Michael Ford joins the Right Hand Drive Guys to share his journey with his R34 GTR, discussing everything from his early car influences to the extensive modifications made by UP Garage. Michael recounts his experiences driving his car in Japan and Seattle, emphasizing the strong community surrounding these vehicles. The episode also highlights the challenges of car ownership, insurance issues, and the vibrant car scene in Florida, showcasing how passion for cars can create lasting connections among enthusiasts.
In this episode of the Right Hand Drive Guys Podcast, we sit down with Michael Forde to talk about what it really means to go all in on a dream car. Michael owns an R34 GT-R that has been completely refreshed by U.P. Garage, including the legendary HKS 2.8-liter engine — a setup that sits at the very top of the Skyline food chain.
Based in Orlando, Michael breaks down the local car scene, what it’s like owning a high-level GT-R in Florida, and the sacrifices he made to make it happen — including selling his house to fund the car and its modifications.
Michael also got to drive his R34 extensively in Japan before importing it, building a real connection with the car long before it ever became legal in the U.S. His story mirrors the passion, patience, and obsession that define true RHD culture.
🎙️ Big risks, real sacrifices, and a once-in-a-lifetime GT-R — this is what chasing the dream actually looks like.
"...my skyline's by the area. I need, you know, $150,000 worth of coverage. They're like, OK, cool. Like we see your 33 on here, too."
The Nissan Skyline R33 is a sports car that was made in the 1990s. It's popular among car fans because it's fast and can be modified to be even more powerful.
The Nissan Skyline R33 is a model from the Skyline range that was produced in the early 1990s. It is known for its performance and has a strong following among car enthusiasts, particularly for its capabilities in motorsport and tuning potential.
"I think one time I saw him selling a whole Z-Tune kit. Yeah. He had like a Z-Tune kit, like real, I think he knows the terra firma guy."
A Z-Tune kit is a special set of parts that make a Nissan Skyline GT-R faster and handle better. It includes things like better brakes and suspension to improve how the car drives.
The Z-Tune kit refers to a performance upgrade package for the Nissan Skyline GT-R, specifically designed to enhance its power and handling capabilities. It includes various components such as upgraded suspension, brakes, and engine modifications to improve overall performance.
"Yeah. So, um, good question. Um, that actually started with Gran Turismo 3 A-Spec. There it is."
Gran Turismo 3 A-Spec is a video game where you can race different cars on various tracks. It was very popular on the PlayStation 2 and helped many people get interested in cars and racing.
Gran Turismo 3 A-Spec is a popular racing video game released for the PlayStation 2. It features a wide variety of cars and tracks, allowing players to experience realistic driving and racing simulations.
"Um, I just put countless hours on there and the way that the R34 GTR became my favorite car is for the dumbest reason, which I kind of regret in a way."
The Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 is a famous sports car that many car enthusiasts love. It's known for being very powerful and is often seen in racing games and movies.
The Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 is a high-performance sports car known for its advanced technology and racing pedigree. It features a powerful RB26DETT engine and is celebrated in car culture, especially for its performance in video games and motorsports.
"Um, then of course, kind of with everybody, um, fast and furious came out. It was always the, the forbidden fruit, which just added to the allure."
'Fast and Furious' is a movie series about street racing and action. It features many cool cars and has made car culture more popular.
The 'Fast and Furious' franchise is a series of action films centered around illegal street racing, heists, and espionage. It has significantly influenced car culture and popularized various performance vehicles.
"...es out where these dudes are robbing trucks with civics and like racing, you know, like, it's like, dude,..."
The Honda Civic is a small car known for being dependable and good on gas. Many people like to customize it to make it faster or look cooler, which is why you might hear about it in racing stories.
The Honda Civic is a compact car that has gained a reputation for its reliability, fuel efficiency, and sporty design. It has been a popular choice among car enthusiasts and everyday drivers alike, often modified for performance and racing. Its significance in automotive culture is highlighted by its frequent appearances in street racing and tuning communities.
