Cannonball Garage

06/20/2026

👀We wrenched through the night to get Daily Driven Exotics amazing McLaren 720 GTR back on the goldRush Rally! Did we make it? Watch to find out!

Get the NEW DDE merch before it’s gone: http://www.ddemerchgarage.c...

06/20/2026

👀 Watch as Ivan breaks down exactly why the factory McLaren valve cover issue shows up on one side and not the other.

From the outside, the valve covers are mirrored. The fittings, mounting points, and wire harness locations all look like they were designed to match side for side. But the problem is on the inside.

The internal rib spacing was not mirrored with the outside of the cover, and the cam lobe spacing is not the same between the intake and exhaust sides. On one side, everything clears. On the other, the ribs land exactly where they should not, and the cam lobes can make contact with the plastic ribs inside the cover.

❌ That contact cuts trenches into the plastic, creates debris, and can lead to much bigger problems inside the engine.

Our CSO aluminum valve covers were designed to solve this. No internal ribs in the danger zone. No plastic warping. Improved sealing. Better stability around the bridge area. And a solution for the vacuum balance issues that can contribute to smoking problems.

This is not just a prettier valve cover. It is a better engineered solution real McLaren problems we have seen over and over again.

CSO aluminum valve covers are coming soon!

📱Own a McLaren and want to know if this issue could affect your car? Reach out to Cannonball Garage.

06/19/2026

A 2017 Porsche 911 Carrera came through the shop for a PDK tune, and the result is exactly what you want from a car like this: sharper response, quicker shifts, and a drivetrain that feels more awake every time you lean into it.

➡️ The PDK is already one of the best transmissions out there, but with the right calibration it gets even better. Faster shift behavior, improved clutch response, and a more connected feel make this Carrera a lot more fun without taking away what makes it such a great street car.

The best upgrades are the ones you feel every single time you drive.

📱Have a Porsche that could use a little more personality? Reach out to Cannonball Garage and let’s talk about getting it dialed in.

06/18/2026

📽️ In this video, Ivan tears into a brand-new McLaren engine that is here for a very special build. It has only been run for about 20 minutes during the factory break-in and inspection process.

So naturally, we wanted to check the valve covers.

❓The question was simple: is this issue actually present on a brand-new engine with almost no runtime?

➡️ The answer: yes.

Once the valve cover came off, the intake side on bank one showed clear signs of rubbing. Not after 20,000 miles. Not after years of heat cycles. Not after a hard life on track.

🕓 After about 20 minutes of runtime.

Some spots were barely touching. Others were already rubbing pretty clearly. And that is exactly the concern. If it starts this early, it only gets worse with more runtime, more heat, more movement, and more wear.

This is why we keep talking about the McLaren valve cover issue. It is not theory. It is not something we saw once. It is something we continue to find, even on extremely low-runtime engines.

Our CSO aluminum valve covers were developed to address this problem properly and eliminate the weak points we keep seeing in the factory covers.

📱Have a McLaren and want to know what is happening inside your engine? Reach out to Cannonball Garage.

06/17/2026

Mark had a 2012 MP4-12C on his lift for a DLD service, giving this early McLaren the attention it deserves.

The 12C is where McLaren’s modern road car story really started, and these cars deserve precise service, proper diagnostics, and technicians who understand the platform inside and out.

➡️ That is exactly why cars like this end up at Cannonball Garage.

Whether it is routine maintenance, diagnostics, drivetrain service, or a bigger plan for the car, our goal is always the same: take care of the details so the owner can get back to enjoying the drive.

📱Have an MP4-12C or any McLaren that needs attention? Reach out to Jordan at Cannonball Garage and let’s get it handled.

06/16/2026

⭐ This MP4-12C Spider belongs to a great customer of ours who actually drives her car the way McLaren intended.

