Exploring the exciting landscape of car imports in 2023, Bobby and Aaron dive into the eligibility of iconic models like the R34 Skyline and Evo 5. They discuss the fluctuating market prices for these vehicles, the nostalgia of seeing classic JDM cars, and the implications of upcoming imports like the S2000 and Evo 7. With personal anecdotes from their time in Japan, the hosts reflect on the changing dynamics of car ownership and the thrill of acquiring these legendary machines.
"Clean like that. Yeah, yeah I think they look really good and like do the pre-ludes. They always had the wildest interior I felt like like most slept on interior like the way that it just likeYeah, it goes all the way across yeahIt was a lot different kind of like the the dash in this does it goes like all the way across it's like yeah instead ofI guess you could say and I don't know whenever does that yeah, I mean Honda isUnique in a little lot of the things that they doYou know not just the pre-lude dash, but yeah, just a lot of the cars that they come out with over the years whichThe accord euro are is now also"
"...f really cool cars. Yeah, yeah, you know like the S2000s coming up I know we had that here, but justThat d..."
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Hey and welcome back to right hand drive guys. I'm Bobby. This is Aaron. Yo and
Today is episode 30. Yeah 30 like can you even believe? Yeah, I mean yeah me too cuz
But yeah, no, you know, it's just we started for fun and we made it to 30 that's kind of a cool little milestoneBut today we're gonna talk aboutWhat cars are eligible to import starting in 2023? We're already, you know, over halfway through the year right still
Kind of good to just rip through things like that to keep it fresh and then maybe some that stop getting imported this year andRight wherever it takes us soEverybody knows right. I mean this one's obvious. So we got to start first right what like the car that
First becomes eligible to share yeah, yeah, I mean everyone's favorite right the the skyline or 34 iseligible forimport soIt started out just a lot of the sedans were able for import just cuz they were made first their production dates are a bit newerSo that's why you kind of saw a bunch of sedans coming in first. Yeah, but now
The coops are starting to become a very nice yours, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah, like sweet right right
It's a port now right? Yeah, so yeah, today's the day it landed today
andSo they say it's gonna be you know three or four more days because of the holiday right and so hopefully we'll be going down to get itThursday Wednesday Thursday Friday. Yeah, something you know what what month was it? Do you know do you remember?
It was a June of 98 car, right?
We put it on the boat almost as soon as it was ready. Yeah, yeah, yeah and
I mean yeah, you so you do see now, you know, whether it's on marketplace the groupsWherever else you're searching for your cars. Yeah, there are a ton of coops ton of GTTs
Yeah, that's all you really see right? Yeah, and it's like well, yeah, of course cuz so the GTR I think the first
One that can be eligible is in December right as far as I know I could be wrong, but that's what I'd readAnd so yeah, you're just gonna see a ton of GTTs. There's like right right right and so
But with that like I feel like there's such a broad range of buyers for these carsYeah, like we're kind of talking about earlier was like you're seeing them anywhere from what?
30 25 30 yeah, yeah 75 right right some people have some crazyPrices on their cars and it's like it is wild. Yeah, it's it's kind of hard to justify cuz like do 75 K
That'll get you a 33 GTR all day like a nice one, right? Yeah, yeah, I mean
They're wanting that for a GTT coupe with you know, probably a GTR front-endYou know, that's like the most common thing I've seen right? Yeah, and so that that
Kind of brings up a good point isWhat does how does it stay like that right and the GTRs come through?
Or is it like the R34 height that's kind of striking early right and then once GTRs come aroundThat demand for the GTTs will be less you think it'll stay the same. Yeah, I don't know. I mean it could be one of those things where
People start seeing some of these cars some of these GTTsSell for these prices and they're gonna think okay, well the GTR is gonna be even more astronomical, right?