"A 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse with the V6, the third generation. Oh, okay."
The Mitsubishi Eclipse is a small car that was made from 1989 to 2011. The third version of this car, made from 1995 to 1999, is popular for its sporty look and powerful engine options.
The Mitsubishi Eclipse is a compact car that was produced from 1989 to 2011. The third generation, produced from 1995 to 1999, is known for its sporty design and performance options, including a V6 engine.
The Mazda3 is a small car that is fun to drive and gets good gas mileage. It's popular among people looking for a reliable vehicle that isn't too big.
The Mazda3 is a compact car known for its sporty handling and efficient performance. It's available in both sedan and hatchback body styles, making it a versatile choice for many drivers.
"And basically I set my mind to it that I was going to get a GTR. Um, I was playing on the 33 years originally, the 34, just the stars aligned..."
The Nissan GT-R is a fast sports car that many car enthusiasts dream of owning. It's famous for its speed and technology, making it a popular choice among racers and car lovers.
The Nissan GT-R is a high-performance sports car known for its advanced technology and powerful engine. It has a strong motorsport heritage and is often regarded as one of the best performance cars in the world.
"...originally they were just going to be doing, you know, installing the bolt-ons I had, doing a standalone, just overall health check and maybe upgrade the turbos..."
Bolt-ons are parts you can add to a car to make it better without needing to change a lot of other things. They usually help the car go faster or sound better and are simple to put on.
Bolt-ons refer to aftermarket parts that can be added to a vehicle without extensive modifications. These typically include components like exhaust systems, intakes, and turbochargers that enhance performance while being relatively easy to install.
"...maybe upgrade the turbos, you know, stock, you know, stock engine, everything else..."
A turbo is a part that helps the engine get more air, which means it can burn more fuel and go faster. It's a popular way to make cars more powerful.
A turbo, or turbocharger, is a device that forces more air into the engine's combustion chamber, allowing for more fuel to be burned and thus increasing power output. It is a common performance upgrade for many vehicles.
"...it was kind of putting out some more smoke than normal. And we found rust in the cylinder walls. Detonation marks on the top of the pistons."
Cylinder walls are the inside parts of an engine where the pistons move. If they have rust, it means the engine might be damaged and not work well.
Cylinder walls are the inner surfaces of the engine's cylinders where the pistons move up and down. Rust in the cylinder walls can indicate severe engine wear or damage, leading to poor performance and potential engine failure.
"...now it is a fully built HKS 2.8, not a full crate motor, but HKS step zero, 2.8. And we basically redid everything."
HKS is a company that makes parts to make cars go faster and perform better. They are popular among people who like to modify their cars for racing or performance.
HKS is a well-known aftermarket performance parts manufacturer based in Japan, specializing in tuning and performance upgrades for various car models. Their products are popular among car enthusiasts looking to enhance engine performance and handling.
"And so, and you got V cam on there, right? Yep. Step two, V cam, step one, two, 72 exhaust cam, HKS crank angle sensor,"
V cam is a system that changes how the engine's valves open and close. This helps the engine run better at different speeds, making it more powerful and efficient.
V cam refers to a variable camshaft timing system that adjusts the timing of the intake and exhaust valves for better performance and efficiency. This technology allows for optimal engine performance across different RPM ranges.
"it felt like it was, you know, like I could tell it didn't have a thousand horsepower."
Horsepower is a way to measure how powerful an engine is. The more horsepower an engine has, the faster and stronger the car can go.
Horsepower is a unit of measurement for power, commonly used to describe the output of engines. It indicates how much work an engine can perform over time, which directly affects a vehicle's acceleration and top speed.
"this is a pole from second. Hey, this is a pole from third. Hey, this is a pole from fourth."
When someone talks about a 'pull,' they mean how fast the car speeds up when they press the gas pedal. It shows how powerful the car feels in different gears.
In automotive terms, a 'pull' refers to the acceleration or power delivery of a vehicle when the throttle is applied. It describes how strongly the car accelerates in a particular gear.
