Cannonball Garage

Call Directions Website Contact the business

Cannonball Garage Cannonball Garage is your Chicago area McLaren specialist. Cannonball Garage’s foundation is the people who operate it. Our customers always come first.

We offer maintenance, service, repair, performance, dyno tuning and have an M838T & M840T Engine Program Cannonball Garage is founded by Arne Toman, AMS Performance co-founder and former Vice President of one of the nation’s top aftermarket manufacturers. Arne wanted to start something that he could call his own. A company dedicated, like his former, to selling the best the aftermarket automotive parts the world had to offer. Cannonball Garage is a place where you can buy parts from a familiar face and know you are getting parts that perform. A place where things like profit margin and brand popularity don’t matter. A place that only sells parts he believes in. A company that not only sells the parts but understands them to their core. Quite simply Cannonball Garage won’t carry anything he doesn’t believe in himself. A place you can trust in a world filled with questionable choices. Relationships are the core of Cannonball Garage. You are never simply a name in an online shopping cart. Customer service will always be the priority. It’s easy to buy a part from someone but what if something goes wrong? What if you don’t know what part you should be buying? These questions and many more, are why Cannonball Garage is the place to shop for all your aftermarket automotive performance needs.

10/15/2026

😆 It's time for a CBGQ&A and at this point, we could post a video of the shop espresso maker and someone would ask, “Is that the DDE engine?”

No! When that project is ready to be shared, you’ll know It. Until then, the other McLarens in the shop would appreciate a little recognition.

While we’re answering frequently asked questions, the Senna oil pump isn’t the magic upgrade the internet wants it to be. Ivan explains what has changed and why that doesn’t make it a fix for the shaft wear issue.

And if our technical videos have you considering turning your McLaren into a very expensive living room decoration, please don’t.

➡️ We share what we find so you can make informed decisions about your car. McLarens are phenomenal to drive, and our goal is to help you enjoy yours with fewer surprises and a clear understanding of what it needs.

📱Have a question about your McLaren? Call Cannonball Garage or send us a message. We’ll help you sort through the concerns so you can get back to enjoying the car.

10/15/2026

We’re closed… today and tomorrow, but the shop, not so much.

Today Thursday and tomorrow Friday, the front office lights will be off.
Phones might be quiet. Emails might wait.

But in the shop?

Business as usual.

Engines will still be coming apart.
Cars will still be going up on lifts.
Techs will still be wrenching like nothing changed.

If you need us, leave a message or send us a note and we’ll get back to you.
If your car is already here… just know it’s still in motion.

Cannonball Garage. Even when we’re “closed,” we’re working.

Call the shop and leave us a message. We’ll catch up with you soon.

10/14/2026

💡Before you tune your McLaren and put the added stress on the stock engine components, have your oil filter inspected. We’re sharing this for the benefit of the entire McLaren community, whether you visit Cannonball Garage or another shop.

Wherever you take your car, ask your shop to make the oil filter inspection part of the process prior to tuning.

➡️ A smooth idle and an absence of warning lights don’t tell the whole story about your engine’s health. Engines can fail whether the car is stock or modified. Material trapped in the oil filter can reveal signs of trouble that might otherwise go unnoticed:

• Tell your shop when the oil and filter were last changed and how many miles you’ve driven since. A fresh filter may not have collected enough material for a useful inspection.
• Remove the oil filter and cut out a section of the filter media.
• Compress that section in a bench-mounted vise to squeeze out the oil.
• Examine the media for trapped debris, noting its amount, size, shape, and color.
• Use a magnet to help distinguish metallic debris: Magnetic particles suggest ferrous material, typically steel, which may come from components such as oil pump shafts/gears, finger followers, camshafts etc. Non-magnetic particles may include debris from aluminum components, bearings.

Have your shop assess the findings before moving forward with tuning. An oil filter inspection cannot always identify every engine problem, but it can still provide valuable information. Catching a developing problem early could help prevent a repair costing tens of thousands of dollars.

📱Considering a tune for your McLaren? Call Cannonball Garage or send us a message to discuss an oil filter inspection and your plans for the car.

⭐ The finishing touches matter, especially on something as extraordinary as this Pagani Huayra.Brandon is getting this b...
10/06/2026

⭐ The finishing touches matter, especially on something as extraordinary as this Pagani Huayra.

Brandon is getting this beauty ready to return to its owner, using the same 303 Car Care products we trust on every vehicle before delivery. When clients place some of the world’s rarest and most valuable cars in our hands, that responsibility extends to every surface and every final detail.

