Has front wheel drive. Have you got anyone you want to
think? Just myself and now we'll do the
after hours. Gentlemen, what would you do
for? Us in there.
OK and. Cause it's not a supercar, it's
not. Ordinary perfection comes in the
form of two letters A&U. Long live my Ltd.
Welcome to Call Talk. It's Tuesday night here on 98.9
NW FM. It's Being Mary Jane in the
studio with Mr Tyrone Cabral online with Mr Edward Bunting and Mr. David Prince. We are back from Japan, from the
Land of the Rising Sun. Ladies and gentlemen, how are we
all? Tomorrow we'll start with you.
How are you going? Good.
Haven't been on in a, I think, in a couple of weeks, but um, yeah, no, everything's been going alright.
I could tell you right now car update is no update.
But but yeah, no, it's no, everything's been going alright.
It's actually probably due for service, not a 4000K or three and a half thousand cases. So because I got it, what, 305?
And it's going to be 315, so. No, Well, OK.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Plenty of cases when you're
going up and back from. From north to east.
Yeah. Every weekend, But yeah, no,
it's it's been alright. So everything's been going
alright. What's What's averaging 10
metres? Or no sitting at 9.4?
That's actually really. Good.
Now every now and then it gets up to 10.
When you know when you're when you're around, you know sometimes, sometimes you just need to.
But no, it's I think I feel like someone as good as well just to get any crap in the exhaust. At the at the back of the
cobwebs, yeah, they would say. So, yeah, now every now and then
I do, I do do it. But depending on the fuel price,
yes. Yeah, at the moment the fuel
price is just ridiculous. But you.
Know 227A litre I paid today. Yeah, it's just crazy, a little
high. Shocking.
Yeah, very, very expensive. But yeah, there's that's
actually really good mileage for.
Yeah, it's actually not bad. Yeah, it's actually pretty good.
I thought it would be in the high probably, maybe elevens or so. But no, it's actually it's
actually not bad. That's all it's.
Yeah, it's been pretty good. Very, very good.
Alums join. Ange by Mr Amandeep Singh.
Mr Scotty Dog Johnson. How are you fellas?
Good. Thank you.
I'm. Feeling quite well, Thank you.
We'll get into your car updates before we get into our Japan trip Part 2 alum. What's happening in your world?
For the longest time I've just been driving around the X so the other cars were in need of a bit of love.
And so I think a better week ago I grabbed out the battery tender, just put down the STI 1st that it's batteries are still OK but still it's useful giving a full charge and I think it does like a little battery recovery thing as well getting kind of I guess increase the longevity of battery.
So did that had the already and then decided to move on expectedly, have completely dead battery.
So you have to get into that, get that on charge and get it going and yeah, get the SI drive.
Pretty happy with it, you know, just took it.
I think it took for about 45 minute drive, which is pretty good. A little bit of work on as well
while I had it out. I as you recall when we changed
out the stereo, the bracket tree that came with the star wasn't exactly the best. We had to do some manhandling
slash cutting. I decided to actually look up
the appropriate Air Pro kit, the facial kit that was appropriate for the MSR. Pick one of those up and it fits
really nicely getting snuggly. So actually looks like it's part
of the car. I mean put any screw, screw and
dense screwed in through the through the facia.
No, no, luckily not. Change up the power antenna for
a sub one, because with the new unit the antenna comes out all the time whereas with the old unit it only come out all the factory unit. It only come out when you turn
the radio on, so and you you've seen those interests, they're very, very, very large for the car.
It looks like a little RC car. So you know I thought it some
more appropriate to the size. It's a stubby, you know, about 2
1/2 inches and that's enough in most cases.
I think so, especially especially for that little Mazda. So I did that.
I tried to take out some of the old line from the old clutch master cylinder because I've got a brand new brand plan that goes and there are places you just can't get your hands into.
I've got some of it out. I still have like the last
remaining part, which I think when I do the clutch, we'll get the clutch done. I'll have to tell her I guess.
Got the current house. Got the transmission out.
Just so can you please take those last bit of the remaining line out and apart from that took the MX obviously for drive, then it's driving lovely, especially with the top down sunset guns out. Except for she's lost today.
Not today, but before that. It was nice to say 26 degrees.
You know what? A bit of time to you know, to
have the top down the wind in my hair and just having a good old fun time with the MSR. So yeah, that's about it for me.
Just happened to be driving the other cars around.
Awesome. Scotty.
Nothing overly awesome, but I guess I've finally figured out the headlight issue with the R31.
Um, it's just the headlight switch, all the.
Stalk. Um, that's all it was.
He had a look at it and you can see inside where the contact has kind of overheated and burnt there.
He's like, you can clean it and then it started working again.
But they're the exact same looking ones that come on pulsars and everything like that.
So I just bought a brand new one for like 35.
Bucks. Oh great.
Still available. Yeah.
Yep. Still available.
Brand new. So.
The Bucks that should come sometime this week.
So that's an easy fix. I didn't realise that when you
turn the high beams on on that car, it's got H ones come on as well. I thought I just didn't really
take any notice to that other spot.
I was too busy looking at where the H4, your main one goes and everything and the high beam and I had trouble getting into the park is not to change those too. And I was having trouble getting
to those. I just completely forgot that
those ones existed and took out one of the H ones and it's completely broken. Like there's no bulb or anything
on it. Snapped in pieces.
So yeah, just a couple high ones and and that and that should be it. I don't think there's anything
else on that car that's not working.
That should be working. Everything is working.
Hang on, hang on. So does that mean it's going to
have a road with you certificate?
Yeah, it's just annoying that I'm back at school now so it's hard to work around. School.
Hours and things to get that to some place to get the.
Report just wait till next school holidays.
Yeah, it's like another three weeks.
What's the difference, you know? Wait, wait.
Another eight weeks or something wouldn't.
It no, it's a 12 week term. Ouch.
The big one. Hmm.
So sorry, you're dealing with DVD with Christmas rush.
Yeah, Matt, can you. Oh, you're a teacher as well.
Doesn't work, I was gonna say. Who can just go to some range.
Just drop it at the place or something.
Well, sorry. So you obviously took it to the
mechanic and they said this is all that means now that's it's just that. Well, going off the whole stupid
list I got originally, yes, yes. Yeah.
It's not that same mechanism, it's a different place.
The funny thing is that place that was so strict, you know, and they put down, you know, all those stupid things on there, they didn't pick up on those high beam headlights.
The globes on that, that wasn't written on there.
Yeah. That is the danger, taking it
somewhere else cause they find other stuff that's the problem.
But I think he couldn't be any more danger than that first mob.
They just went off charts. Things that are done to this,
like it's gotta be the most safest car out there now, Brand new tyres, all new brakes, every single suspension, bushes all brand new and shocks are all brand new.
Can't get any more newer than that.
That are being what wheels are on it, Scotty.
My aftermarket ones. Oh, so they're OK, they're
they're. Yeah, there's no spaces, there's
nothing on them. They're just put on with brand
new tyres, so there should be no dramas with those.
There's nothing illegal about them.
They fit under the guards fine. There's no poke or anything like
that, so. So, Scotty.
We. Want to tell you this once?
Classic Japan is coming up. I know, I saw.
That. I was going to say no, it's not.
It actually is. 1st Sunday in December.
You have got and mark my words, I will never ask you again about this car ever. And I would never ask you ever,
ever again. If it's not there you've got
tell you've got over. You almost got two months.
OK to get it on the road we can. Do that.
This is not there. What happens?
So there I will you cut out a Car Talk forever.
No. My feeling.
What will happen Scotty, is that I will never talk about this 31 on the show ever again and two Scottish Golf Tip of the Week will will be reduced to a fortnightly event so.
So you know the pressures on now Scotty?
You're gonna lose a lot of viewers.
A little big risk. But it's a I'm happy to see it
so close. We just gotta get over the line
and and and get it to classic Japan because I think it would be really awesome to see it there.
Yes, I would love to. I mean, it's been.
I've had that thing for like, you know, four or five years.
Yeah. Just get a purple and just drive
it there that day. That's it.
Don't worry about it. Yeah, true.
Just a big race. Panel, Yeah, that's it.
Yeah. There you go.
I just kind of mechanics. Going pretty far, yeah.
Good mechanic. Yeah.
Speaking of our 30 ones to get this.
I know people can't hear it, but.
Well, you finished the. Yeah.
Not. So I put together and painted a
R31 model. Looks really.
Good and painted at the same colour as mine.
Yeah, I like yeah. With the grey on the bottom and
the light on the top. I'm liking this I think.
Well, not on the holidays. Found some Hot Wheels cards that
I showed in the chat before. We've got a Mercedes Benz 560 S
CMG. This.
That's tasty. She's pretty good.
And this one's got David's name written all over it, so.
That one for you, David. Thanks mate.
Honda Civic custom in. Orange.
Indiana Orange. The Mazda 787-B.
I've got one of these but not in this colour.
So we saw that in real life. Yeah.
Is that the other one? You've got the green and orange
one. Yes, yeah.
Yeah, and it's got it was like a premium Hot Wheels one.
