Clone vs. Original: Are Tribute Builds Just as Cool? - EP.154
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Nissan R33
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Nissan Gtr
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Mazda Rx7
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Toyota Supra
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Chevrolet Camaro
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Shelby Cobra
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Pontiac Fiero
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Ferrari F40
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Toyota Celica
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Hey, and welcome back to the next episode of the Right Hand Drive Guys podcast, the podcast
for guys who like right-hand drives.
I'm Bobby.
This is Aaron.
Yo-yo.
And welcome back to another episode of the podcast.
Oh, yeah.
Today is episode 154.
We wanted to do a non-guess episode.
We wanted to go ahead and just cover a topic we hadn't really covered.
That is like, it's really quite a thing in our culture and has been for a while.
But definitely as certain cars start coming over here, you start seeing more and more
of it.
And really it becomes like these two groups of people with different opinions like
battling each other.
And so the topic is are like clones versus originals, right?
Like a tribute car versus the original car and how our culture has taken that and turned
it into whether it's a good thing or a bad thing or whatever it may be, right?
So okay, here's the deal, right?
Here's the scenario that kind of explains what we're talking about, right?
Yeah, what's a clone?
Well, so, okay, so hear me out before that, before what's a clone, okay?
If you, let's just say you were an R33 guy, you love $400, right?
Yeah.
And so, however, like how much is a $400 right now?
Like a million plus.
A million.
One million dollars.
One million dollars plus, right?
Okay, so for us and most people listening to this, besides maybe a few guys, that is
so out of reach.
A real $400 are 44 units produced, right?
Yeah, there's only 44 people at most that can own them, right?
Yes, literally at most.
That's not that many people in the world.
Yeah.
And there's quite less because who knows what happens to some of them.
Yeah, like is there 44?
And I mean, I think, you know, off topic.
I think I've seen four of the 40, 44 in real life.
Four of the 44.
Which like, that's not that many, but like, that's decent.
Yeah.
So, okay, so let's say you're a big $400 guy that like ever since you saw it back
in the day in the magazine, that's been like the car that you always looked up to.
You know, now you're approaching 40, you got some disposable income.
You already got a 33.
You've now made it a, what's called a clone or a tribute car by finding every single $400
part on Bayi Yahoo auction, whatever all these things, legit parts, Nismo parts that including,
let's just even say a hood, which is impossible to get.
Right.
I think most of these parts from Nissan, speaking on the $400 specifically, if you don't have
the VIN number, you can't even order these parts.
Right.
Exactly.
You've put all this money into it.
It's not a million dollars, but it's got the full plethora of $400 parts.
Yeah.
Steering wheel, badge, everything.
Nothing else though.
Okay.
No unique spin on it, just yourself.
So you pull into this meet, right?
Let's just say, let's just go hard.
It's ours meeting, right?
You pull into ours meeting and up next to you pulls in number 37, the actual $400
right next to you, right?
Who do you think, like which car do you think they're taking more pictures of?
This is the general public.
This is not a guy who is well versed, like can pick out the spot welds where, you know
what I'm saying?
Like the general public.
I mean, they're probably taking pictures of both of them, right?
Or whichever ones are more favorite color because they don't have, most people don't
wouldn't know.
Yeah.
Right?
Well executed, like a lot of people would not be able to recognize the difference between
the two, right?
Yeah.
I agree.
So I think they would take pictures of both of them or just whichever one was their favorite.
Most appealing, right?
Most appealing to them, right?
But they would both walk away from there saying, dude, there were $200, $400 at the meet.
Yeah.
You're right.
You're right.
However, when you get out of your tribute or clone, whatever you want to call it, $400,
and somebody says, damn dude, a $400, that's so frickin' sick.
I can't believe you have one of the $44.
Yeah.
This is the whole thing that makes a difference.
What do you say?
What do I say?
What do you personally say?
Me personally, I would say, thank you.
It's not a real $400.
It's just a tribute because that's one of my favorites, right?
But however, that's only because they would know what a $400 is and know that there's
only 40 of them and all that, right?
All the time I get out of my car and people are like, oh dude, sick GTR.
