Looking Towards 2025 - Japan Trip - EP.113

Hey and welcome back to the next episode of the right hand drive guys podcast the podcast for guys who like right hand drivesI'm Bobby. This is Aaron. Yeah, oh and we are back yet again and

It's almost New Year's man. It is already all ready 2024 is

In the wind gone in the wind. Yeah, we pissed all over

But yeah, we're like hey, okay, it's New Year's like let's just get on there and you loveIt's all over itself. That's how 2020 for felt for sure

But yeah, I mean we're like hey, let'sLet's chat about what 2025 bringsYou know maybe make a fewResolutions even though that's kind of corny, but we're like let's just like make some goals and if they happen thenSick yeah, if not likeI don't know we suck. Yeah kind of

List for next year. Yes, exactly. You can always put it off till next year

So okay, so let's chat about him and so2025 we we definitelyWhat the for okay, let's start individually what your 2025 goals2025 goals yeah car related mostly car relatedDefinitely want to get this SR 20 in definitely want to do that. I definitely want to drive my car more next year

Go to more meats go to more meatsGoDrifting some more I would like to do that. That's definitely on my list

That's basically it still hammer out some episodesLove doing that he wants so he wants to get the motor in his car beat the shit out of the money. Okay

Yeah, no, no, I get it doneLike why I'll say do you put the new one out there dude? Yeah, and and so right

I mean 2025 get your get your car going drive more right because you know, you'll see these videos theseReels or shorts and they're like you didn't buy the car to stare at it. Yeah, no, I

Some people do some people do and I get which is cool. Yeah, yeah, like I mean what you there's something you enjoy about that

But feel kind of bad for the car sometimes yes because they don't get driven like they were meant toThat is the hard part you want to drive it like it was meant to but then also you don't want to have to replace stuffIt's a kind of hard, you know, it's a tough oneSo for me. Yeah, let's hear it

2025 IDefinitely want to get back to Japan which we'll get to but as far as the carsI would love and I've been saying this probably the whole timeCan you guess? Can you guess what I'd love to do to the R33? Yeah, I'd love to bring it to UP performance in Washington

You know that has that's a that's a trend for me. I have wanted that for a while, but

Take to UP garage. Yeah, yeah, yeah, but it is we are literally on the complete opposite side. Yeah of the US

SoNot that easyYeah, like and they are like professionals. They want me to come out there check the place out

Yeah, drive a car drive multiple R33s with different setups and then figure out what I want not just by parts andTry it, you know, so I respect that and I want to give it the time it deserves butBeyond taking into UP garageI just got a lot of most of the lights on the cars switched over to LED by question panSo I need to get those installed in 2025 and you know get the interior of the car put back togetherGot a little headliner issue. I need to to you know figure out but otherwise man

I mean I'm good on this car. I'm all set there

My focus I think in 2025 will be on the 34 GTR. Yeah

As it should be right. It's gonna be coming in. Yeah, so late that's the end of the year pretty much

I think like one year from today. I will I will have it in this garage. Yeah one year from today

It will be in this garage itIs eligible on the first of December of course, you know top ranks gonna aim for us thatYeah, it may be the week after the only thing that may hold me up is thereLike pre-delivery inspection and making sure that everything is goodBut if I can have top rank global in JapanHandle that prior like so that all they're doing is looking over it and not actually changing anything

I think that would speed it up on this end because I've heard it can take anywhere from a week to four weeksWho for you to get the car? It depends on how many are coming over for them at the time, you know

Backlog so yeah, I mean cuz I got a whole queue. Yeah, and

So I would like if I get my wayMy 34 will make the trip to Shizuoka to the top rank technical factory so Sato Son canHave funSo Sato Son can have fun and I wouldHave him kind of do a similar setup to this, you know like what I have in this car some differencesBut that would be ideal for me have you P do the 33 have Sato do the 34

It comes to me and it's good out need to send it anywhereYeah, because that's why I don't really want to do one to get here. It's already sitting over there, right? So

Yeah, that's kind of in a nutshell, you know as far as cars that's that's really you know ifThings go well in 2025. Yeah, maybe I can add to the collection

But for right now, I'm just focused on what I had to the collection so wait what would you add to the collection?

Currently that could come over right nowIGuess if we're talking about cars that could come over right now it would be either theEK 9 type R the S15's be car. I mean I would do a spec S

But I just kind of sold my motor that would go into it so I guess I had to get a spec RBut yeah, that's what I would get if I could get a car's outcome or right nowI do want the Evo 7 still for sure though. I think that would be really cool, but so

podcast wise thoughWe got a we need to set some goals for the podcast. Yeah, absolutely and I think I

Think the biggest and best goal that we can have that we contribute would be to meet more people. Yes, right?