It's got rubber wheels. Oh, nice.
He feels so. And then I found this Nissan
Leaf. Nismo edition.
No, which was pretty cool. I was like, what?
And never say nothing like that. So I had to grab that one too.
They're all on special at Target, so I think they're like a dollar something each. Really.
Yeah, very good. Hold out your hand, Mr. Cheap.
Model. Can't say, can't say no to that
good deal. I saw Um.
In Adelaide I saw just recently posted about a big motor fest happening in Adelaide next year. Yeah, I saw.
That early March. Yeah.
That's not Japan thing. No, no, It's a festival of
motorsport. Is that the one?
Scotty 7. Yeah, yeah, it looks like they
got a picture of the 787 bees. I saw that.
Maybe, David, we stay on a little longer.
Picture of a Formula One car So. I think, I think it's a
fortnight after when we're there, I think.
I'd rather be there for the Japan show, I think than than that. Well Scotty, you're 31's gonna
come with us to Adelaide for the classic Japan show in all the pain in Adelaide as well, so it's gonna have to be there for that. Yeah, might be manual conversion
done by then. Hang on, let's not push it,
Scott. I don't want that off the road.
Mate, he said. He's gonna come around and do it
though, so it's. Alright ohk OK.
I said working bee. We're gonna do a working bee.
Get it done. We all need a Mattie in our
life. It keeps you on your toes, so
nice about it at the same time. Just between.
He's he. He's the Ying to edge Yang.
Is he? Like, yeah.
You on your toes, and that's not nice about it.
Yeah. You got the Angel on one side
made, and then you've. Got what we?
Don't know. I hate you.
Have a tummy. Now.
Love it? Absolutely.
Love it. Just take your day off work.
Do it. Yeah, kids will learn.
That'll be fine, you know. Yeah, priorities.
I think that you need to teach them to follow their dreams, Scotty. Hmm.
Isn't that Parliament? Hmm.
Shit, that ain't. Yeah.
I'll tell you what, I had a pretty good first day yesterday.
Got hit and kicked by my student.
Well, OK. OK, yeah, pretty common
occurrence these days. What were you trying to make
them do that they didn't want to do?
Nothing. Oh no.
I just got to the point where there were endangering other students. Strong.
Throwing things and trying to hit and attack other students, so that's when I just put myself.
In line and then I just got that they're only in grade one anyway, so doesn't. It you respond with the good old
classic backhand. Yeah, dish.
But no, you just kind of. Block and kind of.
Allowed. They will never know.
They were calmly, I did get, I did get them to calm down and then we had a conversation afterwards.
Just can't control their emotions.
Did it feel like a like a mosquito bite like cause it's so small in? Here minding me like when I was
younger and with my younger brother and that when they start just like laying into you and just like, yeah, go away and they're like. Remind me of that.
Think you're some kids can hit hard like my my younger cousin he even going to talk on there for a young age.
He knows how to throw them kicks.
You know he mainly be, you know a great three these days even when he was there a grade one. He can throw some good kicks
occasionally and that's the point where you say if your parents were here. Give him a little good knuckle
sandwich. You gotta be careful though when
they're when they're that much shorter than you Scotty, cause they can lash out and they can like.
Yeah, get you in the wrong spot. Absolutely.
Especially when they're excited to see you and they come like, sprinting up to you. Quick turn side on.
What are the famous words of Bobby Hill?
That's my purse. I don't know you.
Yes, yes, yes. Yeah, away real quick.
But anyway, good to hear that the 31 is almost there Scotty and hopefully, fingers crossed, we gets gets over the line and very, very soon. Prince, you had a very busy
weekend. I did have a very busy weekend.
Prior to that, since the last time, we were always some chauffeured around parts of Japan in probably one of the worst JDM people movers we've we've ever had.
The joy of experiencing. Mr Toyota does some wonderful
things, but the Toyota Sienna is not one of them.
But it was, it was useful, carried the four of us and all our gear. So that was the main, that was
the main focus that it needed to do.
And it performed that job admirably.
None of it. Since then I've come came back
and I took the scant for a good film Friday when I got back, which was great. And then Saturday we picked up
our new car, which was pretty exciting.
So we ordered it before a couple weeks, week or so, 10 days or so before we went away. And yeah, delivery was pretty
prompt and we picked up a new Honda Z RV on Saturday to replace our CRV. And platinum Are they called
Platinum Grey metallic? And you early indications are
it's gonna be a very pleasant car, I think very pleasant.
Drive. A lot nicer than the CRB, do you
think? Lots of.
The Z's based on the Civic Platform, I think I've said that before, but it just shows how good the Civic Platform is.
I think it's it's quite a bit lower than the CRV, but you couple that lower centre of gravity.
I think with the the better. The newer upgraded platform and
the CRV felt perfectly fine while we had it, but stepping out of 1 into the other the the CRV does feel a bit ponderous and a bit top heavy. In comparison, so yeah, there's
a RV I think will be, you know. That's a sportier drive.
Better handling. Yeah, much, much nicer.
Flatter rides nicely. Really good compromise between
ride and and turn in and that sort of thing, so.
Yeah. The podcast has driven that car
and he said all the right things, so that was good.
Oh, the 1.5. At 1.5 tubs.
They all the the petrol cars all have the same spec.
There is a 2 litre non turbo hybrid or available as well but that was another 10 grand and 10 grand boys for a lot of petrol.
So I'm surprised it's not expensive. 10 grand like first.
That's a big job. I have a habit of doing this.
I think they they they bring it out as the sort of range Topper.
They're given the most convoluted name.
I think it's that. I think it's the RVTILXEHEV.
Wow, what a mouthful. Yeah, I'm saying that four times
quickly, but that leads the way open so that they can actually and they they've said they will bring the hybrid drive train into the lower spec as available in the lower spec model.
So that's somewhere down the track.
But look, this one will be fine for the time being.
It's rated about. I think 7 litres per 100K S 6.8
or something, son. Yeah, sure.
No, it's very nice. Very lucky to have it.
Yeah, congratulations. It's awesome.
Really awesome car. Matthew was very helpful sorting
out a couple of Apple CarPlay issues.
Not issues, but questions we had.
Glad to be of service, Mr Prince.
Glad to be of that. Wireless Apple CarPlay or do you
have to plug it in to get wireless in this that that's I had it and it was you had to plug it in yeah and we never really bothered because it had that maps and everything in it but yeah we can see how this would be far more seamless and and as many said one of one of the one of your mates I think put it in there car and they said it's like being able to see for the first time. Yeah.
Want to want to go out completely.
You won't go back. Go back.
You won't go back there. Anything I don't like, is this
the wireless? It's, I don't know.
It's really. In this.
Yeah. Like with with the, with the
1:00 I've got in my car, obviously that's an aftermarket you expected to be. OK, maybe a bit shabby or
whatever, but with. This caused a brand new car and
it's got inbuilt, but even when she goes over a certain spot on the teller freeway, it always cuts out no matter what really.
I had that same thing in my forest, 'cause I had a I had a like a really expensive wireless Apple CarPlay Android Auto.
Any unit and it was great, worked seamlessly.
But like in the city if I went through this place on Collins Street, it just it just just stopped.
I was like and it just completely cut out.
So unavailable to what that everything that drove past I was like has to be that spot. So maybe he was getting
interference I don't know. But.
But every time I've had a connected.
Why? Why I tried it then?
That's fine, yeah. Maybe maybe just interference?
Yeah. Max.
No idea which is really gives me, gives me the shits is going.
So I think the the player that I've got, I think it's the same frequency as the toll tags every time.
As soon as soon as I get near the toll tags and cut out as soon as I get past it come back on again.
So every toll I pass, it like cuts out because I can't say.
You know, they say time. Don't use the tools.
I need let's do something. Try to You know you never heard
it here, but you know as long as you don't get charged every time you go through them again. It's a double charge, a wireless
CarPlay, yeah. You gotta like, I don't know,
put the number plate a little bit inside of the bumper.
Inside the bumper. That's funny.
Now I'm I'm glad it's, it's going really well, David.
It's a, it's a it's a really lovely Congratulations.
Thank you. Mr Edward Bunting.
Hello. Did.
He steal the Falcon from you, Alan.
I did buy the Falcon. Yeah, you.
Stole it, huh? That.
Did have a rough running issue when I test drove it at Alan's house, which of course Tea disclosed for me wasn't trying to disguise it. And then when I picked it up and
drove it home, it was sweet as pie the whole way home.
And I thought, oh, it's fixed. But then it came back the next
day or so, but it would, it was really weird.
It was intermittent. So it would be silky smooth like
all Falcons are, you know, most of the time.
And then occasionally it would just.
And it didn't seem. I couldn't ever pinpoint it.
I didn't seem to be when it was hot or when it was cold or when it was above a certain speed or blow certain speed.
It just seemed to be random, you know.
Which I went to the referral and bought a coil pack thinking it'll be one of the coil packs and I'll just.
Not just replace until it fixes it.
Anyway, in the end I I wanted to take it to Canberra for a weekend to see a mate and come, you know, back again.
