Rob Dahm and Scotto Talk Everything from 12 Rotors to Fan Cars to the Hoonicorn. VV009
Very Vehicular
Rob Dahm and Scotto Talk Everything from 12 Rotors to Fan Cars to the Hoonicorn. VV009
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Car
Mazda RX-7
The Mazda RX-7 is a sports car that uses a special type of engine called a rotary engine. It's known for being lightweight and having a lot of power, making it fun to drive.
Term
Hoonicorn
The Hoonicorn is a special car made from a Ford Mustang that is built for racing and drifting. It's very powerful and can do amazing tricks on the track.
Car
Land Rover Discovery
The Land Rover Discovery is a big SUV that can go off-road and is very comfortable inside. It's great for families and people who like to explore tough terrains.
Car
Ford F100
The Ford F-100 is an older pickup truck that many people love because it's tough and can be used for many different jobs. It's a favorite among collectors who like to restore classic vehicles.
Term
NASCAR
NASCAR is a type of car racing that happens mostly on oval tracks in the U.S. The cars used in these races are based on regular cars but are modified for speed and safety.
Term
mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering is a field of study that deals with how machines work and how to design them. It combines science and math to create everything from cars to engines.
Part
turbocharger
A turbocharger is a part that helps an engine get more air, which allows it to produce more power. It's like giving the engine a boost to make it faster and more powerful.
Part
power FC
The Power FC is a special computer that helps control how a car's engine works. It can be adjusted to make the engine run better and perform faster.
Car
Lamborghini Diablo
The Lamborghini Diablo is a very fast and flashy sports car that people often dream about. It's known for its cool looks and powerful engine, making it a symbol of luxury and speed.
Car
R35
The R35 is a model of the Nissan GT-R, a fast sports car that many people love for its speed and technology. It's known for being able to compete with much more expensive cars.
Term
four rotor
A four rotor engine is a type of engine that has four spinning parts instead of the usual ones. This allows it to produce more power, making it faster and more powerful.
Term
CNC cut
CNC cut means using a computer-controlled machine to cut materials very accurately. It's often used to make parts that need to fit perfectly, like in cars.
Concept
FIA level racing
FIA level racing means racing events that follow the rules set by a big organization called the FIA. They make sure the races are safe and fair, like in Formula 1.
Term
horsepower
Horsepower is a way to measure how powerful a car's engine is. The higher the horsepower, the faster and more powerful the car can be.
Term
booger welds
Booger welds are messy-looking welds that don't look very professional. They might hold things together, but they aren't neat or pretty.
Car
Lamborghini Countach
The Lamborghini Countach is a famous sports car known for its unique shape and doors that open upwards. It's considered one of the coolest cars ever made and is loved by car enthusiasts.
Car
Ferrari F40
The Ferrari F40 is a famous sports car that is very fast and lightweight. It was made in the late 1980s and is loved by car fans for its design and performance.
Term
Guinness Book of World Records
The Guinness Book of World Records is a book published every year that lists amazing records and achievements from around the world. It includes things like the fastest cars and other unusual records.
Car
Mclaren Ff
The McLaren F1 is a very fast sports car made by McLaren in the 1990s. It was known for being one of the fastest cars ever made and had a unique design.
Term
VLT range
VLT is a way to describe how dark or light sunglasses are. A lower number means the lenses are darker and block more light, while a higher number means they let more light in.
Company
Toyo Tires
Toyo Tires is a company that makes tires for cars and trucks. They offer different types of tires for different kinds of vehicles.
Part
Celsius snow tires
Celsius snow tires are special tires made for driving in winter weather. They help cars grip the road better when it's snowy or icy.
Part
R Triple Eight RS
The R Triple Eight RS is a type of tire made for sports cars that helps them grip the road better, especially when driving fast.
Car
Jaguar XJ220
The Jaguar XJ220 is a super-fast sports car made by Jaguar in the early 1990s. It was known for being one of the fastest cars when it was released.
Concept
Laguna Seca
Laguna Seca is a well-known racetrack in California where many car races take place. It's famous for its difficult turns, especially one called the Corkscrew.
Car
IndyCar
IndyCar is a type of race car used in a popular racing series in the United States. These cars are built for speed and can race on different types of tracks.
Term
restomod
Restomod means taking an old car and fixing it up with new parts to make it work better, while still looking like the original car.
Term
Co worth engines
Cosworth engines are high-performance engines used in racing cars. They're known for being very reliable and powerful, making them popular in motorsports.
Term
displacement
Displacement is how much space the engine's cylinders take up. A larger displacement usually means more power.
Car
Ferrari 360
The Ferrari 360 is a sports car made by Ferrari that was built between 1999 and 2005. It's known for being fast and fun to drive, with a powerful engine that sounds great.
Company
Cosworth
Cosworth is a company that makes powerful engines for cars, especially for racing. They are well-known in the motorsport world.
Term
RPM
RPM means how fast the engine is spinning. It's important because it helps determine how much power the engine is making.
Term
track record
A track record is the best time a car has ever completed a lap on a racetrack. If someone breaks the track record, it means they went even faster than before.
Car
Lola
Lola is a company that makes racing cars. The 1997 model is one of their cars used in races, known for being fast and competitive.
Term
all-wheel drive
All-wheel drive means that all four wheels of a car get power from the engine at the same time. This helps the car grip the road better, especially when going fast or in bad weather.
Car
Opel Manta
The Opel Manta is a small, sporty car that was popular in Europe a long time ago. People who love classic cars often talk about it because of its cool design and fun driving experience.
Car
BMW M Bmw
The BMW M Coupe is a sporty version of a regular BMW car that many people enjoy driving because it's fast and fun. It's known for looking cool and performing well on the road.
Car
Volkswagen Kid
The Volkswagen ID. Buzz is a new electric van that looks like the old VW buses people loved. It's designed to be eco-friendly and has a fun, retro style that many people enjoy.
Car
Volkswagen Golf
The Volkswagen Golf is a small car that many people love because it's easy to drive and has a lot of space inside. The 1995 version is known for being reliable and fun to drive, making it a popular choice for first-time car owners.
Car
Toyota A90
The Toyota Supra is a fast and sporty car that many car enthusiasts admire. It's famous for being powerful and can be modified to go even faster, which is why it's often talked about in car discussions.
Car
Ford Edge
The Ford Edge is a medium-sized SUV that is comfortable and has a lot of space inside. It's a good choice for families who need a reliable vehicle for everyday use.
Car
Mazda Miata
Mazda is a car company that makes fun-to-drive cars, and one of their popular models is the Miata, which is small and sporty. People love talking about Mazdas because they are known for being enjoyable to drive.
Car
Dodge Journey
The Dodge Journey is a medium-sized SUV that has a lot of room for families and their stuff. It's designed to be practical and comfortable for everyday use.
Car
Dodge Challenger
The Dodge Challenger is a big, powerful car that looks like the classic muscle cars from the past. Many people dream of owning one because they are fast and have a cool design.
Car
Volkswagen Rabbit
The Volkswagen Rabbit is a small car that many people liked because it was easy to drive and reliable. It's known for being practical and fun, making it a good choice for everyday use.
Car
Audi Quattro
The Audi Quattro is a special car that can drive well on different types of roads because it has all-wheel drive. It's famous for being fast and helped change how cars are built for racing.
Car
Audi Tt
The Audi TT RS is a sporty car that looks great and goes really fast. It's designed for people who want a fun driving experience while still being practical enough for daily use.
Car
Nissan Quest
The Nissan Quest is a minivan that has a lot of space for families and their belongings. It's designed to be comfortable and practical for everyday use.
Car
Audi 4000
The Audi 4000 is an older car that was made in the 1980s and is known for being well-built and reliable. It's a classic that some people still enjoy because of its unique style.
Car
Chevrolet Suburban
The Chevrolet Suburban is a large SUV that can carry a lot of people and stuff, making it great for families. It's been around for a long time and is known for being strong and useful.
Car
Chevrolet Nova
The Chevrolet Nova is a small car that many people liked because it was affordable and fun to drive. It's especially popular among fans of classic cars who enjoy fixing them up.
Car
Chevrolet Corvette
The Chevrolet Corvette is a fast sports car that many people dream of owning. The latest version has a new design that makes it even better to drive, and it's known for being a good value for a high-performance car.
Car
Audi 100
The Audi 100 is a luxury car that was made for many years and is known for being comfortable and well-engineered. It's important in Audi's history for helping the brand become known for quality.
LIVE
Welcome back everyone. It is another episode of Very Vehicular, actually the episode to Kick Off season two. What does that mean? Well, for you guys, it just means more episodes. We're gonna keep going. Today's guest is none other than Rob Dahm. If you don't know Rob Dahm, he's probably best known for his four rotor all-wheel drive RX seven that stole a little bit of engineering from the Hoonicorn. In general, Rob is sort of a mad scientist. He's self-taught, build some crazy cars on YouTube. We talk about those cars, we talk about the future of 'em. He wants to build a fan car. He bought 20 some odd cars worth Indy engines. He wants to go set records at Laguna Seca. We really nerd out on a lot of the stuff that he's been doing and this is a record setting episode. Rob came here with the plan to set the longest episode we did. It's a really good one. I haven't spoken to Rob in years at, at least for any length, so it was really good just to have him come here, catch up, talk about a bunch of stuff, a bunch of things I didn't know about him. So anyway, buckle up. 'cause Rob is coming in at a hundred miles an hour on this one. He's got a lot to say and for once I think, uh, I did the least amount of talking. Enjoy it. Mr. Rob. Dahm, it has been a while since you and I have talked, so this might be a long one.
Yes, I hope so.
Yeah, yeah. No, I um, you know, it's funny 'cause I was thinking like, what do we talk about? 'cause you. Like, when we first met you, you were obviously the Rotary guy that was like what you were known for. But I think the connection that you had early on to what we were doing, you know, at Hoonigan and with Ken was that you counted the pixels and built your own Quan suspension and like that was what everybody knew you for. But you've done so much other stuff since then. I know you've got all new projects going on right now. Um, there's so much to talk about. Obviously we could dig into your, I, I still always find it funny that you were a contestant on the Bachelorette. Um, you are one of few cars to beat the Hoonicorn and Hoonicorn verse the world
with an asterisk.
Well, yeah. And you lost your hood and all those things, which was like just classic Hoonigan era stuff. Um, but I, I actually wanna start in a completely different space because this has been a little bit of a theme on this pod, which is that YouTube has sort of escalated, builds to a place that makes that, that has completely. Unrealistic, um, dream fantasy world, and we all think you're the fault for that.
I, I think I'm in the epitome of it for sure.
One thing I love about the team at Vyper is that they're just like us. They can't leave anything stock, otherwise they'd only make red and black stools. Instead. They're constantly releasing limited edition colorways. Two of my favorites, they've done the Goul, which is Glow in the Dark and the Voodoo, which is this really rad deep purple and black. And if you like camo, you can get a Vyper stool trimmed in official real tray. They've even done really cool collabs with friends of ours like Roadster Shop and the Drift hq. Maybe one day. They'll do a Scotto edition. Although they keep telling me no one wants a stool that's missing half of its parts and doesn't ever roll Anyway, check 'em [email protected]. That's Vyper with a Y. Being a full-size human at six foot eight with a head to match wearing sunglasses or any glasses for that matter has never been flattering for this melon. That is until heat wave visual launched extra large sizes. That's right. See these glasses on my head right now? 152 millimeters wide. That's big enough that it even saves me from looking like Oliver Tree. You too can free that oversized head from those shameful two small glasses. Go check out all the extra large [email protected]. Alright, we got a big update to the Scotto fleet. Ashley did it. She finally sold her F 100 to Mike Burrows. Regular listeners know that he has been hounding her for this truck for a long time, but a deal was made and that deal includes him helping us finish her Land Rover discovery. That means it's gonna need new tires. Great timing 'cause Toyo has just released the new open country RT Pro. This tire is an aggressive hybrid mud terrain and comes as tall as 42 inches. It has a three plus sidewall. It's got massive lugs, and unlike the Land Rover, it's durable. And reliable. Check out Toyo tires.com for which open country works best for you, fantasy world. And we all think you're the fault for that.
I, I think I'm in the epitome of it for sure. I'm one of them.
Yeah. Do you feel that way?
A hundred percent. I struggle with that completely,
because for me, early on, you were one of the first builders who were like not running a shop and, and in the world of building cars, who was building something that was just way outside of my imagination at the time. Yeah. Right. Like, like we built the Hoonicorn with a race shop. Right. Like Vaughn Gittins, like race team, um, built that for us. Like guys like Ian, these were guys who were working, you know, in NASCAR and, you know, in oval racing and all this stuff. You instead were like, no, I'm just gonna do this on my own and, and like figure it out.
Yeah.
Not completely on your own, but like, you had this like, I forget, do you have engineering background,
computer engineering?
Okay. Yeah, that's not the same.
No,
no, no. I, I, I went to school for mechanical engineering and then I transferred, uh, to, to computer engineering before I then slash computer science before I just made the leap into communications and journalism. But yeah, it's very different.
Yeah. So, but my dad is a mechanical engineer.
Okay, so you grew up
honorary. Yeah,
yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. No, I get it. My, my father's a scientist, so there's just certain things that just get ingrained in you as a kid. Yeah. So, um, yeah, I mean, early on, like, I wanna go back to that, like at what point, 'cause like, you know, I'm familiar with your content and what you were doing really when you started, like the four rotor project. Yeah. Like that's what, that's what kind of put you out there. All wheel drive, four rotor, FDRX seven. It just seemed like something out of a video game build.
Yes.
And you were making it come to life in what felt like a very DIY sort of place. And you were taking what I actually think is like peak YouTube type, where like you could spend an entire episode on just like, making one component work, right? Like, it was a different time back then, but what were you doing before that? Like, like was that real? I forget, was that your first project?
No, no. Uh, so initially, uh, you know, it was something where. I didn't even plan on doing YouTube. Uh, long story short, YouTube, my YouTube channel was actually my way of showing an idea I had as a computer guy. I'd built this, this website around YouTube that if I held up a turbocharger at three minutes in, it would have a link to go buy a turbocharger. So it was a, it was a business idea I had as a pro. I did not
know
this. I had no idea, but I never released it because it was just a proof of concept and we got it working where like you could, you know, click a link, it would show up, but of course, YouTube's not gonna like you having a thing over YouTube.
Right.
And so I made a couple videos and then, which
is basically what Meta Now has on Instagram.
Yeah, exactly.
Like I'll post something and be wearing a product that's not mine, and someone's like, do you wanna list this for sale? I'm like, absolutely not.
Yeah. Yeah. So if you go, if you scroll all the way to my very first video, it's me trying to show off a, a power FC that you could buy, and here's the features of it. And so that was really my proof of concept. And then I let YouTube sit for a year or two and then realized I actually enjoyed sharing my life. Like it, it became my journal. Yeah. Like it was like here. I've, I've proof I've lived a interesting life and that's really where, uh, YouTube, uh, that's why the, the why behind my channel.
So what was the first project car you did on the channel?
Uh, what's really funny is I was one of the first Lambo bros.
Right.
You know, I bought the Diablo. Yeah. The
Diablo
Finance the crap out of it.
Yeah. And the background for that, just, uh, I just wanna paraphrase on it or shorten this, is you made money in the medical space right. With your brother, I think, was this
right? Yeah. In medical it.
Yeah. And then from there you treated yourself with Diablo
and a massive
and tried to, and tried to get married on television. Yeah. Okay, cool.
Yeah, that was the 2011 was a, a whirlwind of change and it was the first time out to, uh, California as well.
Okay.
And so, yeah, then I, I made that a video thinking, okay, this car is gonna go viral. Uh, absolutely bombed. Uh, and I also bought the three rotor RX seven from New Jersey at the time, and that went viral. And I was like. This doesn't make any sense. And
did you grow up as like a car guy? Was that or were cars, something else?
Detroit. Okay. You know, so OEM car stuff, you know, a lot of my customers, aside from the medical ones, were all tier one auto suppliers. We built some systems for tenco shocks and so yeah, indirectly, but, uh, no, my, you know, my family's not, I don't come from racers or, or right. Builders.
So then like, I mean, I would imagine you're sitting there being like, I got a Lamborghini Diablo. Like this is what people are gonna love Uhhuh. And it didn't move the needle. Not at all. You opposed to three row or Arc seven?
Yes, but it was, it was kinda like one of these things, the three rotor RX seven was interesting to people and I thought it was played out. This is 2011, and I thought, okay, there's three rotor RX sevens on online. Mm-hmm. You can find it if you look hard enough, they're all out there. So I felt at that point it was already saturated. So I just, the three rotor was my love though. The Diablo was my childhood love. Mm-hmm. And so what's really funny to me is the announcing that I got the Lamborghini meant nothing until I made a video telling people how I bought it. It was the first person to be honest and say, I, I financed the majority of the car. Mm-hmm. I put the bare minimum down and here's what it takes the bare minimum to buy your dream car. And people resonated with that emotion more than the car.
I mean, I think that's always been one of your strengths was like, you were always very one honest, but you were really good explaining things and like how it was done in like a very simple way.
Yeah.
Right. Like you would take rather complex things and just be like, yeah, this is how I did it. And you also wouldn't, I mean, you still, but like you didn't mind spending a lot of time doing that, where I think a lot of other creators are like, I don't know if I wanna like, spend 10 minutes explaining this one thing to the audience. Yeah. Or your audience really bought in on that.
Well, it, it, I think it's also, uh, from a business standpoint, my channel's defensible position is that it's not worth it to do what I'm doing. Right. Other than one person, you know, it's not worth it for, uh, uh, my good friend TJ Hunt. It's not worth him to buy an Indy car because of how much work it takes to get it running you. That's not a low bearing fruit. But for me, because that's what I love, I love the passion of understanding it. I, all, the amount of time spent is the, the payout that's like the nut I get to crack. And then by the way, there's also an episode about it.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I, for how long did it take to go from that into the 4 Rotor project?
came in a more perfect time because I had the three rotor. Okay. In 2011, uh, my brother bought a R 35 and he had 250 horsepower less than me. And we were drag racing street light to streetlight, you know, 40 mile an hour street, but just every light. And he would walk me every single time. And it was frustrating 'cause I'm like, I just can't get into power. I can't, the tires are blowing off. I had drag radials on everything. And, uh, Gym Count seven comes out and literally I saw, uh, it was, it was LA River type stuff, and I saw all the different tires grabbing, and I was like, that those guys figured it out. And I, it, it sat for a second. Like, I was like, that I, that's a dream. That's like, now I'm here. That's way up here. There's, there's no path. Uh, and so that sat for a second, and then I was like, but Rotaries don't have torque, so I'd have to do a four rotor. And so then I, I kind of played with the idea of doing a four rotor. Just because it's so extreme.
Mm-hmm.
And I think it was my birthday 2015, in 2015 was my birthday. And I kind of did that. Like I wasn't drunk, but like that drunken mover, you're like, I'm gonna go buy this. I'm just gonna do it. You know, I gotta live. And, uh, so I, I put the money down for a guy in, uh, New Zealand to, uh, build the first, uh, e shaft for my four rotor, which I is actually in her's hands right now that I never ended up that, that was so cursed in all the weirdest ways that I ended up, uh, it's, it's her's curse now.
Which by the way, I love because Hert and himself and all of his cars are cursed. So this may be a double negative. It like this may cancel his general cursing. I mean, we used to have a joke, which was Hert, pre broke it. 'cause anything Hert would drive. The next person who would get into it would break it. And it's like, no, you didn't break it Hert, pre broke it.
Oh, a hundred percent. You know what's funny is the questions he's asked me while, while we were building the engine, I was. It is not just his driving style that breaks things. It's, it's his approach. And he, you know, he's a really good friend of mine, so I'll say that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. He, he skipped some steps that keep the entertainment going.
Well, I think one of the things that I've learned, like I'm a, I love cars from the artistry of the car to begin with, right? Like, I love how they, I love the noise they make. I love the way they put together. I love the engineering behind them. I love how they look like that's what makes me like cars first. Then I enjoy driving them. I think you have people like Hert, like Ken Block, where driving is everything, right? Like Hert and they, they like the style, but they don't really care so much about all the other things as long as it, it's fun to drive.
I
agree with that. And this is like, I've learned this with like, there were times with Hert where I would have a car. That he just thought was so not cool, right. Like my Audi yvan and then he would see it do donuts and he'd like it because to him it does something cool. And I, and for him, I think it's like a very like video game mentality. Like he just wants to go drive it and have fun and walk away from it. Where I think the place where you and I are different is that we could build a car for 10 years and take enjoyment in the 10 year build and then driving it is cool, but it's not actually the goal. Like the jour, you know, it's like the whole, like the destination verse, the journey. Like I enjoy the journey of a long build where for Hert it just can't get done fast enough. Like he refers to car going to paint as paint jail because it literally feels like the car's in prison because he just wants it back because he wants to go drive it.
Well it's funny you say that because just like the car I drove here, the FC people are like, man, none of your cars run. All the cars that run are no longer on the like channel interest because I don't care. Yeah, it, it's done.
And I wanna pause for that. We're gonna do a walk around on Patreon because he pulled up in what looks like a rather stock fc and then he told me it makes 700 horsepower. And I was like, all right, this thing deserves a walk around. Like it is one of the craziest sleepers. Yeah. Like if you had stock wheels on it, it would just look like an original car.