I mean be more of you. Yeah, meet more of you guys and meet more people that aren't watching and listening and just kind of let them know who we are

You know, we both have been around for a long long time and in the scene so to speak and have made a lot of friendsBut there are so many people in it now. Yeah, that there's a whole different generation

There's a whole different generation that you know, we can appeal to and findYou know common interests with soYeah, that that I think is the biggest goal, but to facilitate that you know the next goal would be of course to make it to more events andAnd meets of course, you know, that's that's where you meet the people that are interested in the same things right right?

Our geographic area kind ofKind of hurts for that, you knowOf course, you know shout out to South Portland cars and coffee love that but it's not quite what we desire right?

Yeah, so the problem for us is even though we got a double-decker trailer with a cantilever that we can bring both of our cars somewhereWe got to drive atleast four hours. Yeah at least and that just gets us to Connecticut to like

That's like the tri-state area the tri-state area, you know, soIt is hard for us, but we're definitely gonna do our best. Of course. You'll see us at import alliance. Yeah, can't miss that

You know love everyone from Nashville that shows us a bunch of support. Yeah, absolutely love the import alliances. Yeah, and so

Physically that's kind of the plan right meet more people get to more events. Yeah get more exposure

You know let people know who we areBut internally podcast wise right like we're we're on you know 100 and something episodes right over 110 episodesDude some people quit their podcast after one two three seven right we kept trucking so and it's evolved rightIt's it's gone through personal knowledgeInterviews yeah, how to do you know listen to episode one the other day wow

That's yeah, you made it through dude. What are we doing? Yeah, what were we doing back there right episode?

I'm gonna go right it but it was if you think about it right it's it'sYou know the beginning of 2025 and we started this in March of 2023. Yeah, I mean we we've and we have

Released every single weekend. Yeah every weekend from March of 23 to January of 25. Yeah, so

That's really important this consistency is attracted people like you andWe want to continue to track people like you want to spread the word. We want you to spread the word but

How do we do this so?

We're gonna continue the interviews. I think the interviews

You know, of course. I know you guys love our opinion and us like rambling on about stuff and laughing like ding dong's

but like yeah that third person really brings a separate dynamic andThat I think is going to be a bigger focusExposing more people. Yeah, not necessarily

You know somebody on the level of RJ DeVera all the time right butGuys just like me like Aaron like youYou know or girls. That's cool

They're going to come on, you know and we can hearStories that you can actually relate to instead of sometimes these stories andThis info that is like so far beyond what we can accomplish. You know most of us could accomplish right?

Yeah, so I think that'll be a big goal is to not only have the big dogsBut also have like the quote unquote little dogs, right? Yeah, I mean here in a different perspective on the same things or you know

Similar things that we're doing always love to hear you know always love to hear about you know other people's experiences whenever they travel to Japan orOther people's experiences with whatever motor setup they had or whatever it might beYeah, I mean it it's a big thing becauseCommunity is what we're trying to build here definitely not doing it to get richDefinitely not not like doing it to pump up our ego. It's literally just to connect with people and you know if you listen to last week's

Episode with RJ you would hear us say that we did this like not to get famous, but solely to stay connected toSomething we love right I showed this guy a picture of me sureI've put it on the YouTube video. I don't know what I was doing. Yeah

But yeah anyways, we just we're like all right like we need to stay connected to what we love and this is our version of doing thatYeah, you know and so yeah beyond likeMore interviews. I'd like to which goes hand in hand with the event thing I would like to

pretty much be able toKind of record live more. Yeah, I think that was really cool when we do that at

Import Alliance we did Tokyo Auto salon. Yeah, I want to do more of that

Yeah, you know even if it's it even if it's sitting on the ground on the side of the venueBut we're there we're feeling it the energies there that's something I hope we can accomplish is a few more of thoseYeah, I think that's definitely something we can knock outI mean just any event that we can go to we can definitely bring our setup andYeah, knock out an episode and 90% of the time it's gonna be something that I would assume you guys are interested inYeah, if we're going with our cars absolutely. Yeah, and I mean to dude. Yeah, we just fold out the table in the middle of the park

Yeah, I said I'm the bug castPeople are like what the hell dude. I'll do it a buckies. I don't care. Yeah. Oh, that should live from buckies

Yeah, no, that would actually be super sickOkay, so yeah, I mean that's kind of like are they're not resolutions. That's just goals that we have

You know for the podcast of courseOne okay, so one guess though. I'm gonna I'm gonna

I'm gonna put it out here and hope that it happens or else I look like a foolSo we do have a commitment from Larry Chen so that's going to be Larry who?