And I thought that's the perfect car because it's economical, you know, in terms of its fuel consumption being the gas and cheap to fuel because gas was like 7980 cents a litre.
I think it's a dollar now, but back then, a few weeks back it was $0.79. So I thought, yeah.
Good, big, comfy car. And at highway speed, when
you're not sort of on the throttle and it's not under load too much, it seemed to be better.
And so I kind of tentatively took off the Canberra thinking, is this thing gonna, you know, blow up or is it going to be fine? And it was fine.
Whole way up, perfect. Whole way back.
Perfect. So I thought, well, whatever
this is that's causing the odd rough running, it's not a.
And it's not a constant issue and seems to be happy at freeway speeds. I figured out so it so it was
the perfect car for that trip and I think I was saying to Maddie Jay like. It was so comfortable, so
smooth, so good on fuel. You know it just big fat cruise
control buttons are and you can find in the dark on the steering wheel. Like there's a lot of things to
like about that car in terms of a highway cruiser just eating up kays. And I thought that's that's why
people bought these. And then I started thinking what
it what are they all buying now? You you can't buy these cars
anymore. What are what are people who
would have bought a 40,000 dollar $35,000 Falcon?
What are they forced into these days.
And I thought, well, they're all.
Abuts. An SUV's that are I mean I
suppose something like a Hindi Santa Fe or a Tucson or maybe something like that that they're forced into.
It's it's still a relatively comfortable car but but that Falcon on its on its sort of fat tyres and soft suspension is.
Definitely. You can see why people bought
them. Yeah, I have an appreciation for
them now that I I didn't have some much when they were new, but now that they're old and cheap, I I definitely have an appreciation for those. So the cruise control edit
actually stays at the speed. Yeah.
Yeah, it was just like put it on 1/17 which was about 113 or something and. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
With, with my fiance's card, the brand new car.
Yeah. You said that the speed and it
cannot keep that speed. Yeah, literally cannot.
Like, even if it goes over like a little speed hump, like, you know, if you're going up, up, up a little hill, down a little hill, like it'll think like the Falcon, it'll keep it out there.
Like if I said 100, it'll stay at 100 all the way.
Yeah. All the way going.
Unless obviously steep hill then, yeah, fair enough.
It's going to change. But with the care, even if I go
up a little, little Hill just backs off, goes up again, backs off again, goes over the speed because down again, yeah.
That's really not much cruise controls.
There's approximation. Cruiser.
Annoying. So, I mean when we drove out to
like my typhoon to to Sydney that time it was it was perfect.
It was just we we got another car, fresheners, pressures of days. It didn't feel like it was a
tiring experience, was like, oh that was easy.
You know, it's you felt like those cars and you know, like I haven't really given any cars like that that.
They can just eat up miles like nothing like you.
They just eat it and it's like, Oh yeah, that's fine.
That's it. They're made for, they're made
for long distance. They're made for, you know,
cross country. They're made for, they made for
that. They.
For taxis. And.
You know they're they're made to do that.
So I'm glad that you've got you've finally gotten appreciation of the old Falcon, Mr Monti.
Do I do the Boardman now? He's four years Cameron.
Real, real porn guy. So that's the Falcon.
What else? Suzuki Swift, the low mile of 12
1/2 thousand KR is. I put new tyres on that
yesterday I think, and that's gone in for roadworthy this morning. That's passed.
Of course you would hope that the bloody things passed that that mileage on it, but the tyres were the originals from 07:00, so I definitely needed to change those.
So I preemptively did that. That's getting Red showed on
Friday morning and then will be for sale.
I'm picking up a Honda Jazz maybe tomorrow night at 16 Jazz VTi. It's done 68 days in blue in an
auto, so that will be for sale and really shouldn't need anything that's had tyres a year ago and just service not that long ago And you know really that should be a just wash photograph and for sale. Honda Civic 74 two door.
Is a lot better than when I got it.
Thank you to David Prince for a new second hand in front bumper bar and some cosmetic enhancements to the wheels, et cetera. That car has developed an oil
leak. So I think Tommy friend of the
podcast is going to have a a delve into why it's pissing out oil. It's not horrendous.
Like I got home from Japan and looked under it and went, yeah, there's a bit of a puddle, but it's not I've seen worse, you know it wasn't wasn't catastrophic and it still had plenty of oil in it. So it's.
Blood haemorrhage. It's a lot.
Haemorrhage. Yeah, it's a lot damage.
You're not going to bleed out and die from it, but.
That's the that's the 74 Shivak. But it's also, you know, coming
back from Japan. It's the start of service month,
so we know how big that can be. I started with the scam, OK, OK,
gave the scamp and oil change. I didn't bother changing the
field because oil was changed a year ago.
I overfilled it with oil, which I didn't sort of realise at the start. And I was driving it back down
as a peninsula where I keep it and it was smoking a bit on the freeway. And that car has never smoked.
Not when it's cold, not when it's hot.
Like never, never, never. And I thought, shit, what's?
And did I spill oil and it's on the exhaust and it's hot and it's smoking. That was my initial thought.
But then I thought, no, I was really careful.
I didn't do that. So when I let it sit for awhile
when I got it down there I I checked the oil level again and it was enough above the full mark to make me go, all right, you've overfilled it, you're an idiot.
So I'll just have to pop that up on the ramps and or not even on the ramps you can do it do on the ground and just drain out about maybe half a litre or litre sort of thing to get back to gets back to Mr Honda's recommended level and then I'm sure that will be fine. You know, that's that's all that
was. What else have we done?
I changed the oil in the MX5. I'm driving that at the moment.
That's going in for new tyres tomorrow, the tyres.
On them that finally on that car.
I know the tyres on that were not new when I bought it in 2011 and it's now 2023 and they have plenty of tread on them.
They're they're just not very new.
So I've armed unarmed. I thought I'd find some at the
wrecker. I've looked around being the
tight ass that I am on eBay and here and there and everywhere, and I don't want to put an awful Chinese tyre on that car I think it deserves. Something with the a smidgen of
grip. So I've settled on a Bridgestone
that's getting fitted tomorrow lunchtime.
And yeah, they're not the world's sportiest, most expensive tyre, but they're certainly not an $80.00 Chinese
special, so they're kind of middle the road and I don't drive. That's a big difference.
There probably really hard, those tyres.
Now yeah, mine are rock hard. Having said that, I drove it
today in the pissing rain to work and back and I don't spin like it's still grips. So I think it's got pretty
interesting for tenses on at the moment and then they by and large they've. Been very good but.
But you know, if I want an equivalent thing now, they probably 200 bucks. Dieter and 50 and I'm not
spending that so. So it's getting brownstones
tomorrow anyway. What else?
I changed the oil and philtre in the mini as well.
That's gonna cartridge style philtre.
That's a pain in the ass and they're often prone to leaking.
But touch wood? That didn't leak, I actually did
it right So ticked that box. Done.
Now that's desperate for tyres too.
I'm arming an earring there are there are 10 inch tyres.
Same as the scam. It's actually got the exact same
tyre on it as the Scamp. David was worried about those
camp tyres, but the mini ones are a lot older than that.
So it's kind of like, yeah, you can still buy those, but there are 140 something dollars each from a specialist and I'm like, yeah, I don't really want to spend that much for a 10 inch tyre. So I don't know what to do
there, whether I look for something else or whether I put a set of mini light wheels on it that I already have good tyres on it. If I found the right set for
sale somewhere, I'm kind of. Something fell in front of me.
I'd think about it for that. What else?
I think that's it. I don't think there's any other
that that's enough, isn't it? That's enough cash shit going
on. You know more than most people.
Very good. I think it sounds more like not
service month. It sounds more like tyre month
for you. Yeah, it's a little bit tarish.
It's just those weird sizes like the MX5 is 1856014 which is not mega common and the. So you don't.
You just you don't find those. At the wrecker every, every
week, you know. They're kind of and the 10 inch
tyres you, I mean you you gotta go specialist for that stuff.
You you you you won't find that at the rec.
Oh. And I can get you.
Some. What do you got?
Why don't you 18564 teens? And there's 70 bucks a pigs.
Oh, not bad. What are they?
Being barrows. Yes, I want, I sort of wanna, I
wanna tie on the MX5 that can go around the corner, you know?
I mean, what's to say the Chinese?
Don't make good tyres, Hutchinson, like we've got.
OK, but. Yeah.
I went to Chinese ties on the Swift because I'm selling it and it's a Swift auto like you, you know?
I sort of went on the pass on that, but on the MX I thought, oh, you keeping it, you kind of want something a bit reasonable.
You definitely do. Also, just missing.
You would never put thyroids or anything of that nature, no.
It couldn't have anything. I think there is one in that
size. I'm, I'm OK with the Kumo.
I sort of said look, Dunlop, Kumo, Bridgestone, Michelin and Pirelli, anything in that? Ilk, that's not crazy money.
And these Bridgestones, he said. Look, I can do these at 140 each
think and I'm like, yeah, alright, you know, I think sometimes I've just gotta stop being tight ass and spend some money on my car, yeah. And rule #1 never pay full
price. Still getting a deal on them.
