thinking beyond just one model (Transit, Transporter, etc.)12:40 – The real cost of YouTube car builds14:15 – Spending thousands on every project16:00 – When videos underperform17:30 – The mental hit of a “10 out of 10”19:10 – Learning from videos that don’t land20:40 – YouTube vs TikTok: earned vs viral22:30 – Why YouTube feels more sustainable24:10 – Employing a team and real responsibility26:00 – Pressure people don’t see behind the scenes27:45 – Loving the process despite the stress29:15 – Why Jack keeps pushing forward30:40 – What success actually looks like now32:10 – Final thoughts on sticking with vansContact: [email protected]
"...the take it has been the toughest part of YouTube journey. I Mean, I know what it is, but I can't so"
The Dodge Journey is a family-friendly SUV that has a lot of room inside and can fit more people. It's talked about because it's useful for families who need extra space.
The Dodge Journey is a midsize crossover SUV that was produced from 2008 to 2020, designed to offer versatility and family-friendly features. It is known for its spacious interior and available third-row seating, making it suitable for larger families. Conversations about the Journey often focus on its practicality and value as a used vehicle.
"...I take cars that people might overlook might think are boring and turn them into crazy engine swapped transformations with crazy paint jobs..."
An engine swap is when you take out the engine that came with a car and put in a different one. People do this to make their cars faster or to fix problems with the old engine.
Engine swapping involves replacing a car's original engine with a different one, often to enhance performance or reliability. This process can lead to significant improvements in power and driving dynamics.
"...some people love their vans some people love Type R Honda's the thing with you is I think you love all of it..."
The Honda Civic Type R is a fast version of the regular Honda Civic. It's designed for people who want a sporty car that can go really fast and handle well on the road.
The Honda Civic Type R is a high-performance variant of the Honda Civic, known for its sporty design and powerful turbocharged engine. It's popular among car enthusiasts for its handling and performance capabilities.
"Forged engines yes And how if you put that much power through that particular engine that you had it was going to break the rods inside it That's why you have to forge these engines and i was like all right"
Forged engines are made with stronger materials that can take more power without breaking. This makes them better for high-performance cars.
Forged engines refer to engines that have components made from forged metal, which is stronger and more durable than cast metal. This process allows the engine to handle higher power outputs without breaking.
"And how if you put that much power through that particular engine that you had it was going to break the rods inside it That's why you have to forge these engines and i was like all right"
Engine rods connect the moving parts inside an engine. They help turn the up-and-down motion of the pistons into the spinning motion that powers the car.
Engine rods, or connecting rods, are components that connect the piston to the crankshaft in an engine. They transfer the force from the piston to the crankshaft, converting linear motion into rotational motion.
"...he basically had this series on this purgeo 106 107"
The Peugeot 107 is another small car from Peugeot, similar to the 106. It's designed to be easy to drive around town and is good on gas, making it a smart choice for city dwellers.
The Peugeot 107 is a city car that was produced alongside the Peugeot 106 and is known for its compact dimensions and fuel efficiency. It was designed for urban environments and is often appreciated for its practicality.
"...he basically had this series on this purgeo 106 107"
The Peugeot 106 is a small car made by the French company Peugeot. It's known for being easy to drive and park in tight spaces, which is great for city driving.
The Peugeot 106 is a small hatchback that was produced by the French automaker Peugeot from 1991 to 2003. It is known for its compact size and agility, making it a popular choice for city driving.
"I drove it sequential gearbox absolute madness the the views he was getting he got like two videos..."
A sequential gearbox is a special kind of transmission that lets you change gears in a straight line, making it faster and easier to shift while driving, especially in racing cars.
A sequential gearbox is a type of transmission that allows the driver to shift gears in a specific order, typically by moving a lever forward or backward. This type of gearbox is commonly used in racing and high-performance vehicles for quicker gear changes compared to traditional manual transmissions.
"...it now. He's got his own unit and he's doing this mr2 project and he's doing similar stuff to me engine..."
The Toyota MR2 is a small sports car that has its engine in the middle, which helps it handle really well when driving. People talk about it because it's fun to drive and can be customized in many ways.
The Toyota MR2 is a mid-engine sports car that was produced by Toyota from 1984 to 2007. It is known for its agile handling and lightweight design, making it a popular choice among driving enthusiasts. The MR2's unique layout and performance capabilities often spark discussions about its potential for modifications and projects.
"...he's doing similar stuff to me engine swaps but he focuses more on..."
An engine swap is when you take out the engine from a car and put in a different one, usually to make the car faster or more reliable.
An engine swap involves replacing the original engine of a vehicle with a different engine, often to improve performance or reliability. This can include swapping in a more powerful engine or one from a different model altogether.
"...You can use these engine mounts. You can use these drive shafts..."
Engine mounts are parts that hold the engine in place in a car. They help reduce vibrations and keep everything steady while the engine runs.
Engine mounts are components that secure the engine to the vehicle's chassis. They help absorb vibrations and keep the engine in place during operation.
"...you need to buy the petrol fuel system if your van's a diesel which it was so he..."
A petrol fuel system is what helps get gasoline to the engine so it can run. It includes parts like the fuel tank and fuel pump.
A petrol fuel system is designed to deliver gasoline to the engine for combustion. It includes components like the fuel tank, fuel pump, and fuel injectors.
"...find an Audi A3 for example find one this one was in..."
The Audi A3 is a small, luxury car made by Audi. It's popular for its stylish design and comfortable interior.
The Audi A3 is a compact car produced by the German automaker Audi. Known for its premium features and performance, it is available in various body styles including hatchback and sedan.
"...for a project like the fusion when we're going to get put the engine and we're doing all sorts of mods..."
A project car is a car that someone buys to fix up or make better. People often enjoy working on them to improve how they look or how they drive.
A project car is a vehicle that an enthusiast buys to modify or restore, often requiring significant work and investment. This can include upgrades to performance, aesthetics, or functionality.
"...y to see his journey You know going from like an Audi TT to his garage house garage build and car elevator..."
The Audi TT RS is a fast and stylish sports car that has a powerful engine and all-wheel drive, which helps it grip the road well. People talk about it because it's fun to drive and looks great.
The Audi TT RS is a high-performance version of the Audi TT, featuring a turbocharged five-cylinder engine and all-wheel drive. It is celebrated for its sporty design, powerful performance, and advanced technology, making it a favorite among car enthusiasts. The TT RS often comes up in discussions about performance cars and the evolution of the Audi brand.
"You know, oh, yeah, Koenigsegg like that's been crazy to see. He's a child..."
Koenigsegg is a company that makes super-fast sports cars. They are known for creating some of the fastest cars you can buy, and they use very advanced technology in their designs.
Koenigsegg is a Swedish manufacturer of high-performance sports cars known for their innovative engineering and extreme performance. Founded by Christian von Koenigsegg in 1994, the brand has produced some of the fastest production cars in the world.
"...he did his twin turbo Lamborghini Giardo, which went completely tits up and that was..."
The Lamborghini Gallardo is a high-performance sports car that was made by Lamborghini. It has a powerful engine and is designed for speed and handling, which makes it very exciting to drive.
The Lamborghini Gallardo is a sports car produced by Lamborghini from 2003 to 2013. It is known for its powerful V10 engine and sharp handling, making it a popular choice among supercar enthusiasts.
"...he did his twin turbo Lamborghini Giardo, which went completely tits up and that was..."
Twin turbo means the car has two turbochargers that help the engine produce more power. This makes the car faster and improves how it accelerates.
A twin turbo setup uses two turbochargers to increase the engine's power output by forcing more air into the combustion chamber. This results in improved performance and acceleration.
"I mean the honda and the honda jazz they do have they call it the fit..."
The Honda Fit is a small car that's great for driving around town. It's known for being easy to park and having a lot of space inside for passengers and luggage.
The Honda Fit, also known as the Honda Jazz in some markets, is a subcompact car known for its practicality and fuel efficiency. It features a versatile interior with a spacious cabin and cargo area, making it a popular choice for city driving.
"... if they have caddies. They definitely don't have fusions. I know that And while the serra the uk didn't h..."
The Ford Fusion is a family car that is comfortable and has a lot of space inside. It's popular because it drives well and is good on gas, making it a smart choice for everyday use.
The Ford Fusion is a midsize sedan that was produced from 2006 to 2020, known for its comfortable ride, spacious interior, and a variety of engine options. It gained popularity for its balance of performance and efficiency, making it a solid choice for families and commuters alike. Discussions about the Fusion often revolve around its practicality and value in the used car market.