"...we're at like 2200 RPM and this dude hits the fuel and it is, it is like a smooth constant acceleration..."
RPM means how many times the engine's parts are turning in one minute. When the RPM is high, the engine is working harder and usually going faster.
RPM stands for revolutions per minute, a measure of how fast an engine's crankshaft is spinning. Higher RPMs typically indicate that the engine is producing more power, but it can also affect fuel efficiency and engine wear.
"...thankfully they did find the issues because they ended up finding that my oil pump gear was a little bit out around."
The oil pump gear helps move oil around the engine to keep it running smoothly. If it's not working right, the engine can get damaged because it won't have enough oil to stay lubricated.
The oil pump gear is a critical component in an engine that helps circulate oil throughout the engine to lubricate moving parts. If the oil pump gear is not functioning correctly, it can lead to inadequate oil flow, resulting in engine damage.
"...the gas not quite right because the car did have a boost controller. So I didn't know exactly what was done."
A boost controller helps manage how much air and fuel goes into a turbo engine, which can make the car go faster. It’s important for getting the best performance from a turbocharged engine.
A boost controller is a device used in turbocharged engines to regulate the amount of boost pressure produced by the turbocharger. This allows for better control over engine performance and can lead to increased power output.
"Um, I had a, they had an event called, um, Exotics at Redmond, which is like a, you know, very upscale, um, event in Seattle."
Exotics at Redmond is a fancy car show in Seattle where people can see and enjoy expensive and rare cars. It's a fun event for car lovers.
Exotics at Redmond is a high-end car event held in Seattle that showcases luxury and exotic vehicles. It's a gathering for car enthusiasts to admire and celebrate unique and high-performance cars.
"...or did you just go solo and just explore? Um, so my friend that had the 32 GTR, um, he ended up driving with me for a bit. Also, um, there's a guy named Ryan who he had a Stadia to 60 RS that was built by UP."
The Subaru WRX STI is a powerful car that is great for racing and driving on rough roads. It's known for its speed and control.
The Subaru WRX STI is a high-performance variant of the Subaru Impreza, known for its rally heritage and all-wheel-drive system. It features a turbocharged engine and is popular among car enthusiasts for its performance and handling.
"...there's only a handful of JDM. Cars in the entire state. So, you know, hearing that there's thousands of cars that show up..."
JDM means cars made in Japan for the Japanese market. They can be different from the same models sold in other countries, often with special features or designs.
JDM stands for Japanese Domestic Market, referring to vehicles that are manufactured for the Japanese market. These cars often have unique specifications and features that differ from models sold in other countries.
"...you had a Bugatti's, the Hennessy event of F5, Konexx. We're all, you know, out there."
The Hennessey Venom F5 is a super-fast car made to be one of the fastest in the world. It has a very powerful engine and is built for speed.
The Hennessey Venom F5 is a high-performance hypercar designed to exceed 300 mph, making it one of the fastest production cars in the world. It features a powerful twin-turbo V8 engine and advanced aerodynamics.
"...l, you know, out there. Same show as some of the Sentra or Honda from the early 2000s or, you know, EK. ..."
The Nissan Sentra is a small car that is usually easy to drive and doesn't cost a lot to own. It's a good option for people looking for a simple, reliable vehicle without any fancy features.
The Nissan Sentra is a compact sedan that has been known for its affordability and practicality. While it may not have the same sporty image as some competitors, it has been a reliable choice for those seeking a comfortable daily driver. Its mention in discussions often relates to its role in the automotive landscape of the early 2000s.
"...there was like a whole line of like FL5 Civic Type R is like, is that like the new car for like people"
The Civic Type R is a sportier version of the regular Honda Civic. It's designed for better performance and has a powerful engine, making it fun to drive.
The Honda Civic Type R is a high-performance variant of the Honda Civic, known for its sporty design, powerful turbocharged engine, and track-focused features. The FL5 generation is the latest iteration, offering improved handling and technology.