They don't. They retail at 175 each, so
yeah. Getting a deal, but yeah,
whatever. So that's happening.
What? Are you ready?
What about you? Not a lot.
I went and saw Mr. David Prince yesterday to pick up some
specialist tools for the SCAMP. Tools good.
Pretty much there. So Mum dropped them off this
morning on her way to work. So yeah, that should be pretty
much ready to go. Hopefully Friday, if not Monday.
Hearing has he done the steering?
Apparently he looked at. I don't know, I said I haven't
been there. I'm going to try and get there
at some point this week and now they have a good chat to him and. Let him.
Say to me, quit busting my chops, let me do my job.
So I will. I will go there then.
Yeah that's been pretty much it on my end.
Gave the drive the Fiesta well Friday when I got picked up in the Fiesta Friday, drove it Saturday, drove it Sunday and give it nice wash and yeah, you know I've been enjoying that but that's pretty much it on my end gentleman.
Now tonight's topic is Japan Car Talk in Japan Part 2.
So this is so we discussed our kind of first.
Three days in Japan and then we we had a bit of a break because on the show because we wanted to enjoy our holiday and I was just going through my photo reels of of basically all the stuff that we did and we did a lot in two weeks.
So Alan, you've been to Japan. Did you, did you go further than
Tokyo or did you stay Tokyo when you were there?
In that probably went to Turkey. In my future, I had to go to
Osaka and Kyoto. Cool.
So we we, well, we did with adventure those ways.
I think you guys running in a circle just just for just for the train stop. But I went there for Universal
Studios. That was a bit of fun.
But we we all went to Kyoto and I think that's the one city that that. I think David, that's your
favourite city in Japan right. I'm assuming it's, it's just,
it's certainly. It's just magical.
It's like it's a really lovely place.
Um, so yeah, really, really cool place.
Good to see where Nintendo began which which was pretty the actual place. David took me there as as part
of my surprise birthday party gift which was, which was pretty amazing. And then Steph proceeded told me
that they're going to be able to achieve all the Mario games because you know you've you've been, you've been to the source.
So, so we're actually now are now a hotel.
So I mean, yeah, we you need to stay there next time you go.
Absolutely. That's that's definitely gonna
happen. Think you you were leaving and
they had something with. Was it a Nintendo or was it a
track? That had no it was a track, I
think, that had Mario Karts on it and you drive on it and it was an actual Mario Kart track in Japan.
Well, I think you were leaving and it was, It came up, yeah, you were leaving and it came up at that time.
Yeah, you actually drive and it's got all like, you know, the shells and the shells and the obstacle and the the the banana peel and all that everywhere. That's actually really cool,
yeah. But I mean we kind of did lots
on our on our last well we'll get to that recap little bit about the the karting experience but we did we did in Japan we get we get to that kind of last but basically guys so so where we left off we were we just got to Kyoto I believe when when we when we left off on our on our on our last podcast but we did a lot of rural stuff we did we did we did a few of you know like you know different areas and one thing that kept coming up is just the amount of cars that are everywhere.
They just kind of work over there, I think.
I think you and I, we were saying that they just work there like they make sense. You know, that it's just a it's
just a real it. You know, they don't take a lot
of space and they're practical, they're they're well thought out, they're well packaged and for most people, OK, it's kind of all they need. Yeah, it's funny how.
And I noticed the same thing when I was in France last year.
There's no dual cab utes like you sort of think Australia big country bought a building projects, you know, a lot of tradies, whatever. They need these dual cab utes.
And so the ranges and the Hiluxes, you know, two top selling cars in Australia, there's none of them in Japan, like literally none. And so you think that they still
all eat, and they still all build things and live and have apartment blocks and do renovations and make a garden and all the shit that goes on in any country.
They do it all and probably more.
Because there's millions more people there and they do it all using these vehicles that are nothing like what we have in Australia and in France. It was probably in in between.
It's OK, it's not OK cards. But it was a little vans, like
you're holding combo vans and yeah, yeah, strong Berlingo vans, you know that was the staple over there for the Tradies. You know, none of them drove
dual cab utes. And and so it's just this
mentality of what's possible. With a certain vehicle and.
It's the same with with housing. We're talking about design and I
think at one point and saying you know their limit on space has made them has forced them to be smart with design with space in in a house or an apartment. And it's done the same with
cars. You know that K car rule has
forced them to package really intelligently into those little vans and those little carry trucks and things.
And I think we're saying that the tray on a carry truck, you know it's perfectly square. It's actually a bigger trailer
or more useful trade than a than a dual cab.
Hilux is, you know, in terms of its.
And the actual dimensions of it. So yeah, it's just it's funny to
see these these these things we think we need here in terms of space in a house or space in a car or what constitutes are big enough area to have a garden. You know it's just thrown out
the window when you go to Japan. It's like no.
No, the world go racing. Yeah, exactly.
So that that was great to see and yeah, gives you a whole new appreciation for what's what's possible with the space and what's possible with the car. Like we set back in the show, we
went to 100 showroom at one point and sat in the back of the Honda N box, which is the passenger version or the more passenger friendly version of the Honda N van.
And you know you open the twin sliding doors and you sit in the back of that and it's like miles of legroom.
Now granted, it's only a four seater, not A5 seater with with those seats in it, they're they're reasonably wide, but so comfortable and you're sitting up high and you're looking out and you're thinking this is great, like these are whatever vehicle you know. What?
What wouldn't you like about travelling around the back of that thing? And.
I'm glad you guys are sitting down for this.
He was like, he's like, ah, this would be something I'd be interested in like an Ivan like and I was like, wait, you'd buy, you'd buy an imported car? Cause he's he's all about, it's
gotta be Aussie delivered. It's got no I know, I know what
the the the thing that changed that a little bit for me was when you go there and you see the biggest thing I didn't like about imports or still don't like about a lot of imports is you don't know where they've been and what they've done.
Because A, they're always second hand and they're always being brought in by dodgy little operators who changed speedos, no service history lost books. You don't know where it's lived
and and what it's done. And, you know, I like the
history on a car more than anything.
So for me, there was a lot of unknowns about it.
And you know, you would bring them over and they'd be weird.
Ask Japanese characters on the dash.
You don't know what the warning light means.
And blah blah, blah. So a few things have changed in
that realm #1. If you go over and order a new
Kakkar, well hey presto, it's your new K car.
Or if it's done 8000K and you find out where it's been and who owned it and whatever. Well there's there's that
history box ticked then you go the the the you know the import laws have changed as we know. So you can bring these things in
when they're new or near new where you couldn't before.
You know they were always a few old and personal imports and one here and one there. And so the fact I could go over
choose an in van or an inbox or whatever, order it in the colour I want, have it delivered in Japan Chuck it on a ship and bring it to Australia. You know legally I can do that
register it here. That's far more appealing to me
than the some sort of backyard import that I don't know what it is. And there's companies here that
now specialise in sort of Australia demising these cars.
So you know, the infotainment systems and the warning lights and everything sort of get Australia united rather than having that. So it's kind of you know a lot
of that a lot of those question marks get debunked.
So yeah and when we did some basic pricing conversions and in van base model was something like 12 or 13 grand Aussie on the road there which you add about 5:00 to get it here and redo it and whatever it and someone's already compliance 1 here. So that's OK you don't have to
be the Guinea pig for that And you sort of looking at sub 20 grand for a brand new little Cavan.
Now what are you buying Australia that can do that and is that human that reliable and that well packaged and there's there's nothing like it. And so you start thinking so if
I lived in Richmond and I had a little narrow laneway in a garage and I needed to do this, this and this and for 20 grand I can have something cool like that.
And the number of accessories they've got and we we all grab brochures on them. The number of accessories like
there was a a little camper conversion, one where you can lie it all down and you know a single person can sleep in this thing and it's got factory block out blinds that you clip into the windows to you know make it into a little camper And it's got a desk on one of them that you can raise and sit there and do your computer work if you're away and like just mind boggling accessories. And you think this is really
smart and it's not 50 grand. This is, you know, between 18
and 30 grand is what you're talking like.
And now this starts to make sense.
So yeah, that's what I liked about the whole the whole sort of, you know, idea or the the fantasy of bringing in an an end van or a caravan of some. Sort like they just make sense
and you know they appear on the road and people are fine driving them and they fit their small little roads and they're small car parks and you know they just yeah like that.
So when we left you guys at all listeners and and Scotty was in the last episode we were in Kyoto and and like I think it was that night we walking through and we see a C5 Corvette of all things which which was which was quite funny.
Just sort of give that image because they do like their American stuff there, which is which is quite surprising that they like them and G waggons. But there was like, oh, you
know, old Chevy Malibu station waggons and and you know, C5 Corvettes and 57 Chevys that were there were rusting out in a barn in the middle of nowhere. Sorry, sorry.
You know, they they do like their American stuff, but go and offer the guy something. Should have, yeah.
But we were basically, you know, we're having a little different cars and and they've got a lot of different cars so like obviously not a few. They had a few old, classic
Range Rovers which they glutton for punishment but.