"But then you've got the ls the ls engines of v8 and you could do sort of builds like that..."
LS engines are powerful V8 engines made by General Motors. They're often used in many cars and are popular for building fast and modified vehicles.
LS engines are a series of V8 engines produced by General Motors, known for their performance and versatility in various applications, including performance builds and swaps into other vehicles. They are popular among car enthusiasts for their power and aftermarket support.
"...when I drive down the road in LA or something like that, of the kind of cars that pass me and it's like Mustang chevy..."
Chevy is a nickname for Chevrolet, a car brand that makes many different types of vehicles, including cars and trucks. They are known for their reliability and performance.
Chevy, short for Chevrolet, is a well-known American automotive brand that produces a wide range of vehicles, including trucks, SUVs, and performance cars. It's recognized for models like the Camaro and Silverado.
"...when I drive down the road in LA or something like that, of the kind of cars that pass me and it's like Mustang chevy..."
The Mustang is a popular sports car made by Ford. It's known for being fast and stylish, and many people love it for its powerful engine and sporty look.
The Ford Mustang is a classic American muscle car known for its performance and iconic design. It has been in production since the 1960s and has become a symbol of American automotive culture.
"...or you know or Put a drive shaft in or whatever the hell we're doing"
A drive shaft is a part of a car that helps connect the engine to the wheels, allowing the car to move. It's an important piece that helps power the vehicle.
A drive shaft is a mechanical component that transmits power from the engine to the wheels of a vehicle. It is crucial for transferring torque and enabling the vehicle to move.
"...everything seems to be hybrid everything seems to be..."
A hybrid car uses both a regular gas engine and an electric motor to help it run. This can save fuel and be better for the environment than cars that only use gas.
A hybrid vehicle uses two or more types of power sources, typically combining a gasoline engine with an electric motor. This setup aims to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions compared to traditional gasoline-only vehicles.
"...you could literally strip that sara back to nothing, but the wiring loom the fuel line and the engine itself and it would start..."
A wiring loom is like a big bundle of wires that connects all the electrical parts of a car. It helps everything work together, like the lights and the engine.
A wiring loom is a bundled set of wires and connectors that transmit electrical power and signals throughout a vehicle. It plays a crucial role in connecting various electrical components, such as the engine, lights, and infotainment systems.
"...they're the odd ones that are cool like the gi yaris. I still think is really cool..."
The Toyota GR Yaris is a sporty version of the Yaris hatchback. It has a powerful engine and is built for racing, but you can also drive it on regular roads.
The Toyota GR Yaris is a high-performance hatchback developed by Toyota's Gazoo Racing division. It features a turbocharged engine, all-wheel drive, and is designed for both rally and everyday driving, making it a unique and exciting option in the compact car segment.
"Do you think you could achieve is I just spent some time in the little Renault 5 turbo? I really enjoyed it. I had it for two days"
The Renault 5 Turbo is a sporty version of a small car made by Renault. It has a turbocharged engine, which gives it extra power, and it was famous for racing in the 1980s.
The Renault 5 Turbo is a high-performance variant of the Renault 5 hatchback, known for its turbocharged engine and rally heritage. It was popular in the 1980s for its lightweight design and sporty handling.
"... Make a vxr version of that. That's one idea reno modus It is the ugliest looking"
The Renault Modus is a small, boxy car that is designed to be practical and easy to drive in the city. People mention it because it has a lot of space inside, even if it doesn't look very stylish.
The Renault Modus is a compact MPV (multi-purpose vehicle) produced from 2004 to 2012, known for its practical design and efficient use of space. While it may not have received widespread acclaim for its aesthetics, it offers a comfortable ride and versatility for urban driving. Discussions about the Modus often highlight its unique appearance and functionality.
Select text to request an explanation
Everybody knows a caddy everybody knows one they know their uncles got one or their friends got one or they take they drive it to work like
So yeah, I'm Jack something about like making a performance version of a lack of utility vehicle
People just love that concept take us through then the caddy behind the scene videos cost a lot of money
I mean we're spending thousands and thousands of all the modifications in YouTube is very competitive game now
There's lots of people doing lots of work on car. You know, we've got two new labs on board as a transit whether it's a transporter
That's the director on the take it has been the toughest part of YouTube journey. I
Mean, I know what it is, but I can't so
Jack from one van to another you're back on road to success and you have just finished one of my favorite builds
I've ever seen but for those that may have seen some of your other stuff will not seen you before in your own words
Who are you and what do you do? So yeah, my I'm Jack and
Basically, you could say I build cheap cars and try and make them cool
I take cars that people might overlook might think are boring and turn them into crazy engine swapped
Transformations with crazy paint jobs and cool modifications and I post it all to YouTube as petrol heads
We all have different tastes in cars
Some people like older stuff like an Aston Martin some people love their vans some people love
Type R Honda's the thing with you is I think you love all of it
I've never seen someone with such an eclectic mix and tasting cars as we've said before but what got you into that because you're so well
Spoken you wouldn't necessarily put you with the passion that you have when you get in a Sarah
Yeah, yeah, I don't know. I mean what got me into it
I just I just love engines and and there's something about like every car that I've got
they've all got a different engine with a different personality and I I love building projects and
Working really hard on them grafting away in the unit late at night and then for that end product with
Each individual engine with a different
Characteristic times you question though. I don't really know what got me into it. I just have always had a love for it
I think I mentioned on on our last pod. I
Always used to play GTA back in the day modifying the cars at Los Santos customs and all that sort of classic stuff top gear as well
The classic but I don't know. I've just seen my blood. I've always loved it something that's in
Everyone's blood every petrolhead no matter if they like super cars or sports cars or whatever
I think everybody genuinely appreciates a good van and you have just basically finished
Van build project. It's very close. You're not quite there, but we can basically call it done
It needs a few little tweaks in the interior
But as for all intents and purposes, it's done and yeah that van
I mean, it's been a success on all different
Sort of avenues from the fact that I just love it and like it is genuinely become alongside this era
One of my favorite builds we've ever done on the channel, but also the views on it have been great
I mean, it hasn't done a video under half a meal yet, which is you know fingers crossed it keeps going the
Audiences loved it. I've loved it and it's just been a great success
And it genuinely when I look at that thing. I'm like that is so cool
Genuinely, it's that I love that van. It is so sick
And I want to use it to help demonstrate to people because we try and get under your skin
Yes podcast try and understand what it's like to do what you do and how you do what you do
The van smashed it views have smashed it first video on 1.2 million views
Yeah, you're clearly elated because it gives you more pleasure to work on something knowing it's gonna be a success
It's like when you start losing weight and once you've lost a bit
You gain that extra like momentum of like right. I'm going even harder today to do it
But what is the difference between how you feel doing a project like that in reality to how you feel doing a project that doesn't perform?
I mean and actually good a good sort of comparison is the Sarah the Sarah is one that I've
Genuinely is one of my favorite builds, but it as far as like views on the channel. We didn't do that
Well, I think you average like between 100 and 150 which is not it's not terrible
But for me it said to cover the cost of all the videos unit rent all this sorts of stuff
You need the videos to be doing more than that because these videos cost a lot of money
I mean we're spending
Thousands and thousands on all the modifications that you need because obviously YouTube is a very competitive game now
There's lots of people doing lots of work on cars, you know Chris is one obviously Matt and a load of I mean saving salvage
That's there's honestly a million over turn Ethan over to the smashing as well
But he's obviously focusing more on the short form side of things
But you need that you need to get so much work done in the videos and obviously I'm not
Crash damage co-park guy. I'm take a chip box and just absolutely mod the hell out of it
So I've got to spend a lot of money on these modifications to make the videos work
And because we need to get a lot done in the videos
That's why the views really need to sort of back that up
But with the Sarah don't answer your question. How do I feel about it? I?
Actually don't really mind and I know because I know the Sarah had like a really niche audience that absolutely loved it that tuned in every video
There wasn't that many of them, but they absolutely love that car and I absolutely love that car and so much stuff went wrong with that honestly Ben
We had
Two engines we bought which were kaput rubbish
They had like one had a hole in the block the other had a stud came off where the head is where the exhaust manifold mounts up
So literally just it all went wrong, but the end product that car I took you out in it earlier
It that's what I do it for and really if the views can just cover the bills if it can just pay for everything
I'm happy, but that's the perception versus reality part of YouTube because I think everybody naturally looks to the top of the tree and they see
Freddy and Matt building P1
Yeah teens and big atties so I would imagine that even your friend circle away from YouTube. Oh, it's fine
You're smashing it you are yeah, you're you sly fox like that you flip and we know what you lot
But is that actually on a channel like yours?