This close to bringing 'em. I, I have 'em refinished and I was like, man, if I wanted a better ride of the thicker rubber, but yeah, it would look bone stock.
Yeah. It's, we'll, we'll, we'll, we'll, we'll get into that later, but 700 horsepower in that thing is just nuts. And is that one of your lowest horsepower cars? The
lowest, yeah.
Other than the Diablo?
Yeah. Yeah. The Diablo is my lowest horsepower vehicle.
How, how old are you?
42.
Okay. I, I asked that because for me, I think there's this, like the Diablo versus the
Right,
right. Like I'm a Countach guy. I'm 40 six's. A picture of one in the background. That to me was the first car that I lusted over as a 6-year-old. Mm-hmm. Or a 7-year-old. Mm-hmm. Or however it was, it was that, and then later the F 40, those were cars that like really, really hit for me. Um, maybe the tester because of Miami Vice, but like the Kunta was it?
Yeah.
But I've talked, as, I talked to guys who were just a few years younger than me, like Humphrey was said it like the Diablo holds a special place. I think there, there must be this weird cutoff around like 44, 45.
You know what it is? Scholastic book Fair. The poster choice. It got phased out and turned into the Purple Diablo poster.
I had the Kunta one that basically looked like an advertisement for cocaine. It was sick.
Okay.
Yeah. But I also got it at the Scholastic book Fair. That's amazing.
Yeah. The, the real quick reason for the Diablo to me was, uh, 1991 Guinness Book of World Records, the paperback, oddly enough, not the hardcover. Mm-hmm. Uh, 'cause I bought the hardcover as an adult to try and relive the memory, but the paperback version has the fastest production car in the world as the
mm-hmm.
1991 Lamb Diablo. And it briefly held that, 'cause obviously the F1 or the Yeah. McLaren FF one and all that. And, uh, XJ two 20. Uh, you know, so there, it was like a technicality, but I saw this black and white picture of what? At the, as a kid, it was just a wedge. Mm-hmm. Little triangle from the side. Ev I remember reading, it's 42 inches tall and I was like. Uh, maybe I was 42 inches tall at the time. Right, right. And I was like, man, that is such a small car. Uh, and then it was, uh, dumb and Dumber that came out and it was, you know, like the epitome of their foolish spending was this, you know, beautiful car.
Yeah.
And I was like, I I what I need to live my life in some way to acquire what is quite literally in that movie, the most improbable or unlikely thing to have.
You just opened a portal in my brain to a time that I forgot, which was, as a kid reading the Guinness Book of World Records. Like that was a normal thing to do. I mean, I remember whatever year, Guinness book, I had like 88 or 89, and I remember reading it all, like the lady with the longest fingernails, like the tallest man, the shortest man, the, the most bearded woman. Right. Yeah. And then just like weird things like the most amount of this done. And I actually, when you said that, I remember there was all these automotive stats in there, which was super cool. I completely forgot.
Yeah.
That, that was like a thing that what kids today read the Guinness Book of World Records.
It's a picture book now.
Yeah.
But, but what that genuinely, you know, if you're, if I'm gonna say a part of my personality was formed from something specific, it was the Guinness Book of World Records. Yeah. I wanted to be somebody that held a record.
Do you hold a record?
No.
Why don't you do that?
This
should be something you, we should do this together.
Well, okay. So that's actually, uh, this year is going to be a record that is very, very, uh. Uh, my big boy record. And so this is, I, I've said it enough publicly, but I haven't formally stated this. Okay. So this has become my first time of formally stating it.
State it.
Okay.
Give the background.
The fastest car around Laguna Seca
Okay.
Is a 2005 record. It's a F1 car. Uh, I bought that Indy car and, you know, the peak speed-wise, performance wise of, of an Indy car, of really an F1 car is 1999. That's when driver's retina started detaching and, you know, people started passing out, and again, that record, the superlative aspect of it. My thought was if I buy this Indy IndyCar and then rest Omo with modern stuff
mm-hmm.
No limits. Can I have a professional driver? I'll drive it, but I,
by the way, I have a driver for you,
dude, who
would do it.
Okay.
JR Hildebrand would do that. And he obviously has driven Indy cars.
Yes.
Yeah. Yeah. But this is the kind of thing he would want to do. We need to get JR involved in this.
That's perfect. Because the, the thing is I have the rest of the crew, so I bought all those co worth engines. Mm-hmm. And this is kind of like good
money. I know. I dmd you. I was like, you bastard. I was like, I want that too. I don't even know what I would do with it. You bought a haul of, how many engines were it?
25 engines and enough parts to support them in depth.
Whatcha are you doing with them all? Uh, can I buy one?
Yes. I, I would be willing to to sell you one be because I know, I don't
even know what I want it for, but it's
just cool. The sound. The sound. Oh obviously that,
but I mean, I don't know what I
would put it, it doesn need to do anything else. Uh, I, I would put it in a, like a rally car personally.
Mm-hmm.
Um, but uh,
what's the displacement on them?
2.65 liters.
Wow. So you could actually run that in a car, like, I dunno if you saw that Ferrari powered, um, Subaru that came out last Yeah. I year. Yeah. Drove. Oh you did?
Yeah. Yeah.
And you know, the whole thing on that car was he was trying to get around. The loophole of displacement versus, you know, what the car came with. So he was able to basically compete with a V eight. Yeah. And, you know, be really, really competitive because he, you know, found a loophole in the rules. Yeah.
Which
is cool.
Yeah, it sounded of course incredible. Yeah.
It sounds sick.
Yeah. But these things,
I, how did it drive, by the way?
Uh, I mean, tons of torque down low.
Yeah. Yeah.
It was, it was incredible. Yeah. Was
it 360 engine? I forget what was in it.
Yeah, it, it, the, the red intake manifold as far as, I mean, it was like bulbus. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You had the custom, you know, hood and everything, and it, it was, uh, I don't know my Ferraris well enough, but it was in that 360 era.
Yeah. I thought it was that. It looked like one, but whatever. Yeah. Anyway, so back to it.
So, yeah. Yeah. So, uh, you know, I, through a variety of weird hijinks. Here I am buying all these Cosworth engines just because I want parts for my own. I just want to push my engine until it ps and not feel uncomfortable doing that. And so, uh, with that came, um, X Cosworth USA employees. Mm-hmm. Out of the woodworks. And
what is the architecture for that engine?
Um, is it, is
it fully Cosworth or is it based on another block?
It's full. It's, it's like
the same, it is from the bo top to bottom A cause Cosworth. Yeah. So it's not like a Cosworth version of a forward or something like that?
No, this is, this is there, you can see it came right before the F1 cosworth, the infamous like 20,000 RRP one. And you like, the engines look so similar to me. So it's the same architecture. Um, just different goals. Uh, but the, uh, the, the goal is okay, everybody's saying, Hey, just only run it to 13,000 RP M instead of 15, you know, it's a 15,000 RRP m red line, uh, turn down the boost maybe. And I'm like, I want to experience it in its full tilt. That's, that's why I bought the car. Uh, and with what I said, the guys from cos Roses were like, Hey, yeah, if you wanna run it, do this, this, and this, but if you wanna run it
right.
They brought out the spreadsheets. They, they brought out all their paperwork from 97 to 99. And I asked them, I was like, no, no YouTuber, bullshit aside. You know, all that aside. Could this car break the track record at Laguna with a, with a driver and the guys at Cosworth off camera. Were like, uh, you don't have to rest a on anything. Get the car running again. We broke the track record during a testing private session back in 99. Mm-hmm. Get the car together and it'll be faster than that 2005 F1 car, but several seconds faster. And so I was like, okay. I lucked out there that it was a weird goal, but, uh, you know, I, I I figured it made sense. It's Pinnacle era. Yep. Of performance. And so then the, the team that's helped me with the arrow on the four rotor is also coincidentally the crew chief of the team that broke the track record back in 99. So
this is like a meant to be situation.
Getting the, getting the crew back together.
Yeah, yeah, yeah,
yeah. With, with the new guy, I guess.
I love it. Seriously. If, I mean, we could try calling JR Hildebrand right now, I'm pretty sure he'd say yes. What is the chassis that you have?
It's a, a 1997 Lola.
Okay. Yeah. Very cool.
Yeah, so that's, that's the intention, uh, very, very blatant intention is to break the track record. Just like to have that car, like sitting in the, in the, in the, uh, in the garage.
This is what I love about you, Rob, is. When I was thinking we should go break a Guinness Book World record, there's a bunch of just dumb records that are easy to break. For example, like the fastest a car has ever gone indoors, and you go and you rent out the, you know, the Goodyear, um, blimp, uh, hanger in Ohio. There's one in Akron, which is like the largest indoor, and you could go set that. Yeah. And like it's an easy record if you have a very fast car, especially something that can hook up and move quickly. Like an all-wheel drive car. No. Instead you're like, we wanna set the fastest time at Laguna Seka, which is a pretty like, competitive place, so world records. Right. That's like, well at least you're like very, at least you don't like, reach too high for goals in life. Yeah. That's good.
Yeah. Well, you know what's funny is I think I've, I've, if, if there's like a layer of luck, uh, or cha very much, a lot of chance I've lucked out that the things I don't know have been the very edge of attainable.
Mm-hmm.
You know, like, like, uh, it was Ian Stewart who gave me the front suspension geometry for the Hoonicorn.
Yep.
Uh, and that was it. He didn't, he didn't give me a lot, but he gave me enough to feel enabled and, and like I have this little secret, this special thing. And then the stuff I had to figure out was stuff a person is capable of doing, if they are absolutely outta their mind worried about not being the guy that, yeah. Followed through. And that was really the motivating factor there.
Here's a question for you, 'cause I think this is something that, you know, I've struggled with, we struggled with the Hoonigan I've seen other people struggle with is. You have to choose what's more important in the world of content creation. Yeah. Is building the car more important or is creating the content more important?
Uh
oh
man.
Like how, how have you managed that? 'cause I think you tend to be more on the side of making the car, right. Than getting the content right. Right. Like, I think there's times where you've done things that I've sat there and, and I've texted you and been like, why didn't you do it this way? It would've performed better. But your, your head's more on the car side of things. Like the, the putting content out is like a bonus to building the car.
So, I mean, it it, it's a blessing and a curse in the sense that my audience knows that I'm out there with that. Mm-hmm. Um, so I think there's, there's an element of, uh, uh, I'll use the 12 rotor as a perfect example. That is the epitome of blessing occurs. I didn't invent that. Um, I'm very fortunate that the guy that did invent it thought I was the right person to,
for people who don't follow you. Yeah. Can you just explain the 12 rotor? It's 'cause It is, it is so absurd.
Yes, it is. It is absurd in all the right and wrong ways. The 12 rotor was a, uh, an invention from Tyson Garvin who, uh, big boat guy. He's just, he's just like a record breaker guy to begin with. He's the, the dude's like mad scientist and, uh, built it potential government contract, you know, like real cool stuff. But the, the engine ended up getting passed on and so it's, it's just sat there and it's this massive aluminum hexagon shape thing. And, uh, there are 12 Mazda rotors inside of there in like a four rotor, four rotor, and four rotor type of shape. Uh, and there's no purpose.
This is like how Volkswagen would've continued to build the VL if they had their chance. 'cause they just love stacking things. And by the way, for everyone who doesn't know, Rob has to thank Audi for everything he's done because it was the Wankel first found itself in a, in an Audi, but continue.
And, and it was Audi who cleaned up the Diablo six liter.
There's that too.
Yeah. Uh, the, so the, the 12 rotor though is this thing that doesn't really serve a purpose. I'm not a boat guy.
Yeah.
Um, and so it's again, that superlative, like, okay, anytime I Google
was his intention to build an actual operational engine or was it the equivalent of guys who put like 8 71 supercharged big blocks to make a margarita mixer? Like, 'cause it almost seems like I can do it just because I can.
It, it's, um, Tyson, I, I would like to say I know him well enough now, um, to say that he's somebody that doesn't like seeing somebody else brag. And so he's the guy that was like, okay, you know what? You think you're making a lot of power with these big blocks in your boat and setting records? I think I can do it better.
Mm.
And so he's done it with diesels. He's done it with all these other big blocks, but, uh, this was his like, Hey, I think the Rotary makes sense enough to do this. And so there was a lot of thought put into the, the why, uh, but specifically for a boat.
Yeah.
And of course have two of them for whatever reason. And so, uh, you know, it, it just never lived up to that, you know, ability. And, you know, rotaries are very particular.
That's a good word for them.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's my,
that's the kind kindest word. That's the kindest word I've
heard. I feel as an, as an ambassador of the rotary community, uh, they are particular. Uh, but, but the, again, that thing is, the amount of money it takes to rebuild that motor is way more than whatever episode, uh, right. Income, you know, uh, Patreon sponsor all the, it's, it's, it's a negative, uh, game. It's still, you know, you get bigger numbers, you get, you know, tons of views, half a million views almost every time, um, and tons of more subscribers, all, but like, I, that isn't why I, uh, do that. It's like I, I feel like it's my responsibility to the car community to do it and to myself too, obviously. And you enjoy it. Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. It's, you're having fun. I'm not gonna act like that's Yeah. But, but it is Okay. Uh, I have to go, go in phases because it, it's going to be a ne negative. Um,
I, I, and just tangent for a quick second here on that, but do you feel like you, like, have you been having fun the whole time?
Uh, I would say that that's a very, they're very layered answer because there's what I find fun and then there's what the audience finds fun and those two do in interfere. They're not the same. And a good example is, uh, taking the three rotor Pikes Peak. I every time. I mean, it was absolutely like, that's the last
time I saw you, by the way. Yeah, no, I remember. Yeah.
Wait, no. Uh, filming a, a certain, oh,
I forgot filming the Drifter
movie
briefly, but I feel like Yeah, yeah, yeah. Good point. I saw you on drifter.
Yeah. Yeah. But, uh, so the, um, I find that fun. That's for me, but that that's at, at some point that's not gonna pay the bills. And then, so that's in the back of my head going, okay, this is actually costing me money to have fun. And I, I never intended to be a, a racer or a driver. And you know, that old saying of like,
yeah,
how to become a millionaire as a driver of steroids and billionaire,
how to make a million as you start with two.
Yeah, yeah, exactly. And so I've realized that's expensive, but it, it is an outlet for proving what I'm doing. And I realized something though, is the four rotor, and I, this is something I wanted to talk to you about, was the four rotor itself is my magnum opus for sure. It's not just what I'm known for. It's not just, okay, it's the biggest, this versus that. Car, uh, race. Um, it's, it's what I think is this absolute limit and perfect storm of things. And I realized, jumping back onto that, oh my God, that is my like, passion. That is what gets me amped up. Uh, and I, I honestly, like, I almost getting goosebumps now thinking of when, uh, we strapped it up to the, the shipping container.
Yeah. I remember that. You took, you, I remember you, uh, you seemed emotional.
Yes.
Like you actually seemed emotional. Not for the camera. 'cause there wasn't even a camera on you. I was standing there near you and you just seemed, I think one relieved that it worked. Yes. You didn't explode in front of a live audience. And two, I think you were just like, I finally we're here. Right?
Yep.
And, and, and for those who don't remember this, um. Rob was nice enough to do basically like the first all-wheel drive burnout in your car, uh, at burn yard in front of, you know, 6,000 people, which was pretty sick.
It was, yeah. It was, it, I, I couldn't get it working the night before. Of course, it course, it kept choking. It kept choking and so I, you know, everything, it was, it was truly a everything on the line.
You know. It's good luck though, because if it ran perfect the night before, it would've choked on the day. Yeah. It's always better when the car doesn't run the night before.
Yeah. Yep. And so it, it was, it was neat. You know, obviously for me it's, you know, I'm doing it in front of you and, and Ken and, you know, this is, you know, something that I wanna show that I took it serious. Yeah. Um, but. Just the, the seeing the front wheels just in front of me. 'cause I obviously half the car was missing. Uh, ah, you couldn't, you can't take that moment away from me type of thing. And so, um, that is, I think that was one of my happiest moments ever. Um, like in life, you know?
Awesome. I have you as a part of it.
Yeah. Yeah. Uh, and then, um, it's like that drug hit, so I don't, you know, when you say is it fun, it's more of like, does it, you know, fuel? Like, does it, like, does it like get me feel alive? Yeah. And, and, uh, this final version of the four rotor that I've been wanting to do, uh, is what makes me feel alive.
Right? So it's interesting 'cause I'll admit, I think I was always jealous of your content and journey one. There was a simplicity in the way your stuff was. Like, it was really, it was, I know there's been other people involved, but it was, it was you, you were obviously leading it all. It was, it was sort of your direction, your vision of what you wanted to do. You were taking your time, you were clearly doing something you really wanted to do. And there's this part of me, I mean, when I was at, you know, Hoonigan. I was, you know, behind the scenes on everything that was happening. It didn't matter if it was a Hert project, a Vinny project, a Z project, I was in the background helping it. Right. Whether it was doing something as simple as just edit notes or actually helping with the concept, like when we did it on professionals, like that was something that I helped 'em figure out how we're gonna put it all together, help them edit it, help them run through all of it, and then, you know, they did their part. Right. And, and it was, I enjoyed that. But when I was making my own content on my own cars, it always felt really rushed to me because it felt like it was this, it was this like thing that was selfish. Like it was just this thing I wanted to do. But there, and at first I was doing it because we needed content for the channel. And then I started to like find this audience of people who enjoyed my like weird meticulousness of doing dumb things, right? Yeah, yeah. Like cleaning bolts or whatever. Um, and then I found an audience that really enjoyed just the types of cars I liked. 'cause I liked stuff different. And I, and I think this is a place where you and I are similar, which is a three rotor, a four rotor, even just a two rotor. Any rotary is not the best way to make power.
No.
There's easier ways to do it. Yeah. There's more reliable ways to do it. And something could be said about the same type of things I like, like maybe not so much like five cylinder engines. They're pretty good at making power, but like they're not well supported right there. There's not a huge industry around 'em, especially here in the United States. And I enjoyed that. Like I enjoy the extra. Sort of energy that it takes to make a Audi Quatro fast and also handle, because it really isn't as easy to do as it might be with a, well, definitely an Ls or like a M BMW platform or something like that. So I think there's one thing is like, I always saw that, 'cause I always wanted a rotary, like in my head I've had a couple like, I don't know if you remember, I had that Opal Manta. Okay. My plan was to put a rotary.
Yeah. I
remember. Like, I thought like that would've been really cool. Like in the back of my head, I've like, I've always like threatened myself with the idea of like, Ooh, like a rotary seems like a total nightmare. You would absolutely love.
Yes.
Um, yeah.
Very much.
Exactly.
Yeah.
Um, but you know, I think one, I saw that, but I also like my dream situation is being able to spend like four years building one car on YouTube and like You did it. Yeah. Like you did. And how long was the four rotor build?
Uh, I fans would argue it's still going true. You know? True. Sure,
true.
But um. The, the, the coolest part to me is it was 2016 was the unveil of the chassis. Um, you know, it was a proof of concept to me, and people thought I was trying to bring a run, and I was the first guy to bring a non, very blatantly non-running car to sema.
Mm-hmm.
And I did not think it was a controversy. I just thought it was a like, Hey, look at, here's what I'm trying to do, what we're
building. Right.
And people lost. I mean, you do that now and nobody, nobody cares.
Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah. And you're, well, we, that's something that the current, like saturation is a whole different, I can't get here if I start now.
Yeah, yeah.
But the, uh, interesting thing is, okay, 2016, proof of concept 2019, it ran for the first time. So that those three years were, were some of the coolest years of, of my life, is that I didn't wanna be the guy. I mean, that's like, that's like the thing that a lot of people don't realize is that I wanted to have the team, I wanted to have the Ian Stewart. Right. The people that were smarter than me. I don't know shit about suspension. You know, I, I wanted to have, and you clearly
figured it
out, uh, continuing to, um, suspension's. Definitely a,
it's a, it's a black heart.
Yeah. Uh, the, the scary thing is I had Mike KaGyma over at the shop last week, you know, he's a big inspiration of mine. And when he's going, you know, you know, you're, you're doing something weird.
Yeah. KaGyma is like, is genius level Yes. When you talk to him, especially about suspension.
Yep. Yeah. Yeah. He, he was, uh, definitely one of my, um. Obviously inspirations, but very much a technical
Yeah.
Advisor. But, uh, yeah, so 2019 was the car first ran and then that 2019 to 2020, you know, early COVID, right? Yeah. You know, all that stuff. That was, that was really where the like, proof of everything started to showcase. And it was neat because one of my greatest motivations throughout all those videos from 2016 to 2020 was like, oh, you, you won't ever get it running Right. You won't ever make power. Oh, it runs, okay. It's not gonna last. Okay. It's lasting. It's not gonna make power. It's not gonna make power. Okay. It won't drive.
Yeah.
You know, and oh, it won't launch. And it, those, the problem is I kept proving every one of those wrong and then they all disappeared.
Yeah.
I loved, I loved, more than anything. I loved being doubted.
Yeah.
That is such easy free motivation.
Yeah.
And so,
and, and I think you also, not to cut you off, but I think also you, you had developed this like interesting underdog story because you didn't have Ian Stewart, you know, and a SD in your court. Like, they gave you, they gave you, you know, a diagram, but they weren't there building it for you. You were figuring this out all on your own. And I think you were one of the early YouTubers that gave people confidence that they maybe they could do it themselves.
