Lifehacker has teamed up with Paramount+ to bring you up to speed before you watch Top Gear Australia.
Top Gear Australia is now streaming on Paramount+, and there are three new hosts taking on adrenaline-fuelled stunts: Blair ‘Moog’ Joscelyne, Jonathan LaPaglia and Beau Ryan. While Jonathan and Beau are no strangers to TV – hosting Survivor and The Amazing Race – Blair is the car expert. The YouTuber is loved for his Mighty Car Mods show, so we decided to ask him for his top tips when modifying your car.
Blair tells us the biggest mistake people make when trying to upgrade their ride is not having a set intention. “Is it for looks, performance or just so you can learn how to work on your machine?” he asks. “Once you work out the why, all the modifications are easy because there are certain recipes that work for different applications.”
The TV host gave us budget-friendly tips, things beginners need to know and which car accessories give you bang for your buck. Without further ado, let’s get into it!
Here’s everything we learned from Top Gear Australia’s Blair Joscelyne about modifying your car
If you could give three tips to those trying to upgrade their cars, what would they be?
1. Don’t just do modifications because you think you’re meant to. There’s a lot of trends in the car scene but it doesn’t mean you can’t do things your own way. There’s usually a flip side to most modifications. Bigger turbo? You may have more lag making your car feel doughy down low. Smaller turbo? You’ll be punchy off the line but may miss out on top-end power. I installed some performance polyurethane engine mounts into one of my cars because it seemed like it would be a performance advantage, but the downside was a car with much more noise, vibration and harshness.
2. Check out some videos online. YouTube is full of videos with reviews, DIY tutorials and step-by-step videos teaching you how different modifications work. You can check out Mighty Car Mods on YouTube which is the show I make with my friend Marty. Start with the video 250 Car Tips, Tricks and DIY Hacks – that will be everything you need to know to get going.
3. Ask a professional – some modifications can make your car dangerous if they’re not done properly (think braking systems or fueling system upgrades!) so make sure the work is done properly.
If you’re on a limited budget, how can you turn your car into a sweet, sweet ride?
The absolute best bang for buck modification for your car is performance tyres. They’ll help you corner better, accelerate quicker and brake harder and if you’ve got a modern turbocharged car, an ECU tune can unlock an extra 30% power and can be bought for less than $1,000. From there you can look at suspension, intakes, and exhaust systems and down the rabbit hole you go. If you’re really on a budget, then remove weight. Weight is the enemy of performance so get rid of everything you don’t need for a stripped-down weekend track car!
How easy is it for beginners to modify their cars?
It’s getting harder to modify cars at home because they come from the factory with complex engine management systems and a lot of the things we used to have to fix like stereo systems, braking, turbochargers and the like are now really good in stock form. Plus with the huge influx of EV cars, eventually certain modifications that have been popular in the past will eventually be non-existent, like upgrading your turbocharger. This is where we will see the modification scene shift to battery upgrades and computer management tweaks for performance.
I think the best way to learn is to buy a project car for cheap, grab a workshop manual and then learn the basics – how to change the oil, change the wheels or maybe add some coilover suspension or springs. Start with a common car that has lots of support like a Corolla, Swift, WRX or BRZ. There are huge communities online and Facebook groups for every car make imaginable. Then slowly build up the skills and most importantly, enjoy driving your car.
What are the best car accessories that give you bang for your buck?
We have a system at Mighty Car Mods we call the WRECK IT principle. It’s a cheeky term for those who think a modified car means someone has ‘Wrecked It’. This simple acronym is the perfect recipe for what to look at changing when you’re modifying your car.
W – Wheels
R – Rubber (Tyres)
E – Exhaust
C – Coilovers (or lowered springs)
K – Kit (Body kit or lip kit)
I – Intake
T – Tune
Is there anything people should be aware of before modifying their cars?
Modifications don’t always make your car better, and they don’t automatically add any value to your vehicle. In fact modified cars are often worth considerably less than factory cars. There are also considerations relating to the legality of modifications, insurance and warranty. Make sure you update your insurance policy to reflect your modifications and if your insurer won’t cover them then you may need to find a specialty insurer for your car and be willing to pay a premium. It can be expensive, hard work and long nights trying to fix problems when something breaks. But is it worth it? Absolutely – when you turn the key on a car that you’ve worked on yourself and take it out to share it with other people, that’s one of the best feelings in the world!
If you want to see Blair zooming up a mountain in Italy, going drag racing in Texas and driving $11 million race cars, make sure you check out Top Gear Australia. The trailer looks hectic, and you can suss that out here:
Blair Joscelyne is a host on the brand-new season of Top Gear Australia streaming now on Paramount+.
He is also the co-creator of the hit YouTube series ‘Mighty Car Mods’ which teaches viewers how to modify their own cars. Since the show launched in 2008, it has accumulated over 1 billion views and is one of the most viewed automotive shows on YouTube.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.