The reality are you still in this phase of like climbing the ladder and it's probably a little bit harder than the audience?
Yes, I mean we are in the phase of climbing the ladder. I think I think something which I mean because
To make it sustainable
You need like the views off the views are so important and whilst I absolutely love the Sarah
It does play on your mind. Sometimes you're like, you know, if I this doesn't get X amount of views
I lose money on this video and it does play on your mind and see I mean
I know you know the feeling when you get a 10 out of 10. It's it's like a gut punch, but I
Feel like you just have to keep trooping on and just
Learning from each. I mean you could say it's a fairly but I just thought it's it's a way to learn for the next one
And the way I look at it is the next video
We've got a way better chance of beating the last because it's not done. Well, so I don't know
It's it's ups and downs with the emotion. Yeah, all 100%
Just clarify for someone if they haven't heard 10 out of 10 before
Yeah, you tube a speak because 10 out of 10 in the rest of our life. Yeah, it's all she's a 10
It's usually related with a good thing
Yeah, you choose one of the only places where it's not. Yeah, I think it's been spoken about a lot
But generally if you if you're not aware, it's it's a 10 out of 10 is if you've posted 10 YouTube videos in the past
And you post a new well, yeah, the previous nine you post a new one
YouTube will basically compare how that video has performed against your previous nine in the time frame
So let's say it's been up for a day
It will compare all the views that the last videos have done over the past day
And it will rank where your most recent videos gone
And if it's a 10 out of 10 that mean it's 10th place in your last videos
It feels like you're like taking a back step whereas if you get a one out of 10
YouTube shows you confetti and it goes well done more people tuning in you're doing great man
It's like a dopamine high and then you get like the loads of the 10s
But I feel like you have to sort of try and level your emotions because if you get too hung up
If you get too sad about the 10s and too happy about the ones
It's very difficult to I feel each have to be in love with the process of learning from each video and trying to make it better and better
And that's what I feel like I've done
Obviously it still does get to be sometimes when you have an under performer, but
Here's what it is
And I know how much it means because you don't actually post loads on like your stories and stuff on instagram
You're busy working most of the time, but when you do it's usually when a video is smashed to you like
Yeah
Let's go because I'm always trying to and I'm like obviously I don't I try not to look at it on a video per video basis
I try and look at it at a
Overall channel house the is that if the channel is moving in the general upwards direction
I'm happy like obviously like it'll be like this
It'll be sort of ups and downs but as long as the general trend line is up
That's what I'm sort of looking for. So when you know, for example, you get a video which
Is does 100k in the quickest time it ever has
I think to me that indicates that you're building up more of a sort of dedicated audience that go
Oh, yeah, that guy he posts really good videos. I follow him. I like his content. I'm going to click on it before
You know, and that's what you'll see is some newer channels
Um, what what will happen is they they might have videos which do really well in the end
But it'll take them a lot longer to grow because the algorithm picks it up and it grows over time
But with me I'm looking like
Okay, that's what I'm a previous video of mine did 100k in let's say 16 hours
This is the fastest one it's ever done in 14 hours
So that is like showing me that I'm getting a more loyal audience than the channels sort of that trend lines going up
So yeah, I do post that on my story a lot because yeah, it's it's proud of proud moment, you know sometimes
Let's talk about that phrase though doing really well because it can mean so many things to so many different people
We always associate it with numbers on youtube
But the problem is those numbers and benchmarks always moving
But you said one particular thing when you came on a year ago that you told me before
We started recording today is still one of your number one goals and targets, which was yes
so
when we filmed I'm not 100% sure the exact date but
You said to me do you think in five years time you were hitting million subs and I said
Yes, and my goal ever since then I've been like, right
I want to make sure I'm on track to get in that because I think
That it really for me is like that's the ultimate goal is getting a million subscribers
I mean, I don't know it might be difficult then like what do you do after that because I love the fact that I've got this
goal that I'm chasing
but um
But yeah, that's that's what I really want to get to before you started youtube though
If you opened your phone and was consuming content social media rot like most of us do yeah, what platform would you use the most?
Would have been it would have been tiktok probably or I mean all short form you've got how many followers on yeah
I mean I've got one and a half million on tiktok, but I just
This is that that's what I wanted to just pick up on for a second and pause that
Because when we talk about the goalposts and what our goals are and all the rest of it
It's it's mad how quickly we forget what would have mattered to us so much in the past
Yeah, been such an achievement in the past
And it's like when I heard you talk about I've got to get to this million subscribers in five years
it kind of
Relates to the audience how much?
Creators really do care about youtube and put it on a pedestal
She literally sat it with over a million followers on the platform
But I feel like tiktok it's it's undeserved success. I felt because no undeserved but like
it was
Firstly, it didn't financially reward you number one
Secondly views on tiktok are so that just chucked out and they're so easy to achieve
It diminishes the achievement for me and not to say that it's not an achievement
And like for anyone out there who has done really well on tiktok. That's like it's a it's a good job
But for me it came because with with boris and that whole series it happened so quickly
I I don't know with youtube
I feel like i'm earning it because i'm
And we're working get so much done on the cards. We're working so hard
We're editing the teams like got you know
We've got two new lads on board and we've got you know, even the got they're all individual jobs
And we're all working towards this goal and the video goes out and it's 35 minutes
And i've painstakingly edited every single minute of that and i'm proud of it
And it's a piece of like
Because it's more than the views it's it's a piece of content
Which i'm really proud to release whereas with with tiktok. I feel it it rewards
Brain rot it rewards just like
You know drama or it rewards like just a really catchy hook and then it doesn't reward quality content in my opinion
I mean again that might be up for debate, but
I like youtube not only because it rewards you financially and it allows you to actually run a business whereas tiktok doesn't
But it
It allows you to create this piece of content which you can be proud of
I think people learn a lot more from youtube than they do from tiktok
They're shown stuff on tiktok and they end up learning stuff on youtube half the time
It's like even when i was refreshing myself with a couple of your videos on the way up and i stumbled across
I think it was the fox build and it was when you were talking about um
Come on ben
Forged engines yes
And how if you put that much power through that particular engine that you had it was going to break the rods inside it
That's why you have to forge these engines and i was like all right
That's why and like that's me now even someone that's consumed so many videos
That was still something new to learn. I think when you feel like you're teaching someone something there's an element of additional value to you
Exactly 100 it's educational
um
And you you can actually like with youtube you can put so many different forms of value in the video you can get entertainment
Sorry like comedy sort of and like really just like entertaining someone you can get educational
Sort of side of it you can get a satisfying part of it watching something transform
You can get even like asmr
Like there's so many different things you can add to a youtube video to increase the overall value whereas
tiktok i feel like
It just doesn't allow you to have that creative freedom because it's so
It's so dependent on that first five seconds and it's also actually another thing about tiktok
You can't do integrated sections of tiktok
You cannot do it and this is one of the other reasons why i i left the platform because with tiktok think about it
If you're scrolling on tiktok, how many videos would you watch on average?
Maybe 20 or 30 you wouldn't even know even 50
Some people might even watch 100 videos and if you're watching that
You need to be if you're scrolling you need to be ruthlessly entertained
This is what i say you need to be ruthlessly entertained
If you're scrolling and you see one of my videos and i go oh here's bars
And i do some really entertaining bit and i go this bit is sponsored by car vertical for example everyone will go nope
Scroll off but with a youtube video not only can you integrate it into the content really well
Because you've obviously got that it's like uh, it's a sort of sort of sideways versus horizontal
Something just fell over in the unit versus represents what the unit's like everything pushed to the side to get in the shot
That's fine. Yeah, but um, it's easy to integrate stuff
But also people stick around for the integrations which means the click-through rate on the integrations are more brands are happier
They will sponsor every single video whereas with tiktok
The sponsors were coming in like once a blue moon oftentimes that have a month where i'd get three integrations
That should be great
So i could do three videos, but they'd have to be dedicated videos like for example doing a carly advert
It'd have to be a dedicated carly and it couldn't be like a video of me doing something else and then
Introduce carly because it would just people just scroll off
So you have to try and find a make try find a way of making the
The individual adverts entertaining that was a challenge in itself and getting views on that was so hard. So it's like
You it was so hard to monetize tiktok even with a million followers
Mate, honestly, you you would laugh my my rpm was like 4p
Like it was 4p and like at that point getting a million views on tiktok was like
It wasn't not even i don't know the maths, but like it wasn't paying you much at all. So yeah, I think
I think i'm in hindsight
I'm really glad i've moved away short form now for me is just posting
I'm posting cuts of the youtube stuff that's really low effort and easy to post and if one of them goes viral then great
But i'm not putting any time and effort into it because it doesn't reward you financially
And I think that's a problem that that it's an inherent problem with short format
I don't know it's a hard one to solve but
Take me through because we've got one two three four five projects
Representing different times in your channel different ideas huge success
Huge learnings and ones that didn't do as well as you've got like the sarah ones that have gone beyond expectation like the van
How many projects ahead do you have to be with what you're doing?