Yes.
Right? Like, oh, I could just try this. I could just, you could just do a thing. Like you could just figure it out.
Yeah.
Right. And I. You know, as I mentioned, 46, been doing this for a long time. I feel like in the early world of when I got into cars, and I know this was different in hot Roding, so this isn't new, but like in the late nineties, early two thousands, like everything was kind of bolt-ons. Like turbo kits were still really scary. Like there wasn't management on the level it was at and there wasn't a wealth of knowledge that you could have at your fingertip to learn this. Right? Yeah. You literally were reading books, right? Like I was a Volkswagen kid. There was like the handbook to vw, like water cooled VW modifications or tuning or whatever it was. Yeah. And you know, like that was my Bible, but if it wasn't in there I didn't know how to do it. So like there was a few paths, you and a bunch of other creators who really sort of pushed it without having a lot of support, I think opened up this world of like, hey, you know, you can go do this. But I think you guys also opened up a world of like every car needs a four rotor in it. Yeah. Which
is not the case.
Maybe not really. The case I think has kind of pushed YouTube to this, like what I refer to as like extreme kink world of like if it doesn't, like if the car doesn't have an engine swap, isn't running the suspension from a different vehicle doesn't have like a PDM system. Like all these things, like it doesn't even matter, right? Yeah. Like people don't care about normal builds anymore. Um, but it was interesting because you back to the underdog thing, when you raced the Hoonicorn, first off you had guys. Like myself who were rooting against our own
team
because we, because you had such a good underdog story.
Yeah.
And I think it really amazed everybody. I mean, I remember our, our own, you know, techs and mechanics on the race team were really curious and I think some of 'em were helping you even work on your car. I think
so. As we were cutting parts off.
Yeah. They were like helping you get it like going. Yeah. Because they wanted to go out there and see it. And I think that that was something that was really interesting at that time was like, you built this story of, you know, we wanted to see you win. Even if that meant we had to lose, which was cool. It was super cool. And even Ken was stoked that one run that you beat.
Yeah. Yeah. That, that was, uh,
and we all thought the car was going to explode, but it was still pretty cool.
Yeah. Yeah. That was really neat. It's like, I, I think of myself as kind of like a, a super fan of you guys, but it, I I, it wasn't that I just wanted to, to, to worship what you're doing. I just admired that you guys cut this new path. Like the easiest way for me to say it is, I don't know. What permits, whatever you had to do to get Gymkhana seven made, had to be a nightmare. Like, you're like, I did that. I'm never doing that again. You know, those type of, those type of internal moments. But for me as a viewer, you, you produced art something that hit me very deeply and I, I just wanted to, to be able to stand next to you guys was like a, a not a lifelong dream. Like I'm not gonna make it over the top, but it was just such a like, oh my God, I get to be one of them for a day. You know what I mean? Like, I, I'm just a random dude and what I've done show like, Dahm earned respect, but showed that I, you know, I, I could play at their level for at least one day.
Yeah. I think the big difference between us and you though is we had like a team of like 80 people making that happen. And it was like you and a few of your buds making what you did happen, which is again, your underdog story there, which is funny 'cause we always saw ourselves as like the underdogs against Hollywood and then you're, you kind of, you know, there's always an underdog to an underdog, right? Yeah. But, um, it's actually is a quick little tangent. Gym. Kana seven was generally actually easy to permit. Realizing that Los Angeles is very like. Like they, they're very Hollywood, you know, they, they, they know Hollywood. They, they expect it. They shoot car chase scenes all the time. So that actually wasn't difficult. The hardest part of Gymkhanai was getting access to above the Hollywood sign. And actually we were in the LA River filming when the phone call came through and said, you got it? 'cause they had told us no over and over and over again. And just for Ken and I, we just saw this ending. We're like the Hollywood sign, like the Hollywood sign is this thing. And we didn't even know that there was, there was a road that went up to the Hollywood sign. And the reason is, is 'cause Homeland Security controls that piece of property. 'cause it's one of the only analog antenna and radio systems to speak to the White House. So if satellites went down, it's like one of the few locations that LA has communication out of. So because of that, Homeland Security keeps it like really tied up. And uh, yeah, we were up there and like, I mean, the Homeland Security agents were not cool with us. Like, they were like, if you point a camera this way, like I will shoot you, you're on federal land. And like, okay. And like, I was like waiting for like the smirk. It never came. I was like, Hm, all right. But, uh, but no, we ended up getting access. We had asked a bunch of people and eventually we made a plea to the mayor's office and was like, this is a postcard to the city. How can you not have the Hollywood sign? By the way, you know, you do have to pay a licensing for the Hollywood sign. I think it was like 10,000 bucks. Like we had to pay because the people who own the Hollywood sign. Oh,
just to have it in the shot. Have
it in the shot. Yeah. Okay. But, um, but to get up there and to get into that location for that finishing thing was probably about three and a half months of work. We got told no 10 times. We kept asking, we kept asking. And then mid shoot we were told, yeah, you guys can go film there. And we had to add a day to the shoot to go get it. We had to go raise the money real quickly to figure it out. Yeah. Um, but I think it was great. It makes like for a fantastic ending. It's some of my favorite photos and shots. We did the, you know, the Michael Bay style helicopter wrap. Pierre Vick Berg was, uh, was went and DPD the heli work for that for us. And um, you know, it just gave that classic shot. It's one of the most heroic shots like Ken standing up there, you know, with the donut derelict jacket on, like looking out like at the ender. And it's some of my favorite shots of the H unicorn. It was such an, that was such an amazing, amazing shoot. It's not my favorite film technically, but the unior elevated that film to like a whole other level. Yeah. It was so cool.
The, the intro just, uh, I, I think, you know, to me, uh, and again, this is more as a, as a fan, uh, not a YouTuber. I feel like you, you contributed something to the, the car community, to the world that, you know, it's, it's here, it's, you know, it's, it's outta your hands. You've made it and you've done your part. I feel like, you know what I mean? Like that, that's how, that's. The gravity of that to me.
I appreciate that. Yeah.
And I appreciate that. That's where I feel like I have, that I have my own little one Yeah. That I want, that I wanna contribute as well. And I, I, I, it's not that I wanna pitch you on it, but I do have like, okay, here's what I wanna do with the four rotor. Uh. Blazing my own path, but also still really paying homage to what you guys have done. And, uh, I, I, I think
that's, but you're saying you wanna go make a film with the four rotor? I'm down.
Yes. Yes. We
should do that.
And, and I, I'll go,
Hey, what's up? Here's a quick little story time interruption, brought to you by FCP Euro. The time has come for me to do what I think most middle-aged men do, which is relive my childhood by rebuilding my first car. My first car was a 1995 Volkswagen Golf, but I'm gonna do this one a little bit better. So I got myself a 1995, but this is a Volkswagen Golf synchro. That means it's got a bigger engine. Yeah, it's got that VR six and it's all wheel drive. Unfortunately it is set not running for over 20 years. Yeah, it's a full on barn find because it was a project when it sat so the engine wasn't running. I've got a ton to go through. Luckily, FCP Euro has almost everything I need just to get this thing back on the road first. There's the obvious maintenance stuff, right? All of the fluids, the brakes, the general consumables. But this thing is also just missing parts. Like there were things just not there and then there's all the things that you just want to make better. So I have been spending the last two months just stacking my shopping cart, all the things I'm gonna put in here. And a lot of you have been asking, you know, is there gonna be more than just podcasts? Yeah, there's gonna be more than just podcasts. There's gonna be builds. I'm gonna do 'em a little bit differently. It's gonna be like a build cast, but we'll get into that later. You'll catch one of the first ones here, which will be my synchro built with a ton of stuff from FCP Euro. If you two have an outstanding project just sitting, go to fcp euro.com. Most likely they've got all the parts to get your Euro back on the road. They certainly did for me.
Okay, so here I want, I want not so much just your reaction on, on camera. 'cause I haven't told you what I think I can do to bring one more layer to it. So my thing about the, the way that the, the Gymkhana videos hit me, the first handful was defy, it was defying physics. To me. It was like, I didn't know a car could do that. Right. It wasn't just, okay, it's a stunt. It was just a, what? That doesn't even make, I didn't know a car can change angle.
One of the things Travis was trying, and I always talk about is the reverse entry in Gymkhana practice, which is the first film where he slides backwards around the cone and it just doesn't look possible. Like you had never seen a car do that before, like even in rally racing, not to that level of precision. Yeah. And I don't know if we've ever been able to capture that same shot again, but we've, we've done a lot of other things where you're just like, like, you know, in Detroit with the Hoonicorn just sliding backwards for, you know, 70, 80 feet, you know, wheels going one way, car going the other. Like it feels like the thing you kids do with hot wheels, right? Yes. So,
so here's, here's my, my pitch. There's only one thing I think I can bring to the table that you haven't done.
Okay.
Okay. Uh, imagine. Okay. And this is the opening shot in my mind. I just, I can see it so clearly is close up shot. You see the car, you see, you know, kind of pulls back. You can see a, you know, helmet driver and as you pull back the camera turns 90 degrees and the car is up stuck against the side of an underpass.
Okay. Okay.
I'm
still listening.
Okay. And it. Drops it. That's where it takes off from there.
Oh, so like you're saying, like, so it's pointed down.
No, no, no. It's on its side.
It's on its side.
Yeah. So, so the, you know, we're looking at the car straight on Yeah. Under, you know, roads here, cars like this stuck to the side of the underpass Okay. By itself.
Right.
Nothing else. And then the video starts with it coming down off the wall, drifting and beginning. Okay.
I, I'm down for that. Okay. How do we keep it to the wall?
Well, that's, uh, what this for
this, this dude brought props, like he's Gallagher.
Yes, yes. And we're gonna smash it. Actually, we started, we accidentally broke it already, uh, uh, testing it. That is, uh, not the real four rotor chassis, but this is the proposed final chassis for the four rotor. And, uh, there's so many layers to why we needed to do that. And the biggest thing is the car, the current version of the car is so unsafe. Uh, it's, it's, it, it does exactly what I, when I think of scumbag, I think of the current version of the four rotor.
Yeah.
And so what I've been wanting to do is say, okay, rotaries require so much cooling, so much cooling, that that car would overheat almost immediately doing Lake Pikes peak. And so I thought, okay, well I'm gonna need tons more radiators. Well then that means I'm gonna need more fans. Well, that means I'm gonna need more power draw to, to, to pull this air through the fans. What if I have the fan system. Pull from the ground. Like, okay, well yeah, that's, that's, you know, like a kind of cool idea. I know where
this
is going. And so, uh, that turned into, okay, well let, let's talk to some people. And then they put me in touch with people from Mercury, uh, and, uh, all these other companies I can't name yet. And my wild idea. And quite literally the idea of the car being stuck to the side of wall was one of the design cases for it. I have these XF one engineers all excited that this is such a weird, unique case that the vacuum system for pulling air through the radiators would then also divert to the ground and pull the gar car to the ground. Now, this came from the fact that when Ken and I raced, and then when I did the mm-hmm. The, this versus that afterwards, aside from dialing in the suspension, I have this much power and I can only use this much right on a street launch. And so, you know, no prep, which I, you know, drag racing is cool. It's amazing, but it's not my favorite thing is that how can I get more traction on a normal street? And I was like, well, shit, I might as well just do all of this at once. And, uh, for the last year and a half, I've just kinda set this idea of like, you know, again, just like the, the actual car itself, what if, uh, I divert some of that power that I have access of to pulling a vacuum, uh, as, as needed. And so, uh, it's, it is happening.
You have a beautiful mind, my friend.
So, so, so my idea is that this is my, uh, like I said, is that the, the four rotor to go one last time, instead of anybody saying, oh, well he's just milking it or whatever. Mm-hmm. I want to have like a, a nugget of like, this is, you can call it the four rotor, you can call it something else, but it is, it is my attempt at like, like a hypercar.
So you're gonna carry pieces of the four rotor into this new,
this new vehicle. Yeah. Yeah. So, so the, the most important piece is that, uh, the door frame from the, the stock car still has the VIN number and so does the, the plate right at the front. So the VINs are gonna transfer over, you know, spiritually.
Yeah,
yeah. About that,
uh, that, that thesis ship idea.
Mm-hmm.
Um, so that, that's all that's gonna be left. But because I had to create a new chassis, I was like, okay, what justifies all that extra effort?
Mm-hmm.
Uh, aside from, you know, polishing my ego of saying, oh, cool, I built the cart better. I was like, I need to do something special. And I, one of my favorite memes I saw long ago, and I think it saved me from doing some really stupid stuff. It was a meme of an axe, it was a picture of an axe, and the, the, the blade was made out of wood. And it said, just because you're unique doesn't mean you're useful.
That's a good one.
And I was like. Because you know that's, that's one of the things about YouTube is like try to make something unique.
But yeah. Well, and this is actually a conversation that's like on my list here of things to talk with you about, but I want, we'll pause it, but to get into is, do you build something because it's never been done before and it needs to be built, or you build something just to be different,
right? Oh, I could. Yeah, we could
go right? And like, I think it's a fine line between the two. And I will say I am 100% guilty of both, right? I think we've done things that are like that. Hey, that makes a lot of sense. There was a reason that we went and did that. And then there's other things where you just did it to do it. I mean,
yeah,
I always talk about the Honda Indy truck. Super amazing product. The Honda team was super fun to work with. It was really cool to see it out there. Testing, you know, you know, thermal with the Indy teams. It was kind of a ridiculous thing that we did as a stunt. Like it was a stunt, right? Yeah. Like the, the, the build itself was a stunt. Um, the ro another vehicle that was kind of like a stunt. It didn't make sense. But then there's other things that like, I think that, you know, and this is a random one, but the, the, do you remember Dahm Ford Frightening? We did a, we did like Paul Walker's.
Oh, yep.
Ford Lightning. But it was like a faux lightning, so we called it The Frightening. But that thing came with, um, and we called it Lord Frightening, which is, which I love. I like, I love naming things and like Ford Lightning, Lord Frightening, which is one of my favorite, but we put like a one J or one and a half, jj, I forget it. Which like, just made a lot of sense. Was cooler, sounded better. Like that. That was a, that was a good swap. Made sense.
Yeah.
Uh, anyway, I, I wanna get back to this, this, uh, the whole future of the four wheeler. Yeah. So have you spoken to the guys at, was it
McMurtry?
Yeah. Yeah. Make
the Sterling.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So you've been talking
to him? Yeah. The director of, uh, engineering gave me a lot of, uh, you know, as far as he could even suggesting without an NDA. Yeah. Because their product's not out yet, you know, it's, it's not in customer hands.
Yeah.
And so he said after the customer hand, once it, once that car's Deli starts getting delivered, he goes, I'll tell you everything.
Yeah.
But until then, 'cause you know, a customer can take the car apart.
Yep.
Um, but he was, he was,
I've had some conversations with him too. Yeah. That's why I was wondering.
So, okay. Yeah. Yeah. So he was kind of doing that like, uh, you know, quite frankly, he was like, like, I was like, what about this? He's like.
Right. Okay.
And that, that was, you know, for me, that's all I need.
Yeah.
I, I just need, I need like kind of blinders, uh, otherwise I'm researching weird, weird stuff.
I mean, watching that thing at Goodwood, was it, it felt like ai Yeah. It didn't make sense how fast it was moving. And I'm sure you've seen other clips of it. Yeah. Passing, you know, GTP RX on outside? RXs on the outside. Yeah. Like it's standing still.
I asked him, uh, that, that shot specifically. I'm like, what if, uh, for one of the shots of, of this potential gym Conna video, um, I'm drifting outside of, of a, a, of, of car that's grounded and I'm drifting faster than he can drive the turn. He goes, uh, with, you know what you're looking to do, the car won't get unstuck.
Right.
And so, so I was like, oh yeah, okay. Okay. But I was like, I was like, what if, and, you know, so it was, it's nice that these people are, are helping me. Okay. Yeah. That, that's a, you know, pass fail. Yeah, definitely. This. And so whatever I'm saying I guess is, is legitimate enough to them that they're all helping?
Yeah. I mean, this is crazy 'cause it's definitely lives in this world of what felt like make believe. But if you can create enough pounds of force and suction that is higher than the weight of the car, it should stick. It should stick. It's like that simple.
Yeah. Yeah.
Which is just absolutely wild. I mean, it's the same idea that like a modern day F1 car should be able to go upside down. 'cause it creates more down force. Right. In ways.
Yeah.
Getting it there is always, and I've, I've have sat, I've worked with engineers on trying to do that. I mean, I think this is, I don't even, I don't think anyone ever did it, but I know it's been something we've talked about is like trying to get a car to rotate through a tunnel or something like that. Oh yeah. Like everybody's like, how can we do that?
Yeah.
But an actual suction system makes it so that the car could just sit there.
Right. Yeah. And I'm not even trying to go upside down, uh, which in theory, the, the system I'm designing could, but I don't wanna make that claim. I feel like just being
Yeah, yeah. You go slowly.
Yeah,
yeah, yeah, yeah. In the world of,
yeah,
absolutely absurd.
And so, I mean, it's, it's been incredible. 'cause like I said, is that similar to building the, the car the first time I've gotten enough information that I, I can, I know, I can see the end in insight. And the, the thing that I want to, wanted to say is,
can I just pause you for a second? Yeah. Yeah. Do you realize how ridiculous of a statement this is? That the end in sight is a four rotor, FDRX seven all wheel drive that has a vacuum system that can adhere it to a 90 degree wall. Like that is not normal, Rob.
No.
Like, that's just not a normal goal for people. But I applaud you.
Thank you, thank you. It's, it's, it's my, it's what I think I can do. And like I said, going back to that, that ax is that I think, I think I can produce something of value and it, it just really, this is what I wanted to ask you about is, and you've almost answered it, but is this is my magnum opus. This, this car is, I, it's not what I want to be known for. It's what I want to see brought to life.
It is what you're known for.
Yeah. Yeah.
Like, at least the previous version of
it. Yeah. Yeah. And so that's what I was gonna ask you. Out of all the things, you know, not, you're not the behind the scenes guy from Hoonigan, but you're also, I always felt like who strung it all together. And obviously it's a team and all that, but, uh, what, what. Would you say a, has been your magnum opus that you've created, and b, is, does that align with what you've wanted to be known for?
Um, that's a really interesting question. Um, yeah. I would say, like for me, the, you know, Hoonigan is itself and sort of the cult of Hoonigan, I think is probably the thing I'm, I'm most proud of, right? And, and that is all these different things that come together. So yes, it's the content we created. It's the people that I assembled to become this amazing crew, right? And like, realize a lot of those people, especially the ones who were the biggest names, were not hired to be talent, right? Hert was not hired to be talent. Vinny was not hired to be talent, right? None of these guys, you know, were hired to be talent. It wasn't until later on that we realized when we brought in people like soupy were like, Hey, has to, you know, they have to be on camera. Um, that you start thinking about that. Um, but in the early days it was, no, we were just making this brand, building this thing. And I think, um. The fact that it transcended to this moment where Hoonigan was sort of this defining thing of a culture seemed really cool to me. There was never the expectation, like we wanted to build a brand. That brand was gonna have multiple arms. One of them was obviously going to be, um, you know, apparel. And that was really the money moneymaking side of it, at least early on. Um, the, the media business was to support the apparel business, right? Like that was the original, the original math of it. Yeah. Um, yeah, I mean, real quickly, um. We launched Hoonigan at Zoomies. Right. So we were the first automotive brand at Zoomies. Now it's crazy because one of the number, like I was talking to someone the other day who works at Zoomies and they said, you know, top selling product now is automotive.
Yeah.
