Gran Turismo is a popular racing video game series. In this segment, the hosts are comparing it to another racing series and talking about how realistic and fun it feels.
Forza Motorsport is another major racing video game series. Here, the hosts are comparing it to Gran Turismo and talking about whether it feels more realistic or more arcade-like.
A racing sim is a racing video game that aims to feel more like real driving. The hosts are comparing how realistic different games feel, with some being more “simulation” and others being more “arcade.”
“Arcadey” means the game is designed to be more playful and less realistic. They’re using it to say one racing series feels more like an arcade experience than a true driving simulation.
Forza Horizon is a Forza racing game series that’s more open-world and less focused on strict realism. The hosts use it as an example of a more arcade-style driving experience.
The “Z” usually means a Nissan sports car model line. It’s known for being a rear-wheel-drive car meant to feel fun to drive. The podcast is likely trying to figure out which Z model is shown.
“Air-cooled” means the engine is cooled by air moving around it, not by circulating coolant through a radiator. Older Porsche 911s used this approach, and fans consider it part of the appeal.
Term
super high mileage
“High mileage” just means the car has been driven a lot. The hosts are pointing out that even with lots of miles, people are still paying big money for the right kind of Porsche 911.
This is talking about the classic Porsche 911 that was cooled by air instead of a liquid system. Because it’s the older, more collectible style, people often pay a lot for clean examples.
The Porsche 914 is an older Porsche with the engine mounted in the middle. It’s become more expensive over time, but some people still think it’s a better deal than pricier alternatives.
The BMW 2002 is a classic BMW from the late 60s/early 70s. It’s known for being a fun, sporty small car, and it’s a specific model people talk about when discussing value and pricing.
“Square taillight” just means the car’s rear lights are more rectangular. Enthusiasts use that detail to tell different versions/years apart, and it can affect how much people pay.
Term
M10
The M10 is the engine used in many BMWs from that era, including the 2002. The host is basically saying it’s fine, but it doesn’t sound very refined.
The BMW 3 Series is a small luxury car made by BMW. Some older versions became popular with car fans because they’re fun to drive and were often cheap to buy. That’s why it comes up a lot in discussions about older BMWs.
The Chevrolet Corvair is an older Chevrolet model. It’s known for being different from many other cars of its time. The podcast is mentioning it as an interesting classic to consider.
“Twin-turbo” means the engine has two turbochargers instead of one. That setup helps the car make more power, which is part of why people care about which version they’re buying.
A “six-speed” means the car has a manual gearbox with six gears. In this conversation, they’re saying the manual version is more desirable, which is why it can cost more.
This means the engine is placed closer to the middle of the car, and the rear wheels do the driving. That layout often makes the car feel more balanced and fun to steer.
“Peak desirability” just means when a car is at its most popular and most people want it. The hosts are talking about which car draws more attention when it shows up in top condition.
Topic
Cars and coffee attention
They’re basically asking: if two cars show up in perfect, original condition, which one gets more people talking and looking? It’s about attention at a meet-up, not lap times.
The 2JZ is a Toyota engine that’s well-known for being tough and long-lasting. People also like it because it’s a common choice for performance builds.
Term
UZ
“UZ” is a Toyota engine family name. The speaker is basically saying Toyota’s engines in this family are known for being very reliable.
The Toyota Supra is a popular performance car that a lot of people modify. In this segment, they’re comparing it to the NSX in terms of how practical it is to own and how it looks.
The Lexus IS 300 is mentioned as an example of a car that many mechanics already know how to work on. The host is saying that makes Supra maintenance feel less intimidating.
The Lexus GS 300 is brought up as another “common” car mechanics are familiar with. The point is that Supra maintenance shouldn’t be exotic or hard to find.
A timing belt service is when you replace a belt inside the engine that keeps everything timed correctly. If that belt breaks, it can seriously damage the engine, so it’s a key maintenance item.
A salvage title means the car was badly damaged at some point and an insurance company considered it a total loss. Even if you repair it, buyers usually treat it as higher risk, so it’s worth less than a clean-title car.
ABS is a safety system that helps your wheels keep rolling when you brake hard. That reduces the chance of skidding and helps you steer while stopping.
“Five speed” means the car has a manual gearbox with five gears. You have to use the clutch and shift yourself, and enthusiasts often prefer manuals for control and feel.
Targa refers to a roof design where you can remove part of the roof, usually leaving the car open-air while keeping a safety roll bar. In this case, the speaker says that specific NSX setup is less sought-after.
Term
track weapon
A “track weapon” is a car built to be fast and capable on a race track, not just for normal driving. The idea is to turn a cheaper or damaged car into something you can push hard safely.
A “money shift” is when you accidentally shift into the wrong gear and the engine revs way too high. It can cause serious damage, so the car might need big repairs afterward.
An “engine swap” means putting a different engine into the car. “K swap” usually means using Honda’s K-series engine as the replacement, which can be a popular upgrade path for certain builds.
Term
LS three swap
This is another engine swap idea: putting a GM LS3 V8 into a different car. The point is to use a powerful, popular engine platform to make a big-performance project.
The Mercedes-Benz 500 E is a fast, V8-powered Mercedes from the 1990s. People talk about it a lot because it has a connection to Porsche’s engineering/tuning, so it’s often seen as a “Mercedes with Porsche DNA.”
“Porsche magic” is a colloquial way of saying Porsche’s engineering or tuning influence is responsible for better performance and driving feel. In the context of the Mercedes-Benz 500 E, it’s used to argue that the car benefits from Porsche-level development rather than being “just” a Mercedes assembly job.
The W210 E55 is a performance AMG version of the Mercedes E-Class. In this discussion, the host says it feels better to drive than the 500 E, even if the interior materials don’t feel quite as special.
The Nissan 240SX (S13 and S14) is a popular older Japanese car that became famous for drifting. People like it because it’s relatively easy to modify and it handles well for a “project car.”
“Drift tax” is the enthusiast-market price premium that happens when a car becomes popular for drifting. As more people want the same chassis for drift builds, prices rise even if the cars are still old and need work.
Term
Diff Land
“Diff Land” sounds like slang for the drivetrain/differential world—where people modify cars for drifting. The point is that once cars are used hard for that, the good ones and the parts can get pricey.