"Um, there's an NSX crew that lives in the Orlando area. You know, everything from very clean, low mileage, complete factory JDM ones up to full wide body, you know, martini style, you know, livery over an entire car."
The Honda NSX is a sports car that is famous for being fast and well-designed. It has a unique engine and is popular among people who love Japanese cars.
The Honda NSX is a mid-engine sports car known for its performance and innovative technology, including an aluminum body and a V6 engine. It has a strong following among car enthusiasts, particularly in the JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) community.
"and then sometimes you'll have a lineup of like seven NSX's all just, you know, in the line together."
The Acura NSX is a fast sports car that was made by Acura, a division of Honda. It's known for its unique design and powerful performance.
The Acura NSX is a high-performance sports car known for its mid-engine layout and advanced technology. It was first introduced in the early 1990s and has become a symbol of Japanese automotive engineering.
"...it's not like you're messing up a D series engine, you're messing up a RV that's, you know, dude."
The D series engine is a type of engine made by Honda that is known for being dependable and good on gas. It's commonly found in older Honda cars.
The D series engine is a family of inline-four engines produced by Honda, known for their reliability and efficiency. They are often used in various Honda models, especially in the 1980s and 1990s.
Term
RV
"...you're messing up a RV that's, you know, dude."
An RV is a type of vehicle that you can live in while traveling. It usually has a place to sleep, a kitchen, and sometimes even a bathroom.
An RV, or recreational vehicle, is a motor vehicle or trailer equipped with living space and amenities for camping or travel. They can vary widely in size and features, from small camper vans to large motorhomes.
Term
$10 grand
"...you can't even get them for under 10 grand."
'10 grand' means ten thousand dollars. People often use this term when talking about how much something costs, like a car.
'10 grand' is slang for ten thousand dollars, often used in the context of buying or selling cars. It indicates the price range for vehicles in the market.
Term
$2,000 toy car
"...I'd love to get, you know, a little, a cheap totem, one or $2,000 toy car that's beat the heck."
A '$2,000 toy car' is a cheap car that someone buys just for fun or to fix up. It's not meant to be a daily driver and might need some repairs.
A '$2,000 toy car' refers to an inexpensive vehicle that is often bought for fun or as a project car. These cars are usually older, less reliable, and may require some work to be roadworthy.
Select text to request an explanation
Hey, and welcome back to the next episode of the Right Hand Drive Guys podcast, the
podcast for guys who like right hand drives.
I'm Bobby.
This is Aaron.
Yeah, yo.
And welcome back.
Dude, it's snowing out there like pretty, pretty heavy.
Yeah, it is.
It's like dumping up here up in Maine and 34 is getting delivered.
Yeah, but it's getting delivered to Boston.
So, yeah, that kind of creates a little bit of an issue.
I got to either trailer it back or if like the roads aren't wet, just make a mad dash
and mad because they I got insurance and you got the template.
I got the template so I can run it up.
But yeah, I don't I'm not sure it's really going to be dependent.
You know, this is in three days.
If the roads can dry up by then cool.
Yeah.
If not, then yeah, it's just the hassle getting the trailer out, taking the plow off the truck,
like doing the whole, you know, the whole thing just to literally put the trailer back,
put the plow back on.
And then it's still going to be exposed.
Yes, for sure.
The more like the paint than the underneath, but which is easier to clean.
But like, you know, like you said, would you rather, which I'm already going to do,
are you going to spray down the undercarriage or or would you rather get out the trailer,
take off the plow and spray down the exterior as well?
I don't know.
It's work either way.
Yeah, it's work either way.
But it's snowing up here.
And actually, I didn't I didn't tell you I got dropped by American collectors.
No way.
Yeah.
I was like, I like, I like, but you know, I had a mom like, yeah, my skyline's by the
area.
I need, you know, $150,000 worth of coverage.
They're like, OK, cool.
Like we see your 33 on here, too.
Yeah.
Yeah.
They're like, OK, cool.
Like sweet.
