WhistlinDiesel attempts to build a 3,000HP jet car from an old F1 shell but it sets on fire and causes a $70,000 loss
Published on Jul 11, 2026 at 10:09 AM (UTC+4)
by Ben Thompson
Last updated on Jul 11, 2026 at 10:09 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Mason Jones
WhistlinDiesel intended to build a 3,000hp jet car from an old F1 shell, but things didn’t go to plan.
In fact, that’s putting it mildly.
The car ultimately set on fire, losing him $70,000.
It would be a comedy of errors if it wasn’t so costly.
WhistlinDiesel is no stranger to a car going up in flames
YouTuber WhistlinDiesel is no stranger to extremity.
Whether its pushing a Ferrari to its absolute limits or destroying a fire truck, WhistlinDiesel – real name Cody Detwiler – is always going one step beyond.
And yes, fires have broken out in his videos before.
You might recall all the controversy that erupted when a Ferrari F8 Tributo went up in smoke on his channel.
Well, it looks like Detwiler is still getting himself into trouble.
A recent video started off with a resident threatening to call the cops on him if he started up a jet car.
So we can only anticipate what would follow after this tense moment.
Things got out of hand very quickly with this 3,000hp jet car
With an engine-less F1 car on hand, Detwiler wanted to install a jet engine.
Because, why not?
In came a jet engine expert called Robert, who helped them test a 1970s jet engine, which would cost them around $35,000.
Considering that these cost $1 million when brand new, that was practically nothing.
To test out their newly created jet car, Detwiler and his team took it out for field trials.
This included a steep driveway, a muddy field, and a drive-by of the resident who had previously threatened to call the cops.
It was when they attempted to throttle the car up the hill climb that things took a turn for the worst.
To protect the car from the rocky slope, they tied a piece of plywood to the bottom.
The massive air intake vacuum ended up sucking this straight into the engine, which choked the airflow.
Unaware that this had happened, they went to throttle again.
A ton of unburnt jet fuel went into the afterburner and a fire started.
And a not small fire either, a pretty gnarly one.
The team scrambled for fire extinguishers, and the fire department was called in.
Despite the chaos, they still suspected that the core engine may be salvageable.
“I actually genuinely think cuz this is made for high heat. You could literally just replace fuel lines and it should be fine,” Detwiler commented.
You can always count on him for an eventful video.
Ben joined Supercar Blondie in February 2025 after being published by international organizations including LADbible, The Sun, the New York Post, and the Daily Mail. He covers supercars, rare and collectible vehicles, aviation, luxury assets, and the fascinating people behind them. His reporting has explored everything from seven-figure supercars and historic Ferrari collections to unusual aircraft adventures and extraordinary automotive discoveries from around the world. Ben has also gained first-hand insight into vehicle craftsmanship and customization, including visiting specialist workshops to see bespoke vehicles up close.
