Mighty Car Mods is a YouTube channel that focuses on DIY car modifications and car culture. Created by Blair Joscelyne (known as MOOG) and Martin Mulholland in 2008, the show has focussed on car culture through Australia, with most episodes centred around buying, modifying and testing vehicles with various budgets.
While typically based in Sydney, Marty and MOOG have travelled extensively to showcase car culture from across the world, creating various extended episodes, as well as multiple feature-length films from these experiences. They have filmed in locations including Japan, Cuba, Germany, the UAE, United States of America, Switzerland, the UK and New Zealand. Marty and MOOG also host 'The Unicorn Circuit' on their MCMtv2 YouTube channel, which keeps fans up to date with automotive news and includes fan submissions.
History
In 2007, Long-time friends and car lovers Marty and MOOG decided to start making videos to show fellow enthusiasts the ease with which you can modify a vehicle, regardless of your automotive knowledge or qualifications. The aim was to educate and inform their audience with a dash of Aussie humour, allowing amateurs to feel confidence to modify their cars (within the law) while achieving a sense of satisfaction and ownership from bestowing personality on a stock vehicle. Mighty Car Mods debuted on YouTube in January 2008, with the first video ("How to pimp your car for $500") showcasing the pair completing basic modifications and upgrades typical to the period on MOOG's 2001 Daihatsu Cuore.
The general format for episodes involves buying different cars and modifying them in a particular style or for a particular purpose. Vehicles are typically from what is colloquially known as "late-model Japanese and European tuning" scene with cars ranging in age from the mid-1980s through the 2000s. However, MCM has also done builds on classic Australian cars (HQ Holden), as well as near-new Japanese (Subaru BRZ) and European (Audi RS3, VW Golf R, Lotus Exige S240) vehicles.
Episodes generally commence with a semi-animated introduction, created by Gavin Tyrell, followed by Marty and MOOG giving either an introduction to the project or a rundown of previous episode's highlights. Episodes vary in duration, from 15 to 60 minutes, but most will typically run about 20 minutes.
Sometimes Marty and MOOG will set a challenge to each buy a car with a particular constraint (budget or style of car), and build it independent of each other. The goal of these series is to then battle head-to-head in a series of challenges. Recently MCM has also participated in "Catch and Release" episodes where vehicles are brought in for only one or two episodes, then moved on. Other builds run for months due to the complexity and scale of the modifications being undertaken.
Typically, cars featured in builds will be given a name—often a pun such as Yaris Hilton or Taylor Drift—to build an identity with viewers. The show was originally filmed on Marty's mother's driveway and garage, but was moved to a private indoor location in Sydney in 2015, following issues with people posting spoilers or causing traffic issues in the suburban street.
The MCM duo have released several critically acclaimed feature-length films documenting automotive-focused travel, such as Turbos and Temples, Kei to the City, Chasing Midnight, Turbos and TemplesII,The Cars of Cuba, and most recently; Turbos & Temples III. MCM are the first Australian-produced automotive show to be aired globally on Discovery Channel, and MCM also appears on Qantas in-flight entertainment.
Some vehicles that were featured in the films, such as the Daihatsu Mira TR-XX in 'Kei to the City', and the Nissan March Super Turbo in 'Turbos & Temples II' have eventually led to the duo making multiple extended series, after having them imported from Japan and remodified or retrofitted to comply with the safety regulations set by Australia's Road laws.
All music used in the show and associated films is composed and produced by MOOG, with editing and uploading handled by both he and Marty. The mix of technical content with irreverent humor and high production quality has found a fanbase among a wide demographic of people. This has led to Mighty Car Mods videos being viewed more than 780 million times, making MCM one of the most successful shows of its type on YouTube.
Cast
Marty typically shows more hands-on mechanical experience in videos, while MOOG will often handle creative tasks involving design or aesthetics. Due to their background as amateur mechanics Marty and MOOG will sometimes enlist the help of industry-qualified experts for complex builds.
Special guests include Miles "Dose Vader" Stinton, Scott "Tuning Fork" Hilzinger, Benny "Mechanical Stig" Neal, and Alan "Turbo Yoda" Butler. Typically, these guests are known by their nicknames, with Turbo Yoda (with his offsider, Ben "Woody" Wood) now hosting The Skid Factory from his home in Queensland, while Mechanical Stig fronts the Benny's Custom Works channel. Tuning Fork works at Haltech, while Dose Vader runs AM Auto in Noosaville in Queensland.
'Supergramps': Revival of the first iteration of 'Gramps', a 2nd generation Liberty (Legacy) wagon (BG)/EZ36 H6-Turbo swap. Was colloquially known as "The 11 Second Car"
The Main Feature for the film 'Kei to the City' – An Australian-market model, retrofitted with the then imported JDM Mira TR-XX X4 from the film to comply with Australia's Road laws.
Impreza WRX STi engine and manual drivetrain swap/upgraded with an EZ30 H6-Turbo swap (known by Martin as 'Hypergramps' in lieu of 'Supergramps' and 'Gramps' prior)
Part of MCM's success stems from the hosts' relatability as everyman car enthusiast, as well as their humorous and laconic nature, and their desire to tackle complex tasks and learn new skills along the way. Their first feature-length film titled Turbos and Temples was well received by critics and motoring fans when it premiered at Hoyts Cinema, Fox Studios, in Sydney. So far their videos have garnered more than 780 million views on YouTube, with almost five billion impressions.
MCM used to publish a digital magazine, which is still available on their web store along with digital downloads of MOOG's music and show merchandise. In 2018, to celebrate their 10th anniversary, Mighty Car Mods released a limited-edition hardcover 128-page book titled The Cars of Mighty Car Mods, featuring illustrations of all the cars they worked on in their first 10 years. This was updated for 2019 with a further 30 cars added and The Cars of Mighty Car Mods: Modified Edition.
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