You know, I'm expecting today, I'm going to get the thing, you know, like and everything.
She calls me back.
I miss it.
I call back Australian dude answers and, you know, he's like, yeah, he's like, yeah,
you got too many violations, man, like in the past two years, you can only have three.
And so, yeah, it was like, dude, what are you doing?
Well, that's the thing.
Okay.
One of them was I got re-rendered.
And that's not at fault, but like that still counts.
Yeah.
And then I had a, I had like in 2024 in February and then March, it was like this time, like
I feel like these times come around, you know, like, at least for me, I think this was right
after you got insurance on your 33, wasn't it?
I don't know.
I don't know.
But wind up like that.
Right.
Yeah.
But I got two right in a row.
One was in the driveway, another one, you know, whatever.
And so, yeah, because I had those three, they dropped me.
Well, dude, I've heard people like, you know, claiming their windshield on comprehensive
insurance and it ding in their, ding in their driving record or whatever, and them getting
dropped.
So don't feel too bad.
Yeah.
For sure.
I mean, it's whatever.
And there was something of substance there.
Dude, I went over to Hagerty.
Yeah.
They were totally cool with it.
But I will say it was $600 more than American collectors.
Whoa.
A year.
I was like, dude, holy crap.
Wow.
Okay.
I guess like, I guess I'm paying the price for these friggin' tickets.
Did you, did you like, you know, get the membership with the magazine and all that
too?
I think, I don't know.
I don't have a clue.
I didn't really want none of that.
Yeah, I didn't either.
But I'm signed up for it.
Yeah.
Okay.
We just hijacked this.
So today we have on a guest and this guest, you know, I originally kind of heard of and
met, you know, when, or not met, but heard of and saw his car when we went to UP Garage
last year.
Yeah.
Well, I guess it was still this year.
But, and then, you know, he got his car delivered, whatever.
I saw him a few other times.
I think one time I saw him selling a whole Z-Tune kit.
Yeah.
He had like a Z-Tune kit, like real, I think he knows the terra firma guy.
I'm not sure.
But we'll ask him.
But it is Michael Ford.
And if you listen to the episode about Orlando Cars and Coffee a few weeks back, you will
remember that he is the guy with the white 34 that looks, you know, just like every other
white 34, right?
Right.
All us GTR guys.
Just all, you know.
No.
But so I was like, yeah, let's get, let's get, you know, Michael on here and just chat
about what it's like to work with UP.
You know, we've had UP's kind of side of things and now to have Michael's side will
just be cool because you get the shop and the customer's perspective, right?
And then, and then we'll ask him, you know, like what's up with the Orlando or the Florida
scene and like, you know, that type of thing and just kind of get into it, see if he has
any more plans for that 34 and yeah.
So this is an episode with Michael Ford.
All right.
And we're back.
What's up?
Michael Ford.
How was that?
Michael Ford.
Oh, it's 40.
It's 40.
40.
Okay.
Yeah.
Yeah.
What, what is it?
Like, what is that?
Do you know?
Norwegian, northern European mutt, you know, that makes sense.
Actually, like that, that, that's where what I would think, dude.
So thank you for being on the show for sure.
I know that you've been listening for a while and you know, I finally got to meet you a few
weeks ago, so it's cool to get you on here and be able to just get your opinion on some
stuff.
Yeah, for sure.
Thank you for having me.
Yeah.
Um, so all right, like real quick, what we definitely like to do is just get, get a little
backstory.
Right.
Like what, like how did Michael 40 get into these type of cars, you know, like, was it
something from when you were just a toddler or is it more recent?
Yeah.
So, um, good question.
Um, that actually started with Gran Tresmo three A-spec.
Nice.
There it is.
I was a big, you know, PS2 guy, you know, PlayStation, PlayStation two.
Um, I just put countless hours on there and the way that the R34 GTR became my favorite
car is for the dumbest reason, which I kind of regret in a way.
Um, so in that game, this is way before
crash mechanics, you know, detailed terrain.