With 25,000+ miles on the clock, she started noticing some valvetrain noise and brought it to us to take a closer look. After diagnosing the issue, we traced it back to worn rocker arms. That meant the engine needed to come out, and since we were already there, she decided it was the perfect time to give the car a proper Cannonball refresh.

➡️ We replaced the rocker arms with updated DLC units and completed our CSO-T motor build, including upgraded CSO rods, CSO main bearings, CSO head gaskets, CSO cam lock washers, and the supporting pieces needed to make this thing stronger, cleaner, and more reliable.

Once everything was back together, we paired it with a custom M-Engineering tune on 93 octane. Final result: 615 WHP and 618 TQ with a nice, reliable street setup and the ability to bring torque in much sooner thanks to the upgraded rods.

Now we’re finishing up the street tuning process, and everything is looking great! This 12C Spider is almost ready to go back home where it belongs: on the road, being driven.

📱Have a McLaren that’s making a noise you don’t love? Let’s catch it before it becomes something bigger.

06/15/2026

DAILY DRIVEN EXOTICS at Cannonball?! What happened, what was found, and how it all came together literally wrenching overnight.

Trust us, it’s one you’ll want to watch.

06/12/2026

🟢 This Mantis Green 2019 McLaren 570S has been part of the Cannonball family for a couple years now.

We’ve been taking care of the car through its regular annual service schedule. But after thinking about modifying it for a while, the owner decided it was finally time to wake it up.

So while it was here, we gave it a nice, solid street setup:

✅ Unobtainium downpipes
✅ CSO spark plugs
✅ Custom M-Engineering dyno tune for 93 octane
✅ Annual service and oil change

Nothing over the top. Just a clean, reliable, zesty setup that completely changes the personality of the car.

After dyno tuning and street tuning, this 570S put down right around 615 WHP and 615 TQ. The car is rock solid, dialed in, and ready for the owner to pick up and enjoy.

That is the beauty of these cars. You do not have to go crazy to make a McLaren feel dramatically better. The right parts, the right tune, and the right attention to detail go a long way.

📱If your McLaren is due for service, or you have been thinking about finally pulling the trigger on upgrades, reach out to Cannonball Garage today. We’ll help you put together the right setup for your car.

06/11/2026

🇺🇸🇬🇧A little McLaren knowledge exchange from both sides of the pond.

We had the pleasure of welcoming V-Engineering from the UK to Cannonball Garage for a visit, a shop tour, and a lot of great conversation about the future.

When you spend your days working deep inside the McLaren platform, it is always valuable to connect with other people who are just as focused on solving problems, improving the ownership experience, and pushing these cars forward the right way.

This visit was about more than just checking out the shop. It was about sharing ideas, comparing notes, and talking through future partnerships and collaborations that will benefit McLaren owners in both the United States and the UK.

That is how this platform gets better.

✅ Smart people.
✅ Shared experience.
✅ Real data.
✅ Better solutions.

A huge thank you to David from the V-Engineering team for making the trip and spending time with us at Cannonball. We are excited about what the future could look like when passionate McLaren specialists work together across the Atlantic.

More to come.

06/10/2026

➡️ Not every job at Cannonball Garage is about adding horsepower.

Sometimes it is about taking care of the details that keep a McLaren looking right, driving right, and staying protected.

This local 2015 McLaren 650 came in for a windshield replacement, and like anything on a supercar, the process is all about patience, precision, and respect for the car. A windshield install may sound simple, but on a McLaren, fitment, sealing, trim alignment, and cleanliness all matter.

Our team handled the install carefully from start to finish, making sure the glass was seated properly, the surrounding areas were protected, and the car left looking the way it should.

Whether it is engine work, performance upgrades, diagnostics, annual service, inspections, or detail-focused repairs like this, the goal is always the same.

✅ Do the work correctly.
✅ Protect the car.
✅ Give the owner confidence when they're behind the wheel.

📱Need service or repairs on your McLaren? Contact us today to get on the schedule!