And then it just kind of keeps the priceRight, you know where it is maybe a little less, but like it's hard telling you know if people start biting on them and they start having the money in these cars thenYeah, it's probably gonna stay that way, but you know if no one's biting on these things which yeah, I guess I'm gonna find outSomeone quick yeah, yeah, you'll find out soon enough. Yeah, and well when you know we're gonna have a port clearing episode to kind of go through
How all that went with my GTT and ohMore than likely listed up for sale, but it only has 17,000 milesRight, that's low that's different than these literally I saw a guy 70k130,000 or no 100 yeah, 130,000 kilometers. Yeah, and 70 something thousand like dude your dream man
It's over 100 like I know kilometers is more, but still like no that's like that's a lot so in a waySo yeah, the R34 of course how do you get that one out of the way?
But there are some other ones that have been kind of iconic that you know we've kind of all been waiting for whether we'reHuge fans of them or not were fans of JD cars, right, you know in that sense. Yeah, absolutely
SoThe Evo 5 yep, we we've all we've all seenEvo 5 from bumpers dude. Yes, dude you know it the magazines back in the day of the body kits
Yeah, going down the list dude they would have the Evo 5 bumper with those huge fog lights and no one would ever get the fogI could afford the if they had them they wouldn't hook them up like dude no one ran that shit. So like
That that was my always my first impression of the Evo 5 and I was just like, eh whatever like thereBut then once you look at them on paper and like really start looking at the cars are actually pretty sick and like and it grows on youYeah, it kind of I mean they definitely grow on me like I'm not a Mitsubishi guy at all and you knowThey're not really my type of car. I don't really love all-wheel drive whatever but I
Think they're cool and you know dressed up nice like yeah, it's not just a mirage or whatever they were in the states, right?
Yeah, like whoaYeah, this this body for sure right they this is like the mirage body one with the two-piece headlights and all that and yeahAnd so we saw one of these in person when we're in JapanWhen we went to Ebisu and then there's a big open parking lot because Ebisu shares the space with a what is it like it's aFari part a safari yeah, yeah, yeah, so there's a huge like kind of parking lot in the middle andWe were pulling in in the R34 GTR and we're going to the Matt Surrey and
Parked all alone is a beautifulEvo 5 in the blue. Yeah, with the matching blue
STI the same you know 98 body style andSo of course I pull the R34 right next to it becauseWhat other opportunity will we ever have who knows to see these three legends together in Japan right?
Right. Yeah, it's pretty wild. Yeah, and it ends up being LZ and colette. Yeah, yeah, yeah, and so that was even more just kind of iconic because
You know like them were heavy car enthusiasts and clearly we all like gut our dream carsSo to speak there in Japan and I think so very very cool thereBut to see it in real life like yeah, and it was clean. Yeah, yeah, yeah
They were sick like do they were like very nice cars andYeah, in the States we don't we never really got anything like that. We just got like the lame versions the base models
Especially back in the 90s, right? I mean, I only even think we had a WRX in that like generation right?
It was just not until O2 we didn't have itIt was just a 2.5 RS's so like you know, I never really got into them because
Like it was just whatever right yeah, but like seeing the actual ones that are you know a little bit wider and you knowJust set up and like just look a little bit different right they look that much cooler whether it be like the factoryArrow or the wheels or whatever it is fatty intercooler. Yeah, the fatty intercooler front new like they they just look sick and like
I think if we would have got those in the States like I definitely would have been into those you know more or less than I amYou know now the regular or the 2.5 RS is yeah
Yeah, that would have whatever Mitsubishi was doing over here in the 90s like that what they weren't really doing much becauseThat was theSubaru that had the 2.5 RS but Mitsubishi wasn't really into yeah, no they had like the eclipse. Yeah, right and but which was sweet
I mean, right, you know, butYeah, I mean I had have had a few e-vows. I really love the e-von 9s. Yeah
Back then when the e-von 5 was out. No, I wasn't into it. Right. No, but so that brings us to the next one though is the 98
WRX STI yeah, which is likeearly rally days definitely an iconic car had the little roof schoolRight right and and Elzies had that and it was really cool like he had it popped I think yeahYeah, probably yeah, it's like so yeahAnd it is but they they look really cool and if you've seen like column and craze to drive right right classicAnd so yeah, I mean for us maybe weren't that's maybe not something that would be in my collection