So Kyoto was like there's a lot I thought a lot slower than you know like Tokyo and and Asaka and Yokohama when you went there and and all those other you know full on cities and it felt it felt better for like it felt more.
It felt more Japan. And when when we're going
through like some of the you know like the the gardens and and the other shrines and temples.
David, you know like the the little cars that are just parked on the side were they had little Kate, little K trucks that were they were filled you know with all the tools and then they and they they looked like they belonged there and they didn't look like they didn't look like a small car in Japan.
They actually looked. So that's that's the overriding
thing, isn't it, that that you, you the, the perception of size seem to alter because there's so many of them and you know like over there at Jazz or a which is a fit in Japan or a Toyota Yaris or something like that that's a medium size car.
There's a whole class underneath it that takes up a huge number of spaces. Yeah, correct.
I thought that was really, really cool to see and and and all the all the all the differences there.
But in Kyoto, basically we got many crown conferences as Taxis and and and all the like there but.
I really like to see just just just what what was hiding in the next street you know what was hiding in the next spot what was hiding in you know in the different in different parts of of you know of of the of of you know that that area.
And quite often they're not like they don't mind SUV's are either so like there's a few rough fours and plenty of yards crosses and and and stuff that size but that's pretty much as big as they kind of go. They don't they don't really go
300 Lance series Land Cruiser like like like they they did exist. I saw a couple there but that
they weren't they weren't all over the shop you know so so that was quite refreshing to see.
Someone's gonna burnout outside, by the way.
Um. I'm guessing they're gonna ban.
You do need to move on to Hiroshima though, Matthew.
Something pretty special. Happened, yes.
Absolutely. So we went to Hiroshima and
basically obviously I went to you know, I wanted to to to win this. Where my laser originated from
is Japanese heritage. Basically it is the land of the
rising Mazda. So basically they are where
where masses are made. I really liked her Shame.
I thought it was a really cool city.
It it was it, it felt the most like Melbourne out of any of the cities. I thought, I don't know if you
guys felt the same, the same. Had trams and had night life and
had a bit of this bit of that, but it felt very Melbourne, very Melbourne like, but we went to the Mazda factory now.
I didn't expect to see it as many Mazda things as I did in in in Hiroshima. Basically you know there's Mazda
hospital there's the the the they got Zoom Zoom written virtually everywhere and we did the with the the Mazda, the Mazda tour so that that took us through and then museum as well as through the through on the production line which which was which was pretty damn cool. So what what was your thought on
that I mean for a free exhibition and for free you know for for free you know experience.
It was phenomenal. Like I I couldn't believe it was
like a. We are experiencing those free,
yeah so like the they shuttled US22, the the two one of the locations and when we went on the on the production line and you know just well not on the product we're looking above it.
Seeing the people work how, how, how efficient the people were there, you know, I mean you you wouldn't see that with with Bob and and I was, I was talking to someone about that today and I said yeah we we did the factory tour of Mazda.
Well you only get to see a little bit of the factory but.
And I said the guy that was directly below, you know he was probably 20 something years old and he was just running.
You know he was grabbing a chum, chum, chum and he was on an MX5 then he was on a CX3 then he's on something else like just literally running. And I thought afterwards, yeah I
reckon the whole factories like that I reckon.
I reckon they've put Mr Speedy it's like OK, the public interviewing something that we want to think Mazda bloody good we're gonna put him under the public he station.
They're not going to choose. You know, Rocco's been there 40
years and there's. A little lazy.
They're not going to put him under the under the nose of the public so. I think I'm I'm willing to bet
there's probably not someone called Rocco there.
Probably not partly, I think. Partly I think that the culture
is you know you they they work very hard.
But also there's probably an element of that kid was was maybe the. Best of the fire, yeah.
They might have put in their deliberately, I think.
Well, I thought was really interesting in that part of the factory too is like right next to the the that elevated walkway along the production line. You're looking out the windows
and you can see the harbour and you can see the boats where they're they're loaded onto. You can also see the multi
Storey car parks and there's just a constant stream of a brand new cars waking up into this car park.
And I think it was, I think the the the guide was saying that that's where the the Japanese cars go rather than onto the boat. So they're all stored undercover
until they're moved off to the distributed around Japan.
But then the year there was 3 or 4 gigantic, you know or?
Fargo ships that that are designed for cars, you know roll on, roll off that just had a stream of cars driving up.
It was really interesting to sort of see the whole at the end of the line of that and it's just going all the time obviously. I mean, they're cheating them
out. I'm just gonna add to that,
David. They were hammering the crap out
of those new cars through the car park.
So, like, you know when I say, OK, they're bloody hard.
OK, yeah, when your car arrives and it's done 7 or 8K, so it's, yeah, it's been a decent 2K, right.
And you know, no one's ever said and it's like probably 15 people have had their bum in that seat before you get to it.
Yeah. Yeah, so so so look that that
that old tool was was pretty amazing.
Like I I thoroughly enjoy that the guy, the guy was, you know, explaining everything in English and.
You know, there was a gift shop. Obviously you didn't study
Japan. Sorry, didn't study Japanese.
Did he study? No.
You didn't study Japanese? No, I didn't say.
That we said on Google Translate.
Google Translate? Yeah, that was a godsend.
The best thing ever? So, so then, now that was the
the the music, music, music museum and factory tour like that. If you can get to Japan to do
that, it definitely worth it. It was bloody awesome.
Then we went from there. So, so that was we had some
plenty of time that evening, so we went to the Honda dealership and we went to a Toyota dealership.
Issue of David in front of the Honda, in front of the Honda dealership, which after all the same to him.
I've seen that one, yeah. Yeah, the whole office.
But basically they've got, you know, all their, all their, their current kind of range of kicks.
So, so that was really, really good to see.
The people were there, were accommodating, really lovely.
They gave us some, they gave us some Hot Wheels to say thanks for coming, essentially. And then we went to Toyota and
then they gave us 2 vellfire. So I don't know, they probably
felt sorry for us because they're like our foreigners give him something. So.
But yeah, that was pretty cool. They had a surprisingly old Mark
3 Supra at the front of the Toyota dealership.
I'd say probably one of the text cars that he's he's fixing up at some point. But another thing I wanted to
say that we didn't see that many older cars like like pretty probably like the 1015 years old Max in Japan.
Unless it's like, you know. Unless it's, you know, really
kind of. Kind of what you wanna see but
so so we went there and after that we went to a went to a little tyre shop that was upstairs was I was a.
Like like like a like a super cheap auto on steroids.
I thought what the place was called David One.
Order bucks. AUTOBOX Yeah, that's right.
Yeah. And an autobox was, it's kind of
like, like I said, well, like you said, super cheap on steroids. It's just got Everything
Everywhere. So.
So that was pretty cool. We did get to we did get to go
to an open garage later on which which which was, which was pretty cool And some of the parts are just so cheap, like Jimmy parts for $15. Like it's just like, yeah, like
like full bumble bars that are like brand new 15 bucks.
Because I guess everybody puts bubas and, you know, toughens them up. So then we went to, we went to
me and Jim, I believe after that.
That was the next day after the after the master, yeah.
Had a look on on that little island which which which was really, really nice. Then we went to Kanazawa.
I believe that's that's OK. That was the next stop.
And then from Kanazawa, we we took a train and then a cab ride to the Motor Car Museum of Japan.
My. Name is important.
You guys see that? Because unless you see it, yeah,
it's hard to take in what's there and explain it to people and they just look at you oht. You're right, right.
But it literally is out in the sticks.
It's quite literally in the middle of nowhere.
It was 3 levels of just utter automotive pornography.
Like it was just there was just, yeah, it was everything there.
Like they had all different decades.
They had some, they had something there for everybody.
And it wasn't just Japanese cars, like they had American stuff, European stuff, like they they had Australian stuff, believe it or not. But I'll get to that in a
second. But it was just unbelievable.
Like when you had the top level looking down and you just see levels and levels of cars like that easily.
I think it was 5 / 500 cars in inside this building which was which was. Big nuts.
It was pretty bloody amazing. Owned by an old concrete mogul
that that had a collection of cars and then people have obviously added to it and and and gone from there.
But David, that's the second time you've been there.
It was, yeah, yeah. And what do you think of it this
time around? Well having you know I I had the
insight to actually know what to expect.
So but there are one of the things they did have which I thought was pretty cool was this actually that was the day after the week. The day we were there was the
day after the 75th anniversary of Honda.
So they did have a big Honda display with a lot of older cars and newer cars and like the versions of cars that the modern sort of incarnation like, they had a A beat next to a Honda Beat Park next to an S 660, They had a.
They had an early life step van next to an inbox and things like that and of course they had a stamp next to it or an 360 next one in one, so. You've.
Shown. Green speck in one year.
So yeah, that that was pretty cool.
That was a special display just for the month of September and October I think for the 75th anniversary.
But be a plenty of cars that I had never seen before.
I went there and things like the they had a Skyline sport from I think 60 to three I think or four.