But when we went in there, they told us, what are you crazy? Like this is a skate and surf shop. Like we don't sell car stuff. And they told us that the only reason they were even taking the meeting was because they owed it to Ken because of, you know, how much business they had done with DC over the years. And they were about to kick us out of the room and, you know, done with it. And I mentioned something about tattoos and the guy was like, there is no way in hell this guy named Gym Bobby. He's like, there's no way in hell that this brand is like less than two years old and people are tattooing it to themselves. And I said, go on Instagram. And Instagram was like seven months old at this point. Yeah. I said, just search the hashtag Hoonigan tattoos. And there was like 40 or 50 tattoos there. And he said, all right, let's put it in order. Because they, to him, he said this and not, and later on he said, it wasn't just the tattoos, he said, the guys wearing the tattoos were wearing other clothes in our space. And I realized that you were living in our space. You were living amongst skateboarders and, and BMXers and snowboarders in this space. But you guys were in, in this car world and. We went, we did that and we did a 40 door test, and then we went to all 600 doors in a month and all of a sudden we had to promote it. And that's what built the media business. It was like, well, the best way to like, we're not gonna go spend advertising money, which is go make our own stuff. And next thing you know, we had a YouTube. And then the YouTube channel ended up becoming bigger, not the channel, but the partnerships from that ended up being bigger than the business that we created. Wow. That's cool. We'd created from that. So like for me, I think all of those pieces that just kind of came together and, and to sit there and say, you know, and I. I have a very complex relationship with Hoonigan as a brand today. 'cause one I obviously left and things changed and things went different ways. But like, I will always love the Hoonigan that we built. Right? Yeah. Like, it was so much fun. It was so cool. And to create something that other people say had like a major impact for them is cool. Yeah, right. Like it's just, it's, it's really neat and uh, so for me, I would say that that's one of 'em. Um, I think another one though for me is like my era in the gym, Kana films as I got more and more involved, which really started around Gymkhana five. Okay. So gym, like up to gym. Kana five. I was very much a consultant. I was helping, but like, I wasn't leading gym Five is when I came in and I got to lead. So like I have a lot of pride around the gym. Five, all the way through the last film I just did with Travis, because I got more and more and more in control and more and more involved. And it became, and Ken, you know, really gave me room to do that. Ken and also Ben Conrad, who was the early director. Like, they really just let me be like, you wanna be a director? Like go be a director. Right. So I, I think those are, are those pieces too, for me, it's, none of my car builds. I like, I, I enjoy building cars, but I don't think any of my cars are that cool. My Quatro iss pretty cool. Maybe my Nova, but like, that's not my thing. Like, my thing is telling stories and, and making that so, and building brands. So yeah, I think that's it. I, the, the other day a friend of mine texted me, I hadn't, I hadn't heard from her in a really long time and she said she went to a. She went to, uh, a birthday party for a young kid. She bought them, uh, like a Subaru rally car as a present. And one of the guys there, you know, was like, what do you know about rally racing? And she's like, oh, you know, she started like explaining her relationship. You know, me and Ken, she knew us. And, and the guy didn't, it didn't click at first. 'cause like, I don't think she said last name. She was just like, yeah, my friend Brian, my friend Ken, blah blah, blah, blah, blah. And at some point he's like, oh, what was the company named? And she's like, oh, it was called Hoonigan. He's like, wait, are you kidding me? And like, that's just this thing. I love that we built this thing that like, in some random space, you know? Yeah. Someone elseDahms like, oh yeah, I've heard of that. And you know, Humphrey said on, on this pod that, you know, we got, we transcended to a point where like, just the Hoonigan sticker identified the kind of person you were. You didn't have to know about Gymkhana, you didn't have to know about the YouTube videos. Like, it became like a real brand and, and like went and did that thing. So, I don't know, it, it's a weird one for me 'cause I don't feel like I'm at the same, I don't feel like I'm done, but I, I, as I'm older, I very much have this thought, especially like after having a child and you start to realize, like, you are like, the most important thing I've ever done in my life is my kid. Like, that's, that's like really cool. And like, I really love that. And you're willing to give up more. And I've, I've said this and it may be a bit more of it, but like, you know, if I was to be sitting on my deathbed tonight, I don't think I would sit there and go, I wish I did more in the, in the automotive space. Like, I know that's, I've done a lot.
Yeah.
Right. Like, I know I've gotten a, from being a journalist to being a filmmaker, to helping create brands to, you know, creating. Events to all these different things to be involved in builds like the Hoonicorn and, and all of that. Um, I've gotten to do such amazing stuff. So like, if it all had to stop today, I think there's probably other things in my life I would've preferred to do, like work on my own projects and do a little more tractoring and, you know, and, and obviously more and more family time and catching up with old friends and things like that. Um, there's a lot of other stuff, but you know, you don't know if you're gonna go tomorrow. So like, I still wanna do other stuff. Like, I think for me, I've said this to the point that I think people who listen to the show are probably sick of hearing it. Like, my goal, like my, the thing I want to do is I wanna be involved in a big Hollywood film that has an amazing chase scene in it that is of my brain.
That's cool.
That's where like, I would really love to go do, and obviously it was fun to work on the project with Ang and Drifter, but I, I really would love to go and really kind of like own not even a car movie. I wanna make a chase scene for like an action film, right? 'cause that's what made me love that I Ronan one of my favorite movies. Like, I want to go do that. Like the New Heat is being, is in production now. I'd love to be able to That's funny. The secondary director. Yeah. For like a Car chase moment in that. Like tho I love those kind of films being able to do that, that, so that's goal, but at the same time, like, man, I don't know, I've been. Super privileged to get to do like all this super cool stuff. Yeah. And be a part of something that I, you know, ha will have a lasting, you know, at least a footnote in the history of car culture. Right. And whether that's Hoonigan as a brand or the stuff I was able to help Ken do and, you know, Gymkhana be able to make that come to life. So, yeah. I don't know, man. I never really thought about it, like narrowing it down as that, as that one thing. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, what do you think is the one thing I'm most known for? Y
yeah, I, I mean I, I think, how would I word this? It's not that I'm wording it carefully, it's that I Hoonigan required both you and Ken. Mm-hmm. You know, obviously. Yeah, yeah, for sure. But like, it wouldn't have happened without you and whether it's a perfect storm or whatnot. Yeah. Um, I, I just, that's, that's where, when I remember watching the videos and going, okay, he's driving like you, that's the person that's, that's the, the, the, the lead singer, but there's somebody putting it all together. That was my thought. Somebody orchestrated this and, and obviously Ken still had a huge part in that too. Yeah. But I knew that there was somebody else and that, that was before you guys had really, I mean that was,
so if we were Motley Crewe, he was Vince Neal, I was Nick six and Hert was Tommy Lee. I don't know who was m Mick Mars. Okay. But yeah. Um, no, I look, it's um. Yeah, there was one of the really interesting things about the brand was that we lived on really, really far spectrums and Ken allowed that. So there was an audience that only knew Ken and that's what they were there for, for the Gym Conna films. And then there was an audience that actually didn't like Ken and was there for shit car. And like the fact that we could own both of those was, was interesting. Yeah. Right. And you know, I think everyone, I think sort of the whole scene has come around. There's obviously a much greater fondness for the memory of Ken, but there was certainly this period of time where like everyone felt like Ken was oversaturated and other Gym Kahana and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And I think the Drift community was really sick and tired of people calling Ken the best drifter in the world. Ken didn't refer to himself as that. He didn't see himself as that. But there was a little bit of a backlash to that. And I, in year one, um, it was the end of the year and we really were focusing on drifting. We hadn't done much in rally because early on Ken and I said, you know. We could go and do this in our space, and if it's successful, it just proves that we have a chem block licensing company. But if we could go do it somewhere else, it proves that this brand could have a life beyond Ken. That's cool. Yeah, and that's very important. So we purposely looked at drifting and that community went after it. At the end of the year, Ken had won an event and we posted something, you know, celebrating that Ken had won and somebody replied, uh, I don't understand why you guys sponsor that. No Talent Ask Clown. And I I screen grabbed it.
Yes. Yep.
And I sent it to Ken and I said, we're winning. Because if someone could think that about you and but still love the brand, it's like we're we have, we are speaking to a enough of a, you know, broad enough audience, right? And then we strategically looked at the space and said, okay, we wanna go after offer it. We're gonna go talk with people and offer it. Obviously that was BJ Baldwin in relationships like that. And then we wanted to get into more into muscle cars. And I was like, I'm just gonna build my own car, which was the Napalm Nova and do more stuff in that space personally, because there wasn't really like a particular person or ambassador. And actually in a weird way, that power tour doing all of that is sort of what led us into the YouTube world because then we started to become more aware of like the people like you or Mighty Car Mods or guys who were in the YouTube space, building cars and sort of building celebrity around nothing versus like taking an athlete who was already established, who was winning, who was sponsored, and using them as the spokesperson. 'cause if you think about the Hoonigan model. We started, and I feel like every podcast devolves into me talking about Hoonigan on some level. But, um, we went from, Ken Block was our, was like our hero person, and Ryan Turk and Chris Forsberg and, you know, Vaughn Gitten in the early year. And, you know, Tony Angel, all these drivers were involved with BJ Baldwin, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. I mean, the list goes on Leah Pruitt. I mean, we had so many drivers, um, involved and then all of a sudden it became about the guys who worked in the building.
Yeah. Yeah.
And it completely shifted. I mean, 20 16, 20 17, that shift came. And now it was, you know, the Hertz, the Vinnies, the Rons, the Gary's, the Dans, you know, the Darnal, the, the Soupies. Like all these guys who were just normal people. Yeah. They were very normal people who, who we realized that that's what the audience wanted. And that was fun. It was like fun to make that transition and, and to go about it and, uh, and do it a different way. Anyway, I don't even know if I'm answering your
question. No, that a hundred percent 'cause it, because it, it feels like for me, I am forced, uh, whether it's myself forcing it or whatnot. IFI feel like I'm forced to do the opposite is that I wanna at least briefly touch the, the scoreboard. Mm-hmm. And, and be the hero for a moment. Not so much for myself, me racing Ken. I already won. Like in the, in the sense of like to be there, just pulling up
the line.
Yeah, exactly. I get to be
recognized by it
all. Yeah. Yeah. You know what I mean? Like that for me. Being at Pikes Peak, I already, I'm, I'm one of the Pikes Peak drivers. It doesn't matter what time I run.
Yep.
Um, but then there's my fans that wanna see me win. They have emotional vested interest, and they think that by being first or by being whatever it means that I, you know, I've won and I, I wanna win something for them. I wanna be that hero. Um, that they, they think I am. Yeah. Not, not just who I think I am. I, I don't care about that, but I, I, I want them, I want, I wanna win it for, for them type of thing. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And that's where like, I, I, I feel like, okay, the four rotor. Uh, is a result of all of my learning, all of the, these years of Okay. Everything I've put together, nobody else is ever gonna build a car like that. And I don't mean like the Hoonicorn as in a rotary. Yeah. It's just there's no reason. Uh, not that they can't, um, but I want to showcase, I mean,
mad Mike might.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. But you know what I mean? Like it in the sense of like, it's just business wise, it's not worth it. It's more the approach. And so I just wanna,
there's a similarity here. 'cause like, you could argue that Businesswise, the Gymkhana films didn't make sense.
Yeah, yeah.
Right. Like the amount of effort and time that went into them, they were a loss leader, you know?
Yeah.
And it's the same for you.
Yep. Yeah. And so that's where I want to, I want to have this thing dance and, and show that one of us, one of one of the normal guys could be briefly, you know, the Ken type of feel. Mm-hmm. Not replacing him or anything like that. Just that Okay. If you put enough effort into it. You can build the car and you can improve your driving skills and then do the thing like, you know, you can live in that moment for, you know, just, just that one time. And that's, that's I think what for me, you know, even coming here and hanging out with you is th this has culminated my life for doing that, is that I never wanted to be the driver. In fact, I didn't even wanna drive my car at Pike's Peak. Uh, when I went, uh, the guy, David Donner mm-hmm. I rode with him and he did the
Donner's great, by the way.
Awesome guy.
He's so, yeah. Fantastic shoe.
Yeah. And so he, uh, I rode with him for Top Gear and he did the, um, production Porsche.
Mm-hmm.
And, uh, I was like, Hey, I would be honored if you would drive, help me by driving the four roader up Pikes Peak someday. And he goes, no, no, basically, fuck that. Yeah, you, you put that much effort into your own car, you need to be the one driving it up the mountain. And it, like he said it in, in, in such a way that made me think that that's exactly how he said it. Right. It was like a, whoa, I, like most people would love to drive a car that's not theirs. Right. And he's like, no, that's gotta be you. And, uh, that's where all the, the Okay. Well then I think that if I can, if a guy can like me, can randomly become a builder, can I become a Dahmver? Uh,
does that concern you, that you'll let down the build? Because you're not a driver, right? Right. Like you've, you've done more driving than I have on a professional level, so you're more of a driver than I am. But you are not a trained shoe.
No.
Do you, was that like a worry for you? That like you would be the failing part of the car?
Yeah. Yeah. Especially the three rotor at Pikes Peak. Um, I, I, I, what's funny is the audience thinks that my driving is the weakest part of my program.
Mm-hmm.
Uh, when I, you know, whatever you call it. Okay. But, uh, the, what, what I'm getting to is. All the problems I had on race day were all mechanical problems. Right. So one of, one of my thoughts was, you know that, okay, look at my biggest risk, which is me as a driver, and if I overbuild the car, I can drive the car 80%. And the combination of the two
mm-hmm.
Still wins a race or breaks the record, which it, the first year, first attempt, you know, the fastest RX seven, which is, you know, an arbitrary goal, but it still accounts for something, uh, to the audience. The audience sees it as okay that Rob can drive. Mm-hmm. Even though I, you know, that's a diminishing returns thing. You know, you're gonna get really good quickly, as long as you're competent as a driver, and then it just slightly a little bit faster, you know?
Yeah.
And I don't, I don't care about that little bit.
And it's a world that's one in the tenths. Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah. And, uh, that's where I think the whole concept of the Gymkhana, or even drifting appeals to me is that that's more of an art. Mm-hmm. It's still a lot of technical ability, but it, it's not one in 10th of seconds.
Yeah.
You know,
and I hate to say it, but it's probably more people would watch it.
Yeah.
Right. Yeah. Like at the end of the day, racing is a rather small section of the audience, especially if it's not Formula One now or something. Right. You know? Yeah. So the amount of people who are really paying attention to that versus like, they just wanna see a spectacle.
Yeah. Like, I know. If I push it hard enough, the three rotor can break 10 minutes. Uh, at Pikes Peak. At Pikes Peak. But if, if I do it in the four rotor, it's a sub 10 minute car. That's a, that's a, a sound bit. But if it's a nine minute car, it doesn't, it doesn't make any difference to the audience, to be honest.
Right.
You know, to us or to, you know, not even me. I wouldn't have even known is that fast, you know?
Yeah.
Yeah. And that's unfortunate about, you know, grip based tarmac driving. But, uh, that's where it was like, okay, if I can overbuild this car and then use it to learn how to, you know, do what you guys did, then uh, you know, the car can withhold or, you know, handle the abuse of driving it poorly. That was always like my intention. Mm-hmm. And so that was why the, the current version of the car is a tank and uses off-road suspension type like, uh, linkage because I've never broken anything on it. And, you know, had I broken any one part of that car, not the hood, but had, had the cars not made the runs, that's a, that's a failure.
Right.
When the hood fell off, I was so excited. 'cause I knew that that episode was in the can. I knew at that moment I didn't have to do anything else. When that hood flew off, I was like, did it, this is gonna be a great episode.
Like that episode almost felt scripted. It,
it, it really,
it almost felt scripted because like one losing a hood on a Hoonigan episode. 'cause we became notorious with losing hoods. Not just Hert, but all of us. Yeah. Um, won that, but also just. The, the way you won, like the back and forth. Yeah. Like it was, it was just really good. I gotta go back and rewatch it. That was a good episode.
Yeah. Yeah. That one, that one seems, uh, almost impossible. And it's funny 'cause people, you know, I went on a a a a TV show that hasn't aired, and they were like, can you do the thing where you lost the hood on, on, uh, Hoonigan? I'm like, I didn't do the thing. That wasn't a thing. I like SI didn't weaken the hood. You know, that
Can you do the thing?
Yeah.
This is the problem with television shows. Yeah. This is why I want to get into that space.
Yeah. But you know what's really funny? I ended up blowing the rear glass out of the car, uh, drag racing as Sena. I beat him big time. Yeah. But it, it parachuted the back glass out at, uh, at lu, uh, Las Vegas Speedway and, uh, shot 30, 40 feet up in the air. And so I did the thing.
You did the thing. Just,
it's just my thing.
It wasn't planned.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So, but, but yeah, so that, that, yeah. The, I I feel like at this point I, I've got enough awareness to know how to become a better driver or to drive the car the way it needs to be done. Um, I won't ever be the, the guy hitting that curb edge and, you know, executing it perfectly. But I think that, that, that's where my, like vision for what I could do for a, like a Gym Kna video would be unique. That the part of it is the personality of this, you know, like the humor of, you know, one of my favorite things is showing my mess ups.
Right.
And I think that that could actually be incorporated into, into the video. 'cause God knows what's gonna happen.
Okay. So if we were gonna do a. Gymkhana like video. Obviously I don't, I don't control that name anymore, so I can't actually say if it's gonna be a Gymkhana not, but a Gymkhana esque kind of video. Would you do the driving?
I would, that's the thing is that even the idea of me doing some of it and say I can't accomplish something, throwing the keys to somebody else is all within the, like the, the, the character of what I do.
Right. Okay.
You know, but I would like, some of the ideas I've got are that the, you know, the fan system coming out the back, it produces about 50 pounds of thrust, which isn't enough to, it's enough to push the car, but not enough to like
mm-hmm.
But I have it where I can torque vector that. And so imagine with all the tire smoke, having the, the smoke being shot out in different ways. Mm. Just the theatrics of that type of stuff. Uh, much less modulating the fan and mm-hmm. Whatever that would create. Um, that's all stuff that doesn't require a 10 10th driver. Mm-hmm. It's, you're, it's really the car doing the, the wild, you know, part. And so, um, you know, that type of stuff I would love to, I I'm gonna do either way, you know what I mean? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Um, but yeah.
When do you think this will be done? I'm gonna, I just wanna pencil it in my
calendar, right? Yeah. So, um, that's why I brought this is, um, we're getting the final chassis stress tested and approved, um, for all the different things that we want to do it for.
How much space does that take up? And I, I imagine it runs on a battery, so you've got a major battery you need to include now. Yeah. So, so you're adding a lot of weight.
Uh, surprisingly the battery system I wanna run is about 60 pounds.
Oh, that's not bad at all.
No. And, uh, the motors are 15, 20 pounds.
Yeah. That, and that creates that much suction.
Yeah. Yeah. The, the fan itself is about 12 inch, you know, turbine mm-hmm. Type thing. Mm-hmm. Um, and then the, the whole bottom of the car is being designed so that way I can change it, um, as I learn how to do a proper Right. Vacuum system, you know?
Do you think this'll be something that we see more in motorsport? Do you think we'll see, like leaving traditional downforce for this?
No, I abs I, I think this is boutique.
Okay.
Um, partially because the way to do it properly requires something touching the ground. You know, the, the, the McMurtry, it's not even from them, but you can see it's, it's some sort of ceramic plate that rides so it doesn't damage the ground. Mm-hmm. And so I'm sure, you know, the guys at Pikes Peak wouldn't want something screwing up the road got, so that's already like a uncomfortable piece. Um, and they, they focus more on the suction, not the flow where I'm trying to do both. I'm trying to flow air through the radiators and, and then also do the suction. So that's my interesting twist on it, uh, from the engineering standpoint. Uh, but I don't think I, what, what I want to try is having it where, okay, the car has a very low flat bottom that might scrape, uh, but pull the air from under there without any skirting, without any, that sort of stuff. And that will still generate down force. Mm-hmm. It won't be enough to hold it upside down, but that might be significant enough to Okay. I, I don't have to deal with a consumable bottom of the car.
Right.
And that would be interesting. I think that that would, that, that's where that's at. But, um. I think it's too, uh, it's too wild west. I don't think it'll be easy to tame to make it a, a racing thing. I think, I think it's just a, a fringe personal opinion.
I mean, I, I think all, when that car was first announced, I think everyone looked at it as a gimmick, and then people looked at the numbers and then people saw it completely upset here, our cars. And I think it put a big question out there of like, is this what the future of racing could look like? Um, it's interesting.
Yeah. I, I think it's just, uh, it's, it's extremely, I already know it's gonna be extremely uncomfortable to drive. Mm-hmm. It's gonna be very violent.
Yeah,
yeah. You know, and that I think producing three Gs of lateral force, you're already at, uh, you know, you're gonna have to wear like a F 22 flight suit or something. So
the, the hot take for me is, I actually think the opposite is what the future of motorsports needs. I think it needs less down force. I think it needs cars that slide and are slippy again and are hard to drive. Like, that's why I love rally racing, because I think that's, I think, I think at a certain point people don't really care how fast the car is going. I think that that was this key moment in NASCAR and in Indy where you're talking 200, you know, plus miles an hour and how crazy that is.
Yeah.
And then eventually it all looks the same and it doesn't get more exciting. Yeah. Like the difference between 190 miles an hour and 230 miles an hour is negligible on the camera.
Right.
But a car sliding sideways into a corner is like very, very, very tangible. Yes. Like, you're like, yeah, I can see, I can see and feel that like I, that's there, you know, and
that's exactly why I think I'm one of the villains of that chase for YouTube stuff in the, in the, in, in the sense of like chasing the, the superlative, you know, amount of horsepower. It becomes un unrelatable.
Mm-hmm.
First of all. And that's, that's why like, uh, I, I get very careful when, okay, the four-wheeler is my, my dream car, but to build another wild project that, that's not, that's not, um. How do I word this? That's not the goal, because what's gonna happen is it become unrelatable. It's not my passion, it's just a wild, fast car and, and nobody cares. So I hate that we've gotten away from me racing my brother with 14 pounds of boost on a two rotor, which is like whatever, 400 horsepower, light to light. And you have that boost at 3000 Rrp m and man, you know, versus now I pull a car in the garage and it's, you know, 1500 horsepower and it, it, you know, it just doesn't, it's not as fun, you know what I mean? And I think, uh, when you're, so when you said that, you know, something slipping more, I also think that, uh, it's just more fun to build like those like ship box level, you know, project cars.
So we've been teasing this conversation, the whole show.
Yeah.
Do you think we yourself included in this and like some of the early YouTubers who were like really pushing to get more and more views did a disservice to the sort of emerging car community to make everyone think that like every car needs a thousand horsepower. Every car needs an engine swap, every car needs like crazy body work and, you know, flares and all of this. Um. To be considered cool. Like, do you think that that's happened? Do you, and because I do think, I think it would be very hard for you to go back and do what you did again on YouTube now, like your grandfathered in Yeah, yeah, yeah. I always say this with the Gymkhana films. You couldn't do a Gymkhana film today. It's not how the way YouTube's built. No. Or they still work because their grandfathered in.