The Mitsubishi 3000 GT VR4 is a fast, turbocharged Japanese sports car. The host is saying you can still buy a decent running one for surprisingly less than you’d expect.
The Mitsubishi 3000GT is a sports car designed for fast, comfortable driving. The VR4 is a higher-performance version, and the podcast is talking about the twin-turbo models. They come up because they were built with a lot of performance equipment for their time.
“Ease of maintenance” means how easy it is to keep the car serviced and repaired. If a car is complicated to work on, it can cost more to maintain, which can affect its resale price.
Four-wheel steering means the back wheels can turn too, not just the front wheels. That can make the car easier to steer at low speeds and steadier at higher speeds.
“Active arrow” sounds like an automatic spoiler/wing that moves as you drive. It’s there to help the car stick to the road and stay stable, especially at speed.
The Toyota MR2 is a sports car where the engine sits closer to the middle of the car. That layout helps it feel more balanced when driving. The podcast brings it up as one of the 1990s cars people still remember for being fun.
The Nissan 300 ZX Z32 is the late-’80s/early-’90s generation of the 300 ZX, and the “turbo” version is the performance model with forced induction. The Z32 turbo is often discussed as one of the more desirable variants because it combines classic styling with real turbocharged performance.
The Honda NSX is a famous sports car from Honda that’s known for being a real driver’s car. It’s mid-engine and has a reputation for advanced engineering and strong performance.
The Mitsubishi 3000 GT VR4 is a fast 1990s sports coupe with a turbocharged engine and, on VR4 versions, all-wheel drive. The hosts think it’s underrated and that a clean, maintained one should keep its value.
The Honda Civic is a small, everyday car. The Civic Si is a sportier version with better performance than a regular Civic. The podcast mentions the FD1 Si as an example of a more fun Civic.
K-20 is the name for a Honda engine family used in certain Civics. The hosts are talking about which K-series engine versions you might find and what kind of power they make.
K-23 is another Honda engine variant within the K-series. The hosts are grouping it with K-20 while talking about which engines show up in these Civics.
Instead of regular round gauges, the car uses a screen to show things like speed and RPM. The hosts are saying it makes the interior look and feel nicer.
The Civic Si is a sportier version of the Honda Civic. The hosts are comparing it as a practical alternative if you want something fun but not as extreme as a dedicated sports car.
The Volkswagen Golf is a compact car used for everyday driving. The podcast is talking about a performance version (like a GTI) as a daily driver option. They’re comparing it to other small sportier cars.
This means the engine doesn’t use a turbo or supercharger to push air in. The hosts are saying that kind of engine can be simpler and may help with reliability and gas mileage.
The Mazda Mazdaspeed3 is a sporty version of the Mazda3 hatchback. It uses a turbo engine to make more power than a normal Mazda3. The podcast is saying it feels more modern and quicker than some other non-turbo cars they’ve had.
The NB Miata is the next generation of the Mazda MX-5 Miata after the original NA. The host likes it because it feels more solid and modern, and it has a roomier cabin.
Term
170 horsepower
Horsepower is a measure of how much power the engine makes. The host is using “170 horsepower” as a benchmark for how strong the Miata feels.
“Non-interference” means the engine is designed so that if the timing belt fails, the pistons and valves are less likely to hit each other. That can make a belt failure less expensive than on some other engine designs.
Torque steer is when a front-wheel-drive car wants to tug to one side when you stomp on the gas. It’s usually caused by the two front wheels not getting the exact same “push.”
GTI is the Volkswagen Golf GTI, one of the most famous “hot hatch” cars. The host is comparing other cars to it to say how well they stack up for driving and handling. In their view, the GTI is usually the better performer.
The clutch slave cylinder is a hydraulic part that helps your clutch work when you press the pedal. If it starts failing, shifting can get weird or the clutch may not release properly. The host is saying they had to replace it on their Fiesta ST.
The Ford Fiesta is a small car made for everyday driving, especially in the city. The Fiesta ST is the sportier version with better performance than a standard Fiesta. The podcast mentions it because the host owned one and is discussing how it fits into their driving experience.
Part
blender actuators
This sounds like the host is talking about small engine control parts (actuators) that move valves to manage airflow. When they fail, the car can run poorly or throw problems. They’re saying they had to deal with these early on.
The Ford Focus ST is a sporty “hot hatch” version of the Focus. It’s front-wheel drive and tuned to feel fun and responsive, and here they’re comparing how it drives versus the smaller Fiesta ST.
The Ford Fiesta ST is a small sporty hatch that’s meant to be fun to drive. In this segment they talk about a heavily modified one and how, even if it looks rough, it can still feel amazing on the road or track.
Term
recarles
Recaro (often misspoken as “recarles”) is a performance seat brand known for supportive, motorsport-style bucket seats. In this segment, the host says the Recaro seats are a “non-option,” meaning they strongly prefer that specific seat setup.
The Toyota Corolla is being mentioned as a more affordable older Japanese car option. The host is basically saying you can still find fun classics without paying the top prices.
The Toyota Corona is another older Toyota the host thinks can be a cheaper way to get into classic Japanese cars. It’s mentioned as part of the same affordable “vibe” group.
3S-GE is the name of the engine Toyota used in some classic Celicas. Here, the host is saying the Celica GTS came with the 3S-GE and that it was paired with a manual gearbox.
The Toyota All-Trac is a Celica variant that’s especially sought after because it’s built for better traction. The host is saying a lot of enthusiasts really want one, even if it costs more or is harder to find.
The Scion FR-S is a small sports car that’s designed to feel nimble and fun to drive. People like it because it handles well and is a popular car to modify.
The Subaru BRZ is a small sports car with a focus on handling. It’s meant to feel fun to drive without needing huge power. The podcast mentions it as a straightforward, enthusiast-style choice.
Term
certified rally car
They mean a WRX STI that’s been checked and set up so it’s ready for rally-style driving, not just a random used car. It usually suggests it has been prepared to handle rougher use.
Term
NA
“NA” stands for naturally aspirated, meaning the engine makes power without forced induction like a turbocharger or supercharger. Naturally aspirated engines typically have a more linear throttle feel and avoid turbo lag, though they may produce less peak power than turbo versions.