So this is pre print Skyline. This was the original skyline
basically, which was styled by Micheletti I think Italian designer. And yeah that was a pretty
awesome looking thing. You would never pick it as a
skyline. That was the that was the start
of the of the the line. They had like they had a whole
skyline section really, and that was that was pretty, that was pretty cool to see. But they also had, you know,
like that they had like your 80s pop up headlights altogether and they had you know, your kays on like little.
So it wasn't just levels of cars, right?
Like on these levels they had like, you know, like little mezzanines on each other levels. OK, as you know, circled right
through. So he was just, it was just
utter, utter madness. 2000GT, you know, they had, they just
had a bit of a bit of everything, you know, gullwings and and you name it, they had it.
It was just, it was pretty bloody amazing.
So, um, yeah, that for me was like we were there for hours.
Like I checked in. My God, we were here for a long
time. So that was pretty, pretty
bloody special. But I was at.
The Road pacer. We can't forget the road pacer.
So the Aussie stuff. So the Kingswood which is known
as the road pacer in in Japan with a with a Holden Kingswood with a rotor engine and and I was like oh I think father got a few photos which will probably put up on Instagram at some point but they were. Just.
But it was based on the prime good old premier, Premier, Not the Kings would Julie headlines. Range luxury, luxury.
By the time put 12A Rotary engine in it, it wasn't quite the flagship master was hoping for.
It didn't sell particularly well.
No, it didn't sell particularly well and I wasn't very.
How would you say Swift to move? No, it was a very heavy car in.
Basically a. How would you explain a very?
Very big package that didn't really sit down the road.
It is. It didn't really work, let's
let's just say. Hence the reason why it didn't
really sell. Exactly so.
So yeah, so in Caesar. Then we went to obviously the
museum in Japan. Unbelievable establishment like
just just stop everywhere. Would it's definitely one of
those places you need to go. So Scotty, when you go to Japan
you need you need to go there, There's a car guy.
It's really, really important to see before you continue.
We're also joined by Mr Renault. Rob, how are you now, Rob?
Yeah, good. Nice to meet you all.
How you going? Good to be back on the show.
Ready for the. Ready for the quiz.
Yep. Yeah.
After that we we went, well, we obviously made it back and then we decided to go a bit more rural.
So we went. I forgot the name of the the the
place we went. David was the place was called.
Mashiko was the little place where we stayed in the home stay so we could access Motegi. Correct.
So we went to. So I could sleep on it to Tommy.
Matt Yeah, it was that too. So we start a little home.
Stay. I realised I will.
Flip in any capsules. Yeah we did ohe on the last
night but the I realised quickly my westerner frame didn't really fit in. Some of the doors had to really
duck through the doorways at the homes they which was which was quite fun and funny at the same time but but she was lady that the lady we stayed with and she made she made her say her version of a western breakfast which was which was which which which was quite funny but but yeah that's what we.
Opened the option of rice or bread, so we.
Throws the bread, which was brilliant.
Actually. That was nice bread.
Yeah, she. Really fresh bread, so.
Before we went to tell you what we had a look around the place and and and we we found some like they know for their pot they're like ceramics and pottery and and we had a look at a few little little junk shops and and and treasure chests kind of things and we found we. Found very.
Expensive. No one was.
Yeah, that one. In antique store that had all
these old model cars, something we all like.
Oh that's cool, that's cool. I wanted to buy.
About 3 or. Four.
There was an instant ervan camper that I really wanted That was cool. 85 bucks Aussie equivalent and I'm just like no.
20/10/15 K I'm on board, yeah. A5 No.
But on that night we found some really, really cool cars that were just abandoning a field and and you know there was a there's a lot. I just had a 57 Chevy W124
Mercedes, few Toyota Crowns. There was a Fair Lady Z300ZX is
at 32. There was a BMW E9, there was
which is like a very expensive car.
Like there was there had stuff just sitting there randomly, old Land Cruisers and and stuff. So, so cars are out there like
you know, like obviously in various states of disrepair.
But they they are out there still and then we saw SMS thirteens and some you know some some RX eights and and all and all sorts of you know it's kind of when the JDM stuff really came out to play was was when when we're in the countryside and a guy pulled up next to us in a when we're out of 711 and a really nice Toyota Sora one Jay-Z twin turbo manual and I heard him take off and I was like what they did that did sound good so so the more the more you know kind of older slash JDM legendy slash you know stuff that you'd expect to see
in Japan really can't play in the in the more rural areas.
Which which kind of surprised me because I didn't really see that many, you know, of the inverted commas hero cars throughout the cities that were just full of keys and and and Japan taxis.
So what was your take on on seeing all those cars out there guys? What was that?
Quite, quite different to what you were expecting or were you expecting something like that Anyway, I certainly like when you say abandoned field, I mean they were next to a workshop.
The workshop was closed. So there's probably some element
of I I think that that whole thing with car guys is that, Oh yeah, it's I'm, I'm going to restore that, you know, I'm going to get, you know, that's the next project.
I never quite get around to it. I think that's fairly universal
world over. So you know, I think almost car
guys are in in good company. But yeah, I mean as you say out
in the countryside there's more space and there's more room.
So it allows for more opportunity for cars to be rather than abandon. List will say it's mothball
mothballed until until another time when they can be finished off. But yeah it's wherever you
wherever you do drive around the countryside you'll see a little old workshop and there will be a couple of cars anything from a couple or two you know like it doesn't also that were packed that one. But all were pretty good and
we've got to say too that that's the advantage of actually hiring a car. Don't be put off by hiring a car
in Japan the driving is really easy.
Everyone's very considerate and yeah, you just have the independence to stop when you want to and and you see a lot of things from the train. But of course you'll never get
back to this. Trains go so fast that you you
can't actually work out where they were.
But yeah, getting a car and hiring from one of the big renting companies, all the sat NAV can be done in English.
And and yeah, it's it's really, really the best way to get around, especially when you're outside the cities.
Especially if you were David and you're being.
Shuffled in the back of the car exactly, exactly.
And the man from the from the rental agency had this wonderful. Little like.
Key ring sized apparatus where he would go.
And it goes, Do you need each tag?
And then I would talk back and press the button and then it converts it straight away into Japanese.
Amazing. So.
There was this whole conversation about picking out the rental car, done perfectly, just via this little translator voice thing. Wow, it was very cool.
Very 90 day fiance as I mentioned.
Yeah, yeah. Which I haven't seen.
But when Medic explained it, I'm like, Oh yeah, I get it.
But then. But then we went to one of
David's favourite places in the world, Motegi.
The home of Honda. Home of Honda really David
Phillips in about my taking. OK so Vertigo is I have no idea
how many acres it is but it's it encompasses the the twin ring racetrack. It's a huge tracts of land owned
by Honda. Out of the top it give you an
idea of how big it is. Part of the car park at the near
the South gate, it doubles as a runway so you can land a plane in the car park. That gives you some idea how big
it is without getting ready for the Moto.
Around the Moto GP bike race the following weekend, there's a there's an extensive driver training area.
There's a couple of like camping areas.
There's kids adventure parks, there's a go Kart track it is and of course there's the the purpose for public collection hall which is Sanders Museum in in Japan which is basically like a a fan shaped building with two wings either side of the central atrium area and each of the wings is sort of three levels because the ground floor which is called the first floor in Japan, the 2nd floor, one side is Rd cars and road bikes and
the third floor is is racing cars and racing bikes.
So just to just to mouth watering, isolation of everything they've produced over the years.
Obviously lots more bikes fit in than cars, given that's the size of them, but my goodness, if you're in the motorbikes, it's it's got to be the Holy Grail of places to go.
They didn't just have Hondas that, they had Yamahas there as well, which was, yeah, interesting.
They had a whole bunch of other other other bikes, but if you're into bikes you've definitely gotta go there.
But even if you're into cars you gotta go because old Formula One cars, old, old, they had bit of everything there.
Like they had their first Formula One car there which was pretty special and you know like they had centres, one of Sinners Millboro cars there, they had Nigel Mansell car there.
They had plenty of history and obviously Honda's big on you know on racing so so, so that that.
Whole place was was was pretty bloody epic.
They had Jack Brabham's car from the 60s with a Brabham Honda badge on the nose of it, when Honda were actually supplying him engines for for his his cars.
Yeah, that was that was fascinating to see that as as an Aussie and see that I've had it explained previously to me the way that he was revered in Japan as not only a brilliant racing car driver and an incredible engineer but as one of the western, one of the few western people.
That sort of, after the war really helped put Japan on the map again as as an industrial power and as a as a as a world player again, because in in the areas of motorsport, Jack Graham really made a difference to Japanese cars getting back out there again. And and he was, yeah, held in
huge, hugely high esteem by the Japanese.
That was heartening to see. Yeah.
A lot of history too, You know of Suit, you're a Honda.
You know where he came from and what he studied and how he sort of became an engineer and there was one of the things I read, said he. He'd gone and done something
initially, but then went back to like engineering school or something later. And he was much older than the
other comparative students. You know, they might have been
1819 and he was 27 or something like something like that.
So he, he sort of started, even though he's interested in cars, was early on he did the other stuff 1st and then kind of ended up, you know, making cars much later in life.
And I just thought he, he really came across from that.