Yes.
You know, it's like if we were go do something and it wasn't gonna be a Gymkhana, we'd have to find a different home for it because it's just not single one-offs don't work. But I also think the simple journey, like the classic vlog doesn't work as well anymore.
Mm-hmm.
Like, people don't wanna watch you just get a stock FDR seven up and running. Again,
like I said, I, I think that there's somebody out there that's better than me at all. The things better at technically better presenter, uh, better looking, you know what I mean? Would've, would've
won the bachelorette,
would've would've at least made it one episode. Uh, but that poor person, that that path for them to building a three or four rotor, an all-wheel drive, four rotor is gone. It it just because you've already done it, it's already been done. Not that I did it good. It's just been done. And that's what the perception is. And then people in that are from that era that have stuck through it have to keep upping the ante.
Mm-hmm.
To stay relevant. Uh, because I personally would love to dial in the three rotor more and more and more and make it just this absolute, you know, topnotch every bolt perfect type of, of weapon, but. The criticism I get is so unaware of what it, what, uh, it actually takes to stay in YouTube is that a lot of people are like, oh dude, you, you're bouncing around. You're doing like everything. 80%. I'm like, the problem is to be able to do what I'm doing, you have to do it 80%. Especially if you're like me. You have to deal with your own personality. Unique weirdness. It's not just, oh, corporately, I need to do this, this, and this, and here's the strategy. Make sure I get this right. You know, I, I have to do what is interesting to me to make the content genuine. 'cause I'm not gonna make disingenuous content and to pay the bills I, and do what I wanna do. I also have to keep doubling down, you know, passing to the next guy, you know? And that's, I think, like you said, I think that that's creating this weird, partially saturated market and then grandfathering in, and I don't know, I've struggled with that for quite a bit.
Yeah, I mean, look, I, I talked to a bunch of people about how YouTube and just one, like the algorithm that is YouTube, two, the audience that is YouTube and like sort of this competition between different creators, but also three, the storytelling, whether it's YouTube, television or whatever, has changed the way that a lot of people build cars. So, for example, when I was younger, if you were gonna build a car, you, you know, you'd sort all your parts, you'd get everything sorted, and then you'd get the car painted and then you'd assemble it. Right.
Yeah. Wow.
You know what I'm saying? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Now you would
be, I forgot that that's how it was done.
Right. Because like why would you do it twice?
Yeah.
Like if you have a lot of money, you can like dry, build the car, take it apart, and put it back together again. Yeah. And like that's how you build race cars. But, and then you realize, but that doesn't work for television or for YouTube because the color reveal, the finished look Yeah. Is such an important thing that that's like the last episode. You know, like that has to be last. So you have to put that last, so you literally do it different. You do it opposite. You build the whole car and you're like, okay, now let's pull the engine back outta the car. Let's pull all this out because we have to go paint it. And you know, that's just a small example of these things that you do. And you know, we all know this. 10% of the build, which is the final 10% is 90% of the time. Yes. Like getting the car to look good for thumbnails and look good for episodes goes pretty smoothly. It's fig. It's figuring out that last 10%, the wiring, the plumbing, the weird issues, the why these things don't speak to each other. You know, all the things that get more and more complicated is builds get more and more complicated. That's the part that one takes the longest amount of time and is least interesting on camera.
Yeah. Yeah. And you know what, that's something that I fight against, um, and I pay the price for that. Yeah. Is that the audience claims that they wanna see more detail on that. Uh, and my audience does see more detail on it, but they don't watch it as much as the more interesting like quick Right. Dopamine hits.
Well that's because it's the vocal minority that's telling you, yeah. You want that. It's the person who doesn't tell you what they want.
So one of the things I've thought about, one of the things I've thought about doing, uh, and I've got proof that it'll work for myself is I've wanted to get to a phase where I've done the thing and then I make all the reference videos about how to do it. For example, I have a wiring video about motor sports wiring and it's got over a million views and it's two hours long and it is one of my favorite videos I ever made. It took forever to produce. It's one of my most produced videos. Mm-hmm. You know, scripted in the sense of like. Uh, I'm not just rambling,
right?
Uh, and, uh, you know, start to finish, you see the payoff and you learn how to do it, uh, at the highest level that you can as deep as possible, also within two hours.
Right.
Um, and so I'm proud of that video and that's one of the things that I want to like, give to the world once I've, you know, gotten where I want to go. It's just keep making, here's my ultimate guide to this. Here's my ultimate guide to that. Um, regardless of views or anything like that, that's something I feel like I want, uh, the result of a lot of my work.
Mm-hmm.
Um, I, every day, to me YouTube feels like it's over. Right? Every, every day for the, since whatever 20, I think I started really taking it serious in 2014. Uh, it's always like tomorrow's like, ah, well that, yeah, that was a good run. That was a good run. Um, and I, I think if you look at my videos and you thumb thumbnails titles and video series and timing, you notice I've left so much on the table. Mm-hmm. I don't chase the, uh, you know, the audience loves Okay. You know, this week there's this next week, there's that, that they, they've emotion the people want that. Like, okay, what, what's Rob gotten done in the next week? Right. And I mean, I, I am so sporadic.
I'm so, and those are the people who are plugged into your journey. Yes. And like, they like the story of watching you progress.
Yeah, yeah. Yeah. And, and I don't even take care of them, you know, because what, what like learn like when I bought all those coss, I'm like, shit, I need to sell some of these, but I don't, I can't in good faith sell any of them 'cause I don't know what they are. So then I had to tear one apart. And, you know, that was more of a business thing, like, okay, mm-hmm. To get this in, this stuff's, my shop is completely full. Or even designing this chassis, it took a month to get to this point, even though I've already had the car built, you know, the previous version of the car. It's just the amount of like effort that goes into that, um, doesn't pay off from a YouTube standpoint. Showing, watching screen grabs of, of me designing something is worth a couple seconds, you know? Really. Right.
Yeah. Yeah.
And so that's the, that's the part I'm struggling with right now that ties into what you're asking is, uh, the more nerdy the thing is that I care about or like what gets me excited is so specific that I see the audience saying, oh, you know, you look, the, the comments are almost exactly like, oh, you look excited. I don't understand what you're saying, but it sounds cool. And I'm like, okay, that's, that's a red flag for me to scale back what I'm doing because just 'cause I think it's exciting doesn't mean it's the best content. Uh, and that's really been my guiding force, my driving, like deciding factor, not content. What do I have to build to get the, the, the title and thumbnail I'm looking for?
Yeah. Yeah.
And I really, I really should do both. Um. Because I think the core audience understands that I'm not doing it for that reason, but I still need to take care of the, I'm telling a story and I'm, I'm, I'm only telling bits and pieces in a very A DHD way. And I don't think that's fair to the viewers.
I was actually gonna ask you, do you think you have a d adhd?
Oh, yeah. Oh yeah. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. I think
that's why we always plug in well, together.
Yeah. Long, long ago. Yeah. It's, it's definitely, uh, the problem is, like I said, is that when you, when you don't have a team, um, even if you have a handful of people helping out, it's still not really a team. They're just coming, coming and go. It really showcases your personality weirdness, you know? Yeah, yeah. For sure.
You just embrace it.
Yeah. It's just, it's just who I am.
Yeah.
Uh, and my strengths and my weaknesses are basically the exact same thing, you know? Yeah.
Do you edit your own stuff?
Um, I haven't in the last three, four years. Okay. Um, but, uh, uh, Joel has been like, that's the only person I have that's like full-time, is my guy editing. Um, and, and really, if anything, he's just keeping me on task because he'll be like, dude, we, you know, we have a, we have an ad. I, the funny thing is I'll take ads like, uh, you know, a G one and keeps those, those brands, um. That's the only way I release a video is because they need a video. You know? They're like, Hey, where's, where's the uh, one
from
February? Yeah,
I know, I know. It's, it's a tough thing and I think it's a part of the business that people don't talk about a lot, which is like the reason to put content out sometimes is because you owe something, whether you owe it to the audience or you owe it to a partner or whatever. Because I think when you have a DHD, you need those kind of deadlines. That's to force you to the moment, Hey, what's up? I figured you needed a break and during that break I was gonna keep talking to, are you curious about some of these random parts that I have sitting around myDahmuse, like these itbs or this custom cut from billet GTI steering wheel Well? This is the kind of stuff that I talk about on my Patreon. That's right. If you want more podcasts, but also just the kind of stuff that would never do well here on YouTube. Go check out Patreon. That's what it's for, to force you to the moment.
I, I'm thankful, obviously the, the financial aspect's amazing. Yeah. But I'm thankful that they forced me to release content. 'cause I am, I've, you, anybody listening to this that has talked to me as a, as a close friend is always like, dude, just release the video. It's good. It like, like, you know, I just, I'm like, it's not, it's not there. You know, I'm, I'm still trying to, I don't, I can't talk about this because I'm not, I don't know enough. Yep. Like the, and uh, that was one of the best parts about the building, the four rotor, is I didn't know what I didn't know. So here's just me discovering these things that I know there are so many people are now friends that are, we're like, oh God, he's, he's building that control arm wrong. He's gonna get himself killed. And I don't know any better, right? But that's the entertainment to the majority of people. And now I have to be careful not to make the videos just for that one guy that, that, uh, is watching. That's a really good driver at Pikes Peak and goes, oh, that's wrong. What you're doing is wrong. I, I wanna make the video. So everybody sees me as a subject matter expert, but that's not entertaining. And, and that's, there's a weird balance I have to do with like, trying to capture that first moment I learned something without. Looking stupid. Um, but also being, you know, honest, Hey, this is really how, how I thought it would work the first time and I was wrong.
You know, I think that'd actually be a really interesting series from you. Is like what I know now. And you go back and look at the stuff you've done and bringing in, you know, other experts in the space to kind of like review some of that stuff with you and be like,
yeah,
yeah man, you sh like, that was horrible. Why would you do that? You know,
KaGyma the first time. Yeah. KaGyma is a great, I brought, brought him over to the shop.
He's very honest.
Yeah. Yeah. He, uh, instantly fell in love with, with his personality and he's so dry and whatnot. Mm-hmm. But, but I love it so much. We were, we're like buddies. Like we, like we're PRI drinking buddies. Mm-hmm. But, uh, when I was getting ready, remember when I went to come to this versus that, actually the first two times I've gone to this versus that, I had massive catastrophic failures. First the Diablo got impounded by the police.
I forgot about that.
Yeah.
Was it 'cause you didn't have plates on it or something?
I, I was doing, uh, I, I had a theory and I, my own, I broke my own rules, which is don't do something illegal while doing something illegal.
Yeah. Okay.
And so I doubled down and that's, I was, I was doing about 120, not 'cause I was in a hurry.
Right.
Just that car I just loved. Yeah, yeah,
yeah. I get it.
And then, uh, my plate was expired. Uh, and it was from Michigan. And I had done this thing in Michigan where I could transfer the plate from my Honda Insight to the Diablo. Uh, and so it came back to the wrong car, even though I had proof of insurance and proof of, uh, registration and all that. But it was just expired. Uh, the cop knew me from YouTube. He's like, it's been in California for too long. Uh, you're not bringing out of impound until it's got a California registration. So that was the first time. And the second time I blew both drive shafts getting ready to race Ken.
Yeah.
And, you know, that was, that was one of the worst nights of my life. But the reason I mentioned that is KaGyma came over to help me dial in the suspension that night. And as soon as he walks up to the car, he looks the front, he looks into the, under the hood. Well, there was no hood, but he looked under and he goes, uh, your suspension's in falling rate, whoever designed, that's an idiot. And it was me. And I was like, don't, don't cry. It's me. Don't cry. Yeah. I'm the idiot. Yeah. Hi. Yeah. It's, and I admitted it because, you know, that wasn't something that Ian had. I, I looked at the Hoonicorn and saw suspension.
Right.
And I, in my mind, I'm like, okay, at zero, everything should be at 90 degrees. 'cause that's perfectly translatable force, whatever.
Right.
Uh, well, as, as the car hits a bump, that means that it gets softer. Yeah. And it should be getting harder. And so he just cut through it right away. And I was like, I like this guy.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
And so that, you know, like you said, that'd be, it'd be perfect to have people like that, like. I just, I love the honesty. I love, I don't have the ego of being like, well, I need to look perfect. Uh,
I think that that's like a real difficult thing though in, in creating YouTube content was that the audience would call you out if you made mistakes. I mean, crucify you. And like, it could be something that like, that's not your specialty. Especially for, I mean for myself. Like, I was never telling, I was never, I'm a builder. This is, this is like, I'm doing this the same way you're doing it. Yeah. I'm watching other people's YouTube videos to explain to me how to do this, right? Yes. Like, there's a reality in that, but at the same time, you would get called out for something and you just like, it would really bum you out because you're like, ah, like I was just trying to make this video and now this fucking asshole's got like,
yeah,
to talk about this or that. And we, I won't call it names. There were definitely certain people who were like, I don't wanna build stuff on camera anymore. 'cause like, you just get chastised by the audience and 90% of the time the audience has no idea what they're talking about.
Yeah.
And then occasionally you do get that one person who's just mad at life because like, they know what they know, but they're sitting at home watching your video.
Right. The thing I think I've cultivated. Uh, and I think that a lot of YouTubers failed to cultivate. Is it, the comments are a two-way thing. It's a, it's a, mm-hmm. It's a, it's their chance to react to your video. And there are people smarter than you watching your videos. 100%. And most YouTubers don't recognize that. And I, you can pick up on those guys. They're like. Engineers are more than likely poor personality people. I understand why they're about the facts. They're
on the spectrum
too. Yeah. Yeah. And, and they should be, I want that person, you know, guarding my life with engineering safety. Yeah. Factors of safety. And so those people aren't very polished writing comments, but they're writing comments and they're smarter than me. And so I always would hart that or pin that, the comment that was like, no, Rob, actually, uh, my time here at whatever, I, we did this, this, and if it was just respectful enough,
100%.
You know, and,
and I'm sure you've also gotten dms from people. Oh, yeah. Because a lot of times you'll get people who don't want to call you out in public and be like, Hey, just so you know, you did it this way and this is what's gonna happen from doing that. Yeah. You are like, oh, okay, cool. And for, I love that kind of stuff in my own content, I would address it and I'd be like, Hey, someone called out that I did this wrong. Cool.
Yeah.
Like, uh, you know, and I
just like that it's
a learning experience.
Yeah. And with the, uh, Cosworth stuff, I've had so many X Cosworth and current Cosworth employees say, Hey, you were close. But wrong. This is this, this is this. And they just saved me so much time and money. Yeah. And I like, I just got their knowledge and they're
also the best of the best.
Exactly. Yeah.
This isn't just someone who knows how to build engines, or even someone who's built engines for a drag race team, or even someone who's designed for Ford. It's cause worth.
It's like
they're the best of the best.
Yes. Yeah. It, it, i, I am so fortunate that I'm just like that, that story of the random guy, the underdog aspect is now, uhDahmnowledgeable or can speak from experience about these extreme things that very few people get. The opportunity. Like the people back in 97 that were running the cos worths, their job was the fuel filter, like the mm-hmm. You know what I mean? Like that was that he was the fuel line guy, but he didn't know anything about the cylinder liners.
Right.
And I get, I get the unfair advantage of having the whole car and it's overwhelming, but I get all of it and it's all my fault. If it doesn't work, it's all their, uh, benefit of it does because they built it. But, you know, there's, that's such a cool, unfair, uh, advantage, uh, uh, situation I'm put into.
What are you more excited about right now? Like version, whatever this is V three of the four rotor all-wheel drive now to have vacuum? Um, yeah. Or the Indy project. Like what, what's getting you more excited at the moment?
Um, the, the funniest thing on my drive here, uh, kind of answers that to some extent is that I originally bought the Indy car to learn, okay, this is the fastest car in the world. How does this work tear apart? Why? Okay, why are the bolts only this thick? There and there's safety factors in that. Why did they choose a half inch bolt for, you know, and then it, it cracked me up to think after you guys did the Hoonicorn and the, the truck, the, the, the Pigasus, you know, Hoonipigasus was the, was the next thing. And that's essentially an open wheel car, not open wheel. Mm-hmm. The suspension and everything is, is an Indy car. You know what I mean? Yeah. Yeah. And it cracked me up to think that Okay, uh, you know, one of the things that Ken had said to me was, you know, he was making a joke when we, when you guys did the unveil, and he was, he was just saying like, you know, basically, you know, don't, don't copy it or something. He was just making a joke. He was really, really funny. Uh, you know,
I think I remember that. It's like, oh, oh, Rob, like, I think I remember him being like, uhoh, Rob's here is gonna start taking photos. Yeah, yeah. We bust out the ruler.
Yep. And so, but it cracks me up that, that now realizing that, okay, that car was definitely, you know, what it's capable of is mm-hmm. Is nuts. Um, you know, that, that, okay, that's that extreme fringe edge of, of motor sports type of thing. Uh, and I needed to know that to, again, to build the four orderer. Yeah. So I think that whole kind of answers that is that the, the Indy car is, is very much a, a, a, a, um, I need to see it.
It's part of the research.
It's, yeah. It's, it's, it's, it exists for me to build this, uh, to the best of my abilities.
Yeah, it, you know, it's funny, you, you bring up the Hooni Pigg. 'cause I think that was, that's a car that I'm just bummed. Never got to really see true anger. Like Ken had a lot of issues with it, never got it there. Leah, you know, did an exhibition run and she did push a little bit through the corners, but I mean, she was still really young and was still learning a lot. And we, you know, we had to tune down. Um, and now I, you know, I, the car's kind of a bit mothballed at the moment. Okay. I don't, you know, I just don't know where it's gonna go and, but Tim and I talk about it all the time, like it's just a car we wish would've seen a, like, you know, actually got to see what it was intended for.
Right, right.
Yeah.
That was actually one of the coolest moments for me is that, uh, but Tim and his whole team, uh, at BBI were, uh, at a testing day the same time I was, it was just them and me and I think maybe one other random guy. And, uh. As I'm on the three rDahmr going down the front, straight at at PPIR, uh, their whole team, they're all recording me.
Mm.
And it was like, you guys are so much more qualified than me to be doing what I'm doing, but they all were excited by what I was doing. Yeah. And that, that meant, I mean, obviously that they were passionate people, but it was just like so cool to look over.
And again, this goes back to the underdogs underdog. 'cause like BBI is very much an underdog team because they compete against factory teams.
Yeah, true.
Right, true. You know, so for them, like they're competing, you know, they've competed against the Bentley factory team, obviously Porsche factory teams, like they've competed on that. But when they, what you are underdog to them because like they've got a full shop, they've got a bunch of engineers, Uhhuh mills, all these kind. I mean, you have a lot of that too. Yeah. But like, these guys have a lot of, you know, a lot more experience in that space and running race cars. And I think that them being underdogs appreciate your underdog ness to them as well. Yeah.
So I, I, there's two things I wanted to, to talk about. One is that I've got a, a, a, a working name for what I want to be known for beyond my name. Kind of like you guys with ho Hoonigan. Uh, that embodies what I am doing and, and it's a working work in progress. 'cause I'm not really good at, at the like, cool factor of this. So it, but like, I wanna do like. Experimental, like motorsport lab, like it's the word experimental, you know, you see that on mm-hmm. Aircraft. Mm-hmm. Uh, we, we were just saying that coincidentally.
Yeah.
Uh, but that like stamp of like, okay, this is experimental. I feel like that resonates with my audience of like, everything I'm doing is experimental. I'm trying something Right. And that's kind of when you're building your own car, unless you're building it, you know, stage one, whatever, from whoever. You're experimenting. And, and I, I feel like that if I could brand that right, that would be like my, like what I, what I could represent.
Yeah.
You know?
No, and I like that. 'cause I think it does fit your sort of progress, like your process through all of this. As I mentioned, both my parents are scientists, and one of the things we talk about a lot is science is experimenting, which means it doesn't, it's not always right. And what you know is Right until it's not.
Yeah. Yeah.
Right. Like, like that's this thing. And I think we saw a lot of that through, through COVID, which was like, Hey, we said this and then this isn't right anymore. Well, it's because we have more data. Right. And as you have more data, you realize that that doesn't work anymore. And it's like, if you look at the history of engineering in cars, you could say the same thing. There were things that we thought were the right way, especially in aerodynamics. I mean, look how much Arrow has changed in the past 25 years of what we thought worked to what works now, right? Yeah. Um, all of these kind of things are, you know, are, is like this continual experiment. Like you keep doing something and it's true. Until it's not true because something else proved it to be false. Right. Which is just the progression of any of the sciences, whether it's engineering, biology or whatever. There's, there's only a few things that are like, like physics is pretty true. Like physics, like, like, like an object in motion stays in motion. Like that doesn't really change those basics in worlds of engineering in biology because biology is organic and it changes. Like there's, there's all these things and I think that's kind of fun because like you said, like you're not gonna get it right all the time.
Yeah. Yeah. And that, that's kind of, uh, uh, my thing for transitioning into being. Uh, it's not like, oh, I'm 42. I'm, I'm older. It's, I'm, I, I'm more of the crazy uncle role.
Mm-hmm.