Like are you now thinking just because one van video has done really really well or like that series?
You're like i'm a van channel now. It literally is it what does your brain do running a channel like this constantly?
So I mean for me I always I always try and look at it two or three videos ahead
So it's maybe it isn't projects ahead. I've got ideas of projects
But nothing's really concrete until i'm like one or two videos away from having to do it
So I'll always like look two or three videos ahead. So for example now
We're just in the middle of doing the interior video on the caddy. So that's the next one of the main channel
Then we've got to finish off the forward fusion put the engine back in that with a load of different modes itbs and all sorts of stuff
That's the video after that then we're going to go take them on a road trip to spain. I think is the plan
That's the video after that. So right now. That's my focus, but then you have like a general
Okay, so this is what's doing. Well, this is what we should probably try and pursue
Later on after we've finished up with what we need to do with those two cars
So we are thinking about doing more vans like why not like if it ain't broke don't fix it
That's doing really well because it's a everybody knows a caddy
Everybody knows one they know their uncles got one or their friends got one or they take they drive it to work
like
So many people have them
And that's one thing so everybody knows it but also it's
Something about like making a performance version of a like a utility vehicle people just love that concept I've found
So we're going to do the same thing again. Whether it's a transit whether it's a transporter
That's sort of the the direction on the take it and then if it works then it works
Then if not, then we'll find someone else
Guys, you might be noticing that I'm wearing a slightly different hoodie today
It says for the brave and this is here as latest drop january
They are now doing gym hoodies gym t-shirts gym shorts for training running whatever you need it for it is there
They're super breathable super comfortable
I actually wore one of their t-shirts for the first time the other night in the gym and managed to do
Eight hundred calories on the stairmaster which I was incredibly happy with but in complete comfort
So if you want to go and check out an entirely new drop from here
If a partner with road to success and keep me comfortable and all the conversations that I have
Then make sure you head down to the pin comment of this video
Where I've left a link that you can get 15% off the entire hair range even during sales
And if you forget to use that link just add rts at checkout
Is that been a lot of your story with all almost even in the short period of time that you've been around in terms
It's kind of been from lockdown onwards us. You've been like five years in the game really that there's really two years
Properly pursuing youtube
Okay, so you still fixate on that youtube part of it rather than a bit before but the story did start with boris
It did yeah
See over five years
You've pivoted from tiktok to youtube and youtube you've pivoted to different builds
Is it hard to stay confident long term when stuff moves all the time?
You could argue yes, but my mindset is that like i'm doing something really cool
I'm doing something that I love. I'm doing something where I can I've literally just employed these two lads toby and olly
Absolute legends makes working a million times more fun. We I get to wake up
And genuinely cannot wait to get into work. How many people can say that that's that's their mindset and for me
Even if in two three four five years
It becomes unsustainable because of some unknown external
Factor for me. I've done it and I've still it's all online
I've got it to show and it's a piece of my life where I can be proud of not only the achievement
But also the work that we've done and whether it becomes unsustainable in the future
I just feel like there's not too much point worrying about that because there's so many things that could go wrong
And it's like out of my control anyways, so I try to think about it that that sentence
I wake up and I genuinely look forward to going into work is the whole reason just sat on road to success
The whole reason that your channels have been horrendously successful and you've got to this point now
The problem as you say a youtube content coach, there's so much headroom to talk about where do you want to go with that?
Where are you looking at that? How are you pulling those ideas down?
But you're already the bit to where you've got to
horrendously successful and achieved a dream
But it's always still about keeping up those next dreams and goals and the goalposts are constantly moving on youtube
You mentioned earlier all the people
Lots of names of people that are smashing it and doing it even in the two years you've been on youtube
Is is there still more and more and more people cropping up that are doing there is
And you know it's hard though because you did segregate that your content is different to the rebus
You're not necessarily doing the smashed up cars all the time
You're doing the modifications to cars and stuff, but you see him more than that
And and you know what there's one specific channel that comes to mind and he's I've texted him all the time
It's called brad homes
And he is just got his own unit. He basically had this series on this purgeo 106 107
I can't remember I put a motorbike engine in it a higher booster motorbike engine and he came down
I drove it sequential gearbox absolute madness the the views he was getting he got like two videos
I think two or three videos over a million. I can't remember but several videos over a million views
that's more than I've ever had and
700,000 500,000 like
Smashing it now. He's got his own unit and he's doing this mr2 project and he's doing similar stuff to me engine swaps
but he focuses more on because he's very
Handy like he can make fabricate things. I mean, I've not got that skill yet
um, and he can make engine mounts and
Make brackets for things out of metal and bend the metal and and do it in such a way that he can make what his mind and visions
I can't I can't do that
So he's got it's similar to mine because he's doing engine swaps on cheap cars like me
But he's got his own sort of little niche with it doing like the fabrication side. I feel so he's a new channel
He's just hit 100k. I think today actually I've sent a message this morning
um
So yes, he's an example of someone who's brand new like not even been a year old and he's coming up and smashing it
Other than that you do see like the odd channel other than that that that tries to get into but the
The fact of the matter is that it's hard really hard to get into because
Getting the views is the first challenge. Then you've got all of the overheads. I feel like with car youtube
There's such a big barrier to entry, but if you can get over that barrier to entry
It's the best thing better up in the world in my opinion talk about just in reality some of those barriers to entry
okay, I mean
If you wanted to properly if you want to build cars and do that you've got buying the car is an expense buying the
modifications is an expense
Are you going to do it on your driveway in winter in the uk when it goes dark at 4 so you can't film past 4 p.m
Are you going to do it in the freezing cold like so you have to get a unit?
Then you've got all of the expenses that come with a unit rent business rates
Uh, the heat gas electric water all that stuff and then you've got
Um, do you want any help on board? You've got us pay for your employees
you and then and then all of this is just
It's hanging on like a a seesaw
because
If you can't get the views you can't pay for all that stuff
So it's like it's such a hard thing to get into I think but the people that have done it
It it pays dividends in the end and I feel like I mean just being able to do it every day
Ben to be honest is like it is such a dream job and I wake up and I'm smiling about it because of the past month
there's been amazing with these two new lads that I've got on board and
Yeah, and as long as the views as long as the channel is growing and as long as we're progressing
And as long as we can pay for everything and as long as we get to do it every day, that's
That's that's what I want the thing that I've noticed learn can see so clearly in people that do make it pass that barrier
When they sit opposite me in the van no matter what kind of content style thing that they're known for
And it's a cliche so we hear all these like little sentences that our elders say to us when we're younger
But so many of them I'm learning are so true and it's like if you don't have passion for what it is that you're doing
You may as well not be doing it because I genuinely have started to realise that is the secret magic source that makes a channel
Go from maybe not working to working is the passion side of it and you took me out in the serah
And I'll put some videos over this now
Just before I got here in the van
And the passion you have for every single one of the projects that you do just shines through
But how you mentioned a little bit there about brad and the kind of stuff that he's doing
How far can you go with madness to create views like I don't know
Is there like some wild ideas that you've had there like is that possible? Oh, yeah, we've had some crazy ideas
Okay, I'll share one. I mean I'm hoping nobody try
I don't think anyone will be stupid enough to try and steal this idea because it is like suicide
But I don't actually think I don't think it's will this happen. I don't know but I had a thought of
I've seen all the gear. Do you know that channel? Yeah, yeah with with jack and ethan
They bought a boat and they called it bept and
And they just bought a really cheap boat for a hundred quid and they did it up and it looked great
And they took it on like they camped in it and I thought that was great
So I thought why don't we do a boat challenge by like we but like me and ollie who's who's sort of the other sort of
presenter slash mechanic on the channel
We both buy a cheap boat or try and quash the channel. I don't know how do you want one a cheap boat?
