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Buckle up, kids. This week I'm dishing some hacks out that I've learned the hard way through years of struggling with nugget project cars. Cars are an awesome hobby, but they can test you with mental acrobatics or physical pain, so here are a few of my top tips for whomever is undertaking a project, no matter if you're a newbie or a seasoned veteran.  From bodgy Subaru RS Turbos, to nugget E30 BMWs, decrepit V8s, to my out-of-control pound puppy Pontiac, I've done the hard yards so you guys can learn from my mistakes. Knowledge is key, organised knowledge...

We love swapping engines in our cars. But what do you do when "everyone" has seen Barras in Bugattis, Novis in Nissans, and LS V8s in everything? Well, you look at some forgotten gems...   3-cylinder: Ford EcoBoost "Dragon" We have done a lot with three-cylinder engines on the show over the years, and while people tend to sleep on them in favour of swapping in a larger four-cylinder, there is real charm and fun to a hard-revving three-pot. Ford's turbocharged DOHC EcoBoost three-pot unit has been available since 2009, with the post-2013 998cc (codenamed "Fox") produced between 74kW and 103kW. ...

Workshop Manuel takes us through what you need to do to getan old or abandoned engine running safely. 

Mini-trucks cop a lot of grief online for much the same reason that people hack on Limp Bizkit: fashion. There will be some people howling at their computer or phone screens right now at that statement but I'd say you people need to read Jazzy Green's story first [CLICK HERE]. I agree there are plenty of crappy mini-trucks around, there are just as many bodgy cars of other styles too.  Being one of the last styles of vehicle to use a body-on-frame construction, with simple chassis designs and construction techniques makes mid-size utes (as opposed to full-size jiggers like F-series...

So, maybe you've seen Marty and MOOG run through their picks for what car you should buy and mod at every pricepoint between $100 and $100,000. If not, CLICK THIS LINK HERE TO SEE THE EPISODE.  I've been writing for car magazines (and mostly modified car magazines) for more than 23 years now, so I've seen the car scene change an incredible amount but one thing hasn't change: the fact I'm a broke-ass MFer who has champagne taste on a tap water budget. A lot of motoring journalists are in the same boat as me, and we often talk about...