“LT1” is a particular V8 engine used by some older Camaros and Firebirds. The point is that it’s a strong engine option that can cost less than the newer, more expensive alternatives.
The Pontiac Firebird is a muscle car from Pontiac. It’s known for having strong engines and a sporty look. The podcast is discussing it in the context of performance and engine choices.
The fourth-generation Camaro is an older Camaro generation from the 1990s. The host is saying the LT1 V8 versions are a great deal because they’re fast and fun without costing as much as the newer LS cars.
The Pontiac Fiero is a sports car that has the engine in the middle of the car. The podcast mentions that Fieros were often very cheap for a long time. People talk about them because they’re a fun older car to own and modify.
“JDM” means Japanese-market cars. Some people like them because they can have different versions or features than what you’d normally see in the U.S., but importing can be a hassle.
Term
imported
“Imported” means the car was brought in from another country. That can make ownership more complicated because of rules, registration, and parts.
Front-wheel drive means the front wheels do the work of both steering and moving the car. It can make the car feel different than cars where the rear wheels drive.
Equal length driveshafts means the parts that send power to the front wheels are the same length. That can help the car feel smoother and transfer power more evenly.
Rack and pinion steering is a common steering system where turning the wheel moves a gear that pushes the steering linkage. It usually feels more direct and responsive.
Electronically fuel injected means the car uses computers to spray the right amount of fuel at the right time. It helps the engine run cleaner and respond better.
A twin cam engine has two camshafts that control the engine’s valves. That can help the engine breathe better, especially when you rev it.
Term
135 horsepower
Horsepower is a measure of how much power the engine can produce. Higher numbers generally mean the car can accelerate more easily, but it’s not the only factor.
This is an acceleration time measurement: how many seconds it takes to go from stopped to a certain speed. Lower time usually means quicker acceleration.
An eight-way adjustable seat can be moved in several directions so you can find a better driving position. That can help you sit comfortably and reach the controls easily.
Term
live sound speaker system
A “live sound” speaker system is basically a car audio setup meant to sound more exciting and full. It’s a brand-style way of saying the sound is tuned to feel more immersive.
DOHC means the camshafts sit on top of the engine head and control the valves. It’s a common design used to improve how precisely the engine times its valves.
The 1986 Toyota Celica is a sports coupe from Toyota, and this year is remembered for moving to front-wheel drive. The hosts are saying the example they’re looking at is the higher-performance GTS version, not the plain base model.
The Chevrolet Nova is a car model made by Chevrolet. Depending on the year, it could be built in different ways, including front-wheel drive. The podcast is pointing out that some Novas were closely related to other compact cars.
The Chevrolet Spark is a small car meant for city driving. It’s designed to be easy to handle and park. The podcast briefly talks about it while pointing out something they noticed.
PCP means “project car progress.” It’s the part of the show where they talk about how their car projects are going—what they fixed, what’s still waiting, and what’s next.
“Wheeling” means driving off-road on trails and obstacles. “Overlanding” is like a road trip into remote areas where you’re set up to camp and travel for days, not just a quick drive.
The AMC Pacer is an older American car with a very unusual, boxy shape and a surprisingly practical interior. The host is talking about getting a 1976 one as a project—especially because it last ran when it was parked.
“Sell you a bill of goods” just means trick you with a story so you end up paying for something that isn’t what you were told. In car sales, it can mean a scam or a misleading listing.
The 2008 Nissan Xterra is an SUV built to handle rough roads and trails. Here, the host talks about fixing its brakes after noticing they were worn out, especially during a steep downhill.
Brake pads are the parts that squeeze against the brake rotors to slow the vehicle down. If they’re worn out, braking gets less effective and can damage other brake parts.
Brake fluid is what helps your brake pedal actually push the brakes. If it’s old and contaminated, braking can feel weaker and may not work as consistently.
A brake job is when you service the brakes—usually replacing worn pads and sometimes the rotors and fluid. Doing it properly helps the brakes stop smoothly and reliably.
A disc brake system uses a spinning disc and a clamp to slow the car down. The host is saying this Xterra setup uses discs all around, unlike an earlier version that used drum brakes in the back.
A power bleeder is a tool used to remove air from the brake lines when you change brake fluid or service the brakes. Getting the air out helps the brakes feel firm and work correctly.
Hill Descent is a feature that helps you go down steep hills at a controlled slow speed. It uses the brakes to manage speed, and that can make the brakes work harder and get hotter.
Car
1989 Honda VTR 250
This is a Honda motorcycle called the VTR 250. It’s a smaller engine bike, so it’s generally easier to learn on than bigger sport bikes, and this 1989 version is uncommon—especially in the U.S.
it's an iconic car. Maybe not so much in stealth guys. I think that's the stealthy way to get your
foot in the door on this car. But you're paying like 15 tops for a runner driver solid 3000 GT VR4.
Yeah. And that is a lot of car. I don't know how the prices haven't caught up. I think it,
I think I can answer that real quick. Mitsubishi. Sure. Second thing. Or Dodge. Yeah, lack of ease
of maintenance. They are pretty hefty maintenance cars. Like it's hard to work on them. I'm not
saying they're unreliable. I mean, they're like any other performance oriented car,
but they are very hard to work on. They're bigger, heavier cars, but they are technological marvels.
We're talking four-wheel steering, all-wheel drive twin turbo, active arrow having motherfuckers. I
think the 3000 GT VR4 slept on. I think given another five to 10, I think we start to see clean
ones really commanding some money. So I agree. They're so cool. I agree that I think like coolness
and performance for its era for your dollar. They're very good. I very much agree with you there.
And to your point, as far as the the care and feeding, for someone who might be used to European
car, okay, car and feeding, they're really not that bad. Yeah. If you've had to do care and feeding
on any Porsche product, which are wildly known as being reliable, any, whatever, BMW, M3, whatever,
they're not that bad. You honestly will have a harder time finding someone who really knows
what they're doing when it comes to working on these cars if you're not doing it yourself.
Right. But like the care and feeding is really only
a pain on those cars relative to other Japanese cars of the 90s.
Save a 300 ZX Z32 turbo. Yeah. MR2s. And there are some notable exceptions, but like
they're really not that bad. Dude. And I think that leads credence to what you're talking about.