Yeah, well, I'm not in the I'm not in the market one just yet. It is more of a distant idea
No, do you want one do I want to do the project on for nothing? It's yours
I mean, I'm not gonna say no to it. Did you see what I bought about a month ago?
But I've done like nothing on it because I just haven't I haven't I haven't
I may have bought
a jet ski powered
boat
Oh, no, I did see that. No, I did see that and I have just got it sat at home and it needs another engineer
Imagine that title crossing the channel with a jet ski powered boat with a k20 jet ski powered boat
I think you could put a k20 in it
I don't know that'll be challenging
This is the fabrication
You never know guys an idea that we talk about because so many of these times something that we talk about on the actual podcast ends up
Making it into reality and that's happened so many times, but I have a boat sat there if you want one
I just I'll vote it down when it comes to those crazy ideas
Do you have anybody in your life though that?
Makes you consider all the bits around it or do you have to be that level headed person?
Around the idea as well and be like I really want to do this one
But it's just not going to be financially viable on the business side. I think
I mean not really I make the decisions of what goes ahead and what doesn't but I've got my dad
You know, I'm still living at home
And my dad is bouncing ideas off him all the time and my mum
We always have chats about you know, where's the channel going to go what we're going to do xyz but
But no, I mean that that idea was a bit of a crazy one and whether it happens or not is yet to be seen
but
I think with your earlier question worrying about like
How how far can we take just doing crazy stuff to cars? The answer is I don't know but my suspicion is that
If you make a good video and good piece of content and you learn from it like
If it's just little things like making that first five seconds way more engaging with some sound effects and some zooms and you know
Really sort of hooking people into the video and you really try and like
Upgrade that first minute to get people invested in the content
Or whether it's getting more characters on board and people falling in love with the characters because I think we can both agree
Match channel who we all look up to
Wouldn't be where it is without all the characters like with jonesy and with his dad and with and with tobin with all those people
That work on the channel and and hannah and I think that's something that's a that's a different side to the content completely
Uh irrespective of the cars
That's a side of the content which can massively elevate it and help people get more invested and help you get more views
Is building like sort of a team and and like a group of people that people can like relate to and know the characters
That's one side that I could improve. That's another side, you know, we could
The editing there's the storytelling which we could improve. There's so many different avenues where even if you're doing the exact same thing
You can improve the content on these different aspects to help get more views and help push the channel forward
So that's sort of my opinion on it at the minute, but the answer really is I don't know but I'm enjoying it
So I'm going to keep going you mentioned you just took on two new lads become part of the channel
Is it really hard with that utopia in mind of bringing personalities forward bringing people onto camera?
Wanting that to be a reality
Is that a very hard thing to manage when you've got new people?
Because you also need to make sure that they they make it that far
And the audience don't get too invested if something happened in six months. Is it really difficult?
I think I don't I think my my opinion is that I'm running on the assumption that we're going to be doing it for a year or two
At least and then into the future past that so I'm not
Thinking all these guys might not be right because firstly, I think they are bloody perfect, but
I'm I'm not going to run on the assumption that it might not work out because again that will come through in the content
I want to make it
especially with them as well because
You know that they've just come on board and it's it's insecure for them at the mix
I don't know, you know, they're just they're just coming with all this new thing
Which is you know, people are still learning to accept as a real job
And you know, I want to create as a secure environment as possible. You're like we're doing this for the long run
You know, I'm not thinking about it if if it if it goes tits up because if it goes tits up
Then we'll we'll worry about that when we come to it
But I'm not going to think about the effect of
How that would have on the channel if they've people have got invested in certain characters because I just don't
I think that's that constructive to think about what makes you think in 2026 that people still don't think it's a real job
I don't I don't think
I mean, I know a lot of people think that it is
But I I feel like there's always going to be a contingent of people that think it's not really a real job
You know because even even when you're down at the pub with your mates and they ask you
Oh, what what what jobs have you done? And I say, oh, I've done youtube and tip. I was like, no
What actual jobs have you done? It's like I feel like
Even though it earns money people are never going to equate it to a real job
Well, some people won't but
I just I don't think there's any wrong with that. I don't really bother me because they don't think it's hard
Do you think there's a degree of no one actually realizes the hours put into the things that are being done on the channel?
Possibly
Possibly, but I feel like it's just the image of it really like
You know filming yourself and it just doesn't seem like you know, it's it's not like I'm
Waking up super early. I'm back breaking myself doing like manual labor on on a building site when they
You know when people like that you a manual labor, you know
Jobs like whether it's a you know builder or a plumb or whatever
They're probably looking at it go. That's like an easy
I'd do that on what I do that on my on my weekends, mate
That's that's that's that's a bit of fun
But what they won't see is the editing the camera angles making sure that it's all sort of excruciatingly
Like a thought about every single shot and every single, you know part of the part of the content
So
But I don't I don't think there's a facility a problem with that
Like I don't really mind that some people don't think it's a job at the end of the day
I'm I'm making a living out of it and I enjoy it. So that's all I care about really
Take us through then a little bit of a project like the caddy behind the scenes the stuff that the people wouldn't necessarily see
That have tuned into you engaging with you
But they're things they don't see that goes into making a 35 minute video about about that
I mean, how many parts has that been four three at the minute? Yeah, three. Yeah, three three parts
fourth part parts coming out soon
But I think the the big thing that people do not think about when they're watching the content is the organization
It requires so with that first caddy video which did 1.2 mil views, which is absolutely smashed it like that that video to me was such a
such a like a
Breath of fresh I was like, oh my god, we can go in this direction
But the things that the people wouldn't have seen was, you know, we had to firstly plan right
I want to do a caddy. What engine swap can I do? What engine stops even feasible?
I'm trying to look at people who have done it before see if I can get some advice
um, and there's a guy called
Dan who did the wiring for that who really helped me out. He said, you know, this is how you do it
You can literally just buy this car. You can use these engine mounts. You can use these drive shafts
I can wire it up for you
You need to buy the the petrol fuel system if your van's a diesel which it was so he
Again, I I often reach out to people who have done it before who know what to do and say look
Mate, can you just give me the lowdown on this? How does it? How does this work? And then you've got to not only
Plan that and say right. This is the avenue. We're going to go down, but we're also going to
We've also got to buy this find an Audi a3 for example find one this one was in
Uh, university. What's the university up north? Good university top three. What's it called?
Durham Durham
That's it. So Durham. So I had to I had to go to Durham to pick up the a3
I had to go pick up the caddy, which was more local and slow
lovely place to pick up a van
And yeah, you got to get these two cars together and then you got to figure out how it all works
It's the first time I've done it. So a lot of people don't see the organization beside of it
But for a project like the fusion when we're going to get put the engine and we're doing all sorts of mods
You've got to think right flywheel clutch itb's exhaust manifold. Are we going to do 2.3 bottom end?
Where can we get one from? How does it work? Can you just make the two engines together?
This is all the stuff I'm thinking about how to actually do the content because on the camera when you're watching the video
It's like, oh, it just goes straight on
But there's so much research that goes into it and I know Chris has the exact same thing with his channel
It's chris licks. I'm talking about
He obviously does his team of body kits and he has he does a lot of modifying in his videos too
And there's a lot of research that goes into like finding out what you need to make a certain idea come to life
So is that your evenings? Oh, mate 100% it's always on ebay getting you know, which part do I need to buy?
And that's the a lot of the time
Consume that people don't really see do you ever buy stuff that doesn't fit and it doesn't make it in the videos all the time
All the time we buy so much stuff
And then and then oftentimes like for example with the caddy
We bought a center console which you've already seen the one we've put in it's like got an armrest on it
But we bought another one before that and we didn't realize that you had to cut out a little bit of the caddies sort of
I don't know what to call it's like where the sort of separation between
The back and the front seats is like a little metal lip you've got to cut a bit of that out
But I was like to make that center console for how do I bloody make this fit?