But I can definitely see how it would be a desirable carYeah, yeah 100% and dude to take it back to when you knowYou had all three cars parked next to each other at Ebusu like it's pretty wild to think thatAll those three cars came from the same year and like the same era, you know looking at the GTR because the GTR just looks likeI don't know just so far ahead of its timeWhereas like not that you know the STI or theEVO looked like dated or anything. It's just like
The 34 just was that much better. Yeah, I don't know why but like even I mean
Even the R33 can keep up with these cars. Yeah, and in the looks
I mean the R34 is light years ahead. I feel like yeah, but even the R33
I feel like keeps up with these cars because just looking at them they remind me more of like the R32Yeah, like era right right right not just older piece headlights, but like just the shape of the body and stuff, you knowThey're still like in early 90s whereas like right Nissan was already moving on in that sense like it's trueBecause I mean you look at the R35 GTR compared toEither these cars now in EVO 10 or the latest STI and it looks way more way more race car
And yeah, I mean I feel like you could put a 34 to dealership today brand new and it wouldn't be that far out of placeWhereas like you know if you put a older Subaru or you know the EVO it's like yeah, but yeahI just thought that was kind of wild, you know that those all three came from that same time andLike it was just I don't know just wild and soumThey're when we were talking about this we were also talking about like what cars areNot like are kind of going out, you know like there's we're like the last year
2023 is the last year of like theManufacture of some of these cars to yeah, yeah, yeah, some sub models right right where it changes for sureYeah, the the 180s X finally in it's the final year for 98s the last year for the180s X andDude, that's pretty crazy like those were being madeeight late 88 probably 89 and they lasted till like late 98Yeah, 10 years and that's pretty well and then only a few facelifts between them and then
Yeah, the S14 Sylvia is also on its way out and so it's the last year for the S14 before we get the yeah before you get the S15 and 99But it is pretty kind of it is pretty crazy to think thatAt one time in Japan you could go to a Nissan dealership and see all threeS13 S14 and S15 brand new at the dealershipYou know what I mean like still on the showroom floor likeAll three generations of the iconic ass chassis
We're all full on the floor brand new right wow, soWhy would they all be like I guess I'm not getting how you can get three models on the floor at the same so like all rightWell the 180s X it's an S13 right right it ended in 98 the S14Cookie it ended in 98 as well. Oh, there's likely to be you know left over
I see what you're saying in the sense that I wasn't thinking likeAnd then 13 and 14 on the floor at the same time right right and then on 99 obviously the 15Yeah, so I mean, it's just kind of kind of cool if you ask me if you yeahI'm gonna happen to drive by the dealership and see all three like models all brand new likeJust sick. Yeah, yeah, yeah, no, and I guarantee there was at least one Japanese baller that went in was like
One of each. Yeah, that would be probably a dude from a drift team. Yeah, probably
so yeah intheYou know when we talk sub models, which is important to because some of the kind of sub models of cars change the carSo the civic type our first generation yeah 96 to 98 this is the last year of those right right so then we'll get the 99sAnd you know will kind of see that facelift with those. Yeah cool that those were always my favorite both of mine were 99s
Yeah, yeah niceAnd I know what let's see soAlso, what else is important though so the last of it the last of itOr the first of it. Yeah, so yeah the first of it
But some of us yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, well what I was about to say is the the two two of my favorite all-tech cars arenow or now available for import which isOne the 260 RS Stadia, which is yes very sick dudeIt's a wagon with an RB 26 drivetrain. Yeah, like
Sure, everyone's seen an R34 wagon before. Well, that's what it actually is. It's the Stadia with it
There's a bolt-on kit for the 34 front end that you knowIt always look awesome dude. It's so awesome and remember that one parking area
We stayed at at a Ebeneye think yeahThere was like a stage in me dude so many there had to be like a meat or a crew or something that was meeting up there because there was soMany of those so many. I don't know like
2530 and then further down a lot was like a ton of GTRs. Yeah, and it was just a wagon like I don't know you their love and