I will disagree with you on one quick point, and please feel free to fight me on it.
Let's hear it. I don't think they're going to have 10, 15 years time. I do not think they're
going to have their moment in the sun. I don't think it's going to come. It's now or never.
They never were the NSX or Super, but it's kind of like the 300 ZX twin turbo is kind of slow to
develop as a valuable car. Now clean examples of the Z32 are actually getting some cash. And
that's very late to the game, right? We're talking, we're in 2026 and they're starting to see a lot
more money than they did a few years ago. But the 3000 GT VR4, like acceleration wise,
nearly identical to my NSX. I'm talking about myself twin turbo. The handling is surprisingly
good for a heavy car. There's a lot of good stuff baked in there. I think there's special road
presence. When you see a 3000 GT on the road, how crazy do they look? They're incredibly wide,
low and look nothing like anything else out there. I don't know. They're special enough.
They're very cool. I largely agree. I just, I don't see them suddenly having this like
hockey stick in valuation in 10 years from now. I think it's going to be like the 300 ZX,
that slow kind of, that slow increase. I don't think they're going to go down. I think a stock
clean example that's been maintained will hold its value. If not go up, appreciate a little bit.
I could see that. You know what actually would help if Mitsubishi actually got their
shit together. Fuck, bro. If Mitsubishi quit like audibly shitting their pants at every turn,
and suddenly they had compelling products and they brought the EVO back or whatever. We've
talked about it a bunch in the past, but if they suddenly were like a relevant brand
and brought a little bit like cachet to the party, then that might help. I think we've seen
that a little bit with the new Z. Yes, because you can say that about Nissan, right? Nissan posted
its best financial quarter since like 2010 for the second quarter of this year. I mean,
don't call our episode prophetic or anything, but I mean, Nissan's coming back guys. Anyway,
3000 GT VR4, scoop a clean one, enjoy the shit out of it. I don't think you're going to lose
money on that car. They're fucking cool. I think that thing slept on. Yeah. Can I go
far cheaper? Let's hear it cheaper than 15. Oh, yeah. Yeah, I'm talking like half or less. Oh,
FD1 Civic Si. So this is like the oh, well, we didn't have the Si in 06. So like the 06 to,
I think, 11 Honda Civic, maybe it was 10. And then the Si was like, I think, 07. So not 06,
but 07 and later. Civic Si. Dude, sedan. Sedans are cool. The coupes, I think those coupes are
really handsome. You're so weird, dude. I think the sedan proportions are better.
I mean, they're both pretty good, but like either one, pick your poison. Either one doesn't have
paint, but yeah. Yes. Like that is their huge bugaboo. That is it. Nightmare. No paint. I don't
care who you are. Of the early to mid 2000s to late 2000s. Toyota was in that same pool though,
to be fair. Like, I mean, there were class action lawsuits with Honda as far as the painting on
those, but they're out there. They were modded, but you can go out there. You can find a reasonably
decent six-speed manual. K-20. 200 horsepower, K-20, K-23, I think. Was it the A? Yeah,
something like that. 8283? I can't remember. Yeah. In material. Good power plant. Good power plant,
wildly reliable power plant, wildly moddable power plant. Wickedly good gearbox. Sharp,
if it has paint on it, a sharp looking car in Coupe or sedan guys. Cool interior with the gauge
cluster, digital gauge cluster. You can get a great one for like 7,500 bucks. Yeah. And it might have
some miles. It might have like 120, which is not a lot, 100,000 miles for a good one,
and you can put huge miles on that car, have a lot of fun. I think they're just starting to become
pretty cool. Like, if you roll up somewhere with one of those and it's clean, they had that like
dark burnt orange metallic color was an option. Cool color. They had that cool, was it like
neutron, not neutron blue. I forgot what they called the blue. The blue is really good. Yep.
They had Nighok black. There were some good colors and they had those cool like darker
argin, like double five spoke wheels. Like they're just, they're cool. Yeah. As you said,
with the cool seats, reliable. I think that's just a really good buy. I think you nailed it. That's
kind of like, so I was entertaining like a spicier daily. That's what I'd be looking at. That's like,
hell yeah. I want a Gulf GTI as my daily. Have you looked at Civic SI? Because it's like right
there, right? It's in that wheelhouse, that performance factor. I'd say it's more reliable.
More reliable. I'd say it's probably better on fuel too, being a naturally aspirated motor.
I would take that in a sedan though. I honestly think the sedans are the way to go. And less,
in my research, less modded are the sedans. I see the coupes getting modded and slammed,
but like you said, the challenge there is, don't even think about paint. You're not
getting good paint on yours, but the challenge is getting a stock example. I think that's the real
challenge when you're hunting for those. Good call out. Sports car? True sports car Mazda Miata
NB. The NB is like the last holdout for a good value. NAs are way too pricey now. And if you do
find a cheap NA, there's a reason. Like they're heavily clapped out. The pop-ups do demand a
premium. I mean, I've owned three of them. I've owned four Miatas. Three of them have been NAs.
I love the NAs so much, but the NB is a steal. The NB can still be had. It's the chassis is
improved over the NAs. It's far more rigid. The interior space is okay. Far more modern if you
get a later run. Like my Mazda Speed felt like it was 30 years newer than any of my NAs.
Pure sports car? Absolutely. NB Miata. I think that's still a great speed deal right now.
Rebuttal? NC? They're pricier. Look up the prices at NC. For whatever reason, I don't know if it's
modernity or the extra. So NCs are renowned for having way bigger cabins. So if you're a taller
guy and they're far more substantial from a not getting murdered while you're driving to work
kind of feel. Huge difference. The heaviest Miata ever made. Way more interior space. Way more
horsepower. 170 horsepower. That two liter. Is it 170? Yeah, it's B if you do. NC? Yes.
But it's a two liter. So historically, it was one sixes and one eightes. So it's a larger motor.
But it is a heavier car, right? No, it's definitely heavier. They're cool, but look at the prices.