And I wanna own that. I don't want to like be that guy that gets tons of plastic surgery and like, tries to hold onto like my twenties or whatever, you know? Yeah. I wanna embrace the fact that, okay, the, I earned these scars, I earned this. You know, like, they, they, like, I, I stood out all day, you know, trying to film an episode of this za that's why I've this, this freckle. Right, right. You know, like that, that I wanna own that because I wanna be the guy that can tell some cool stories in person. Uh, and, and they're not just the same canned ones every time. And I really wanna make sure that that's, that's kind the future for my venture is that, you know, I, I, I, I help, um, bring up the next generation 'cause it's coming. Whether or not I want to, you know, you know what I mean? Like, that's
the next generation's already here, bro. Yeah, yeah, yeah. We are the previous generation. Yeah. I, I think that that's something that's like, become very obvious to me now. Yeah. And I think even the people that we think are the newer guys in the space aren't even new anymore.
That's true. Right?
That's true. Like, there's people who you're like, oh, you're like, no, they've actually been around for a decade.
Yeah.
You know, there's people who aren't even on YouTube, who are on TikTok and Instagram that have audiences that we're not even aware of. I mean, that's the most amazing thing I think I've seen in this space is. I will find a content creator in automotive I've never heard of before. And they've got hundreds of thousands of followers. Yeah. So I was like, I don't even know who this person is. This is amazing. Where, when we started doing this, we all kind of like, we all knew of each other and then we all sort of knew each other. I mean, in those early days. Yeah. Like you look at the daily transmission era of Hoonigan, like if you were creating content on the internet, you probably came on that show, right? Like that way we, we were the Jay Leno for scumbags. Right. Like we, if you were out there doing something cool, we were gonna bring you on. And now it's like you couldn't, there's just too much. Yeah. There's just, there's just too many.
Especially with the shift to short form. Yeah. Or, or not us shifting, but the people that come up as just short form creators. Right. Yeah. It's like a
whole other space.
It's a whole, yeah. And, and it's actually harder, I think, to, to follow, um, or to find, because there's the one guy that does the as smr talking to the thing and he's just reviewing seats or something like that. You know what I mean? Like Yeah. You know, and it's like, okay, he's got a massive following. 'cause he's got a, a shtick. Uh, you know, there's that, that, that is fascinating to me. And I, I, one of my promises to myself is that I would never say like, oh, those new trends are stupid. 'cause, you know, like, uh, yep. You know, if something's goaded, it's goad. You know, like that's, that's the new, that's the new way of saying it. And I, not that I wanna be an like, hello fellow kids, but, but I, I wanna embrace that. That's, that's the way that people, you know, that that's the emotionally exciting to talk that way. Yeah. That's, that, that's it. And, uh, I don't wanna lose sight of those trends. Um, but I, I definitely can see like, okay, you get that point where you've established yourself so far, now you almost cannibalize what you are good at to try and also then be something else that you might, you know, like explore a new space. And I, that's an interesting thing that I've, I've personally been struggling with is, you know, okay, if I make shorter form content, I don't make as much money off of that. And I also have to think totally differently about how to make that content. Uh, but I also don't wanna lose sight of, okay, the world's changing without me. Anyway.
Look, this is a massive, I think, content creator dilemma, which is, do you do what you're already good at? And potentially. Age or trend out. Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
Right. Um, or do you, you know, hop on the newest trend and then just trend hop the whole time? And, and I always go back to Hot Rod Magazine as a good example of this. Like at some point Hot Rod Magazine I think decided we're gonna age with our audience, right? Like, I think there was this time where they were like, we're not trying to continually chase a younger audience. We see where our audience is going and, and we're aging with them a bit. YouTube may have shifted that a bit because I think when they came and they did Roadkill, it brought in a younger audience and it maybe, but, and then I think maybe a few years after that Hot Rod was like, wait, we need Hot Rod to become like the magazine to become younger. Because we've actually, we've, we've, we've shifted that audience and I think this, you see this a lot in music, especially like, you see a lot of music, but obviously I worked in hip hop, I grew up around hip hop. It's like if you are Nas and you put out a new album, which he just did, it's like, do you sound like Nas from Illmatic or do you try to sound like a NAS that fits into music today?
Yeah.
And it's like, it's a really difficult thing 'cause he has the skillset that he could do both, right?
Yeah.
But the core audience that wants to hear you is probably the people who want to hear Matic. Right? Right, right. There was a Slic Rick song that dropped like, I don't know, probably like four years ago now. It feels new to me, but like, it was so good when it came out and it was Slic Rick and DJ Premier and like, it was so good. But it was so good because it reminded me of the slick Rick, uh, I loved in the nineties, right? Yeah. Like, and it, it came back into that. But that means that he's not gonna, there, there aren't a bunch of 12-year-old or 14-year-old or 24 year olds even talking about it. It's a bunch of 40 year olds talking about. Yeah.
Yeah.
So I, I think it's really important for content creators to sort of like, understand, like, are you gonna continue to evolve? And a lot of people do it and they do a very good job at it. Or are you just gonna say, Hey, this is my audience. Like we, we, we went through a really great period of time together and now we're gonna age together.
Yeah.
Right. Yeah. And like I, I'm doing podcasts, like this is full on spec, but I also, like, I realized like where I am in the world and it's crazy 'cause for the longest time I was the young gun. I was the youngest guy at the journalist events. I was one of the youngest people making content like we were, and then I woke up one day and I wasn't young anymore. And that just happens. And I don't think of myself as old. My knees remind me every day, but in general, I think I'm there, but I'm like, nah. It's just like there's, this is the moment to sort of like step back and embrace and help platform those who are like, kind of coming up and Yeah. And doing the thing. Um, and then, you know, go, go do something else.
The, the thing I'm, uh, romanticize, I've, uh, I've romanticized or I'm romanticized by is the fact that when you're the younger generation, you don't have any of the other intertwined. I guess bullshit that we're like, you know that okay, if I go to make this video, technically so and so did that and he was with this guy, and then that person did this, and you, you have all this web of, of existing structure that as a new person coming into the scene, I just make what I want to make. Yeah. And it excites me and I, I, I, I think, like I said, I romanticized that idea of like, okay, when I came into it, I didn't know that, you know, there was so and so already doing this or this, you know, you don't do it this way or anything. I just did what felt right and I think as I get older, I want to continue that. I hate the idea of going, well, I did make a video three years ago that used a similar title and thumbnail, so I can't, right now, I'm, now I'm really narrowing my own content that I just wanna make.
Yeah, I, I mentioned this on almost every podcast. Uh, a friend Foster Huntington, he said to me, you know, do you want to mean a little to a lot or do you want to mean a lot to a little about three years ago? And it changed the entire way I looked at what I wanted to do in life. Right. Because I think for a long time I was just, we want it. The lot was what mattered. Yeah. Right. Like, like a lot of people, a big audience. Um, I think you've done a, a good job of meaning a lot to a little. And you, your little has been very big, but you've had a little that has rode with you. You,
you name anybody any single I can guarantee you Google any top 10 automotive YouTuber list. I am never on it. And I love that. I've always loved that. I'm always number 11 or, or maybe that's maybe me wishful thinking, right? But like, I, I love never, uh, having peaked or being overexposed or anything like that.
Yeah.
And, uh,
I feel like you were on that top list in the, in the RX eight era, like, I mean the R seven era. Yeah. Yeah. Like when you were, like, when you were chasing, when you were chasing the four rotor RX seven, you know, all-wheel drive goals. You were, you were, you were up there.
Yeah.
Yeah. And I'll tell you this, because, you know, these are these weird things. This is like the real behind the scenes stuff. You pay attention to your analytics when, when you do a show like we did with Daily Transmission, we had different people on every day. We could see what people brought, new subs. We could see what people brought, different audiences, where our demos changed, what people brought larger female audiences, different, you know, regional audiences. Like you could see all of this. Right. And for us, like you definitely brought an audience because I don't think our Venn diagrams were as crossed over. Right? Yeah, no. Like people who were watching you were there for the education or the ed, you know, like that type of thing. And people who were watching us were there for the entertainment. Yeah, right. Like it was two different things. I got
a lot of messages
about that. And you would come on our show and we would see a bigger bump than we would if we were to do something's cool with like an Adam MLZ, who probably had a little bit more of a crossover for us. Right? Yeah. And there's like, and I, you know, those are always the weird data things I was, which I don't think anyone realized, because I think from the outside everyone looked like Hoonigan was just like doing whatever the hell they pleased and whatever. But like, I'm a, I'm a huge data person, so I was always looking at, oh, how does this do, who does, you know, how does this work? So we always enjoyed working with you because you brought a different audience to our audience, right? That's, yeah. That sort of, that sort of crossover, which I, I think is interesting. But yeah, I, I get what you're saying. Like you were like, but you've been true to that thing. Like you just kept doing that. You didn't like Chase.
Yeah.
You didn't chase like the thumbnail or all
that?
I
haven't chased views. I've never chased views. I've, I've chased not being, uh,
but you've also had like really large videos, right?
Yeah. Oh yeah. Yeah.
What's your biggest, if you're,
uh, my biggest video funny isn't, isn't a, a car video at all? Um, it's a gun video I made. Wait, really? Yeah. I made a video. I, I was one of the first people to, uh, get a suppressor
Okay.
In the state of Michigan and I, the engineering side of, it's what's fascinating to
me. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
And, uh, so I made a thing about three things, video games get wrong about suppressors.
Oh, good.
And that video went. Ultravit, you know, like ultra, like, well,
to start
Yeah.
Calling 'em silencers.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Exactly. Exactly. I I think I even put it silencer in the, in the title. Yeah. In the suppressor. Yeah. And so, uh, I played to that 'cause I was like, okay, can, same thing with TikTok. Can I play the game? Could I, am I capable of recognizing the trend and doing it? And even on TikTok, you can see, like I, I did one or two things and then went for the, the throat of like a, a, a, a trend and it had like whatever, 20 million views. Mm-hmm. And so I'm okay, I could do that. Um, but I, I don't wanna sell out type of thing. Yeah. I don't wanna do it to do that.
Yeah.
Uh, and so then those videos, uh, you know, came at a time where I was still trying to figure out what I wanted to do with YouTube, the, the, the gun videos. Um, and then obviously that changed considerably, um, you know, the, the climate of that.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Um, and uh,
yeah, I think now like most of those get sort of,
it's shadow banned,
shadow banned, demonetized, all of
that. Yeah. There was, it was, uh, yeah, it was directly around one of the samples.
Yeah. Although, I will admit, when shorts came out, all I ever saw was videos of like, just Glocks with switches in them, which I'd watch every one of 'em. 'cause it's fascinating to me to see a handgun do that, but Yeah, yeah,
yeah. It's, it that's like the engineering side of, it's fascinating. But, uh, yeah, so then the, the car stuff, I, I, I notice I have these nice runs of like, okay, uh, I even tell the Audi, the people that like, people like, oh dude, I haven't seen a video from your of yours in the last six months. I'm like, that's because those aren't worth watching. If you're not into that, don't watch those because there's a payoff video. That is more like core audience, core audience payoff video.
So you like the algorithm 'cause YouTube will serve to people what they want and then Uhhuh the
rest of it just appears. Yeah. I, I think, I think it allows me to be super nerdy.
Yeah.
And then peak, and then super nerdy. And then peak. And so like, like I said, I, I know that, I know audience wants to see more of this condensed to the point.
Right.
You know, and so I'll, I'll play that game when, when it's a video that's important to me that people see it like it's a result of my work.
You could probably hire someone to go through all of your content and just do like brief cutdowns of like Oh yeah. Like explaining Rob Dahm. Oh yeah. And it's just like, it just takes all of your stuff and just puts it into like one nice one hour episode to watch.
I've got, uh, I've got. Uh, 10 terabytes of footage of just the four rotor from start to now.
Mm-hmm.
Like every video I've ever made about it. Like the rock footage. And
that's crazy. 'cause you're not using cinema level cameras.
Yeah. Yeah.
Like to me, 10 terabytes is like a day we shooting Yeah. With a red. But like you're shooting this on GoPros. Yeah,
exactly.
Shoot
types, uh, iPhone stuff. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Um, and so, yeah, that, that car to me is important to where I can, I could go back and show every step of the, the journey, uh, partially 'cause it, it's like a movie-like to me, story of how that car came to be. Uh, you know, the, the, the, uh, antagonists in my life, the people that were supposed to help, that were like, like, uh, guidance. And then they turned around and became like competitors. Like that type of stuff. Like, oh, it's, it's a perfect story.
What is the collection right now? What do you have?
Uh, so,
so you got the Diablo.
The
Diablo, you got the four rotor.
Yep.
You've got, obviously this, the
rotor, the rotor
art. You drove, you drove here today.
Yeah. The eight, uh, the 10th anniversary.
Yep.
Um, I've got the infamous C five, uh, rotary Vet,
which I love.
Yeah. That thing, that thing works so well. It's, it's, it's almost boring, but, uh, that, that's a whole conversation by itself. Um, and then I have the Indy car. Um, that's one of the main ones. And I have that dragster where the 12 rotors sitting in right now. Um. And then I have the one rotor Miata that, uh, I've kind of mothballed while I took these bigger cars on
one rotor Miata.
Yeah. So I, I must have missed this. Yeah, no, I haven't, I I haven't done the series yet.
Okay.
And so I, I start building the engine. It's a full billet. Uh, I can still lift the engine in the turbo over my shoulder. It's eight 90 some pounds.
Yeah.
Um, and trying to make maybe 300 to 400 horsepower out of a, something I can pick up. Um, and really what I'm hiding inside of that project is all my r and d for different, you know, various rotary, uh, ideas that I've got.
Oh, interesting.
Yeah. And so the one Rotary Miata, um, I still have the six rotary e shaft. It's the only one of two or so in the world that, uh, is heat treated in a way that can be turbocharged. And so that's, that's something I would do, like a off-road truck, you know, like a trophy truck type of thing. So, no, that'd be interesting. Yeah. Six rotor that I have a short shaft, three rotor that I wanna build. Uh,
what kind of torque would a six rotor make?
Well, my, my four rotor, um, at 30 pounds of boost, um, makes a thousand foot pounds of torque.
Oh wow. Okay.
Um, and so. Uh, easily. I think a, a six rotor could make 4, 500, 600 foot pounds of torque. You know?
Is there a difference between like a equal or like, I mean the odd or even number of rotors for torque and stuff like that? Or does it not matter?
That doesn't really matter. It's, yeah, it doesn't really matter. It really scales. It really, the, the whole sandwiching concept.
So it's like as it gets bigger it just gets
bigger. Yeah. It multiplies by that many more. Um, I, there's a, there's an issue though that I'm tr I'm, I'm, I'm trying to solve, and it's so technical, I think I can make a really good video about it, but I can't make a video series. Is that you take like your five cylinder. Mm-hmm.
There
aren't many five. That's not an even number. Yep. Where like, you take like a turbocharger and it's got at most one or two inlets.
Yeah.
You know, so even numbers work really well. A three rotor and a five cylinder. Both don't have like a, they, they're, they're bastard children of that.
Yeah. Weird pulse.
Yeah. All
that kind of
stuff. Yeah. And you can, but it's also what
makes them sound
great. So it's cool about 'em. So I, I I've been working on designing something that would have something more for a three, uh, you know, input,
well, I'm sure you know the debate that like three rotors are cool within four rotors. 'cause they sound crazier.
I, I, I go back and forth. Um, I can say internally in the vehicle, the four rotor, uh, I wish you could do an under helmet cam because like. Anytime that four rotor was at full tilt, I wasn't smiling. I was ugh. Like, like it was, it was beautifully uncomfortable because it was just like, this is not supposed to exist. Right. And, and I loved that, but that was not the three rotor I can thrash on. And I love the sound. It's screaming and it's within controllable reason. But the four rotor Yeah. Is, is a, a a, a very visceral experience. Uh, and I, I realized it, it really, I'm doing these cars because of the sound that I, I a hundred percent can tell you can make that power out of a big block. You can make that power much more reliably. But I am doing that because I love the way they sound.
I just, I just did an episode, I filmed an episode on Vinny's channel about the Ferrari 360 and how the Ferrari 360 is like one of the most affordable sports cars right now. Yeah. That you could buy one between 45 and $80,000 at the moment. Wow. Right. Yeah. And like, name a better bang for the buck in terms of the noise department. It's not really super fast. Like we were out ripping the other day and like, you'd be like, man, I'm like, okay. And like I was thinking at one point, I'm like, I think my RS two's faster than this. Right? Like, 'cause like I'm waiting, like waiting for it to kick in. You're like, oh no, it's an N AAV eight. Like it doesn't kick in, it just revs out. Yeah. Like, it doesn't get faster. Um, but it sounds absolutely incredible and like I, we had this conversation and one of the topics that we talked about was how I care more about the sound. Of that engine than like maybe some of the power figures. 'cause Yeah, the sound is a better part of the visceral experience of driving that car than what an extra 50 horsepower would be.
Yeah. You
know?
Yeah. I, I, I, I will, that's one of the things I've been kind of pitching to the people that are helping me with the vacuum system. Um, because the motors that I'm using in it are those same ones in, uh, mo many of the hyper electric cars.
Right.
That's actually where I found it. Um, funny enough, ed Pink, which is, uh, they build, you know, ed Pink Engines, um, they build all the zinger and s zinger zinger
the
zinger, both both of their mo motors. And so the singer, uh, c zinger, uh, uses this electric motor, and I asked them, they handed it to me, was this little pancake thing, and that, you know, that really kicked, kicked, uh, the whole vacuum. And kind of, I, I, I hate to use the phrase hybrid, but concept of the car Right. In a place. But the issue is to me that those, their sound doesn't justify their performance like this. It just doesn't. It doesn't.
No, I get it. You know, I, I don't know if you've driven the Hyundai five N, right?
Oh, yeah. Yeah.
But it has the, like, it pumps in like fake sound into the cabin. And when they first told me about that, I was like, I cringed. Right? I was like, Ugh. Like that's like full automotive ick for me. Like I do not want that. Right. And then I drove to Laguna Seca. I was faster with that on than with it off because it just made more sense to me, like coming into a corner. Like I knew what gear I was in, even though like I'm not technically in a gear, I'm in like a torque, like vectoring sort of like, you know, control sample of where I'm allowed to be in the torque. But having been someone who grew up on hearing a car, even like on a simulator, if the volume is turned down on a simulator, I don't know where my braking zones are. Yeah, like I like the sound, like the engine really helps. And I think that's one of like the unfortunate parts is that that part, again, you use the word visceral, like you don't get that.
Yeah.
You don't get that visceral feeling with Evie. They could be super fast, but that part doesn't connect. The sound for me is just so important. And again, this goes back to the Gymkhana films. It doesn't seem that abnormal now, but when we released the Gymkhana films, nobody was doing car videos without music. Like everybody's car videos would have music in 'em, right? Mine included.
Yeah.
Yeah. It was like that was what you did. You
had to,
and for us, the car was the music and like we had this really strong stand on like you do not put music over the sound of a car, under the sound of a car. And I think it's also, again, I go back to my. Like my, you know, my, uh, ambitions for Hollywood is like, everybody needs to put a score and all this fake sound. And a lot of the times, like they'll put in engine sounds that aren't even the engine of the car Yeah. And all of that, but it's like the right sounding car captured properly should be all you need to hear. Yeah. Hundred percent. So, but that also means it needs to be the right sounding car.
Yeah. Yeah. Now, uh, one of the interesting things, I think that, um, for me, my journey particularly, but I think everybody is in general is, and I, I blame the Hellcat for this. Uh, I love and, and hate that, that engine platform for a lot of reasons. Uh, I have a hell. Oh, I should say I have a Hellcat. You have a Hellcat? Yeah, I have, yeah. Uh, Dodge gave me one of the last, they were supposed to gimme one of the, her crate engines, and they couldn't get it ready in time. And so they gave me, uh, the red eye. I'm very thankful, surprised my girlfriend with it, like genuine, it's her dream car to have like a 71 challenger. And I was like, okay. Oh, sick. And so I made the whole like girlfriend reveal thing and it genuine, uh, and the car is absolutely insane. Red eye. And, uh, it's in paint right now.
Nice.
But yeah. But the, the thing is that engine made it real, like, uh, everybody aware that you can just have 700, 800 horsepower without earning it. You can pay for it. And same thing with ev is like, okay. I, I feel like th to me this is, this is not a controversial thought, but I feel like
just say it.
Yeah. Th this is the end of an era of like chasing. Performance after that. It just does not matter. It it, it does it, it's too violent, it's too uncomfortable for a human to experience. Yeah. And that just faster is just, you know, uh, you know, a superlative feeling. And, and I think that, uh, like you said, sliding a car or whatever, we have to find the, the next chase, the next, uh, journey. A different way.
Dude, I already found it. Man. Slow cars driven fast is way much more fun than fast cars driven. Slow.
I
believe that. And I think that our cars have now gotten so fast that you can't actually drive them at the end limit.
I, I, I, and I, yeah, that's a, that's a problem is that
technology got, there's something fun about going down, like connecting two corners, right? And trying to drive as fast as you can between the two and just about topping out before you go into the corner, then feeling like you still had twice the amount of power. Like, because then it just feels like you're never ringing it out. And that's like why my, like the cars I enjoy driving are they match sort of where one, my, my current skillset is as a driver, but two, where my want for danger is as a father in my life. Yeah. So like I'm more interested in building a really fun mark on rabbit that I can go and rip around and, but, and than driving my, you know, 1100 horsepower coop Quattro.