From the work in the shop to the final wipe-down, we take pride in how your car leaves Cannonball Garage. That’s why 303 is part of our "Delivery Day" routine.

➡️ Swipe through to see Brandon putting the finishing touches on this incredible Pagani.

10/05/2026

A worn locking mechanism. A fractured cam phaser. A camshaft advanced beyond where it should be. In this episode of Engines 101, we take a close look at variable valve timing, how intake and exhaust phasers behave differently, and how wear in a small component can create a much bigger engine problem.

This McLaren 650 came to Cannonball Garage with warning lights, unusual noises, smoke, and poor running. Our diagnostics pointed to incorrect cam timing. Once the engine was out and opened up, Ivan discovered the bank 2 exhaust camshaft was advanced beyond its intended position.

The culprit was inside the cam phaser, the mechanism that uses oil pressure to adjust camshaft timing. When the engine shuts down, a locking pin holds the phaser in its parked position until oil pressure builds again at startup.

On this engine, wear had compromised that locking mechanism. Ivan explains how the phaser could move out of position during startup, then slam forward as oil pressure returned. Repeated impacts damaged the internal stop, eventually breaking a section off and allowing the camshaft to advance too far.

And this wasn’t the only damaged phaser on our bench. Ivan also examines units from a 720S and GT with broken springs and damaged guides, comparing the older and newer designs. Revised geometry provides more travel and a thicker stop section, but other failure points remain.

Watch Ivan walk through the evidence. Hearing an unusual startup rattle, seeing warning lights, or noticing a change in how your McLaren runs? Contact Cannonball Garage to schedule an inspection.

McLarenService

10/02/2026

✅ Our new engine room just got another upgrade!

Levrack dropped off two more racks and two mobile workstations, giving our team more storage and the flexibility to bring their workspace right where it’s needed.

As a sponsor of our new engine room, Levrack is helping us create an organized, efficient space for the precision work that goes into every Cannonball McLaren engine build.

💪 Thank you to the Levrack team for your continued support and for being part of what we’re building here at Cannonball Garage!

Looking to get more out of your own shop or garage? Check out Levrack and stay tuned to see the new additions in action.

10/01/2026

🔑 Trust earned with a McLaren doesn’t stop at the next car in the collection.

When a longtime client received a steep dealership quote for service on his Pagani Huayra Roadster, he reached out to the team he already trusted: Cannonball Garage.

We evaluated what the car needed and completed an oil change, brake fluid service, air filter inspection, and coolant replacement. We also addressed an oil leak, identifying a suitable replacement part for a few hundred dollars and completing that repair in about 30 minutes.

The final service cost? Approximately one-quarter of the dealership’s quote for this particular visit.

Before returning the car, we put it through our test-drive process to check operation and confirm brake feel following the fluid service.

Having a client trust us with another exceptional vehicle is an honor. It’s a relationship built on thorough work, honest recommendations, and attention to the details that matter, whatever badge is on the hood.

Have something beyond a McLaren in your garage? Contact Cannonball Garage to discuss your vehicle and service needs. Let’s see how we can help.

09/30/2026

Two pieces. One nearly invisible seam. 🔍

In this Engines 101 follow-up, Ivan takes a closer look at cracked cap connecting rods. The cap is deliberately fractured from the rod, creating unique mating surfaces that fit together like puzzle pieces.

The coolest part? Once bolted back together, the parting line practically disappears. Watch closely as Ivan shows how precisely those surfaces match.

What engine component should we take a closer look at next? Let us know in the comments!

09/30/2026

An incredible car collection had this hidden gem waiting for its next drive.

This 2013 Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder Performante had spent years off the road while its owner enjoyed other cars in his collection. When it was time to bring it back into rotation, he sent it to us.

If you caught any glimpses of a Pagani Huayra around the shop, you’ve already met another car from the same owner. Being trusted with multiple vehicles in a client’s collection is an honor we take seriously.

Our team gave the Lamborghini a thorough inspection and caught up on overdue maintenance, including new tires, an oil change, brake fluid and coolant service, spark plugs, and air filters.

With the service complete, Jordan took it out for a final road check. Next stop: our friends at Luminescent Detailing for the finishing touches before it heads home.

📱Have a car that’s been sitting or another vehicle in your collection that needs attention? Contact Cannonball Garage to discuss getting it ready for the road again.**

Address

38 West End Drive
Gilberts, IL
60136

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+18478290060

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Cannonball Garage posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Cannonball Garage:

Shortcuts

Share

Category