He was incredibly driven. No pun intended, but very, yeah,
very driven. And um, in terms of I want to do
this. I'm gonna do this, I'm gonna
change this. You know and that shined through
in in the products that came out of under his reign were just so yeah started humbly but progressed very quickly as we said before on this podcast but. Yeah, it takes.
Takes a unique individual to. You know, come up with that
stuff and make it work and then worldwide make it work and.
Yeah. That was interesting.
But we also saw a a couple getting married with their NSX.
Yeah, yeah. Saw that That looked cool.
I thought I'd have a good giggle to myself about that.
But yeah, definitely a place you've got to go to Internet discussion. So I was thinking would take the
NSX to the Honda collection hall and we'd have to throw those.
Photos there, right? Love.
It you might be totally on board with that, I might be here in Essex would be her. Idea and her insect.
And he's like. Yeah, I guess so.
If if you for most, yeah, yeah, yeah, that was pretty damn cool.
Anyway, after that, we went back to Tokyo that night and then basically we drove Go karts through Japan through Shibuya crossing through it and that was a pretty bloody eye opening experience. Like there's there's all cars
and trucks and and buses and taxis all near us and we're in the same lines as them. And so that was a pretty fun
experience. Was that someone like to lead
you? Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah, so someone was leading.
And and, you know, trying to make us not get murdered or driven over. There, you freaking out like
with all the cars and that around you or?
Well, I mean, not really like. I mean, I got ahead.
Of your head would be so well up to their tyres cause that.
I mean, I probably had about 60 K per hour at one point and as far as I was like, I'll give it a heat here.
But for the most part you you're doing under 40K an hour because like you're getting traffic lights and and and Tokyo in the heart of Tokyo is a really busy city.
So so so that was kind of cool. I wasn't sure how David and Ed
were gonna were gonna think about that, but they're actually really had a good time and they're like.
Yeah, sure. I love that crap.
Cause cause you know, it's it's a pretty crazy thing to do what you ask most Japanese people and they say they say you're insane for doing it because. Yeah, we got that a few times,
didn't we? We did.
Doing what? That was great as I said to
David, because we were sort of next to each other at the back a bit. And I said, I said I didn't
think you could get any more dangerous than a Moke.
And this is this is how dangerous this.
Is worse than a moke you you're sort of lower down, but it's it was a similar feeling. So.
Yeah, I like this. Yeah, this is good.
So it would have been second nature for Ed, for me definitely not. But I I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I thought, I thought that was a cool way to end the trip before before we headed back on the next day which we went for the last time to the the Honda Welcome Centre where where David tied up a a meeting and and that was, that was pretty.
That was a pretty awesome experience though and yeah that was brilliant, very nice email from her the other night too.
We had a meeting with the the Vice President of the Corporate Promotions department of Honda Japan, so we waived the bit.
We waived the club flag and we had a 50th anniversary.
I did a couple of years ago. So I took some of the the the
Souvenir media magazine that we put together and stuff and it was was teasing me for weeks before saying of course they're just going to check with the bin, you know I.
Didn't say they. Would, I said.
I can imagine them being really graceless, saying thank you so much for coming. How wonderful to see you.
And then checking them. Soon as David Lee's Bring the
Skin, well, I should know whether.
You don't know. How would you ever know?
Well, she sent me a lovely email the other night saying how lovely it was to meet us all and how thrilled she was to see that the. Book when she turns off with the
Honda Car Club gearbox, Then I'll take it.
Then you'll pay attention. Fair.
Enough. Take my words back, We'll see
what we can do. But yeah, they go, they go a few
lovely trinkets to take home as well, plenty of stuff for the club, which was, which was great that we met.
We met at one of the leads, one of the lead designers, and yeah, it was just that was a bloody awesome experience that was just wanted to thank you for having us on board for that.
That was really cool. You're welcome.
It was, it was a great way to finish the trip.
And yeah, the designer, fellow Matsu, who I've met a few times on previous trips, we're not being up for the anniversary of the scars and the like. He's a real character and he
actually, he's retired a couple of years ago.
And so I didn't actually email him directly about it.
I emailed his assistant from the last time I was up there to say we were coming up and you know, could we could we have a meeting? And the assistant actually
passed my email on to him and he emailed me straight back and said, you know, yes, of course, you know, leave it to me, I'll organise everything, you know. And he did, it was great and got
a few great little stories from him from, you know, back in the day when when so Ichiro was alive, he, he was actually a motorbike design and he was responsible for the XR series, trail bikes and stuff. And yeah, he has some really
interesting little snippets of of info about Mr Honda and how working with him went, which was he was a bit of a badass I guessing, reading between the lines.
Yeah, lots of colourful language was used, yes.
Look All in all phenomenal trip do it go to Japan I wanna go back already and like like it got to the point where waiting for the waiting for the plane and I was like I don't want to go like I like I was I was thoroughly enjoying it and I know it and and yourself and so was so Tom would agree with like like I mean we did so much in those two weeks like like we really scratched the surface on on on the podcast but it was just an epic epic epic time. So thanks for the trip guys.
And you know, we're going to have to take the scams for a pilgrimage one day. But that, that's that's the next
thing I've been. Talking about that to a few
people. When you're moving there
matting. 20/20/25 at this rate, so.
But anyway, Jonathan, it is now time for the car quiz.
You know the rules, Rob. Potentially giving out bad
questions. There's four of us that have.
Haven't been there. What if, you know I love been
there, but what? You want at 2:45 PM on the in
Japan? No, no, there's there's nothing.
Looking at a. Car.
There, there's nothing like they look So rather Rob, you ready for the quiz Scotty alum David Prince and Tyrone and Mr Edward Bunting are all in today's hot seat for.
Rob. Sorry, sorry.
Alright, question one, this is the Control Congress 10 questions plus, minus questions. What famous performance car was
sold in June this year after years after it finished production? Oh.
This is an Australia sold brand new.
OHS. I heard about the.
Ten years after after production finish.
Hmm. Yeah, they sold the last one or
something. Yeah, they find it out, right?
OK, they're just sitting in it. I can't remember that.
I can't remember, but I did hear.
About it at the time. The story goes it was a dealers
car and the dealer principal owned it, but to get it registered because they had to change it over to a new scheme or something to make it legally being able to be registered in Australia. That, that to say, technically
got sold, but. Had to retail it, Yeah, yeah,
still. So what car is it, gentlemen?
Can't remember? Else David else I love you in
anyone else coming in to? Go.
No, man. Turn.
What was this sports car? I'm very famous performance car.
Performance car. Is I mean technically you could
say a sports car or or supercar kind of thing.
Assault here in Australia. It was sold here, yeah.
Let's to tell if a. Unbelievably bunting, you got
that correct. They sold OHE.
Ohe. Just sort of half came to me.
Released on in some some of the some news broadcast that they're like they're like this just slipped under everyone's radar.
Brand new Hello face salt injury.
Bonus question. So Edward, you you you could get
the first point. Bonus question, how many Aussies
delivered? Elephas were there.
Include Ed. 10. Mate, you're on fire.
That's that is correct. They sold.
I when you were banging on about these in Japan, I must have somehow some moved it. I was going to say 12.
There's some kind of collusion going on in Japan?
David gets the next couple we know it's guaranteed.
John Roberts. Questions.
Question 2. Edward Bunting School Check.
You're on to everyone else's zero.
Just just just so you know. Alright, get on with my.
Subaru recently released the high riding version of the WRX Waggon. What is it called?
That's the trick question. You've got a Subaru Rob to WRX
Waggon. Maybe it is and that isn't.
What's your answer? Because it was.
The Laval wasn't. But it's a horrible thing.
It's a high running. Version of Hybrid High Riding,
High Riding. Alright.
David is the WRX sports waggon. Incorrect.
Is it a route back? Incorrect.
It's a lot of Rex backing, if that's what you're gonna say.
It's back and out, Rex. Come on, alum, you'll see.
Bugala. Look.
Let's. You should know this.
OHS. Should I the forecaster?
Like that. That's what it should have been,
yeah. Fark Fark stuff.
Far extinguisher for extra. You guys will all go all over.
Look, it's called the Subaru lay back.
I don't know why they would call it that, that they're back labour. No put on Labour.
You put on layaway. Possibly.
Possibly. Names like Lavorgna, they're
doing the names. Lavage is such a shit.
Chat to Fuji Head We should have gone to Fuji Heavy Industries Heavy. Industry.
And how to catch the naming department Gonna listen.
Upgrade lie back? No good yourself.
Back. Even worse.
Just go back to what? To do and go like L series.
None can be offended. By that.
No, 100%. And forget what the women's
names like Leonie's no good. What is Subaru Deidre Melanie?
Yeah, shocking. Yeah, Question 3.
Holden sold 100 cars in Sri Lanka in the 1970s.
What cars did they sell in Sulekha in the 1970s?
David, David. Did they sell HQ Kingswoods?
Incorrect Ed. Ed.
Did they sell Taranas? Incorrect.
The sole Barinas. Incorrect.
It didn't exist in the 70s Barinas, no.