Start looking at NCs. They're pricier. Way pricier than NBs for sure. NBs are really tight. I actually
found the NB to be a tighter interior than the NA because the NA just doesn't have any crash proof
shit or insulation. Yeah, they made it like anything. Right. Murder proof. I'm still team NA,
but an NB is a screaming deal for a legit sports car right now. They're fun. Like an absolute sports
car. They're just fun. Oh, dude, you can just like and you mentioned like, oh yeah, like the only
cheap NA you get is a clapped one. Oh, they're clapped for that. Dude, even a clapped one assuming
it doesn't have like massive structural damage. Which it might. But if you have
one that's like just has huge miles and maybe like born everything and like the top's missing or
something, it's still so much fun. They're a riot. Yeah, non-interference, non-interference,
murder, timing belt, easy to maintain. Parts are cheap and parts are available. You can just whoop
on them. Oh, it's all they want. Yeah. Yeah, they might be out of ownership. They're great. Yeah,
might be out of ownership has been like literally like it sits in the garage every month or two.
I take it out, beat the living shit out of it, put it away hot and it'll start again next time I
take it out. Do the same thing. That's all they do. Yeah, they're really unbeatable in that category.
NB. NB is the buy right now, man. Go out and get a really nice one for nothing.
The B is for buy. Like B-U-Y, not B-I. I mean, it could be. I don't know. You do you.
Good. Can I, I have this way down on my list, but I just want to throw it out real quick because
we're talking MOSES. Dude, a MOSA speed three. MOSA speed threes are so cheap. They're very cheap.
They're reasonably reliable. They've got some bug booths with like, they're good. Yeah. Yeah,
but like even you get a stock one or just do like a tune and they're, they're absolutely hilarious
drive. Yeah, they're fine Mars. Do you want it for like a time attack thing on a track? No.
But if you, if you want to like relish and torque steer and just go out on a back road and just
giggle your balls off for what? You get a great one for like $6,000. Yeah, I was going to say
real, yeah, yeah, yeah. $65,000, $7,000, yeah. With some miles, but like, like service ready to go.
Like maybe like, I might have to buy tires soon, but that's about it. Yeah, the Grand Touring's
a nice interior too if you want to go that route. So yeah, like they're very usable. You talk about
like, you know, fighting against somebody wanting to buy a GTI. Yeah, that's it. That's a good option.
Like that's, you know, is it, is it as competent as a GTI like on paper or on a track? No,
probably not. And let's be real, at your hands, you dear listener, and I include myself in it,
my own hands. The Delta performance-wise and the competency-wise is between the two is effectively
nothing. I'm not pushing anything to like the envelope and no. If you just want to get a good car
that's really goddamn fun for no money, that's a killer buy. They look cool. They're not overly
pretentious. Bosses B3. It's not the best hot hatch buy though right now. You got another?
What you got? 5GT? There's a pair. There's a pair that beat the Fiesta and Focus ST right now.
I'd say the Fiesta STs are free. Dude. Yeah, they are. And I would say reliability the same as the
Mazda Speed. They're right there. More modern of a platform and just as capable. I lean towards
Fiesta. I own a Fiesta ST when it was like brand new. So I didn't go through all the growing
paints, although I did replace my clutch slave cylinder at 30K. All the both blender actuators
before I hit 35 right now. So it was ridiculous Ford stuff, right? But as a vehicle, that Fiesta
ST was so much fucking fun, dude. Like in the canyons, I don't know if I've driven too many cars that
were faster. But yeah, a Focus ST if you need the extra space. Both of those cars with the
Yeah, I think all day. Every once in a while you see them in like the sixth range, right? But yeah,
I think if you want a really good Focus ST, you're probably 8, 9, 10. We'll get you a good one if you
want that sweet launch yellowish orange color. It's super sweet with recarles. I think the
recarles are a non-option for me. I love those seats. Yeah, like, oh, good cars, dude. They're
the enthusiast world. I did a photo shoot and drove, God, I probably put 50 miles on this car.
It was a pretty heavily modded Fiesta ST. I saw that one. That was listed. What a fucking riot.
And I think that car sold for like seven grand. And I understand why because it was
backseat and everything was missing, had no headliner. The sunroof was removed and just like
literal like sheet metal screw in just like a metal plate to get rid of the sunroof.
So it was a cheap track entry, though. Yeah, I had like a zip tie stitched bumper cover.
Like it looked like a shitter. But then you drive it and it's like, oh, damn, this thing rules.
This thing's so goddamn good. And so like, so Fiesta ST gets the top building. I think the focus
side to side, stock to stock. I think the focus is the more interesting dynamic car.
I love the size of the Fiesta, but like. I like the light treatments on the Fiesta better.
Yeah, you can't lose. I think those are like the hottest hatches you can get for a good.
Actually, let it legitimate screaming deal right now.
Okay. Can I double dip on one? Yeah, go for it. Toyota Celica.
Specifically, two generations, two slept on generations of the Celica, and they're both
very different. You're going to mention the one that doesn't have a GTS.
Technically, you're right. Okay. But not the one you're thinking of.
Oh, are you going older? Yes. So I'm thinking two different generations.
Both of them are very different, and both of them are slept on. First off, the second
generation Toyota Celica. This is 78 to 81. Go for nothing.
Like if you find them, they can be overpriced because there's a lot of like, I know what I have.
You're talking. Yeah, people are restored one. Yeah.
Or not even restored. Like a modified like slammed on TEs with like yellowed headlights and like
rattle canned hood and, you know, lip spoiler type shit and and not for cars, but like some
bride racing seats. And they'll want like eight grand, which it doesn't command that. But you
can get a if you if you could find a decent one. There are so much of the old school
carbureted, like first generation Celica, that mid tier like peanut, Corolla,
like early Cressida, maybe not Cressida, but like more like early Corona. Yeah.
Corona, for sure. Like that vibe of far less money. And they're cool. It's like mechanically
pretty damn identical to the earlier stuff. It just sounds like a slightly roundier body.
I like the notch backs, the the coups. Those are really cool. You can ST coup for free if you
could find a good one. Oh, yeah. Yeah. So you five grand in and you can have you can live in the
70s and older Japanese sport ish car world. Yeah. Which is hard to do because otherwise
you're looking at like a 510. Yeah, or or which aren't cheap anymore. It dots in 2000.