You know, I've got a
I've got a cut out and I ended up cutting the center console completely ruining it not realizing I had to cut the metal
So things like that happen all the time, but it's just the game at the end of the day
What is it the most valuable skill you've learned is that you use a lot of the times now in your video over the last like
Two years I'd say there's two that spring to mind
It's the mechanical skill
And in that I sort of include not only like the spandering and the actual physically getting on the car and working on it
But also
Knowing what to buy because it's different like if I if I said to someone who hadn't got any mechanical experience
Oh, yeah, buy all the bits we need for an engine
Is it if I said buy all the bits we need for an engine swap ben and you'd be like
By this tiny amount of people that have written that k20s don't fit
It's I've jet skied
This is it
And you but like what else so there's a there's a skill in just knowing what to buy and knowing what things you need to do it
So there's the mechanical side, but then there's also the editing is a real skill
And I feel like it's just gradually improved over time
It's just gradually got better and better and that's what's really leveled up the videos
I think as well. So it's the editing and the mechanical side
I'm the presenting's always sort of come naturally to me because I've been I've always been quite sort of a loud
upgoing character, but
The editing and the mechanical side wasn't natural and I didn't know what I was doing before I started and those are two skills
I've really
sort of
Got better at I do. Do you actively
Watch every video that the top boys drop
When I say the top boys what I mean because there's so many channels
What you're doing is incredible the bit subscribers you built is incredible
But the channels that are like one million plus that you look up to you talk about
Do you actively watch every video they drop? Not every single video
I'd say I'd say I watch pretty much everyone the maths videos
Um, I watch pretty much not all of them, but pretty much all of martin cans. I watch all the chrisses
I watch all the tdc's
um
Those are the channels that I really like look out for their videos. So I'd say yes
Do you ever get these moments where you're like I'd love to include that style?
That's such a good idea
But if I do that that's going to be too close to what they do and like have these men
Yes
And have these mental battles that what should I do for my content to make jack mcneal jack mcneal
So that it doesn't become inspired by x y z is that always quite a tight battle to run
I feel like there's nothing wrong with looking at what someone's doing well and taking aspects of their content
For example, whether it is with matt how he's got so many good characters
If I introduce you some good characters to mine, it's not copying
But if I then went and said if I just you know, you know copy word for word or I don't know
Then I feel like that crosses the line. So
I feel it as a balance you can take inspiration from people and take, you know, what aspects they're doing well
and try and emulate it with your own content, but
I feel like there's a there's a line somewhere, but
Who are the channels you watched growing up before you even started on your journey?
I actually weirdly I watched strad man like I watched strad man before I went to yeah when I was in school
I used to watch strad man and and
I still watch his the occasional video of his and it's it's been crazy to see his journey
You know going from like an Audi TT to his garage house garage build and car elevator
You know, oh, yeah, Koenigsegg like that's been crazy to see. He's a child
Like I actually didn't I can't think of anyone that's around now that I watched
When I was younger apart from him
What do you love about about him? What is it that drew drew to like his content? I don't know
I think it was just I think it was just his his car collection and just like he's he's got he's very obviously passionate and enthusiastic about it
um
And I don't know I just I just really liked his vlogs and it was it was actually another thing is that it was quite
It was quite short and snappy. It wasn't like, you know
Don't get me wrong the hour long videos like when you're watching, you know, I'm at armstrong hour long video
That's just so engaging because of the progress they make but with strad man's content. I think
Because it's it's like a daily vlog or like not maybe not daily
But it's like a vlog style short snappy like this is what we're doing with the cars and it's engaging to watch for that
But I couldn't watch probably an hour long strad man video
um
So I think they're the short and snappiness of the content the cars that he had the progress he was making
I remember he did his his twin turbo Lamborghini Giardo, which went completely tits up and that was and that was you know
I mean, I felt felt for him, but it was entertaining to watch
So so, yeah, I don't know probably probably I'll just say that
I would love to do a thing is I wouldn't know what I'd do because the cars in the us are so different
Like what none of these cars you could build in the us
I mean the honda and the honda jazz they do have they call it the fit
I'm not sure if they have caddies. They definitely don't have fusions. I know that
And while the serra the uk didn't have either but that's a japan only car
But so there's lots of cars up there, which I wouldn't even know what to do
But then you've got the ls the ls engines of v8 and you could do sort of builds like that
But I would love to do it one day is a big part of your audience japanese
No, I don't they can't understand it. Can they they do speak very good english a lot of them
I just come back from korea and I was
Once again, I think as english and we get these moments in our life where we realize
How everyone else is
Everyone languages
The french all learn english the germans all the germans really don't even know english after time and it's like
And we are so bad. We're like, oh, I don't know
I was wondered kind of what made up because your cars are different and then I guess a lot of people would have gone
Oh, yeah, like I'm thinking when I drive down the the road in la or something like that
Of the kind of cars that pass me and it's like mustang chevy
Mustang truck so that's what I mean. It's very different to what I do
So I don't know how it would work, but I'm sure you could make something work
And it would be a good way to expand the audience
But we have a very prominent second country that watch the channel obviously uk is the main one
But you have a very problem. Let's see if you can guess what it is
English speaking is it european?
No, so it's english speaking and it's not america
Wow, it's very weird. I didn't expect it to be australia. Nope
Don't want to put your imagery
Yeah, South africa is it weird that is very unusual because they have a very similar modifying scene out there
The reason I said australia is because I sometimes see my mighty car mods comment on some of these videos
I know the guys actually do enjoy the podcast and when they if they come here lads like come come to the van
But that's why I said it because I thought mods australia. Maybe it's that yeah
No, it's it's south africa, which is which is not one I would expect but I get like so many like greetings from south africa
We love your videos. I'm like, oh, that's so cool. I've never been but
But yeah, it's it's interesting, isn't it like when you look at those analytics like where like what make up your audience is
Because you can really get an idea of like the average person that the watches your videos
So maybe not the us but maybe there's other countries that you could go to to actually do a build in the future
100% it's gonna it's gonna happen, but I want to this year my main focus is
Really getting on weekly content no excuses every tuesday we post
Whether that's on the second channel or the main channel obviously the main channel
I want to keep the quality up
So if the main channel video isn't ready and it's out of our control and we can't just you know
Do late nights to get it done whether we're waiting for a part or whatever
We still post on the second channel and I want to focus on that for this year and see where it leaves us with brands
With views with subscribers with growth and then once you've got a really good solid year under our belt
Then we can
Decide okay. What else do you want to do? Do we want to go to?
America or wherever else to go and do something like that
Because it would be cool. Did did you not get to a video a week last year? No talk us through how many videos actually made up the channel
Not many because I'm such a perfectionist with that with the content and also I force myself to give people a
Like a satisfying end product and sometimes with modifying that's really hard like with the first videos a lot
you know youtube back in the day used to be
I bought a car
You spent two or three grand in my case with lots of my cars are that much
But even if someone else you spent a 10 grand car a 50 grand car
That's not enough for a youtube video these days. You can't just say I bought a new car
Here it is. Let me walk you around it. Let me go drive it. That is not enough. So what
What I've got to do is buy the car
Buy all the bits I need to do the engine swap
Which I've never done before
And then do the engine swap get it started and get it driving all in the first video that I've introduced a project
And that's what formula worked with the caddy
It was like people don't really care that you bought a new car. You have to understand people watching they just want to be entertained
And don't get me wrong
Maybe back in the day it would have worked and people would be entertained by that
But now people just want they want to see something
That maybe hasn't been documented like that before and they want to see something
You know that really entertains them a transformation from this boring start point or this with obviously the crash damage boys
They're starting off with a crash car. They want to make in the first video
They want to make a load of progress in the first video with me. I want to get the engine sort done
Started and driving in the first video. That's how you get the views, but it's hard. I kid is really hard
But that's because then you get that as I call it dmo moment because I think he's basically copyrighted them
That's what you get from doing the engine stops right like I remember watching the first caddy video going down the road
Because that's the bit you know when I say like passion and magic and sheer joy
I think that's when the audience like it's almost like a blue tick. It's like, oh, they're legit
I buy I buy into this. They're not just doing this for the video views or any financial or anything like
That's because they actually love that and I think that's the bit that actually shines for you
Love it when when you post a video and what they like all youtubers know what their viewers want to see
I think well not what no, maybe not but not me with the podcast. I have absolutely no idea
But with me, I know that my audience wants to see the car done and driving
And they want to see me enjoying it the finished product because that's what they're clicking on the video for
they're not clicking on the video to see us mount up the engine or you know or
Put a drive shaft in or whatever the hell we're doing
They want to see the car running and drive it and they want to see the process that it took to get there in a really quick
Snappy succinct edit with good narration good music choice and you know all that sort of stuff
So I know that's what they want to see so I'm going to strive to make sure that all of my videos have a payoff
Whether it's with the interior video on the fusion making so that they can see the finished product of the interior
Over it's the paint job video that we've done on the van where they get to see the van at its end product
Like you know, you know
I could have ended the video after we did the paint job and the van still needed to be assembled
But I didn't do that because I know people want to see what the van looks like with all the bumpers and the
In the headlights and the engine all of it back in they want to see what it looks like
So I push to try and get to that point in my videos and that's why
Sometimes the content isn't as
Frequent or wasn't as frequent last year
But now we've got the second channel we we can post some more relaxed laid back lower effort videos if we need
And it keeps people engaged and invested in the channel and like, you know, or what's the update on everything
What's jack doing here with with ollie and toby what are they doing?