But you know, it's hard to say, yeah, it's not a GTR, it's a GTST guy.
But in that specific situation, I would say, no, I appreciate it, but no, it's a replica
or a tribute or whatever.
Yeah, whatever you want to call it.
I would tell them right there, it's not a real $400.
Yeah.
And that's the right thing to do.
And so, okay, the $400 or the Z-Tune or some of the obviously where Skyline dudes,
these are going to come up more often, there are plenty of examples that we could
use, you know, a guy with an NSX doing an NSXR tribute, right?
A guy with a regular RX7 touring doing a whatever, Bathhurst or whatever, you know, tribute.
These things happen and sometimes the lines are blurred and we kind of talked about this
a little bit is a guy who does a TT or, you know, a GTE swap on a Supra and puts
the turbo badge on the back.
Is that a TT tribute or is that a, that's just an engine swap, you know, so it's
because the chassis, there is no, like, differences, right?
Right, exactly.
So like the twin turbo had a wide body or anything like that, right?
That I'm aware of.
Yes.
It was right.
No, I believe it was for sure the same body.
So these things, you know, they can kind of be, it's kind of up to how you decide
what it is in that sense.
Right.
What do these things even exist?
Like why would people do that thing?
We kind of touched on it, right?
Yeah.
400R is one of 44, you know, and it's a million dollar car.
Right.
We touched on that part.
But why else do you think, you know, people kind of create these clones or these, you
know, just, yeah, these cars?
Yeah.
I mean, I think a few reasons.
I mean, I think one reason is because they want to have their own spin on something, right?
Like, there's always that guy, it's like, oh, I'll never have a GTR.
I don't have that money.
But, you know, it'd be sick to do a GTS4 or, you know, an all-wheel drive GTT and
make it one, right?
Because, you know, let's face it, those cars are way more expensive than a GTE
and an engine swap.
Yeah.
Even though it's more than that.
I guess that's one way is, you know, you kind of want to get out cheaper.
Yeah.
I can see that.
Yeah.
For sure.
It's more affordable.
And then with what you said, as far as like the unique spin, right, like that, I feel
like that's almost a third category, right?
Because, for example, you know, we had him on when we were at IA, Ohana GTR.
So he has a lot of 400R parts.
But he didn't use, like he put his own spin on it.
I wouldn't even call that a 400R clone.
I wouldn't attribute potentially maybe, but it's like his own version, which I think
is like just as cool and it kind of takes you out of that, like tribute clone area
where people do think, you know, you're kind of trying to copy or imitate that
type of thing.
Right.
It's like one of those things.
Well, when you first see his car, you're like, holy crap.
Is that a 400R?
But then you start looking at it.
You're like, wait a minute.
That says Nismo on the side.
And you know, it doesn't have this.
It doesn't have that.
But it has other cool things to it.
So, yeah, I mean, I think that's like a well executed like tribute, I guess you
could say.
Right.
Like it's more like a, let's just say 400R inspired than a 400R clone, right?
Right.
I guess a clone would be trying to get as close as possible to the real thing
as you could.
Yes.
That's what I think.
Right.
Is like as close to the real thing.
Yeah.
Tribute maybe a little less because the word clone is like exact replica, right?
Yeah.
Tribute would be kind of having your own.
Yeah.
Your own touches to it.
So I think, you know, there's some pros and cons here, you know, we could start
with the pros.
I would say the pros of a clone tribute, whatever.
One of them would be it does keep the style alive, like the style of those cars
in which we're so limited, right?
Like, so for example, guys like me who maybe, you know, can't afford a Z-tune
with my 34, right?
I'm using those Z-tune fenders.
I'm using like whatever the Z-tune or S-tune from Bumper.
And so it does keep these styles alive.
As opposed to, no, you can't possibly get inspiration from this car.
And now, well, you're never seeing it and you're never seeing those body lines.
You're never seeing those styling cues because only those 44 dudes can do it.
Right.
And that part, I think the pro, one of the pros is that, what do you think?
What do you think a pro is?
A pro.
I mean, I think it's tough.