Rehanem I feel like but a wagon with a GTR drivetrainAnd if you put the front end yeah, dude that made it dump it on some wheels and rightDude you can put a lot of dogs in the back of those oh you can put a lot of dogs put a lot of different stuff in thereYou can fit a wheel for sure like dude very sick cars and then you know also my other favorite Autec carThen we also saw quite a few of in Japan surprisingly is the Autec33 GTR the 40th anniversary. Yeah, and that's the Ford or GTR like
That's it like it's it's sick. You know it has the fender flares
Oh, it has the drivetrain those are beautiful cars if you've never seen oneDefinitely check it out. Yeah, no there's there's quite a few in the US right now. Oh, yeah, for sure
There's been a few in the at and I know of I think two maybe in Texas that I've always seen pictures of likeIt'd go to cars and coffee or whatever it might be and yeah, it was always like what a forward or like ugly tail lights and everything and you're likeBut it has a GTR and when it's that's probably where I first saw them, but I thought they were sickYeah, for sure and yeah, so we were going down the highwayAnd or no, no, we pulled into a parking. Yeah, that's just a random parking
Yeah, and there's like this old guy in the Autec 33 yeah like with the windows up justStroking a butt do just do all myConsigarette do right in the whole car is likeFilthy dude the car is disgusting all the wheels are curved dude likeProbably every single corner scrapedBut it's an Autec 33 and it's sick and it and it was and I was like losing my mindI'm like because at that point we hadn't seen a ton right right right that was one of our first while
We've been weeks. Yeah, so like we hadn't seen much and yeah
You were like I was like holy crap this dude loves this carYeah, dude it was sick circling the car to see just random like what is he doing and he's just like getting down on a knee doing theCrouch looking at everythingSo he so the old guy takes off we were going P he takes off and soYou know we're going and I'm like trying to catch him and he's like do you gonna see him is he's gonna be up hereHe's gonna be up here. Yeah, yeah, and I'm like it's like amping me up
So I'm going too fast, but it was fineYeah, finally we catch up to him and we just like creep by him and Aaron's like getting the roller shotsAnd this guy is not impressedHe's like dude. I gave him a thumbs up and everything
He was just a wave you slapped your ass. I was like
I was so stoked right but this dude it was just like he didn't he didn't care like he was just likeHe thought we're dude. It was pretty wild and that was like one of my first
Like I don't know it was like you said it was one of our first car signingsI guess yeah, and like I gave the dude a thumbs up and he just looks at me like I'm crazy, but like it was awesomeI thought yeah, I thought it was yeah, and so yeah the aughtack 33 that's definitelyDefinitely a legit car. It's interesting. I mean it makes sense, but it's interesting how the way that the
34s came out but not the GTR while the 33 GTR was still being madeIt was the last year for it. Yeah, so like that's also interesting like how they did that like they still had
33 GTRs on the floor. Yeah, and they're rolling out
34 GTG who just imagined that year at the dealership. Yeah, like where you have all these s chassis all these
That must have been like I would love the stage is old likeLike video of that right right like the home camera stuff like I would love to see that to take me back to 98Seriously, and yeah, I mean it'sIt's pretty wild how some of these cars like it really was probably a pivotal year. Yeah, because
With these changes not just in the cars, but in the companies. Yeah, like where they were heading after
this year, you knowI definitely yeah, we'll be excited to see that so they also have thePrelude type S for Honda came out this year. Yeah
And pray loads are pretty cool like they had the the SHs with superior handlingSuperior handling with their rear steering. Yeah, and what they had the also had the H 22
Which was like the big boy before the case seriesPretty much yeah, and that's what everybody is trying to swap it or was swapping into their eG Civic's rightRight, that was like such a crazy. There would always be a dude with an H 22 and an eG
Yeah, like it was alwaysAt least one of them it was just like I guess but they they ran good. Yeah, like it was a V-Tec motor
So yeah, yeah, yeah, it definitely hit V-Tec and so yeah this year though the 98sWere the ones that came with like the like headlights that wereNot like bars right they were like on the hood like I don't know what to call that but you know what I'm saying theYou know the models with the headlights like on them. Yeah, yeah, yeah instead of like across it
Right, right. I personally liked these better right. I just like that headlight setup and I felt like those like 98 pre-ludes just looked like
Clean like that. Yeah, yeah
I think they look really good and like do the pre-ludes. They always had the wildest interior