Roadster not too precious, not to take it on a serious fun drive. Right. Or like an
SAR X7, which I think is also a good buy. Also, back to the double dipping part, the fourth gen
Toyota Celica GTS specifically, which is the first that's 86 to 89 first generation of the
front wheel drive Celica when it fully divorced itself from the Supra. Yep. And the GTS specifically
again, if you can find one, it's 135 horsepower, Revi 3SGE with a manual. Those cars are pretty
light. Yeah, fully optioned out. It's like 2700 pounds, baby. That sounds right. They handle well.
They're they I think they've aged really well styling wise. They are great looking.
Um, hard to find a good one. Yeah, everyone is super horny for the all track, which I get.
As they should be. Yeah, that's the 165. If you can get it, if you can get a, you know, the
ST 162, which I think is the GTS, that's that's the cat's hoo-ha. So yeah, second gen, fourth
gen Celicas overlooked depending on how modern or old school you want to go. Yep. Putting my hat
in that ring. Good. I know we're up against the time. I got a few honorable mentions. I think first
first gen Scion FRS, BRZ to be had. And that's a that's a pretty pure sports car for the price
point. Still kind of modern. Those drive better than they should. Other mention that is an absolutely
lovely car. 0405 WX STIs. Yeah, okay. 15 grand dude can get you a certified rally car. And these
things they've got to wrap, but like, I think the car is undeserved. Like no, that boat is fine.
Yeah, it's totally an ownership. Like they can, you can, if you mod them correctly, but you don't
need to out of the box. That's already a modern fast car and handling prowess is great. I think
they look fucking cool. I think for that price point, I think that's still a, that's a screaming
deal. And they've been there for like 10 years. Let's be honest, they've been at that price
point for 10 years. So screaming deals. That's what I got. Any other honorables? Those are it.
Those, those four cars right there are actually four cars I would not hate to have. Oh, hell, yes.
You know what? Like all of mine are real quick, real quick honorable mentions. Z 32 300 ZX NA
with a manual. All day, nothing. Like you can get a killer, like
it's you, you lose 78 horsepower to a twin turbo, but like you get at a half the cost and it still
looks really good. It's still handled really good. You still get the cool, like titanium keys and
whatever, like they're cool. Um, no super high cast, bro. No super high cast, but that's fine.
I mean, the real ones delete the super high cast, but the real, real ones,
I like to power super high cast. Yeah, thank you. Um, I would say real quick,
LT one powered fourth gen Camaro's are firebirds. Oh, absolutely. So everyone's horny for the LS
ones get the LT one powered one. You get most of the same power, huge discount. They still make
good noises. They still do smoky burnouts. Um, fiero fieros are free. If you want to do the 80s
interesting car experiment, do it, grab a fiero for no money. Um, basic bitch C fives.
Yep. You get a basic bitch C five of the manual with some miles on it.
You're spending under 10 grand. Hell of a car. Yeah, actually hell of a car for that price.
Just cool JDM shit. Yeah, JDM shit. You can, you can get some cool JDM shit. Somebody bought it
local already imported. Oops, they bit off more than they can chew. They don't know what to do.
You can scoop it up, get it off their hands for like less money than they're into it. And
especially if it has like a Suzuki badge on it, right? Yeah. Yeah. Get that or Schirmer or whatever.
Yeah, go, go, go, do it. Cool, man. Um, yeah, let me, I mean, let us know in the comments,
let us know if we missed any obvious. Oh, we absolutely miss some shit. What's like
something glaring that was overpriced that we didn't mention and a good deal. Cause I
did the good deal. This is pretty pumped me up. Those are fucking great.
I know. Like I want to walk off and do that. Yeah.
Marketplace, marketplace, pumping. Shall we do a quiz? A quiz of sorts. Boy. Okay. Let me,
let me dig this up. If I can remember where I hit it and you tell the good people at home what the
hell we're up to. All right. Listeners, we are about to take part in the automotive print ad quiz
game show. It's a fun little game. We've been playing since did we start this in episode one?
I believe we actually did. So all the way back to the genesis of this pod, the Sega genesis of
this pod, if you will. So this is a print ad quiz where Frank will read a magazine printed article
omitting anything that gives the car away. I have to figure out what he's yammering on about.
Who knows what it's going to be this time. I get three guesses and 10 minutes to figure it out.
If I miss, if I miss guess, which never happens, he'll give me a hint or something where I can
guide me towards that light. Frank, roll that beautiful bean footage. What kind of spicy
adex are we looking at? Are you flicking the beautiful bean footage? We are. Double click
in the mouse, if you will. I think we're, boy, I have two ads here. It depends on which one I read.
Do a fusion. Read half of one. Exactly. With our powers combined. No, I'll read the first one I
have. And it's, I don't know, a seven. It's not wild, but I don't know. I have faith in you,
my friend. Okay, thank you. So what we have here is a one page advertisement. The top half is
like our favorite front quarter image, but it's like from like way up high. It's like, I don't know,
50s, eight degree angle looking down. And it's driving. It looks like, I don't know, like a
dried lake bed. And it's got like this swish behind it. And then it says reach for a star.
Not a Subaru. DVD. It says reach for a star. And then it has the name of the brand as long as
they're catchphrase, which I won't read yet because it feels overly identifying.
And then it says the all, then we've got print underneath it. The print says.
Good. Yes, great. The all new front wheel drive blank. Welcome to the front wheel drive car
that truly handles like a sports car. Even the most demanding car enthusiasts will be impressed.
And that has a picture of the vehicle, like a like a sketch of the vehicle, some like streaky
lines behind it. So you know, it's going quickly. And it has like a like a white arrow over it.
It's presumably like a like an aerodynamic like wind tunnel shape. Oh, yeah. Followed by
equal length driveshafts, new design, four wheel independent suspension, stabilizer bars
and rack and pinion steering for spectacular controllability and stability, performance
abounds in the blank with a two liter 16 valve electronically fuel injected twin cam engine.
The results are 135 horsepower and zero to 68.2 seconds from its sloping front and to its
wind swept rear glass blanks lines are a study in refined aerodynamic efficiency.
Inside, you'll find a cockpit fit for a rising star eight way adjustable seat,
leather available, tilt steering and a new live sound speaker system with an optional
am Serio FM MP X radio with cassette and equalizer. The all new blank all at an affordable price.
Climb in and reach for a star. Get more from life. Buckle up.
