Ep 1. Series Premiere! Big Speed Gains: Cheap and Fast!

Faster With Finnegan is a new automotive reality show that features Mike Finnegan, the co-host of the popular YouTube show, Roadkill. In this series, Finnegan aims to transform ordinary vehicles into high-powered speed machines on a budget. Big Speed Gains: Cheap and Fast!, the premiere episode of the first season, introduces viewers to the concept of the show and highlights the car that will serve as Finnegan’s first project.

The episode begins with Finnegan explaining his plan of taking regular cars, putting in cheap but effective modifications, and turning them into drag racing monsters. To demonstrate this, Finnegan shows off his current ride, a 1969 Chevy Impala equipped with a $200 nitrous system. The car goes from zero to sixty in just 3.7 seconds, a testament to Finnegan’s expertise in modifying cars.

The show then introduces Finnegan’s first project, a 1955 Chevy Coupe belonging to a local farmer. The car has not been taken care of, and the engine is in bad shape. Finnegan explains that he has only $2,500 to work with, but he is confident that he can make significant improvements.

Finnegan’s first task is to improve the car’s engine. He enlists the help of his friend Dave Freiburger, and the two spend the day working on the engine. They remove the old engine and replace it with a 396 cubic inch engine that they got for free. They also install new headers and a carburetor.

After the new engine is installed, Finnegan takes the Chevy Coupe to a local drag strip to see how it performs. The car makes it down the track, but it is slow and struggles to get up to speed. Finnegan realizes that the car’s rear end is the problem. He purchases a used rear end and installs it himself, giving the car better traction and allowing it to accelerate faster.

With these modifications, Finnegan takes the car back to the drag strip. This time, the car is noticeably faster and smoother, completing the quarter-mile run in just over 12 seconds. Finnegan is thrilled with the progress, but he knows there is still more work to do.

The next step is to improve the cooling system, which is struggling to keep up with the car’s increased speed. Finnegan installs a high-flow water pump, a new radiator, and a new fan. He also makes a custom shroud to improve airflow.

With the cooling system upgrades in place, Finnegan takes the car back to the drag strip. This time, the car performs even better, completing the quarter-mile run in 11.8 seconds. Finnegan is ecstatic with the results, but he knows that he can still make improvements.

The final modification that Finnegan makes is to install a set of rear suspension ladder bars, which help to transfer more power to the wheels. With the ladder bars in place, Finnegan takes the Chevy Coupe back to the drag strip for one final run. This time, the car completes the quarter-mile run in just 11.65 seconds, a significant improvement from the car’s original time.

Overall, the premiere episode of Faster With Finnegan sets the tone for the series, showing viewers how Finnegan can turn an ordinary car into a powerful speed machine with just a few cheap modifications. Big Speed Gains: Cheap and Fast! introduces viewers to Finnegan’s skillset and shows how he can take on a project with limited resources and make significant improvements.