Larry mother freaking ChenWell, uh, yeah, no, we're pumped for thatHe said he would love to but obviously the man super busy. Yeah, super busy. Obviously so

We just wait and we're patient, but eventually we will get you a perspective from Larry Chen. Yeah, and

so like I said like you know big dogs right but like a lot of little dogsThat's what I want to see is try to get other people's story out there Larry stories Ben shared a ton of timesYeah, it'll be an honor to have him on here like guys like you meThat's who I want to get a little bit more in touch with right so okay 2025What I meanWhat do we have planned so far?

Not much that much yeah, noBut we we do know for sure like I said we're going to import Alliance. Yeah, I am returning to Japan in like maybe 10 days

And I'm going to be going to Tokyo Auto Salon is theThat's the main the main reason rightTokyo Auto Salon againTry to meet you know new people to have on the podcast of course. That's like my main goal is to

You know kind of network in that sense yeahTokyo Auto Salon is sweet, but how different will it be from last year?

Maybe a little right, you know, but the overall thing like top-seekers are gonna have a bunch of goldsgrz, you know, but to be that familiar face andOh, hey, you know, you're back again, you know, and so yeah, I am back againWhen can I schedule you for the podcast I got my planner right here, you knowAnd so yeah, that's really the goal, but I will be doing a few other thingsSo we figured you know, we've kind of reported on every other Japan trip. Yeah, why not go ahead and just

Report on this one. Yeah, so

Yeah on JanuaryEighth I'll arrive in Tokyoum, and I am bringing my daughter with me this timeAaron couldn't come so I'm bringing my daughter which you know, yeah great for meYou know her hair isn't quite as niceNight quite as long as yours, but it'll do you can't drive when you're passing out do yeah, that's trueYeah, no, I got the smelling salt for thatfeels legal there whoa imagine I like imagine I get arrested for smelling salts getting off the plane Japan with my daughter

Wow for smelling salts holy moly dude that would be insane they call the dogs in on youGot a bunch of cordies running out dude the dogs and be bouncing off the walls if they friggin sniff these things dudeBut yeah, so we're headed out thisCould be the last time that I get to drive my34 before it comes over here. Um, I've been lucky to go plenty of times and

There there's not probably time to go again before I hope it ships out in Octoberso this is the last hurrah as far as I know andSo of course going to Tokyo autosalon that is um, you know my plan for Friday as well asThe Tokyo underground meat um whichI was pretty nervous about because the Tokyo underground meatThe deal is is you have to buy your tickets in a in a non-accompanied store in peaches, which is like a lifestyle clothing type company and

It's limited like if you remember last year. I don't know if it's in the same a on mall garage, but

If you remember last year top deck was like the show yeah, and then the next one below was likeExtra cool car parking right right and then maybe there was one more hour remember I'd ever went out there, but yeahSo now this year yeah, this year they are selling tickets for all of those spots below the top deck wowIs only for if you're invitedYeah, and like last year last year we just got lucky and like yeah

Jesse O U G likeBrought us in with him and they're like hey who's that and he's like yeah, don't worry about he's with me and they like let us inYeah, he pulled out a few places. I was like hey, that's pretty cool. Yeah, yeah, he like got us in with him. Yeah

Yeah, for sure. Thank you very much and so I'm hoping I'll actually be able to return the favor this year, which is cool, but

So anyways, I was like kind of stressing out about it. I'm like well, how do I get this parking ticket?

Because I know they're not gonna just hit me up and say hey come like I'm not yeah, soIHit up peaches and they're like well, you know, weren't you guys here last year? And I'm like yeah

But like I didn't expect an invite. I'm just trying to make sure I have access to the parking tickets

And they're like no dude if you were up there with us last year like you're definitely gonna be oh wowYeah, and they had me hit up to Kashi and which is it's crazy like Japan's like smaller than the US, but small right yeah likewe wereleavingWeckfest, Nagoya, yeah, andWe see these three skylines. Yeah, three right? Yeah, yeah, just friggin nasty dude. Was that a beena or was that yeah?