Totally caught my friend. Everybody said to buckle up in the mid eighties.
Let's see here. Front wheel drive, all new front wheel drive, all new. We're possibly talking
about a platform that has switched where it's drive power goes. Is the vibe I'm getting from
this, the Pontiac five I'm getting from this two liter 135 horsepower dual overhead cam 16 valve
that is spitting some straight tech talk from the mid eighties. This is that's the hot shit dual
overhead cam. I mean, make car ads great again. Let's do this like make back. I did not mention
Frank. I did not mention so I mentioned like the side profile sketch of the car with the
streaky lined, which means it's moving. Yeah, I didn't mention in the rest of the text
in the middle of where it was talking about the electronically fuel injected twin cam.
It shows another illustration of a piston and four valves with a spark plug coming in the top
and some swirly circular marks around the top of the valves, which I'm assuming are camshafts.
And then it just says in like a gradient colored font, 16 valves. And then on the other, the far
right of the ad where it's talking about the leather available until steering, it shows
a sketch of, I'm guessing it's the driver's seat with like a huge catastrophic number of
arrows swishing around it, which I'm assuming is to demote the eight way adjustability.
Or the path of escape for flatulence possibly. It could be. Yeah, this is pre-vented seat,
but maybe. Yeah, not aspiratable. Okay, so I think I already got this one. And we literally just
talked about it, which is extra fun. Did I, did I, no, it's just, I know this, I know,
this was a significant advance for this car too. I do like the rear wheel drive versions of this,
but at least they stuck a hot engine in here. And it's definitely not the base trim. It's going
to be the GTS version of the 1986 Toyota Celica. Final answer. This is, as I said, the, the, the
punchline, the, the tagline that would be given it too far too much away. Who could ask for anything
more? The all new front wheel drive 1986 Toyota Celica. Talk about, because that committing
to front wheel drive was a suicide for a lot of cars, right? Like present, like the, like
the Nova front wheel drive, which was a Corolla, but like, I think going to front wheel drive was
like an admission of defeat for fuel economy and cheap value, but they did a good job keeping
the Celica spicy with that power plant. Yeah. I mean, like it's, it's funny. Well,
especially when you compare it to the previous power plant, right? When you're looking at a 22RE.
Which is all hail, all hail the 22R, but not a bad engine, but absolutely not a sports car
engine. It's a truck motor. Dude, this is a great ad. It's a fun ad. How are we not done? Oh, dude,
I see what you're saying. I can see the, uh, what, okay. I see the, the swirly camshaft thing. Okay.
Yeah. At first I thought that was, at first I thought that was like the spark plugs spinning
weirdly. That would be a bad thing. The aerodynamic. Spark plugs be sparking. God,
it's cool. In the seat. Yeah. Dude, this is epic. But that's what I'm saying. I would love,
I would love to specifically, I love the notch back of this generation. That'd be fun. I think
it would just be a fun thing to have. They're not really out there anymore. All of the all
tracks were. I think that's an ad. I think the top half of the ad I'm looking at right now is an
illustration. I don't even think that's a photo of the car. Are you sure? I think it's an
illustration. I don't know. I'm zooming in dog. I don't know. I mean, it's clearly not a photo,
photo. Like it's been, been fucked with for lack of a better way to put it.
I don't know. We need to, we need to talk to somebody at Toyota. God, what a great ad. But
yeah, it's fun. It's fun. Good one. I love the wheels on those, those first, specifically the
early cars, the 86 and 87 pre-facelift GTSs. I don't know. I think they're rad. Good looking car
too. Yeah. So how do we, congratulations. How do we celebrate? Thank you. PCP is on the menu as
always. That is project car progress. Did you want to lead this dance freak? Because you said
you didn't do a tremendous amount. Although you do have a cool car in the background. I don't see
my bones. Yes. So the XTERRA has not made it back into the garage for all of the reasons,
but it has not made it back into the garage post for wheeling, overlanding adventure.
And yeah, like the amount of actual project car progress I have done is minimal. So I hinted
in the past, like the last episode, that maybe there's an 86 AMC Pacer coming into my life.
Not under its own power. So yeah, friend of the pod from many, many episodes ago, David Graham,
he reached out to me. He's like, Hey, somebody reached out to me, who somebody reached out to him
about a free to good home, 76 AMC Pacer ran when parked in 2007, one owner car out in Stockton,
which is like, not too far, close, but not too far. I call it an hour away.
I was immediately going on a vacation, family vacation, when I got the notification about this,
like literally like 12 hours later, like getting on a plane. So I mentioned, I talked to the gal,
it was her dad's, whatever. I have since, and I haven't updated you on this, I've since reached
back out breaking news. While I was on the family trip, like halfway through, I was like,
ah, man, I, I think I'm going to take the plunge. I think, I think I want this damn car.
Again, 76 Pacer, brown over brown, six cylinder automatic, column shift,
two pieces of rear glass, one piece of quarter glass, and the rear glass are busted out of it.
Otherwise, ran when parked. They have the title, come get it. So I messaged like, hey, I think,
I think I'm in. Like, I would love to be able to get this back, give it a good home, get it back
on the road. And I heard nothing. No reply. I'd just be a text. And she had, when we were texting
prior to me leaving. Okay, well, that's fine. I then just was like, well, like, let me see if I
can find parts locally versus like, because I'm going to need to get the two pieces of missing
glass. If I can find some, someone parting went out locally or whatever. Let me search,
plus search AMC Pacer on Facebook marketplace. The car comes up. Oh, listed by not her. Oh,
but just some random dude asking $567. So $567. No details about asking price or anything just
as ran when parked in the exact same images that she had sent to me. We're there. So either
she decided she was just going to sell it for the most amount of money. And this is like,
whatever, the cousin or the brother or the uncle or the whatever, listing it under their name,
cool. That's fine. Their photos, whatever, if they decide they want to not give it away and
they want to sell it to somebody, more power to you. Perfect. How can I support you? Great.