I think another pro would be maybe, it's hard to put into words, not wasting a good example,
I guess.
If you want to maybe track your car, you know, you're not having to spend X amount on this
special model, even though you might like the styling of it and whatnot, you can have
it look that way.
You can have it drive that way, but not be that thing, you know what I'm saying?
So it's not like...
Right.
You can have that style without the risk of destroying a car that's way more expensive.
And so another pro, sorry, I think is like it allows certain guys, the guys that put
110% into it, right?
It allows them to do as close to what Nissan did in the factory themselves.
We're talking about these dudes with extreme skill and taste that like, you know, there
are those certain dudes, when they do it, it's like, damn, that's like pretty damn close
to like what you would, what a 400R, let's just say really is.
So I like though, I like it for that, that like these guys can do like a clone and
get so damn close that like, it takes a lot of, it takes a good eye to really notice,
you know, which I saw in Japan, I thought for sure it was a 400R, like so did Jesse.
We both thought it was a 400R.
It had everything.
It was at that night meet, right?
Yeah.
Like, I mean, I remember that being posted up and it was like, kind of a little viral
moment because it was like, oh, 400, a real 400R at the night meet, it's like what?
And then, you know, a day or two later it came out that it was, it was like, it was a replica.
It was not a guy from Thailand or something.
Yeah.
So like, but that car even had the, the wiperless rear windshield.
Yeah, right.
Like down to that stuff, you know, so I think that's good.
As far as cons, the big one that everybody, not everybody, which is weird, most people
agree on is the risk of misrepresentation.
Yeah.
Stolen valor.
Yes.
Up badging.
Like the whole thing, right?
Totally do it.
Like that's, that's the problem that we run into and why they say like a purist will say
if it's not from the manufacturer, it's fake.
And why like a guy who's like the clone builder will say like, yo, like we love these
cars too.
Let us kind of do this thing is the fact that people misrepresented their shithead
asshole dinks out there.
Yeah.
I'm going to say it.
Yeah.
That shithead asshole dinks, dude, they're, they're sad.
They go out there and they say, this is a 400R that I'm selling number friggin 48.
Yeah.
69.
Yeah.
That's exactly a number 420.
Yeah.
I mean, like that's the problem is these dudes that like have no shame.
Yeah.
That's where it becomes a problem is when you're, that's when it becomes fake
is when you're claiming it's something that it's obviously not, you know, and
that's where, I don't know, that's where you lose a lot of respect.
That's where you'll get flamed on the, you know, well deserved, especially if you're
trying to, like if it's a for sale, a car for sale, if you're trying to sell it
for the same price as the real thing, like it's, yeah, it's not a good look.
It's not at all.
Don't do that.
You know, and they'll shit on the pierce for saying it's like faking it.
But like, that's what's hard.
The purest is either that pure, much of a purest that he truly believes that, or he
owns one.
Right.
You know, that's generally what it is.
Right.
Like, like it's a big thing in the like GTR realm, right?
Like you, a GTT guy, you know, well, I mean, and sometimes do the whole thing.
RB26, like wide body, dude, everything, right?
And that, they, they hate that, right?
That's like faking it.
It's up badging it in that.
That is when, yeah, you get the guys who spent the money, saved up the money, whatever made
it happen.
Right.
That gets salty because they bought the real thing and you're faking that and then putting
a badge on it that represents something more than just the parts that you threw on that
car.
Right.
I mean, yeah.
That's how they see it.
Right.
I, I don't like that myself.
I don't like it when people claim something that it's not like there's nothing wrong
with building, you know, like there was an R30, an Autech R33 like clone that was up
for sale not too long ago.
And dude, there's nothing wrong with having an R33 sedan, putting an RB26 in it.
That's all we'll drive and doing all these things.
There's nothing wrong with that.
That's cool.
But like, don't claim that it's something that it's not.
Right.
Do not say it's an Autech R33 GTR.
Right.
No, you say it's an Autech R33 inspired.
Right.
That's the big thing.
Not that inspired or clone, you know, these words.
Right.
And there's nothing, there's nothing wrong with like building these cars.