Yeah
From a financial business part of it as well
That's a big deal right because I'm imagining if you took every single one of your videos and wrote them down and then underneath had
cost to make video
Profit on video
Sometimes I'm just happy if it breaks even
Do you if you did that would it be impossible to run the channel?
You actively like that first video where you have to do the engine swap get the vehicle do everything you actively like
Okay, that is going to make a loss, but I should be okay on the project. Oh, yeah
That's that's that's a big thing. I don't I do not think about
As long as I have enough money in the bank to pay for that video and maybe the next one as well
I don't think about
Cost like because it's all so unknown. You can say. Oh, I guess it gets 200 000 views and at this rpm. We earn this but
It could do a half a million. It could do 100k. You don't know so with me
I'm just focused on trying to make the best possible content. What money do I need? Have I got that in the bank?
Yes, I have let's do this video
Um, so yeah, I don't run it like a business
I feel like that's been the death of so many youtube channels if you didn't mean katharot was an example of that
I mean, I'm actually quite like, you know, the guys running it at the minute
But obviously that they were on such a hiatus with obviously alex and all the boys running it getting really good views
Because they had the passion there
They had the investment in the videos but as soon as that stopped that investment stopped some private equity came in and said
No, you've got to have you can't spend a hundred pound on that car
You can't do it because we were worried about the bottom line post the video and it will still earn money
You don't need to do that. That's the death of the channel. So for me. I don't try and run it like that
All I'm looking at is the numbers how many of you the views growing or the subscribers growing is the channel growing
You can make money later. You can make profits, you know
When your channel gets, you know averaging millions of views and doing all that sort of stuff right now
The focus is on growth and making sure, you know, more people see the videos and enjoy them
It's so funny how many people
Are obsessed with the idea the concept of starting a youtube channel and as you said sometimes if if that youtube channel is doing
What you do for example
You have to break past that hurdle of getting the unit getting the cars getting the overheads
But there's also so many similarities to a lot of people that do a lot of
Normal jobs that you wouldn't realize I sometimes think with the van that i'm you know doing the podcast in the van here
That i'm like a digital tradesman
Like I leave the house in the morning in the van I come out I set up I talk
I come back have to get the edits done have to get everything done as part of it
And I think what difference is there really between the plumber that's also had a similar journey that day
And me the difference is the fact that it's online. It's digital the internet
But he has still has to do creativity to overcome a problem
I still have to have creativity to overcome a problem
And I think that there's so many things that people don't necessarily realize about the thing of being
On camera youtube with this type of job. Yeah
The reality is it's a little bit different to what I think comes across
Yeah, absolutely. And you know people probably don't envision me sitting down doing my bookkeeping
But that's what I was doing this morning
I was I had my my excel spreadsheet out and I had my receipts out and I was like right take a picture of that
So you put it on hub doc
Then I've got to make sure that all my my invoices are sent out from zero
I've got to do this
People don't think i'm doing that people don't think you know i'm sat looking
I mean they probably do sat thinking looking for car parts
They probably do imagine me doing that but there's a load of different sides to it the editing like honestly the amount of time
I'm sat on my desk editing again. I'm a perfectionist with it. So I'm there for a long time making sure the video is good
People see us having fun working on the cars, but there's a load behind the scenes that doesn't get shown
You also seem to keep a lot of the cars that you end up working on building
That's changing going forward
Because because I've realized that to make again again got two new guys on board paying for those is going to be sort of
You know my top priority
I'm selling the Aston so i'm in the process of selling that
I haven't put it up yet
But we've got the pictures and that will be going for sale if I get the money that I want for it
It will sell but if someone offers me 18 grand i'm not going to sell it so that's yet to be seen but then
With the fusion i'm not sure if you've seen but we
We did this video with an mr2 and a lotus lots of weird noises going on
But we did this video with an mr2 and a lotus and we started
The competition website ultimate competitions
Which is where it's basically my my own competition company where I can
Allow one of the audience to win one of the cars and that helps make it financially viable
So that's going to be a big avenue of the business going forward, you know the forward fusion
Okay, keep it a secret guys, but i'm planning to give that to one of the audience as well after that's done
So
You know building that site was an expense, but I think that's going to really help make the content more sustainable going forward is
Not keeping all of them
You know the only two that I really want but three that I really want to keep is I want to keep the sarah the van and borris
The fusion of the jazz might go so if you've got an offer for me
The jazz see I thought that was a future forever jack mcneil
I don't know. I don't know. I just think is that they all feel like that. So I've got to be I've got to be like
Okay, this one has to go. I can't keep them all I have to be sensible with it
I've got like again two lads my responsibility to make sure they get paid and
You know, it's not you know, it's not like back in the day where I'm just doing silly borris for a little laugh and
Like now i'm running a business. It's serious. I've got to you know, be sensible with it
So some of the things that I love like my astin like the jazz like the fusion
They're gonna have to go
Um, and then when we build another car that might have to go, you know all that sort of stuff
So it's sad in a way, but also if it's what I have to do to keep doing what I love and I can still keep some of them
It's not like I've got to get rid of all of them
Then I'm happy and is that to pursue the dream of that million subscriber. Yeah
I want to get to a million. That's you know, I want to but not only what I want to get to a million
I want it to be a million subs where we'll get we're averaging a million views
You know, that's what I mean the views actually is almost more important
It is more important than the subscribers, but the subscribers is a nice milestone
Um, but I that's what I want is you know, a lot of times you see channels that I've got a million subs that you know
Get 50 100,000 views a video. So that would be a pretty sad future as well
So I want it to be the views and the subs and that's that's the goal the way you talk about it now
I could imagine hitting it
and
If it were like today
There'd be a party and balloons and all your friends would be invited and it would kick off
Do you think that'd be the case when you get that?
I don't know
Because I used to think about about 100,000 subs and when I hit that I was like, whoa. Yeah, let's go cool
Right, what are we doing?
Do you think that's the nature of
Doing this kind of work that with a lot of the other jobs that we mentioned
That we kind of translate that there are things that cross over between this life and this life
But one of the things with youtube is the goalposts to keep moving
And the ceiling is so much higher than so many other things that you can do because the ceiling really is mr. Beast
Yeah
So it's like the the the gap between there and there is absolutely enormous
And I think that's one of the things that people don't realize is it can be so
Mentally taxing to sometimes always be chasing goalposts moving, but then that's the thing
It could be you could see it as mentally taxing or you could see it as
like
Motivating and exciting like I'm sure when I hit a million. I want to hit five
Do you know so if yeah when I hit a million not if when you know, I'm sure when I hit that that milestone
I want to hit five and that's totally fine. But that's I think
Remaining hungry and remaining, you know wanting to chase that next milestone, you know, I mean
A few months ago. I spent some some time with Matt and his team
Doing a video which hasn't been released yet, but very excited to see it come out
But the way he talks like we can get 10 million views of video
It can be it can happen
We can do it like there's we just need to get to this point and do this and then, you know, 30 million views of video
Like why can't we do that like they just
There's never like they're always hungry and always
Excited to push to that next goal whatever that is and and that's that's a mindset that I've tried to adopt as well
Do you ever worry about the new cars that are coming out today providing you a bigger challenge in the future?
Or do you still think you'll make them interesting? That's a 35 year old car
I will be able to make content on the era of cars that I like for for as long as I like I feel like new cars for me
Generally do not interest me in the slightest. I think there's too many computers
I think everything's got every nice car is a twin turbo v8 these days. Like there's no naturally aspirated v10
I mean, okay, there probably will be some that people will mention
But generally everything seems to be hybrid everything seems to be
A touchscreen where you got to turn your ac up using a touchscreen. I mean, who thought that
And I just don't like them and they're so complicated to work on
I mean, again, you watch some of the car rebuilders videos. They got to put a bumper on to start the engine
I mean, what the hell you could literally strip that sara back to
Nothing, but the wiring loom the fuel line
And the engine itself and it would start
But these cars these new cars are just so over complicated and then you're wrong
They're the odd ones that are cool like the gi yaris. I still think is really cool
and
You know, there's there's the odd car, which I think is all right
But old cars for me that to that 1995 to 2010 era of cars for me is the sweet spot
Maybe even a little bit older, but obviously the sara is a 91
Do you think you could achieve is I just spent some time in the little Renault 5 turbo?