That was no it wasn't it was closer to Nagoya right? Yeah, yeah, yeah

Yeah, I forget the name of that one, but it's the big one right there. It's got a Ferris wheel if you know that it's right

You know it. It's right outside easy to get lost in yeah, sure. Yeah, super weird

But yeah, so we see these three skylines, you knowuhLM uh GTR or not LM sorry 33 LM. Yeah, the R33 LM and then a

What a four door34No, it's a sit it's our know I'm sorry. It's a coupe. Oh, yeah

Yeah, and so it happens to be this Takashi guy. Yeah, who

Runs Tokyo underground meets and he invites us to this one what the next night or somethingYeah, it was completely random and it was in Tokyo. Yeah, it was in Tokyo

He's like, yeah, it's in Tokyo. We're like what what the hell we're like way out here. Yeah, like so yeah

Anyways, we went to that one we showed up like as it was kind of ending which was sweet because we got to see the whole likerecession or whatever everybody leaving andSo I hit him up and yeah, he's gonna get me in there and hopefully I'll be able to get Jesse in and so that's another littlepinnacle thing being able to participate as an American with your car in Japan. Yeah, and something like that because he's like

generallyThe invites are for locals. Yeah, he's like

That's what the invites are but obviously you've participated, you know, we know you so like you can comeYeah, that's super cool. Yeah, so uh looking forward to that um

and thenuh onA few days later top rank is having the track day again. Yeah, this year

I have a speed limit defensor so I'm going to be able to actuallyFilm another fourth gear. Yeah, not see what my car can do because I'm still going to be conservative because I don't have

Enough experience on track period to be going full out but on that straight away. Oh, yeah

That'll be the fastest where I'm at, you know, like and so I'm also excitedAnd I'm hoping this is okay, but I'm excited to have my daughter in the car with me while we're on that. Yeah, that's true

And like, um, you know, just have her experience what it's like out there and probably be freaking out and stuff so that's coolUm, hopefully I don't spin outKnock on aluminumBut yeah, so that that should be pretty cool and thenSince this is one of my last tripsUh or my last trip at least for a whileI am going down to Okinawa to see what the extreme south side of the country is like and thenSo we're staying down there for like two day two and a half days going to go to some museums do some differences

Do you know how Okinawa has the sickest apple bees really?

Um, daysYeah, I bet they do andAnd then after that we're flying up toSapporo and Hokkaido and we're hittingNasekoSo we're gonna go she's a skier she's been skiing since she's like two and a half years old she can she can outskie us for the most partLike she she's good. So I'm gonna give her that experience of being able to like hit the japao and like, you know, do the whole thing

soYou know them we're also going toBe spending a day with albo when we return from HokkaidoUh if we're not sick from all the differentYou know, it's so it's like 55 in Tokyo75 in Okinawa yeahLike 28 in Sapporo. It's that warm

Yeah, so it's so it's kind ofYeah, it'll be a whirlwind. Let's just say. Yeah, but so we're gonna spend a day with albo

He's gonna surprise us uh with a few different things to doum, which isYou knowPretty exciting in that sense. He always kind of gives us a good opportunity to

Learn and see new things in JapanSo yeah, and then I'll say kind of goodbye to the car for the last time potentially until I see it hereWhich is like you know, it's one of those things like most people are like, well aren't you excited to like have it and I'm likeNoNot no not really like I don't really want it to even come over becauseIt's gonna sit in this garage. Yeah, I'm gonna stare at it. I want to drive it not want to drive it because

Of the dingolings on the roads and then how beat the roads are and how unclean the roads arenot that I need like aYou know yellow brick road to drive downBut like when you're driving down the road and all you can hear is sand and rocks just ripping off your inner fendersIt gets a little discouragingYeah for like GTR guys, right?

Yeah, yeah, yeah, you know those woosey pushes that will drive their cars and anything but perfect weatherThat's me. Yeah, absolutely

But yeah, now I mean of course I'm excited to get it over here, but then also it marks like the end of aThing right like this is my fifth time going I've driven the carWell over 10,000 kilometers over thereTo bring it over here is just a little lackluster, you know, yeah, like I already got this thingYeah, I'm sure you're saying that now, but we'll we'll see your face when it lands our ass. Yeah, we'll see your face when it lands

UhYeah, so that would be the Japan trip. I'll definitely when I return

I'm sure much more will go down and I'll have a bunch of stories to tell everybodyUh looking forward to that for sureIf you are out in Japan I we I had uh two guys hit me up about if like we were gonna host anyMead or meet up or like meet people and I was like yeah, dudeWe're like just too friggin idiots for me. What do you want to meet up with us for?

but um so I am going to post the itinerary on Instagram and if youIf you want to meet up just hit me up and I'll do my best to make that happen for sureUhLove to meet everybody like we said umBut yeah, I mean this is just our little New Year's episode. It's a shorty. We just wanted to

Kind of go through some of our goals this year personal and for the podcast yeah and just give a little Japan run down and hopefully shout outAnybody we can meet up with while we're thereBut for this episodeThe New Year's episodeI'm Bobby. This is Aaron. See ya. Happy New Year

[Music]

Looking Towards 2025 - Japan Trip - EP.113

Nissan R33

Nissan Gtr

About this episode

Original notes