Like I said, I mean, I think that's super cool that someone would do that.
And like, yeah, someone is putting the work of having this RB26 in a car that, you know,
it didn't come in and going through all the steps to do it, you know, didn't
claim that because that's like way more work.
Be proud.
Yeah.
Be proud of it for being that.
Yeah, you did put in the work and it looks good and people can't really tell.
Right.
Dude, yeah, pat yourself on the back, but don't.
Yeah.
Don't put GTR badges on it and don't say that it's something that it's
obviously not.
Right.
Agreed 100%.
You know, and so, yeah, I mean, the last con I could say is that, I mean, it
kind of can devalue the original.
Some people see it as devaluing the uniqueness of the original.
That's the purest saying that.
Right.
That is a purest thing.
Yeah.
I mean, I wouldn't say it devalue.
You're not devaluing a fucking Z tune, my friend.
Like, I don't care how many people put on those kits.
Like they are not devaluing it.
If anything, they're bringing more awareness to it and yeah.
And the value is going up because those parts are being used by more and
more people.
So it's like the value is, I don't know, that's the way I see it at
least for that.
Like, you know, when it comes to like the market and like what we're talking
about.
Yeah.
I mean, it does create some confusion when people aren't clear about it because
some people do get scammed because they're, they're new to it.
However, they just got their money, right?
You just won the lottery.
You want this R32, R34 GTR and a guy is selling a, you know, he built out
a GTT shell and he's calling it a V-spec.
He doesn't even say R34 GTR.
He says R34 V-spec.
Yeah, that seems like he is, he is cloning a V-spec and then trying to
sell it like that.
And that's where it's, like you said, it's really messed up.
Like the ethics of it, which is like a word you're like, whoa, ethics.
You know, like, but that's true.
Selling a car as a clone versus passing it off as real is an ethical thing.
Like if you have, if you're not an ethical person, you would
sure just try to get all the money, right?
If you're ethical, you're going to be like, you're going to,
you know, you're losing money on that.
But like you're being real about it, you know?
And I think nowadays, like if you do enough research, you can, you can
figure out enough to not get scammed.
Like there's enough registries and like VIN lookups and stuff like that
out that, you know, if you are purchasing a car and if you think
it's been, you know, diddled with and has something going on in the
Injubate that wasn't factory, you know?
Like, yeah, look it up and make sure that, you know, you're not
paying a premium for, you know, this certain model when it was actually
started life as something else.
Exactly.
Which, you know, goes into some due diligence.
Right.
We did VIN swapping back in the day, right?
Like, no, we didn't.
Yeah.
I mean, someone did.
But that's like kind of the same thing in a sense, right?
Like that's what these dudes will do.
They'll put that you can buy a fake play, dude.
Oh, yeah.
You put the fake plate on.
These dudes have figured out how to stamp the firewall and like it's
still like, you've got to know what you're looking for.
But like, dude, you can get one passed over on you.
And, you know, obviously, tributes don't hold the same value like in original.
Obviously, you know, however, like there are people out there that buy
these tributes and clones 100% if they are accurate and if they have
those parts that we're speaking of.
Yeah.
Pete collectors collect those because it is as close and those parts
on that car you cannot get out on the street, right?
And so they sell that, you know, and so if you do it right, that car can at
least somewhat hold the value of what you've put into it because of those parts.
Right?
Yeah.
I mean, and it's funny because I see this online and I know you do too.
It's it creates a culture clash, so to speak, right?
The purist versus the, let's just say the builder, the replica, the clone builder,
the period, the purist is like, if it's not from the manufacturer, if it's not
factory, it's it's a fake.
Whereas the builder or, you know, the tribute guy is like, you know, it's
my car, I'll make it how I want.
I've seen this exact argument so many times on in Facebook groups and,
you know, whatever it is all day, dude, these two exact people,
the purist and the builder, right?
Red versus blue, it's the same thing.
And it's like, it's tough, dude, because you see these dudes arguing and
you're like, well, fuck, it is his car.
He will make it how he wants.
And then you're like, well, damn, I mean, it is fake.