I really enjoyed it. I had it for two days
I enjoyed it more than I thought I would it really impressed me
Do you think you could
We're at a point in automotive
Where we could get a car like that that is trying its absolute best to still appeal to petrol heads and be good
To actually do is the is it the Renault 5 that's electric? Yeah
I
Think unless I think unless laws change and the whole
uber uber safety environment
Save the planet mentality unless that changes cars are always going to be boring in the future
That's it's a depressing thing
But the good news is that we've got so many so many cars that are being kept in the road
Name me a list name me a list of the stuff that goes through your head that you'd love to do because I mean you were the king of coming up with
They never made a carry out. I'll make a carry out. They never made a type R jazz
I'll make a type R jazz. There's a few ones. Give me a list. So have you seen voxel or gila?
No, if you're on your edit, you'll flash it on the screen right now. Um, if I can even find it
It looks honestly, you'll laugh when you see it. It's literally like there was derpy looking car
And it's a voxel and it didn't have a vxr version
Make a vxr version of that. That's one idea reno modus
It is the ugliest looking
Like family car, but imagine that in liquid yellow with a clio 182
Engine in it to clear want it to engine making an rs modus or you know, whatever multiple. That's cool
Multiplutter bath. That's one that my audience are dying to see. They're always like, I'll make a multiplier bath. That would be cool
There's a million ideas transporter are again following on from the caddy. I we could do a transporter transit rs
Put a five but but there's so many you can do and I as far as I'm concerned
There's infinite content and I can keep improving on those areas that I've said editing storytelling characters
You know the amount of work that gets done in the video
They're presenting and there's so many ways that I can improve not just
You know doing bigger and better projects
Do you think that's because you've hit the nail on the head which is doing accessible cars to the wider audience?
I do agree with that and don't give me wrong the odd car
If we have the odd car, that's nice, you know, that's fine, but I think an important staple of my channel is
Relatability everybody was always commenting about jackalove like I can see myself doing this project
You know like this you've inspired me to modify my caddy because I've already got one and that's why a lot of people like it
so
My current mindset again, I don't want to ever box myself in and say I'm never going to do an expensive car because I think that's
I don't even that's that's a wise thing to say but
My mindset right now is people love relate the relatability. They love the cheaper cars
I'm going to keep doing that and there's so many project ideas that I've got to do that. So
Yeah, I think that answers it's quite nice because there's so many youtubers
I do know that worry about not having builds in the future. I mean, I'm not one of them
We're kind of doing everything because yeah, I mean between matt and chris. I mean, how many
Supercars are there left to do? I mean, they've done pretty much everything. I mean, I don't know but they've done loads of them
So yeah, I do see that but with me there's like because no one's really been weird enough to chase this
What were your audience like when you showed your Aston because they get buying an Aston Martin huge party your journey
Tick the box. Yeah done it. You'll set the next goal once you've got rid of it
Yeah, and do the next bit of working business tip the next goal, but that was so
Not Jack McNeil. No, it wasn't but again like one day
I want to own a Lamborghini and I know everybody watching this has seen a youtuber a million times buy a Lamborghini
They're probably think oh god not another one
But like it is a goal and I do think having a Ferrari or a Lambo one day would be great and I might do a video showing it
but what I'm not going to do is
I mean unless there's some real I don't know unless there's some really ambitious project out there, which I've got but
My the baseline and the the foundation of my youtube will always be cheap cars
I I think but I don't want to box myself in when I say that but
There might be the odd the odd car which I show as like a like a personal goal of mine that I that I want and I don't
For my audience really minds that when I introduced the Aston I told the story about how you know, I had a sort of
I had these brand deals going on on my tiktok. I had a specific EA deal
which was a very nice and very nice deal which actually pretty much paid for the whole deposit on the Aston and
you know
I had this S this the social media marketing agency which I ran where I'd like sort of very similar to yours but on a very small scale
where I sort of made companies
I made their content for them and posted it for them. I did that for the exhaust company
So I had this story of like me working really hard for this car and working to be able to pay the deposit on the finance and
People didn't mind it because you know, I told the story and it
It's it's not actually that unattainable. I don't think it's a 20 20 20 grand car now
They're not actually not not in the realms of likes cars like that. It's not actually that bad
I put 10 grand down on it and I told the story and people didn't mind it
I feel lucky if I do that again with a future car
I don't think people have a problem with that either but as long as my base content
The people love the relatability doesn't change. I think that's the key. How much do you care about the comment section?
I actually don't
Because you're talking there about how much people loving and how much it matters and all the rest of it
So how much does it affect you when you see things?
The positive affects me
But I try not to let the negative affect me because obviously do you get much negative?
Everybody gets negative everybody gets it
Some videos will have so little that you some videos have more than others
And actually, but there's a little story here because I posted a video with my vaults wagon fox, right?
Had the clunkiest gearbox ever this car clunk is very hard to shift fast
And I did it took a video to santa pod and I couldn't shift it fast because it just a clunky gear
I can shift fast another cars
But anyways, I got rinsed in the comments and that did affect me. I was like, oh my god
I'm getting ripped and shreds here, but
generally the general day-to-day videos when it's just like
The last five or 10 percent comments being negative
I genuinely don't care because I know that it's just it's the game. There's always going to be someone that's worrying about something
I've not painted that I've not cleaned that I've not done this right. I've not done that right
But that's the game if you haven't got negative comments the the worst scenario would be people not caring no comments
You know imagine that
There's I'd much rather have a portion of my comments being negative because that's shown
It's that shows that it's going to a wider audience who have never seen me before go who the hell is this guy?
He's doing it wrong. You know, so I really don't mind about the negative
I actually almost see it as a positive sometimes. It's like, you know
That's showing my my videos to a new audience
So what has been the absolute toughest part of the last two years of the youtube journey?
I mean, I know what it is, but I can't basically okay. I'll so
So my mate one of my good mates jav who was working with me
Um
Decided to leave and that's totally fair enough and anyone's like probably you know, it wasn't right for the job
He wasn't he's not as like calm mad as you or you or I are so it's sort of understand
It's sort of understandable and he wanted to go back into his career where she had his degree and which totally makes sense
But that was a hard time for me because again, I had some other news where like, you know video wasn't being posted
I think literally the same day and I was like
God, this is like feels like the world's falling apart right now. You know, I've not got any videos to post
I've spent all my money on this and my employees even I was like bloody hell, but
I now I'm in such a good place with these new guys that have got on board and with the content that we're making with the new schedule that
When when you go through a moment like that you just have to tell yourself like it will
Like this will pass we'll be back on top of the world soon. Like you just got to keep going going through it. So
So, yeah, I'd say there's but there's been hard moments and it definitely hasn't been plain sailing as you know
It is up and down with the emotions and with with the success and whatever but
You have to you have to keep your head up and I had a chat with my dad that night when all that happened
I was like bloody hell dad. This is happen. That's happened and he's like
Yo, McNeil like come on head up and I'm like, okay. All right
And you know, just you just got to keep going. Is that you go to when you need to console in your channel?
Yeah, if you didn't have those people around you, would you be able to do all the rest of it below?
It'd be tough
I mean, I suppose I'd have to but
It'd be tough
Well, I think that's given a brilliant insight into the life of Jack McNeil everything that's happened since 2020 when your story started
And everything that's happened since there another story that started for starting your youtube channel from 2023
So mr. McNeil, thank you so much for sitting in this van once again
I hope that you can snip out a piece of this conversation for your million subscriber video within the next few years
Absolutely looking forward to watching it. So thank you so much. Good. Good. See you
Request an explanation for:
14 cars
Scroll for more
14 cars featured
Request an Explanation
Heard something you'd like explained? We'll add it to this episode.
Sign in to request explanations for terms you heard.
Want to learn more?
Browse our glossary for plain-English explanations of automotive terms, jargon, and concepts.
See something that's not quite right? Our annotations are AI-generated and can sometimes miss the mark.
Click the flag icon on any annotation to suggest a correction.
