Breaking Down YouTuber Car Build Math

There is something of a debate to be had as to whether YouTube has been a net positive or negative for the automotive community. So many backyard mechanics, myself included, have taken a class or two at YouTube University. There’s some evil at play here, though, as these big budget builds and massive collections of toys are driving ever more consumerism and keeping-up-with-the-Shmees overspending for clout. Many YouTubers, particularly the ones with huge followings, get a bunch of their parts and service work for free and shout about how great those parts are, convincing their followers to go buy them. How bad is it? Let’s break it down a little.

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Mike Burroughs, the mad mind behind the now decades-old Stanceworks brand and more recent YouTube success, is probably the coolest car dude on YouTube right now. Not only is he continually learning and showing his work in pretty close to real time, but he’s transparent about pretty much everything he does, and he’s building some really cool stuff in the process.

You’ve probably seen Mike’s old BMW 5 series project Rusty Slammington, or his K24-powered Ferrari 308 on the internet. You may have also seen him completely destroy a sequential gearbox after shipping the car to Australia, or completely destroy the 1,000 horsepower turbocharged Honda engine after shipping it back to Southern California. His Ls are on display for the whole world to see, just as much as his Ws are, and I appreciate that.

What does a “YouTube Car Build” truly cost? Your Cost vs Mine.

In Burroughs’ most recent video, he’s giving an honest financial breakdown of his two-year BMW E30 build. Throughout the video he’s giving a total for what he paid for the car and the parts, then converting that to a retail price which would be paid by you or I ordering from a website.

Working on a car project is hardly an inexpensive endeavor. Even doing all of the work himself in his own shop, Burroughs spent nearly $20,000 on this BMW project. He started with an automatic 325e, the least desirable model, for $6,800. With an engine and transmission swap, a complete exterior revamp, and fresh sport bucket seats, the car looks phenomenal. But you can take that twenty grand and more than double it if you wanted a similar outcome in your own garage.

I think I’ve come down on the side of YouTube being a tool and the user determines its evil or good. In this video from Stanceworks, YouTube is a public good. Beware the person trying to show off their car, they may have ulterior motives.