You know, you're like, you know, it is this thing.
And and so, you know, you do see, let's just say the GTT guys starting
to have GT, bigger T badges, right?
That look like a GTR badge.
Yeah, those have been around for a while.
Yeah.
And like, that is the way to do it.
Right.
You know, like, if you want that badge, absolutely, that's the way to do it.
GTR patch.
Right.
Get the GTT.
It looks like a GTR badge, but it still says what it is.
Like, if you have to have a badge, yes, I personally would just not.
But like, if you have to, like you are representing what the car is,
like you are representing the truth, which is that's respectable.
Right.
Like, I like to see that all day.
I think that GTT badge looks lame, but like it still represents them
putting the love into the car to make it, right?
Look or feel like a GTR without claiming that.
And I respect it, even if it looks weird.
You know, and so like, dude, dude, car culture forever has been doing this.
Yeah.
Look at, dude, look at the Yanco Camaros or, you know, these
also cars all the time back in the day, they, they had interchangeable body parts
and frames and everything, dude, where they, yeah, you could easily make a clone
or, or dude, the Shelby Cobra.
Oh yeah, all you got, oh, for sure.
Like they've been doing all that type of stuff, right?
For a long time.
I mean, ever since car culture has been a thing and there's been rare
models, there's probably been this, you know, it's almost like, yeah.
I mean, it just painting a certain stripe on it, you know, is the same
thing on some of these cars.
So literally, that's the difference.
Or I mean, dude, hell, take a Fiero and turn it into a Ferrari, dude.
Like people have been doing whatever to make the, to, to get to that point
without like being able to spend that money, right?
Like, dude, yeah, kick cars, especially ridiculous.
It's ridiculous.
Yeah.
Where do, where do kick cars fall in on this?
That's a tribute, right?
Like a clone, but that's not a clone.
It's not.
I mean, right.
It's a tribute, right?
Like in it, like some of those F40 kick cars, like, dude, it's so ridiculous.
Like, come on, dude.
What is this?
The eventator kick cars, just all of them are so ridiculous.
Like I saw this one guy, I forgot where it was online.
He had, it was, I guess it wasn't a kick car, but it was like a Toyota
Celica on the inside, like the early 2000s or early 2000s.
But on the outside, it was like a Ferrari, California or something like that.
Yeah.
Like still a lame Ferrari, but like it was actually a Toyota.
And he would take it around to these like high end cars and coffees and like
meats and stuff.
And people started to figure out that it was fake, that it's not.
It is actually a Toyota dude.
They like send it back and it was pretty funny.
But I mean, yeah, and that's, that's hard.
But that's, that's what like, if that guy was serious
and he was really saying that that was Ferrari and whatnot, like don't.
That's when, yeah, that's when you cross the line.
Um, so, you know, you guys, right, the audience, would you rather have
a perfect clone of a 400R or a bone stock, 33 GTR audience?
Like hit us up in the DMs, let us know.
Um, all right.
So are you, uh, do you respect the clones or are you a purist?
Like, do you, like which side of this boat are you on?
Oh, I mean, yeah, I absolutely respect the clones.
As long as you're not claiming it's something that it's not at the end of the day.
I absolutely respect them because no matter what the reason is behind your
build, if you couldn't afford the real one and you wanted to make a tribute.
Uh, if you wanted to create something that didn't exist, like a four
door R34 GTR, like the Okubo factory stuff we were looking at.
Yeah.
Like if you want to do something like that, that's super cool.
Uh, I mean, what, for whatever reason, if you do it, cool, but don't claim
that it's something that it's not.
Right.
That's a big thing.
Just like you said, those Okubo factory ones, they put on a little thing on
the side that like, let you know, like this is their version of the GTR, you
know, which is like, you know, kind of how it should be.
Let's, let's take a little more pride in this.
And instead of just out badging, like, let's be creative, right?
Like, yeah, be more creative than the GTT GTR.
Logo thing, like be more, you know, like that's the type of stuff that we do need.
Um, yeah, I'm like, you know, I got respect for the clones in the sense
of like, I can't afford a 400 R.