Not taking the guess here. I was 1170, Sir.
David's closest to David. Actually closest.
To I think I know. I think I know we're on.
Kingswood Yeah. Can I take the kids Rob Takistan
open? Hold Holden Captiva.
That is Brina. Someone say Toronto.
The. So there was that, Scotty.
Inaros. Wasn't correct.
I don't know. Rob, says Commodore.
Incorrect it it went all the way from the 70s and it sold right up until the end of the whole Holden's life here in Australia.
Industrial, Lancaster. That no, that nameplate that
that was there. But like in Australia saw
Australia incorrect. I think that's everybody.
I think everybody said, I guess. Yeah.
David is the statesman. It was the statesman, correct,
but you guessed. Already lost.
The statement that's correct they saw 100 states that statements in the 70s question 4 all the Holden Monaro reboot back in the two 2000 so when they the new Monaro that they brought back good looking car to car we all can agree with Connor like. Which country received the most
Monaro chassis? Ed.
Ed. USA.
And is absolutely correct that would they received 31,000 of them as GTO's bonus question? How many did they sell in
Australia? Choices Monaro Shashikala.
So this includes the HSV's and the and Monaro CV Ed.
How is this closest to? I'll give closest to I'll I'll.
I'll, I'll. I'll alright.
You gonna go 25,000? 25K Um Renner Rd.
Hang on a second. That's a lot 25.
Can I revise my guess? Here, David says David's 10.
Runner up. 12/12. You would actually 12 or 12,012
thousand? Yeah.
Tyrone. Very popular OHS.
I'm gonna say 15. 15. Scotty.
I was going to say 18,000. 18 and Alarm Deep Singh. 13,000.
13,000 They sold 12,000 of. Them.
Wow. You.
Yeah, but he said 12. Yes, there's a 12,000.
That's all thousand. That's very good.
That's it. 25 on while Nowhere No.
Question 5. BMW, Honda and Ford have formed
an unlikely partnership Regarding what?
David. David.
Self driving cars. Ohm.
It's got to do with that, but I can't give you that.
I can't give you the. The point?
No, no. Come on.
Come on. Point I'll give you .5 give you
.5, OK? It's something about, right?
That's. Something about charging cars in
EV and stuff and. I'll give you the other .5
because you're both a bit off, but basically they've, they've created a new company called Charge Space designed to connect owners of US based EVs together with car makers and electricity utility companies that that's kind of what they're doing.
I don't know why they have that, but sure.
Answer that correctly, then close.
Yeah, Appointment. Allen, you're on the book.
OK. Yeah, Scorch, scorch.
Torchic's 3. Rob one.
David and Alan 1.5 each. Torrance going to get the score?
Come on guys, get in there. Question 6 Someone recently paid
$120,000 for a 36 year old Honda Watt.
David. David.
Sorry, how much did you say? 120,000. 36 year old.
That was the prejudice. I wasn't it.
Was a pretty well done David that was sold in in the United States of Freedom for 120K. Question.
Better question is why? Yeah, and and.
Agree with that. I would agree with that.
Not even foil steering. The the the news article was
preparing, preparing for the quiz and it's like someone paid $120,000 for a for a you know, second Gen prelude and nobody seems to know why it's it's. It's it's quite it's quite
funny. Question 7.
Yeah, it is. Ford has hiked prices on the 4th
and the current brand new Ranger.
How many times in the past fourteen months, so many times have they hiked up their prices? Ed.
Ed three times incorrect. Scott.
Scott. Six times.
Incorrect. 4. Times. 4 times is absolutely
correct. I've hiked it four times in 14
months 4 You greedy. We don't.
Think you're bored one, Do you? Does the pay rise, the price
rise get handed on to you each time?
Well, from what I wonder what I ordered my car, I asked that question if there goes there like no because you've you've you've signed contract at that price, you've locked in at that price. So OK.
So yeah, I think that's, I mean it could be different for Angel, I don't know. But for the car I ordered that
was that was how it was. But some companies hiked the
price. I know we care, and a few other
companies have done that from memory.
So. Toy.
I think Toyota has done it as well with the Rav 4.
Yeah, question eight. In 2012, so 2/20/12 a Chicago
man bought a car for 600 bucks and registered it in his golf in his ex girlfriend's name. He then parked it at the O'Hare
airport and racked up 678 parking tickets.
In the US dollars, how much did these vines add up to I'll give closes to. How how many years has been
parked? Well, it didn't have many years.
It was kind of like a thing to get back on his ex girlfriend.
So he bought a $600.00 car to piss her off and then basically
put it, put it in her name and then racked up 678.
You know, uh fines. Um, so how how much do you do
you think in fines and equal up to be?
I'll give closer to. Alright, I am going to take punt
and using a bit of maths again, it's gonna be 23/5. 23.5 cases
Scotty Doe. How many fines was it?
600 and. 78. 678 Bonds And when was this?
When was it? 2012 OK.
I'll go 4500. 4500 but no no. No, no, no.
Now 45,000. 45K, says Mr. David Prince.
I'm gonna say 30. 30 cases, Tyrone.
So you remember, you gotta really hate your ex to do this.
By the way, we don't condone this behaviour.
So Robin Ellis still yet to I'm gonna.
Go $100,000. $100,000, says Mr Bunting 35,000.
I reckon. 35 says We're not rob and alum Deep Singh.
It's your boys in your court well.
Considering parking tickets, April can already cost $1000.
There is pretty expensive place to five.
I'm gonna say 110,000. Dollars 110 KLUS.
Closest to it was 105,000 dollars 761.
Hang on, I said 100. Elm said. 110105 is in the
middle of it there, yes. It was 100 and 76100 and
$5761.80 exactly is what the fines are racked up to be.
That is an evil, evil way to get back at.
Your ex is also an. Evil airport, right?
Once you just remove the car like in what world?
Are you going to expect somebody to pay over $100,000 in parking?
I wouldn't pay that. I'll be.
I'll be like no, I'm I'm, I'm refusing to pay for this even though you put, even though they got this current name that's just like, screw you, I'm not paying that.
I own the spot forever now, you know, like I can never be asking. Parking, Parking when I come to
the airport. I'll just park at the Echo just
because. Just because at this point.
Not have known 8 where the car was or what sort of car it was.
Was yeah, I don't know. I don't know in old Honda Honda
Accord well. In your name.
And it's been parked here for, you know, God knows how long he racked up 675. So yeah.
Question 9 In what year did the first Honda Civic type I get?
Released David, David What? Someone do a bunch in here, I'm
gonna say. Oh, 96 it was wasn't.
It 96 is incorrect. Ohe ohe.
Civic Type R. Civic Type of the 1st. 1.
One year. 97. 97 is absolutely correct.
I just had the 25th anniversary. There had a date and they had
the year on the car 97. I was like, oh OK, that's going
to be a quiz question. Question 10.
Just actually, by the way, this is actually getting it, getting to become a tie game. Alan is on 2.5.
Scotty and and Tyrone. You guys are well and truly out
of this on 0. David 1.5 Rob on one and Edward
on three. So technically, Alan could take
the chocolates here or or Ed could could still finish winning. Question about this point
involved. Well, well, well, no, there's
no, there's no bonus point involved in in this last question. Question 10 How many James Bond
2000GT S were made for the? Film I've been.
Ohi, Ed got in there first. 3. Incorrect, David.
David 2. They made two.
That is absolutely correct, David.
And that is your car quiz score? Check.
Scotty and and Tyrone yet to score.
Sorry guys, Renault Robin one. Hey, the lowest score wins.
Let's golf rules. Yeah, David and Alum both on 2.5
a piece, and tonight's winner on a grand total of three is Edward Bunting. Well done.
Great. That's how many James Bond cars
they made. 3. Thank you very much.
That is the car quiz, gentlemen. Good quiz, Scotty.
We'll start with, We'll start with You Gotta Be The Week.
Of the week. Try and keep your weight over
the top of the ball. Don't go behind it and use them
hips. Yep.
So stay in that position, use them hips to rotate and then hit. The famous words of Shakira my
hips don't lie so. That the right.
So so they won't lie on the golfing greens.
Mr Edward Bunting and Mr. David Prince.
You guys do a podcast? We do.
It's called Order Retro and we talk to people about the cars of their lives. New episodes coming.
To podcast platform near you soon.
Check that out YouTube I guess Or do it.
Sorry. Yeah, if you're interested in or
in the electrical space or would like to know the person you ever changing as evidence for the forward hit by a good friend, rosieross.com dot AU also farm on Facebook.
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And you can also find that some of our previous episodes on our YouTube channel is slowly growing.
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About this episode
Exploring the automotive culture in Japan, the hosts share their experiences from a recent trip, highlighting unique vehicles and the practicality of Japanese cars. They discuss their visits to Mazda and Honda facilities, showcasing factory tours and the impressive range of vehicles. The episode also touches on the differences in car ownership and design philosophy in Japan compared to Australia, emphasizing the appeal of K cars and the efficiency of smaller vehicles. The hosts share personal anecdotes, including their adventures in go-karting through Tokyo, making for an engaging and informative listen.