I felt like like most slept on interior like the way that it just likeYeah, it goes all the way across yeahIt was a lot different kind of like the the dash in this does it goes like all the way across it's like yeah instead ofI guess you could say and I don't know whenever does that yeah, I mean Honda isUnique in a little lot of the things that they doYou know not just the pre-lude dash, but yeah, just a lot of the cars that they come out with over the years whichThe accord euro are is now also
eligible for importation right right those also have the beast H 22 in them as well. Oh wow and
Yeah, it's you know, it's a hitter. You know, she'll spend third on it. It's a hitter
Yeah, no, I meanIt I've if you've never seen a euro are looking up Google yeah, yeah, it's I mean they're pretty coolIt looks kind of like the Accords that we got here, but a little bit cooler. Yeah, they got like different little bit different headlights a little bit different
Tell lights and completely different engine yeah, and I don't know I meanI remember back in the day seeing those engines on like HMO or whatever it was oh for sure and they I believe they had the blue valveYeah, yeah, yeah, that was the accord euro or motor. Yeah, and you know, I'm not really sure
For what reason it's called the euro are, but I do know that they're made in Europe. Yeah, so you know
And I believe it's at the same factory that like the EP3 was made and designed and stuff like that soYeah, all right, I do I do believe that they they sold Japan, but I'm not like super up on that yeahIt is a Honda so I'd imagine that they had made it over there one way or another that yeah, they definitely got them we could probably find out real quick, but yeahLook it upYeah, I mean it seems like anything that that European factory
You know that built like the EP3 and the accord type R it seems like people shied away from those for whatever reasonYou know, they're not the they're not the best work, you know, it's not the it's not the Japanese factory thatPut in the work and you know designed these cars. It's a little bit different in its shows. Yeah, and so I got our answer
Oh, yeah, so the accord euro are was officially sold only in JapanHuh, yeah, so they didn't even get it so they made them design it build it yeahImportable, but they didn't want to give them the type R badge. Yeah, imagine they're like nah
We'll call this when the euro are we're gonna keep our tie par we're gonna give yeah, it's a euro or yeah, but you guys can't have itLike that's kind of wild that it was only sold in Japan and then imported into other placesThat is pretty crazy. I have seen them like on other YouTube channels like around like Ireland and stuff like that as well
So they they definitely made their ways around the world with them, butYeah, I mean right looking at it real quick. It is like hours, but with a body kit and some cool
Little bit different headlights, you know, pretty cool wing, but like it's still front it front is different. We'll drive yeah
You know, it's not really competing with like the EVO or anything like thatDefinitely not competing with like the GDRs or nothing like that right soYou know one thing I was thinking about was and feel free to weigh in email us DM us whatever butHow does this affectpricing in the sense ofNow if let's just say this is the last year of eligibility for like the you know in sense of in S14
YeahAnything sitting over there waiting to be imported right now has been or is about to be imported right?
There's nothing left sitting there waiting to come over right. How does it affect like the pricing?
I think I mean with the pricingIt'll probably stay around the same right probably start going up a little bitBut I wouldn't be too worried about that I'd be more worried about what's gonna be coming overBecause like sometimes man you see some of these cars that have been eligible for a while like say an S13R32You look at them and it's like holy crap. Where is this thing been sitting for the past 10 years and
You knowNo telling what is up with it? You have no clue so man
They're like really scraping from the bottom of the barrel. Yeah, however on the flip side
It's also could be thatThat one dude that kept his car nice. Yeah and kept it, you know like going and
You know loved it put the time put the work into it butYou know whether it be medical issues or maybe they're moving to the city or whatever it might be they go to sell their carAnd they know they can get a premium from it if they export it soYou can kind of it's kind of two sides of the coinBut it's like one extreme or the other in my opinion well, right itBeyond like so there was the original ones that people bought right right?
Right right and after yeah, and then once all those were like bought up now as when we were talking about so everything's eligibleRight so now what's left over there is either awesome or shit right right?