They just had a flat wall because there was a rocket.
You just play a flat wall, you know, NASCAR going around the corners kind of thing.
Um, so the GTR classified for rally races because it was all wheel of drive.
So I had my street skyline with a thousand horsepower in the game with off-road tires
and just laying waste to all the little, you know, all the Subaru's, the little Evo's,
yes, you know, all the Renault's because they're like a 300 horsepower on the rally portion
of the game.
I knew you crash, but you're sort of already so far ahead of them.
It doesn't matter if you crash because your car keeps on going.
Dang.
So you were using skylines as rally cars.
Hell yeah.
But that, and then also, you know, it was amazing on the road itself, you know,
no tracks.
Um, then of course, kind of with everybody, um, fast and furious came out.
It was always the, the forbidden fruit, which just added to the allure.
Yeah, for sure.
I think, yeah, it was, it's like, you know, I feel like sometimes people get, you
know, a little maybe like, oh, I don't want to say fast and furious because, you
know, the exposure that that movie gave the car is undeniable.
Like it, you know, you could have hated the movie, right?
But you probably remembered that car because it was just so unique and not
right going in front of our eyes on a daily basis.
Like for sure.
I mean, you could have hated that movie, but you definitely knew what a skyline
was afterwards.
So I think there's no shame, man.
Like we were, you know, 2000, 2000, 2001, when that came out, like, you know, I'm
not sure how old you are, but in, in 2000, 2000, 2001, I was just getting into
high school, like my, my like sights on cars had just started.
And all of a sudden this movie comes out where these dudes are robbing trucks
with civics and like racing, you know, like, it's like, dude, yeah, of course,
we all bit, right?
We all got into it because, you know, at that time in our lives, especially it
was like, it was almost like what we needed.
They knew what they were doing.
Yeah.
For sure.
Um, so.
Pretty much that, that's your influence.
What, what was your first like import car?
Obviously, you know, your first right hand drive car, I would, was it the 34?
It was.
Yeah.
So what was your first?
Oh, my first car.
A 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse with the V6, the third generation.
Oh, okay.
You just got, yeah, you right after the, the gen two or whatever.
Um, so you had like almost the first year of the third gens.
Yeah.
It was like first or second, but, um, it was, you know, my first bought it.
It was black, black leather interior and a five speed manual.
And it was, it was a badass car for, you know, at the time when I bought it,
when I was 17, 18 years old.
Yeah.
I mean, right?
That, that is so true.
You know, at, at that age, like that was in that time.
Yeah.
And that was also a movie car too.
Oh, for sure.
Yeah.
You're Tyrese.
Wasn't a drop.
Oh, no, nothing was God awful.
The spider.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I mean, yeah, it's, it's crazy.
You know, just how, yeah, you can relate the two, right?
Two totally different things, but hey, man, it was there.
Um, so, so okay.
So now what about the, the 34?
Like how, how do you go from a third gen Eclipse?
Like, you know, essentially a car with very little aftermarket support,
you know, not really a huge following, right?
How do you go from there to like, literally, like the 34?
Yeah, try not to offend anybody with calling it the most badass car on earth.
But yeah.
Um, no, that was a combination of me just trying to, you know, after the Eclipse,
I realized how much money I dumped into it to just have it towed off for scrap.
Cause I did some unspeakable things that car.
Um, but after that, it was just trying to get my life in order.
Um, you know, so it was didn't really have many project cars.
I had a Mazda three, you know, non-turbo.
Um, modified a little bit, but just very basic.
Um, you know, I've had two bikes, had a truck that modified, but you know,
still keeping very tame overall.
And then actually had a coworker who bought a 32 GTR.
It's still to kind of, you know, even think about it at the time until I saw it in
person at his store and that kind of set off that this is a possibility.
He's like, oh, dude, this thing is sick.
Yeah.
Me, it was like, okay, hey, my dream from, you know, 2001 is now something I can attain.
It's becoming legal.
And basically I set my mind to it that I was going to get a GTR.