I am a little worried though that like someone scooped it and was like, okay, yeah, like,
I'll restore it. I want to put it back on the road. I'll do it today. And they came and they
got it. And they didn't even bother taking fresh photos. They just use her photos and put it up
on Facebook marketplace. Oh, that will suck. Rare car. And I haven't called her to be like, hey,
like, is this your listing? Because if it is, great. If it's not, someone sold you a bill of
goods and stole this car from you under trying to turn a quick buck. Because that's Facebook
marketplace, baby. There's a lot of unscrupulous assholes out there that will be like, oh,
yes, like they'll sell you a bill of goods and they'll scoop it up and they'll sell instantly for
like $10. They don't care. Yeah. Yeah. So I hope it finds a good home, whatever. I don't,
frankly, I don't need it in my life because of the rest of my life. But yeah, it's, I don't know.
We'll see. Maybe I'll call her in the next day or two and be like, are you good? Definitely.
A story to circle back on. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. How about you? You turn wrenches, you do anything?
I have. Yes. So I did not buy a car. So the budget for our cheap overland challenge has been
lifted, folks. All the chains have been removed from budget land. But on the budget, we smelled my
brakes at one point on a downhill descent on my 2008 Nissan XTERRA, which I knew they were bad.
I knew they were old. They were pretty bad, dude. So pads, rotors, and fluid, which wasn't in my
budget, which is crazy to say that, but it is pretty pricey to do all that. It is. Pads are
like less than 20%, but they would look like part store pads that were like replaced 15 years ago.
Right. You know, I'm talking about where the backing falls off. Yeah, dude, these are horrible.
Like brakes, brakes worst. And then the rotors were deeply grooved. So it needed to be done.
The fluid was like black coffee. So I don't even know if the fluid's ever been done, which is a
fun thing. But anyway, slapped all those bad boys on there. It's always good to do a quality
brake job. I think it's the most rewarding thing you can do. This is a full disc vehicle,
unlike the first gen where it had drums in the back. So super quick, straight through. I got a
motor power bleeder, did that job. Great truck stock. Incredibly. I wish I had the budget to do
it when I was going down that sharp hill on that trail. But, you know, it is what it is. So that's
good. I also picked up. It's what you got Hill Descent for, dog. Yeah, I think you got the big boy.
So the Hill Descent just pulsates your ABS, which extra cooked the brakes.
You had it. Yeah, like I can't handle this. It came way too soon. But so I picked up a,
I picked up a bike, a motorcycle, if you will, which is kind of out of left field. I've been
looking at bikes and I know we were talking about before we started the podcast, but I remember
looking at car donation with you one day at a BMW that just wouldn't run no matter what. I'm like,
I don't think this is the one. And that was quite a while ago, dude. That was some time ago. I never
scratched the itch. I kind of put it away for a little bit. I want it like, I like vintage bikes.
I haven't ridden a bike. I used to ride dirt bikes a little bit, but I didn't really ride a bike as
an adult, except for like maybe in my early twenties for a little bit. So it's like, I got to learn
again. I picked up a 1989 Honda VTR 250, which is a really rare bike actually. It's a three years.
They had that model for sale in the U.S. And each year had its own special color. One mine
is brought to you by Trapper Keeper from the 1980s. It's literally, uh-oh, what's he doing?
Can I hit pause? I got an inbound phone call I got to grab.
Okay. Hold that thought. Pause.
In. We're back. Apparently Frank has received news. They hit the second tower.
Unfortunate, but let's move forward. It happens. We were talking about motorcycles. Yeah. Anyway,
yeah. VTR 250. Pretty weird bike. Again, designed by Trapper Keeper. Magenta. Teal. White. Some
purple. Love it. Cool bike. Not going to win a drag race. It's a learning bike. I'm smart.
I'm going to take it easy this time. Did I already drive it up and down the street? Sure.
But listen, guys, I'm going to take my time with this one. I'm going to do the right thing,
you know, get a license, get all that stuff registered and do that stuff. I'm super pumped.
13 and a half thousand RPM red line. Six speeds. It's going to be a blast. And 250, right? Which
is like, which is like not kill yourself on a public street on purpose. Faster than most cars
still. Oh, it'll boogie, but it's not like. It'll boogie. Top and it won't boogie. I think
it's like a hundred mile an hour. It's the best, best case scenario, but handling wise,
it's really a praise for being really good. So I'm pumped. Why not? Why not get a bike?
Midlife crisis. Come on now. Let's keep it to yourself, guys. I know what I'm doing. No, I don't.
I'm super, I'm super fucking pumped to play with the bike. So yeah, it works. Yeah, pump it.
Shall we shut this mother effort down, dude? Let's do it. Let's bring it to a screeching
fucking halt. Take us home, Diddy. Oh boy. Diddy. Thank you for playing along and listening
along. You've made it this far and I'm sorry. If you want to listen to more, like not that much
more, but like a little bit more, we have a Patreon. You can send money our way and we're
going to send that money directly into our digestive tracts. Yes, by spending, using
that money to buy the worst adult beverages that we can find. And we drink those on our
late night confidential episodes, which are gate kept for Patreon members only.
So that's the thing. You go to patreon.com slash APA pod. That's A-P-A-P-O-D. Not payable on death
like the band, but you can find us there. You can stalk me digitally at the photographer's
garage if you choose to do so, but you shouldn't. How about you Chadwick? Where can people
track you down? Oh yeah. Much like you can find us on YouTube on the pod. Track me down at
Auto Obscure Garage on YouTube. Rescue, restorations, and reviews. XTERRA content and some ES300
content. Maybe some bike content. Maybe we pivot a little bit. Who knows? Damn Daniel. Much like
Frank said, thanks for checking us out, guys. As always, we enjoy having you here and we look
forward to the next one. Take care. See you in a week. Bye. Peace.
About this episode
The hosts kick off by explaining why used cars can stay overpriced even when the market feels “pretty pricey,” and how popularity and values “follow suit.” They then go deep on collector pricing—calling out air-cooled 911 SCs, Ferrari Mondials, and even the NSX/Supra gap between what they’re worth and what they drive like. The “screaming deals” segment highlights cars like the Mitsubishi 3000 GT VR4 and ends with practical value picks such as the Miata NB and budget hot-hatches.
The current used car market is as used as ever. The fellas catagorize what they they believe to be overpriced, as well as some actual great deals available to the discerning car shopper.
***Want to support the pod? Join our Patreon for insultingly bad perks, including unlocking the APA Pod "Late Night Confidential" Episodes!***