Yeah.
Because like that car can get me into a lot of trouble and. As much as I say these things, the minute I'm behind the wheel, I'm full red mis Exactly. Yeah. Like, I, like, I'm gonna use as much as I got there. Yes, yes. But there's like something really fun about driving a slow car fast. Yeah. Like, and just wring its neck and driving it at the absolute limit, like two wheeling a car through a curb. Yeah. That only makes a hundred horsepower. It's fun. It's why Miatas are fun, right? Yeah. It's, it's why those, it's why my front wheel drive Volkswagen golf is fun because you can manhandle it and it's a good time. And 40 miles an hour in a corner feels the equivalent of 90 miles an hour through the same corner. My nine 11.
Yeah. Yeah. That, that's, uh, one of the projects that I've, uh, that are not my main project but could end up being a, a main project of sorts is, you know, I've always wanted to align with like any car manufacturer. Mm-hmm. Mazda's never been in, I've never worked with Mazda.
How is that possible?
I they've never, you know, it's always
been Have you had conversations with them?
No. Wait,
really?
I, I am like,
hold on a second. Yeah. If anyone from Mazda is listening to this, reach out to this man. He has made an entire generation love your stupid engines that my favorite company stupidly made. Come on, get on board guys.
But the thing is nobody can buy that doesn't help Mazda's bottom line. Right. Realistically, I'm not, I'm not beneficial that way. But that's,
and you also came a little too late. Yeah, because when I was a journalist, Mazda had this like more Mazda are raced every weekend than any other make.
Oh, right. Yeah. '
cause Miatas were so big. Obviously the RX seven was still being raced. The RX eight. Whatever you say about the platform and the engine that came in it, right? What was the
Resis
Rents? The SSIS engine. It's one of the best handling cars in the field.
Yeah. Yeah. Okay. When you said best, it's like, no, no, no. You said rents and the
best doesn't. No, no. Not the resis.
Yeah. The
car handles. I don't like how the car looks. I think it's kind of weird. Um, I, I like have seen people do, uh, like renders of what it would look like if you just made it into a two-door, like, which kind of looks a little bit better. It's an awkward shaped car.
Yeah.
Um, it's very much of that weird 2004 era uhhuh like that. The three 50 Z and the Audi TT where all revolutionary designs that felt aged, like felt old within three years. Right.
On my drive here, I'm in the fc. Mm-hmm. Which you don't see right. I pass an RX eight and I lean like out the window like this? Yeah. And the guy just stared at me.
Was it in my neighborhood?
No. No. It, oh, because there's
an old guy in my neighborhood
who has it. Is it yellow? No, no. Purple one. It was in town. A purple one. But I was just like, I was like, how dare you. Oh. And that's one of those Rx eight orders that they don't know. It's a rotary still,
but like the r I've done, I don't know, 60 laps or something. Uh, in, in RX eight at Laguna Seca, it goes really well. And it's a fucking fantastic car.
Yeah. Yeah.
Like it's, it's fantastic.
So, uh, with all that, the, the thing I, being that I've not been anything corporate with Mazda, um, has been very freeing. Obviously I've been able to make a lot of mistakes, right? True, true, true. But, uh, I've always wanted to align with the company. And so one of the things I've been trying to do, uh, for the last couple years is work with Ford and I've got the perfect project and their engineers are excited to be part of it. Okay. So, uh, I have a 67 Lincoln Continental I've had for, you know, whatever forever. It runs, uh, 4 62 M Me L is the engine that came in. It is seven whatever, 7.6 meter. Yeah.
Suicide door.
Yeah. Suicide door, hard top. Um,
what color?
Uh, it's technically this ugly ass, uh, beige, but I've wrapped it
blue. Ah, see. So I used to be a, I, I've always loved that car. I've loved it forever. Um. It's just one of those cars that I just always thought was cool, probably just because I had suicide doors.
Yeah.
Uh, I always wanted a black one 'cause like That's so cool.
Mm-hmm.
But since my wife and I have bought this 57 mid-century modern, I actually realized that the right color for the period was the beige. That the beige is actually the color It should be. Like, black is super cool. No, black is super cool. And it's like very like, you know, it it, it's morphous Like it's, it's, it's, yeah it is the cool version of it. It's, it has that just toughness to it. For me, I just think sometimes like, and it's weird to say, 'cause I used to call it old man tan, but I'm starting to come around to like a big body beige. Car. So like, if you don't do this project, I might be willing to buy it off of you and pull the map off.
Fair, fair enough. But the, you know me, it's not about the color. Uh, and the cool part is, is that I've talked with the guys at Ford and, you know, the Mega Zilla?
Mm-hmm.
Well, they have the Mega Zilla 2.0 that's not for sale yet. 'cause they, they, they need to do some more calibrations with it. You know, for me, I'm like, okay, the product's there, but sell it. But, you know, explain
the mega zilla for
Yeah. So the mega zilla is their F 2 57 0.3 liter gas engine. Uh, and then they made a mega zilla, which is like forged internals. I, now I know I finally took apart my first piston engine, so I can talk about it. Uh, it happened to be at Cosworth, but, but it went right for the top. Uh, but you know, all the upgraded parts and it makes more horsepower and torque than the stock engine. Well, mega Zilla 2.0 is a supercharged version of that.
Oh, interesting.
And, uh, they said internally, I don't know if I'm supposed to say it, but we're saying, 'cause I, I wasn't under NDA, but they internally they made 1400 horsepower with this.
Wow.
Like as is type of thing.
That's incredible.
So
I remember when the Godzilla first came out and everyone got really excited about that, right? Yeah. Seven three Godzilla Yeah. And all of that, and then pushed it to the power links. And you, a lot of people on YouTube were blowing 'em up. Yep.
Yeah. So yeah, so Ford's definitely created a version. Um, but uh, the thing is they don't have a calibration, uh, to run that with their 10 speed transmission. And so I wanna, the agreement is I put that drive train in there basically pretending my Lincoln is a truck. I can tow, 'cause my Lincoln has a hitch, but I wanna set up the suspension. I wanna set everything up to use the Lincoln to tow my other cars.
A scholar and a gentleman over here, my friend. So you wanna use a Lincoln suicide door? Continental. Is it a convertible or hard? Top Hard. Hard top to tow your race cars. To the track?
Yeah.
Yeah. That's, that's fantastic.
In comfort. I mean, that car rides better than any other car I've ever, I've ever driven.
Is it a runner right now?
Yeah. Yeah. Oh, really? It drives as is.
I would, if I would've known, I would've asked you to bring that,
but it wouldn't have made it. Oh, I, I made it to, I went to, uh, from Michigan. So I did Woodward Dream Cruise and I made it up, you know, it's about 40 miles from my house.
Yep.
Made it up to Woodward. Had a blast on the way back. Blew two tires and just across skating across the highway. I didn't hit anybody. Saved it. Uh, I, I have new tires on it, but now they're dry rotted. 'cause that was years ago. Mm-hmm. Uh, so I don't, I don't, I don't think I would've, uh, been as lucky this time. Yeah. But, but the car runs, uh, it, it barely, but it, it runs, I actually had a vi a viral video on it. 'cause I said, this is why you don't daily drive. Right, right. Classic cars. And, uh, I lost a hubcap and it accidentally hit a truck in the oncoming traffic and we caught it on camera. I apologized and he was all, he thought it was the funniest thing. So I was thankful. But again, not scripted, not, I didn't plan that. But, uh, that car is very special to me. And I, I just thought, I'm not gonna put a coyote in it. I'm not gonna put a five liter. Yeah. I wanna put a big engine into it. And then, like I said, kind of, I, I have more engines in my shop that say Ford on them. 'cause the, the Cosworth was a Cosworth Ford.
Right, right.
Um, then I do have Rotaries, so I'm like, if any brand that I wanted to try to align with and, you know, see whatever the future is, that's, that's one of the, the side quests that I'm, uh, currently doing. And I, but I, I really want to tow, but properly, proper brakes, proper suspension, proper everything have,
so would you build a whole new chassis for it too? So that it's the ch because like at the end of the day, you have as much power as you want, but like the chassis is what designates your tow capacity. So,
a, it's really easy that that car can weigh as much as I want it to weigh. Mm-hmm. So I can add tons of shit to it. And that's not the, the, the design criteria. The guys from Ford were saying, yeah, you could transplant the rear. Pretty easily. Um, but the front, the shock towers are, you know, a truck. Yeah. 'cause I, I was gonna buy, if Ford wasn't getting involved, I was gonna buy a, a crashed F two 50 and do
this. Mm-hmm. You you, do you know the story of the Ford nine inch?
No, not the story,
but do you know the Ford nine inch is considered like one of the strongest rear ends and all of that. And it was actually built and intended for a Lincoln, I don't remember which model, but they needed to create more room in the back of the car for I think where between how the seat and the gas tank sat in the car. So they developed a pumpkin that, you know, you know, it works opposite, right? Like the front of it comes off instead of the rear panel and everything. Yeah. And it was developed for like accommodating space,
really.
Savings did not know that it's a space saving. And then the side effect of it was that they built one of the strongest rear ends of all time, which is kind of funny. I, I don't know, just a random factoid of like, that they did not Dahm out to build in indestructible rear end with the Ford nine inch. It was made to give like more interior space for the Lincoln.
That is hilarious. Well then I'll probably have to use
that. So, so yeah. So yeah, so you can put one of those in there if it doesn't already have one.
Yeah. Yeah. That, that's awesome. But yeah, that's, uh, again, like I wanna make sure it does something, but I've really, really, maybe it is the middle age role. I really wanna just daily drive that. Yeah. Like that car was the most comfortable car. Like you just can't recreate that. No modern car, no good suspension setup can recreate the sheer mass. Of one of those cars.
We had a Oldsmobile Delta 98 that we bought for Woodward Dream Cruise. We bought it. The idea was that we were gonna use it for dream. By the way, if Woodward's such a fun time, it's such a cool experience, but, um, twenties, whatever, six miles of cars is just crazy. Uh, we bought the car in Ohio. It was a parade car. You may have seen it at Henigan. It was like all white and yeah.
Okay. Okay.
And we bought it. We thought we would use it for the weekend, then sell it. And all of us just fell in love with it. And like, I will tell you, nothing was cooler than just cruising around Long Beach in that thing. Yeah. Like, it just like top down. Well there was no top just, just open driving around. Like I just love that. And I miss that like of, I think about a lot. 'cause I have 26 cars now, which is kind of crazy. Yeah. Uh, and I have a lot of like, I have like a lot of repetition in my collection. Like I have a lot of the same type of car. Right. A lot of, a lot of Volkswagens, a lot of all wheel drive, Audis, like very kind of like similar things. A lot of the same kind of trucks. And I've decided that I need to cut these down. I, I, I need to make it more manageable. But I started making a list.
I didn't mean to interrupt you. You, you decided, but have you. Done.
So I started to
Oh, okay. Okay.
You took action. That, that's, yeah. So I sold, well Ashley sold her Ford F 100 to Mike Burrows.
Okay. Yeah.
So he just bought that from us. Um, I sold my Audi A one, which was really like a commuter car, but of course, like my commuter car had to be the only one in the country. 'cause it's a Mexican built a one that was never sold here, which meant that servicing, it was a nightmare 'cause I'd have to go to Tijuana to buy parts. So there was that. Um, and then I just, I sold my Audi 4,000 because I just realized I wasn't gonna do anything with it. Wow.
I'm, I'm proud of you. I
don't think I could ever do that. Yeah. I think, I think I'm about to sell my B one 50, which is my, the one that, oh, you probably saw that when you drove in here. Yeah, it was in the driveway before, which is my Mexican spec. Um, Ford, uh, basically a Ford Suburban. And then, yeah, I'm gonna clear those out. Maybe sell one or two of my mark ones. Um, and what I've decided is, is I want to just like, I wanna have a bunch of different types of experiences or type cars. Cars and like, so like, I'm not selling the Nova 'cause I love having a muscle car. I'm not selling the nine 11. 'cause like to me, this is like my favorite type of sports car. I might sell the Ferrari because the nine 11 and the Ferrari are, are similar in a way, to me, crossover. There's a crossover. I mean, obviously mid engine, rear engine, there's V eight versus, you know, flat six turbo. There's, it's not the same, but it's, there's a. There's a similar feeling in it, which is like, it feels really special and I also feel like a douchebag driving it. Right? Like it checks those boxes. Um, but the thing that I really feel like I miss is that big body, 1960s era land yacht. Like there's just nothing feels like that. And you could do eight miles an hour in it and feel as it's just like the coolest experience. Yeah. Just floats. It's great. You actually don't wanna do 80 miles an hour. Yeah, it's great.
It's great. Yeah. One of my favorite criteria of these type of cars is if you can see a speed bump, but you can't feel the speed bump, it just absorbed right in. Mm-hmm. Oh, that is the nicest feeling. I, I feel, uh, that's the only time I feel better than everybody else is just driving that type of shit box.
I'll say something else though, and this is probably something to think about 'cause we've been talking about engine noise the whole time. I actually don't want to hear the car because when we are, we had an Oldsmobile that had like the rocket engine in it and it was just really quiet. It was just really like, unless you really got on it, but if you were just cruising, you could barely hear it.
Yeah.
And I remember thinking this is the only vehicle that I think could be a good, um, you know, transplant for an ev. It's the only thing I would put an EV in because I don't need it to make noise. Yeah. Like that's not what it's about. Like it would actually be like a really cool conversion is to have like an old, whether it's an old Cadillac, an old suicide door, Lincoln, you know, an old Oldsmobile or whatever, like any of the yachts, like that's the one thing I'd go. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah. Ev makes sense in here. I don't want
burbling. Yeah.
Because I don't, yeah. I don't, you know, like Exactly. Yeah. I don't sound like some kid in A BMW just like boom bang pops all the way. Like, I don't need that.
Yeah.
So,
but I'll tell you, I'll tell you what the other, the alternative is the muscle car sound and feel. Uh, when I've got Erica's car running that lean, that happens when you launch, that's the, and, and a supercharger, which I'm not a supercharger guy, but, and it picks up on its side. Yeah. Oh, that is such a cool feeling.
I mean, just revving it like it might notebook, there's nothing cooler than being at the light and you rev it and you just like the whole, like the horizon shifts because Yeah. Like there's just something super neat about that.
And tho those are the moments that I, I, I hope the next couple generations can enjoy as much as we get to. Mm-hmm. Like a, we've kind of, uh, we've had to exploit some of them capturing a camera, but even then the, you know, the, the videos reviewed then. And so somebody can have that, their own first experience of these type of things. And that's, you know, that's for me why I do what I do is those moments. I,
I think, I think it'll happen again. It's just gonna happen on a new platform.
Yeah.
Like YouTube will be our platform. Just like the, there are plenty of people who did what we did before us in the magazine world. I was in it at the end of it. Um, you know, they'll just be something new and then once it's new, they get to just repeat it all over again. Yeah, true. There'll be another guy, he'll be better looking than you. He'll have won the Bachelorette, um, and he will get his four rotor, you know,
actually finished,
finished in like eight episodes.
Wow. Okay. Now I'm waking up.
Well, it's because it's short form. You gotta condense it all. Yeah, true. So, um, yeah, no, I, I think, I think we'll see that. So what else, what else, uh, what else is new? What else do you got going on? Like, yeah, we jumped right into everything, but, right. Like, what other, so, because I think we spun off on your Mazda project, was that the rest of your builds or did you leave some out?
No, I, I mean I, the every, everything always comes back to forwarders, so there's a purpose, right? Yeah. But, um, I'm always trying something else. Like I said, the one rotor miato is something I'm very excited for, but I've got, I, I've got a current bone to pick with the way that cars are built, and I love that, that this is shifting. And so a lot of my projects are shifting to as little fabrication as possible.
Oh, really?
Yeah. Uh, why fabricators are, uh, uh, I could go into a lot of depth to this, but fabricators are the most difficult artists to work with. Yeah.
Yeah.
Um, and, and as a result, uh, you know, it's just a different train of thought. It's a different way of thinking. It's not an engineering mindset. Um, and as a result, hitting deadlines.
Mm-hmm.
Or having the car run when you need it to run, uh, that becomes a very, very big challenge. And so, like on the one rotor, for example, instead of having, paying somebody to, you know, bumble through making an intake manifold for it, we designed it in CAD and then had it 3D printed out of aluminum. And I spent less money and less time and got a way better product because it was actually engineered not just kind of half-assed.
Hmm.
And so, uh, the, the, the era of 3D printing, 3D scanning, 3D printing, aluminum and steel is here, it's, it's reasonable. It's cheaper than, you know, that, you know, so it's, it with price of 3D scanners coming down, price, price of all this, uh, the software, all of that coming down it, I feel like there's a time where that's re like my audience can watch what I'm doing and then do it themselves as well. And they don't have to wait for a, a person with an attitude to eventually weld a flange that takes 15 minutes because they didn't think it was a big deal. Um, and they, they don't have time for you 'cause you're not their production work.
Mm-hmm.
Understandably. Um, running cars is becoming more accessible to everybody. Right.
Yeah.
If, if that was, that was my political pitch. That's, that's what I'm running on.
Yeah. I'm trying to think. I I I get part of what you say. I will say that I definitely buy into, I really enjoy the art of fabrication. Oh yeah. Yeah. Like, I enjoy a really nice dimple dyed panel. Right. Yeah. Like I enjoy that. Me, I enjoy the old fashioned metal work and that kind of stuff. Like I follow a lot of fabricators who aren't even in the automotive space on Instagram because I just enjoy what you can do and how, and how you can make, um, all of that stuff come alive. I will say that I do hear from your side, which is like, sometimes you just have to make it work. One of the things we got into this conversation in a previous episode, um, Mike Burrows, who you know Yeah, yeah. Victoria Bruno. I'm not sure if you know her, but she's a Ferrari mechanic and they were, we we're talking about sort of the quality of builds on Ferraris and you know, I think that we live in this world where now everything should look, C and C cut out a billet. Like everything has this like wild design and pattern to it. But I worked in racing and a lot of racing, like real racing on the FIA level. A lot of it. There's elements of it that are agricultural.
Yeah.
Because you designed something, it didn't work, and now you just have to make it work. Right Now
the, the shifter on my IndyCar, I just made that myself. Yeah. Uh, is essentially two long poles of steel welded together and then capped on the end. It's a long broomstick. Right?
Yeah.
And that's the best way to do it.
And it, I think now we've, because of the introduction of CAD and, and also just how fast this can all happen, um, we are seeing everything looks with, to have this amazing fit and finish in the world of motorsports. But if you go through a race car from the nineties
Oh yeah, yeah. Like
booger welds, like just whatever works. And again, agricultural, I think is the best way to explain it. Like, it looks like the kind of thing you'd see on a tractor. Yeah. Um, and it's because it worked.
Yeah. Let's work. Yeah. My, my gripe isn't, I love fabric, I love fabrication. Um, I think a lot of people confu this is, uh, my hot take is I think a lot of people confuse themselves thinking that they're fabricators when they are just welders.
Right.
Got it. Uh, the, the problem. '
cause you're lacking the engineering piece
of it. Exactly. That's the biggest part is that there, the, you know, it takes a certain type of person to wanna become a, a welder. A fabricator, but there's a reason back in Michigan that there were plumbers and pipe fitters and then welders,
right.
The pipe fitters are solving the engineering of it, you know, and then welding. Welding is welding. Uh, obviously there's, there's a lot to welding, but, uh, not downplaying that, but once, you know, that's a very repetitive process. And so I, I think that, uh, a lot of people would just rest on that and say, well, yeah, I know how to weld. I know how to build a car, and, and I don't like that mentality at all.
I support that.
Yeah.
So engineering over cool fabrication.
Yeah.
Is is your push.
Yeah. And, and, uh, you know, hitting deadlines obviously matters in, in, even though what we're doing is very organic and fun, I, I can't have organic fun if the car doesn't run at all.
Right.
And so, uh, I, I don't know. I have a problem that, you know, if I put out a, a jo a, you know, look for resumes and whatnot, I, I attract the, a lot of the wrong people. I attract a lot of the right people, but I get a lot of noise because people want to be YouTubers.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
And so, like, I, I have a hard time finding the ones that are, are doing, 'cause they are just, they just wanna be a better version of me, and that's the person I wanna hire. Um, but I have a hard time finding that.
Mm-hmm.
And so, uh, yeah, fabrication has been a thorn in my side because it's just like, I, I do not, do not like being held hostage. I do not like being told that, oh, this isn't possible, or this is whatever, when it clearly isn't. It's not me being irrational, it's just, uh, uh, artists have, you know, have emotions.
I get it.
You know, and I, I respect that, but I, I, I can't, I, I don't have time.
Yeah.
I want, I have, I have a vision for what I wanna make. And, uh, I think what a lot of people have confused is they thought that I wanted to be the c CNC guy. I wanted to be the tuner.
Right.
I just couldn't wait a couple more years for the, the person that was supposed to do it, to do it. I, I can't wait.
It's funny you mentioned that. 'cause so for me, and you mentioned this before, you're like, I know you see yourself as the behind the scenes guy, but like obviously you were on camera too.
Yeah.
Um, I got on camera because it was easier than telling someone else what to do.
Yes, yes.