Um, I was playing on the 33 years originally, the 34, just the stars aligned
and it happened to fall into place right at the right moment.
But, um, no, it was just more of, I kind of had a, just had the coworker who until
I saw one in person, it never fazed me that this could be like five, there's about
five years after that happened, I finally was able to pull a trigger.
Dang.
So I mean, even if you look at it back from the third gen Eclipse, like you kind
of, you, you really went to work and set yourself up to be able to eventually
obtain what, you know, whatever it is, instead of having like, let's just say,
you know, 10 cars in between that you soaked, you know, 10 K into each, you like
kind of set like the whole modifying thing to the side for a little bit and said,
okay, like, let me get this straight, which, you know, sounds like the adult
like kind of thing to do, but like, it's hard, right?
Like that's hard to step out of the game and stop chasing something that you love
in order to be able to really do it in the future, you know,
for sure.
Cause I mean, I, you know, even we did the hot, important nights in Orlando, you
know, back with my Eclipse, you know, so it was, I was fully in that scene at the
time, but, you know, after it essentially went to scrap after all the money I put
into it, custom paint job, the whole car, that's like, you know, what am I doing
with this?
If I do another car, it's just going to be the same thing over and over again,
rinse and repeat or, you know, instead bought a house, which in that house turned
into the GTR.
Smart way to do it, sell a house for a car, but it's, it's really funny because
like a lot of people, you know, when you see the for sale ads for like 34 GTRs,
they'll be like, oh, that's like a house.
Well, did the little, did they know like Michael 40 actually, like, you know, his
car is a house like that's legit, you know, I stole my first house.
Two by the car.
That's sweet.
And it worked out, you know, like that's, that's what's cool.
I'm sure there was a part of you, at least for like a minute that was like, is
this really what I should be doing?
No, no.
Oh, damn.
I'm from the get go straight committed, dude.
Yeah.
And like, dude, I can say after riding in that thing, dude, like, yeah, man, like
screw it, dude, you can sleep in a car, but I guarantee that house wasn't pulling
six gears like that.
Appreciate it.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
So, you know, speaking of pulling the six gears, we, we went to UP garage, you know,
right at the beginning of this year, met Doug and Eric and, you know, your car was
actually there and your motor was actually on a stand, which is pretty like full
circle, you know, to now be, you know, now that you've had it and, and I'll let you
talk about how many kilometers you put on it and whatnot.
But like now that you have it and have driven it and I've ridden in it, it's like
just a crazy full circle moment.
Like, dang, like, you know, we, we saw it when it was in pieces.
And then, you know, they put together such a quality product that now this man has
been enjoying it with, hopefully we'll find out, but hopefully zero issues.
Like that, you know, that's really cool to, to experience.
So like what exactly, what did you have UP do?
Like what is the setup?
So originally the setup was going to be just putting on some bolt-ons I had
purchased when I bought the car originally.
So I didn't have a shop in mind.
I was originally planning on doing the modifications myself.
UP came down, it was a thought a year after I bought the car.
But originally they were just going to be doing, you know, installing the
bolt-ons I had, doing a standalone, just overall health check and maybe upgrade
the turbos, you know, stock, you know, stock engine, everything else.
But after they started doing their diagnostic, just looking at things,
we're off the boat, they were doing a stress test, which I didn't really do a
stress test when I drove it in Japan.
It was just, you know, I drove a lot, but I didn't really stress, you know,
give it, give it all.
Yeah, right.
And they noticed, you know, it was kind of putting out some more smoke than normal.
And we found rust in the cylinder walls.
Detonation marks on the top of the pistons.
You're just probably going to put a bore scope inside.
Okay.
And so now it is a fully built HKS 2.8, not a full crate motor, but
HKS step zero, 2.8.
And we basically redid everything.
Dang, because if you're in there, you might as well commit.
See something that's not quite right? Our annotations are AI-generated and can sometimes miss the mark.
Click the flag icon on any annotation to suggest a correction.