Right and you all though all that middle of the road like all those decent cars all those good deals all those you knowAll the ones that you wantThey're already gonna be exported and brought over and they're gonna be getting taxed on in the US orWherever it might be Australia, right whatever orYeah, I mean that's just that's how it goes with these cars. That's how that's how time goes on and that's how
It's how classic cars are yeah, yeah, they're you know, yeah, you start scraping from the bottle of bottom of the barrel right and at that pointYou're not getting a deal and you're getting the bottom wrong. So yeah, yeah, then I guess yeah pricing I mean
Yeah, I guess right what you're saying if you're getting one from Japan. That's what I'd be worried about yeah
But just getting them period now right onceAll that's left is either the best or the worst the middle of the row stuff price goes up. I feel yeah
Yeah, yeah, that'll that's gonna slowly start going up like just over time, right?
That's just gonna appreciate because they're sought after carsYeah, you know and look at it like that, you know kind of have to because like if you don't then wellYeah, exactlyBe like disappointed and right, you know, it's you could be like oh, I had one of those you knowYeah, when I was a teenager whatever it might be like I catch myself doing that like oh man. I have had so many 240s that I just
Like go cut in half sent to the junkyard whatever likeInto the junk you know what I mean and like and I've seen firsthand like you know front clips and things like that from the JDM cars likeThat used to be a car right so those are gone all these things are just likeIt's kind of crazy. Yeah, that's why when we went over there
We didn't even really see anything unless it was like kind of planned out or likeSpecial time like during golden week. Yeah, but otherwise right think about you know because we obviously built up on her head
Like we're gonna get off the plane and there was gonna beThat's not what it is. No, I mean if you guys followed me and like watch my story
I every time I saw a cool car I posted it and I went back recently and kind of just like looked at all those pictures of the carsLike random highway cars. I saw
It seemed like a lot at the time and it was cool at the time and it really wasn't that manyYou know what I mean? It was maybe five a day. Yeah, like like and and we were
Dude we were putting some mileage on these cars like we were driving around a lot in a lot of trafficYeah, and going to a shops and up garages and all this stuff andLikeDidn't really see much. Yeah, no not really and like you know
maybe likeMaybe some middle tier cars. Yeah, you know whatever but not like GTRs or like yeah, definitely nothing like that
15s or you know if we saw like an S15 between offense by a shop we're likeYou know soIt's really thinning out. Yeah regardless of the year and
Even 2000s those are all sitting in storage because they've been bought right right right. I mean
Yeah, people have smartened up. It's a business, you know, and there's there's money to be made and people are gonna make it and
That is how they do it by buying up these cars and just sitting on them and yeah, and that's filling out what our housetheir money andTaking the risk of whatever may happen and so yeah like when you do pay X amount like just understandIt's because of that work and that sacrifice. Yeah, even get that car to you right because it could have started four years ago
Right like it's pretty crazy, you know, soYeah, I meanLike sad to see that like some you know because this is just like anything else like time is passing right and so I'm sad to see the 180 like you knowIt's done. Yeah, you know, it's it's not like it's going away
But there's nothing that's coming over that couldn't have come over. Yeah, you know in same with the R33 like
You know, it's just like a milestone kind of right in in like ourIndustry that now is like past. Yeah, yeah
No, but for real, you know it but I am also excited. I'm excited for what is to come?
We're not that far from a lot of really cool cars. Yeah, yeah, you know like the S2000s coming up
I know we had that here, but justThat deepens the pool of the availability of them, you know andThere's also right the evo 7 and 8 right like the 7 for sureWe didn't have it here that one and the wagon the wagon. Yeah, there's like
Some cool cars, you know that are still yet to come and so yeah, I'm excited to just keep seeing them seeing them hereYeah, me too. I just hope they don't the EPA doesn't get
Yeah, wild that's the only thing that's the only thing that can stop us. Yes
Exactly. Yeah, yeah, yeah, and
Tinney one else out there that you know loves right hand drive cars like we do you get what we're talking aboutYeah, you know, it's it is it's really sad and exciting and and eventually it will all be talking aboutHey, I remember when all of those became 25Remember we put gas in her cars. Yeah, yeah, yeah
So yeah, you know follow us on Instagram @rhdgysYou know subscribe to us on YouTube. We're gonna start doing more content on there
This beyond the podcasts recordings themselvesSo make sure you hit us up there, but for episode 30 on Bobby. This is Aaron. See ya. Peace
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