And if I love it and have access to the parts, I get it.
Same thing as you, like, don't fake the funk.
Like, let's just not even play that.
Like, let's just skip all of the, the bullshit and like just be real
about that. You built a sick car that resembles another sick car, right?
Like it is not that sick car, but it's another sick car that resembles it.
Right?
Like that's, that's a great way to look at it.
You know what I mean?
Um, you know, and it's like, yeah, I see where the dudes who spent $500,000
on a R34 M spec ner, maybe they get a little perturbed, you know, when
you see everything painted millennium, Jade.
And when everything has a, has a R-tune hood and when everything has, yes,
the Z-tune front, you know, yeah, I get how they get perturbed.
Like they paid $500 for this special thing.
Right.
But like that or $500,000 for this special thing, but that's the world,
dude. Like there will always be people that aspire to have that,
that cannot obtain it and we'll, we'll call it.
I mean, it's, dude, it's crazy.
You could go on forever.
The fake supreme stuff, the fake, this stuff, right?
Like it's always been like that.
There's this high level of something that people cannot obtain.
So they emulate it.
Right?
I mean, dude, down to the way that people act, they aren't, they can't be a
rapper, but they emulate the way that these rappers act.
Right.
Right.
And you, what, no matter what you look at, right?
Like it's kind of like, there's a piece of this.
Yeah.
For sure.
This is just kind of normal.
Um, so, all right, guys, like whatever you do, just own it.
Just own it.
Yo, this is the sickest GTR clone in the world, but it's not a GTR.
Yeah.
And it never will be.
It's the sickest Skyline GTT.
Yes, that, that there is.
Yeah.
Um, all right, guys.
So listen, if you are a tribute or, or you're a clone guy, send us in,
like hit us in the DM, send us some pictures of these things.
We'll focus it on the air.
We'll feature it on the next YouTube episode.
Um, I mean, we'd love to see it.
And if dude, if you're an original with a, with a 400R or a
Bathurst, R7, or whatever it may be, like send those pictures in too,
because we definitely want to see that stuff.
Heck yeah.
Um, and I mean, we'll, we'll feature some, like I said, and we'll
just kind of, um, you know, we'll, we'll brag for you.
Yeah.
Um, but yeah, guys, again, you know, look in the show notes.
We got our Facebook, um, group definitely join it.
We would love to talk.
We're going to start taking a few more kind of listener call in.
So we would love to engage with you on that.
Um, you know, you can find us on Instagram and YouTube, of course,
but for episode 154, I'm Bobby.
This is Aaron.
See ya.
Peace.
Don't fucking up, badge.
About this episode
Exploring the ongoing debate between tribute builds and original cars, this episode dives into the perspectives of car enthusiasts regarding clones versus originals. Bobby and Aaron discuss the motivations behind creating tribute cars, the ethical implications of misrepresentation, and the cultural clash between purists and builders. They share anecdotes about iconic models like the R400 and the challenges of distinguishing between a well-executed clone and a genuine article. The conversation highlights the importance of honesty in car culture while celebrating creativity and personal expression in automotive builds.
Original notes
What’s better — owning the real deal or building your own tribute? In this episode of the Right Hand Drive Guys Podcast, we dive deep into the world of clones vs. originals in JDM culture.
From million-dollar legends like the Nismo 400R and R34 Z-Tune to painstakingly built replicas and tribute cars, we break down the pros, cons, and controversies. Are clones a celebration of passion, or do they cheapen the value of the originals?
We’ll cover:
- Why clones exist (rarity, price, accessibility).
- Respect vs. “faking it” — where’s the line?
- Market value and ethics of selling tribute builds.
- Purists vs. builders: who’s really right?
- Examples from Skylines, Supras, RX-7s, and beyond.
We want to hear from you! Would you rather daily a perfect 400R tribute or keep it real with a stock GTS-T? Drop your takes on Instagram @RHDGUYS — we’ll feature some of your answers on the next show.
🚗 Grab your wrench, grab your wallet, and let’s get into it.
Right Hand Drive Guys
RHDGUYS
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