Like I needed a narrative through thread in our content. And a lot of times I would play that right. Like Hert would deliver the jokes. Right. Like Zach would bring the energy. Um, and a lot of times, like I was the one who had to be like, okay, here's what we're doing. Yes. So that I could carry the narrative. And like, that made, that made that I ended up becoming a part of the content. It wasn't the goal. So like I understand that. 'cause I think it was the same point. It's like sometimes it's just easier to do yourself than get other people to do it. But it also becomes a weird place you put yourself in because now you're like, oh, I'm just doing one more thing I didn't want to do.
Nope.
Yeah. And then you're like, wait now and, and like now I've got a podcast. Uh, that's
the a
DH adhd Shining Through happens. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That, that certainly is. Um, I, I, I wanna change subjects real quick 'cause we are, we we're getting up there in time, but I wanna change subjects real quick. I know you've been doing this show with TopCare, I'll admit I never have seen an episode. You know how YouTubers are or content creators. We don't always have time for other people's stuff. Mm-hmm. But I do know the concept of it, and I know that it means that you're not doing stuff with your own cars. How, how, how has that been? Like, has that been an interesting thing for you to like go one, have to ride in other people's contraptions, which is always kind of sketchy and can be sketchy. Yes. Um, but you know, being more of the host, 'cause to me, I've always felt that you are the, um, how do I best say this? You are the, um, you were the begrudgingly, like, like you, like you didn't want to be a personality. Yeah. Yep, yep. But a personality got you to where you wanted to be.
Yes.
Yeah. Which I feel similar in that. Yeah. But like the, like my
brother was supposed to be the comedian type I was.
Right. And you ended up becoming Yeah. Yeah. Like, like, like because it served your need, but now you are 100% like the host on this show.
Yeah. That gave me the, uh, that imposter syndrome. Mm-hmm. Big time. Uh, because I, I'm not, and that, that's actually one of the reasons I did focus on being able to drive more, is that they have me driving people's cars. And if I'm not. Capable driver. I can't, I, I can't speak intelligently much less, uh, my vocabulary is very limited. That's crazy. Oh, that's neat. Oh, is really, really cool. That's like the
Right, right.
You know, I, I stood next to Jason Camisa and just listened to him talk, and I was like, he's just pulling like the thesaurus out, just talking. He's wasting all these good words on just random, like chitchat
wasting all these gDahm words is perfect. My grandma would say using dime words where nickels would do
Oh, yeah. Yeah. And where I'm like, struggling to say something, you know, with bigger words. Right. And, uh, so I'm like, I, I don't think I'm that, that host. And I'm also, you know, my, my, my British, uh, level of, of, uh, adjectives also is just not there. It's not absolutely mental. Nothing's absolutely mental to me. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. But so I, I was really fashioned
and to say that absolutely. Deadpan too,
right? Right. Yes. Can't, uh, but I, I was honored that they thought of me as the subject matter expert on this, that said, uh, most of the cars suck. And I mean that with love, because what, every time I drive somebody else's car, all I think of is that's what I need to fix in my car. You know what I mean? Mm-hmm. Like, yeah, yeah. In your own car, it's acceptable. Like, but if I was like, Hey, the, the FC is a perfect example, my dream is that I could say, Hey. Right. Just go experience it. Drive it without saying, but don't touch this, don't do that. You know, like, that's
right. All the caveats uhhuh in driving
someone
else's car.
Exactly. So that's my dream of being a builder. Um, and so I walk away from those episodes going, okay, I need to fix that power delivery. Like, that sucked to, like there was a car that had an on-off switch for his supercharger. Like the bypass was open, closed. It was either on or off. He couldn't get it working otherwise.
Oh.
And so
it wasn't like it turned it on and off, like in Mad Max. Right. Which wasn't real in Mad Max, but I always thought would be cool.
Yeah. This was, uh, bypass closed or completely open.
Okay.
And I spun the car out when we were doing some tracking shots. 'cause it was, it was like 3000 RP m and 30 3001 RPM. It would, and it would spin the car out.
Mm-hmm.
And so I was like, okay, that, that matters.
Yeah.
Uh, it was fun. It was memorable, but, um, the, the, the shattered illusion of doing like car reviews. Brought me back to why I'm building my own cars to begin with. The, the issue is, um, they're tuner cars.
Mm-hmm.
And they're gonna break. And top gear did not understand that that's the content.
Oh, 100%.
And so we, we had an episode, uh, early on. Uh, it was my good friend Anderson, who owns fuel tech. Mm-hmm. And he has the, or had the fastest C eight.
Mm-hmm. What he also has is like an RS two ra, which is basically like a Volkswagen pickup that was only sold in South America. And I know this because I would say 9 million people tagged me in that post. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. That's how you find out about things. Yeah. He built some really, really cool stuff. Yeah. So anyway, you got to go
drive. Yeah. So, but because I was in the passenger seat, uh, I weighed down the car a little bit more and it ended up pulling the whole wheel, uh, like, uh, what do you call it? Like, uh, fender liner. Yep. Out and everybody's camera's turned off. And I'm like, guys, that is the content,
right?
Like that's we're, it's American tuned. You're tuning, you're not finished tuned. It's not American Fit Done tuned. And so, uh, I was like, that's 'cause they're like, oh man, we don't, we don't know if we'll be able to complete the shoot. I'm like, that is the shoot. And so, uh, it was a little bit of a learning curve ing for their team to understand that. And then we had another episode. Uh, where of course everybody's always doing that last little bit more. You know how it is. I'm just gonna even, I was, uh, at fault the night before the shoot. I'm just going to, uh, add a little bit more. Of course. Yeah. You
that last tweak. Yeah.
And so everybody's cars break and, uh, we had one where he snapped his rear diff uh, you know, halfway through the chute. And then thankfully I asked top gear like, can we film us installing axles and stuff like that? 'cause that's like interesting. He's trying to make the car better while we're here and we film that. He snaps the rear diff and then we end up doing a burnout with the front wheel drive. And, and it was just a cool like, yeah, this is, that's tuning. You know? And so that was a learning curve, I think, for their team.
I think that that's just that major gap between television and, you know, YouTube or internet content. Yes. And which is television is, is a script. Even if it's not scripted and it's called unscripted content, there's still a plan, right. Like the showrunner has in their head this idea that we're gonna go here and we're gonna make this, and then when it doesn't work, then they have to fake it all to make it like that's what ends up happening. Yeah, true. I've worked on plenty of discovery shows. That's how it works. We were on YouTube. I think it's more of the well, let's just embrace it.
Yeah.
Like, let's embrace it. This didn't work. Like, let's just own that. This didn't work. I was just at, uh, I was just at Cleetus. I was there filming this cool project with Leah Block and um. While I was there, AdamLZshows up. He's got his big block, BMW, I've already seen this thing rip 'cause it was, it was at Englishtown for Drifter, it's a machine and he let C Clus drive it and Clus blew the engine.
Okay. I saw the thumb
and like the, the, you know, the thumbnail is, you know, I blew C, you know, Adam's $70,000 big block. And it's like that's embracing the moment and actually probably will do better. Absolutely. Than just him saying, this is one of the coolest drift cars I've ever driven.
And that was something that you, you remember early YouTube, car, YouTube, it was basically you did car reviews. Mm-hmm. That was like the biggest, like there wasn't like Yeah. The drive and
all the
early stuff. Yeah. The word vlog wasn't even a thing.
Yeah.
Um, and so I remember there was a moment where I wanted to, uh, like show off, uh, a car that I reviewed and, uh, he's a friend of mine, but my God, is he, uh, uh, a bastard of like being faster than you is Shmi?
Yeah.
Um, he will always, I know a hundred percent of the time he will beat me to the punch of releasing any sort of content. Mm-hmm. If, if we both have the same opportunity, he will always, 10 times outta 10 beat me to releasing it. And so I remember back then I was like, I can't compete with that. So why not make content he can't have access to. Mm-hmm. And that's, that's really when my, my channels took a shift when I realized that I'll never beat him at that game. And I can always fall back on doing, uh, car reviews, which is kind of funny that now I do, I do car reviews with Top Gear. Um, but I, that was always like a, okay, if I run outta content, I can review other, you know, kind of play the social game more. Yeah. Instead of making it about mine.
Funny story is I was sort of unfamiliar with him. Like I knew the name, never watched any of the content, kind of lives more in like the supercar world. That's just not, wasn't my space. And I was at the Ner Berg ring. He was at the Berg Ring. We were both there for tourist days and we were both in the background of each other's content, didn't know each other and like got tagged in each other's content. That's cool. So we were like, wait, she's a, well what do you do with him? And they was like, wait, Scotto and Viner in the background. Like, what? It was like, we just, it was a weird Venn diagram of just not knowing each
other. Other, that's hilarious. Yeah. Yeah. But yeah, like you said, he, he like, because there was a time where I had access to some really cool, exotic stuff because I had the Diablo and I was like, it's awesome, but I just, I won't, I won't make as good of content as him and I won't beat him to it. So I was like, that I need to come up with something different. That, that was actually the reason I started getting into building more.
Yeah. Yeah, I mean I, we had this conversation on a few episodes ago. It really became a conversation of like, you know, the original purest car versus like modifying and like, what drives you either direction. And for me, I, I think making something uniquely yours is like such a big part of the fun. Even if it's not to your level where, right, you're sticking a four rotor in an all wheel drive system and something that wasn't supposed to have it. Even just being like these wheels, this, even if it's all bolt on stuff Yeah. This steering wheel, these seats, like this stance like that's mine now. Yeah. It looks like mine. You
know what's really
funny? It's a big part of the car culture thing that I think we forget about these days is like, right, and it sounds cliche to say it, but it's like creating something that is unique and has your identity to it versus just being a car that you could lose in a parking lot of similar cars.
Yeah. Which is funny because, uh, my actual daily driver is either my Honda Insight, which is bone stock or the, I, you know, I did the whole YouTuber thing and bought the first crash C eight Corvette. Got it completely restored. Haven't modified it one bit.
I had a C eight. I got one of the first C eights. It was part of like the, you know, the content influencer product, like mobile one gave me one of theirs. Um, it was that like weird, like Slate White one. Oh, okay. I dunno if you remember that.
Yep.
It was stock. I had, we had it on this versus that. I was like my daily driver. I loved it. It was really good. It was just a great car. And then long story short, when the company was sold. Um, even though it was given to me personally, it ended up as inventory for the company. And, and like at the last minute I was like, trying to argue this and the lawyers were like, just let it go. Yeah. Like, it's a much bigger deal, like, just let it go. And so the car ended up becoming Hoonigans and then we decided to modify it and Vinny and Ron slammed it and it was the worst car ever. Oh my God. Like, just like it looked cool.
Yeah. Yeah.
But like, I was like, it was actually just really good
as is.
Oxy ate really good.
I I, I've looked at that car because I, I bought it, you know, in pieces.
Mm-hmm.
And I was like, I can't make this in good faith better because as soon as one check engine light goes on, it's gonna be a Christmas tree.
Yeah.
And I don't want that for this car's too. Nice. Well,
Amelia said that she was like, the can bus stuff was just crazy. Yeah. It was like anything you change just shut everything down. Yeah.
So, and you know, the, the nerd to me is like, okay, I could fake some of that. And, and Right. You know, some of my friends work at GM and, you know, from back home, but I was like, I, now I'm just trying to make it a thing and I'm chasing something instead of Okay. You know, I really wanted to put a four rotor into it. Uh, because many years ago, the, one of the very first four rotor vehicles was a Corvette. And Zoa, the guy, one of the guys early, he, he was excited to see a rotary in a Corvette. And so I was like, oh, that'd be a full circle thing.
I'm telling you. This is where, and this is how we're gonna end this podcast. The original Wankel engine was designed for the Audi 100. Right.
Did
you know
that? No. I just know of NSU, but I don't know.
Yeah. Yeah. For NSU. So they had the, well, okay. The original Winkles were NSUs, but then for the Audi 100, they had designed to put a Winkle in it. They apparently put it in the car and was actually unhappy with its performance 'cause it wasn't fast enough.
Understandable.
And the, at the time, this was when Audi was under Mercedes Benz's sort of ownership. So Mercedes was like, put an inline six in it. We have inline sixes and the inline six didn't fit. So they said cut one of the, cut one of the cylinders off. And that's what started the I five revolution for the Audi. So
there's a, there's a, a
moment. So there was never a winkel, there would've never been an I five. Whoa. 'cause the winkle's failure, or like I should say, disappointing performance. One of many perform. Yeah. Yeah. It's disappointing Performance in the 100 is what gave way for the original I five, which then, you know, I would say became sort of one of the more famous engines. Fordy, obviously they made great v eights and V tens. Yeah. But that I five in both rally and currently with the RSS three is, you know, is pretty special. So I, but I've always wanted to go back. And do the opposite, the
what
if and be like, what if the Winkle is actually what moved forward and go stick a three rotor or something. Yeah. In like a Audi 4,000 Quatro or something. That's cool. So we should do that one.
Yeah. That
would love to, that would be kind of, and it's like a, because I, I enjoy taking really loose threads in history and tying them back together. Yeah. Which is why I loved your vet story. Yeah. Because it's like, ah, it makes sense. Yeah.
There was, there's a reason
and there was always the, could there be a rotor? I mean, I have covers of car and driver from seventies and eighties that were like a Winkle powered Corvette.
Yeah.
You know?
Yeah.
So,
so cool.
Well, sir, um, we have, I think we have crossed the three hour mark even. We've had a couple interruptions with some planes flying over, but I think we've crossed the three hour mark today. So I think this actually makes this potentially the longest. You now hold a world record. I wanted to give you this world record. You hold the very vehicular world record. This is currently the longest episode. I don't know if anyone will break that. We will see. And when the problem is, is you and I could probably go on for like three more hours. Yeah,
this is,
there's two or three more things on my index card I still have to get to, but we've got other things to do today. You have any last stuff? You have Any last things you wanna share?
Uh, without questions, without going for another hour? Um,
you don't wanna start
it? I, I'm trying, I'm trying to self-control.
We'll just do a part two. Yeah, we'll do a part two. That's fine. Okay, perfect. We, I have this other show that I think you'll be very good on. Um, I would do this show called Firing Order, which basically a listicle show where everybody comes on with like, what are your three favorite engines of all time. Oh, okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And then we have to make a list together and fight through it to get like a finished list. So you should definitely come back onto that. Yep. I think that'll be a lot of fun. Um, everybody, if you are still listening, I thank you for just listening to the two of us blabber for three hours. I think this might be the quietest I've ever been on a podcast because I've been just enjoying listening to you talk. It's been a pleasure.
Likewise.
It's been too many years. We should hang out more often. Definitely. Um, I look forward to making some kind of action film with your
Yes.
Four rotor. Yes. And uh. Really we should call JR Hildebrand 'cause I think he's the man to, to drive that car. Yeah,
that'd
be so cool. Yeah. 'cause he's, he's got his own project going on. I can't talk about it 'cause I think it's, it's under friend da, but uh, but we should get into that. So anyway, thank you very much. Thank you to all the partners. And, uh, this is, uh, yeah, first episode of season two, which literally means nothing to you guys 'cause episodes come out every Wednesday at 7:00 AM So enjoy. Thanks again. And, uh, onto the next one.
The mailbox is, the mailbox is the mailbox. Can not accept any messages at this time. Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye.
Well, there it is for all you long episode lovers. This is the longest one we've done yet. Figured a great way to kick off season two with just a nice chunky media episode of Absolute Nerdism about building cars with Rob Dahm. I hope you guys all enjoyed this and uh, again, thanks to all of the partners who've stayed on to continue to make the show. So, uh, thanks guys. Vyper Industrial makes the best damn shop stools ever. Go buy 'em. Okay, now that we've got that out of the way, I wanna take a moment to really thank Vyper. They were the first to hop on and support. Very vehicular. When I hit 'em up, the immediate response was, yes, we want the biggest package you've got. That's why they're the title sponsor. Look, they make a really great product, and I felt that way before this partnership, but they also do a really good job of supporting all of us in the car community. Think about it. They work with Adam, LZ, Chris Forsburg, grant Anderson, Travis Pastrana, Vermont Sports Car, and those are just the ones I can remember right now. So Vyper, thank you again for supporting Very Vehicular for its first ever season. And as I was saying before, go buy a damn [email protected]. That's Vyper with a Y. For most of my life, I would say I was the occasional sunglass wearer. Why? 'cause I was the frequent sunglass misplacer. But I've noticed with the new heatwave Photochromatic lenses, I change from almost clear to a nice dark tint, technically A VLT range of 70 to 17% that when I get into the car or I walk into a building, they stay on my head, which makes them harder to lose. The performance advice are my favorite shades right now. But they offer the photochromic lenses in a bunch of other styles, and most importantly, for this big old head, they come in extra large too. I just wore them for a trip to the mountains, and I think I looked stunning in them. If I say so myself, go get yourself [email protected]. I've been running Toyo Tires for over 20 years, whether it's for my sports cars, my trucks, or even my oddballs to makes a tire for them. So for example, my nine 11 is on R Triple eight RS Church van. That's sitting on open country. CTS perfect for the weight load. My S eight runs the prox sport as, and I even have a set of Celsius snow tires for the RS two sitting on the shelf waiting for winter fun when I finally finish the F 600. They even have a commercial grade tire for that. So no matter what you drive, Toyo's got a tire for you. Toyo tires.com. Check 'em out.
About this episode
Rob Dahm joins Scotto to kick off season two of Very Vehicular, diving into his journey as a self-taught car builder known for his four-rotor RX-7. The conversation explores his ambitious projects, including plans for a fan car and record-setting attempts at Laguna Seca. They discuss the impact of YouTube on car culture, Dahm's unique engineering approach, and his memorable experiences, including a stint on The Bachelorette. With plenty of laughs and insights, this episode showcases Dahm's passion for pushing automotive boundaries.
all wheel drive
booger welds
Celsius snow tires
CNC cut
Cosworth
Co worth engines
displacement
FIA level racing
four rotor
Guinness Book of World Records
Audi 100
Audi 4000
Audi Quattro
Audi TT RS
BMW M Coupe (E36)
Chevrolet Corvette
Chevrolet Nova
Chevrolet Suburban
Dodge Challenger
Dodge Journey
Ferrari 360
Ferrari F40
Ford Edge
Ford F 100
Jaguar XJ220
Lamborghini Countach
Lamborghini Diablo
Land Rover Discovery
Mazda MX-5 / Miata
Mazda RX-7
McLaren F1
Nissan GT-R
Nissan Quest
Opel Manta
Toyota Supra
Volkswagen Golf
Volkswagen ID. Buzz
Volkswagen Rabbit
Original notes
Welcome back to Season 2 of VERY VEHICULAR! To kick things off, we’ve got Rob Dahm in the studio: creator of the world’s first AWD 4-Rotor RX7 and all-round mad scientist! He and Scotto nerd out so hard they break the record for the longest episode of the pod to date (we know you degenerates love the long ones, so we deliver)! In an epically neurodivergent battle of the tangents, who will emerge victorious? Will Scotto finally find the help he needs to whittle down the fleet? Will Rob set a track record at Laguna Seca? If a car can stick to the ground… could it stick to a wall? Stick around to find out - enjoy!
Partners:
Vyper Industrial
FCP Euro
Heatwave Visual
Toyo Tires
Producer: Nick Rutter @nickrutterarts
Music: SlikSound
Patreon: https://patreon.com/u37266647
https://bio.site/321actionaction
00:00 - Introducing Rob Dahm: The Mad Scientist of Cars
02:24 - YouTube Build Escalation: Rob’s Fault?
02:47 - Sponsors: Vyper Industrial, Toyo Tires, Heat Wave
05:18 - Rob's Engineering Background and Early Projects
13:08 - Building or Driving?
15:22 - Bedroom Car Posters & the Guinness World Records Book
18:18 - Going for the Laguna Seca Track Record
19:23 - Buying a Haul of Cosworth Engines
25:30 - Explaining the 12 Rotor
29:43 - The 4 Rotor - Rob’s Magnum Opus
30:40 - Rob Burn Yard Story
31:55 - Scotto: Jealous of Rob’s Content & Journey?
36:20 - Rob: I Loved being doubted
40:41 - Gymkhana 7: the Hollywood Sign and the White House
44:23 - Sponsor: FCP Euro
46:55 - Rob Pitches Scotto on Making a Film with his Skunkworks Project
51:23 - The Axe Parable: Are You Unique or Useful?
53:20 - Getting the Inside Scoop on Suction from McMurtry
58:23 - Hoonigan Economics & Mötley Crüe
1:19:39 - Downforce and the Future of Motorsports
1:29:24 - Rob: Every Day to me Feels like YouTube is Over
1:33:04 - Check out the Patreon!
1:35:16 - Illegal plates and Kojima: the Suspension Jedi Master
1:44:03 - Rob’s Xperimental Plans and the Crazy Uncle Role
2:03:04 - Cars & Noise
2:07:51 - Rob: The End of an Era of Chasing Performance
2:12:04 - Possible Ford Collab Incoming
2:17:24 - The Ford 9” Origin Story
2:19:21 - Scotto Needs Helps Downsizing the Fleet (again)
2:37:34 - A Mishap at Cleetus’ Place
2:42:52 - The Original Wankel Engine
2:44:53 - Breaking the Record - Longest VV Pod Ever
Very Vehicular
321 Action Action
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