Why you love the R34 Skyline. (Even if you don't think you do) - EP.34
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Hey and welcome to episode 34 of the right-hand drive guys podcast.
I'm Bobby.
This is Aaron.
Yeah, yo.
And we are back.
We're back.
And we're going to kind of follow suit with the last episode and just touch on what all ofa sudden seems to be everybody's favorite car.
What's that?
The R34 Skyline.
Boom.
And if you're watching on YouTube, you should see behind us.
We do have an R34 GTT in the studio as an example.
So that's cool.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So, yeah, I mean, at this point, I feel like everybody's heard of it.
Yeah, I mean, for the most part, I mean, if you're in the car as the slightest bit, youknow what a Skyline is.
Right.
I mean, you know what a Skyline is, but you know what an R34 is.
Right, especially the 34.
Yeah.
And we, I mean, so real quick, we do have kind of experience with both the 32, the 33 andthe 34.
Right.
And I mean, I feel like both the 32 and the 33 get plenty of attention.
Yeah.
And we haven't really gotten out in the 34 that much, but I feel like it's following suit forsure.
Yeah, for sure.
Because it's just one of those cars, it doesn't look like anything else out on the road.
Where is.
Yeah.
Yeah, I mean, the 32s kind of kind of look their age, I guess you could say.
And they, when someone sees it, they're just like, whatever.
That's a cool car with a wing.
What is that a prelude or something?
Yeah, yeah.
So, but the 34 is kind of on a styling level of its own.
Yeah, you don't see it like anything else like that.
I can't think of another car that looks like an R34.
Impala.
Just kidding.
That's the closest thing though.
Yeah, or like a cobalt, but like that's just because of the highlights.
Yeah.
So, okay, so let's get into it.
So the 34, what would you say was one of the defining moments in the R34's history thatkind of brought it to the masses?
I mean, it was, I mean, I think it's like probably two things.
Yeah.
And being like everyone says, grand charisma of the video game for sure.
Like that was one of the first times I played like this is the first time I've found outwhat a skyline was, especially the R34 because like one of the arcade modes, that was likeone of the first cars that you pick.
Yeah, and it was that base side blue.
And that for some reason that color like just always stuck out like that just.
Base I blew.
I mean, come on.
Yeah.
Right?
Right.
So I think grand charisma was one thing and then too fast, too furious.
Yeah.
It had way more of a part in the movie than the first skyline and the first movie.
Yeah.
Yeah, yeah, exactly.
And I feel like, you know, especially where the movie let out with that car.
Right.
It kind of stunk and I know I was like bummed that like the car got taken out.
Yeah.
You know, in those first few scenes.
I was kind of bummed it had rally strides, but whatever.
I mean, me too, but we're talking, I think that one's oh three that too fast.
If he was came out, I mean, you know, we're talking 20 years ago.
Yeah, it was period.
Correct.
Yeah.
For that for for what it was supposed to be.
No, it was right.
Yeah.
And so, no, I agree.
I think, you know, especially with the purge for the night.
Yes.
Yeah.
And built up that car and kind of made it like a hero, whereas, you know, the grandtourismo.
Right.
That was a base.
That was a stock car.
So to speak, right?
Right.
We kind of upgrade, but it wasn't so glorified.
It was another one of the models that was included in the game.
Right.
It was like the fast one though.
It was like the one that everyone always picked.
Yeah.
Even though they didn't know like what it was, but it looked cool and had that nice color.
And I would say on the too fast, if yours thing, I think between that and grand tourismo,that brought awareness to the other models, the 33 and the 32.
Yeah.
What is this skyline thing and right in turn, they end up, oh, wow, there's these models beforeit.
Right.
You know, and so I mean, even though some people clown on like the whole fast and the furiousinvolvement and, you know, Paul Walker's involvement, it's like it really did help createlike a whole following.
Yeah.
For sure.
If there wasn't, if there wasn't those two things, I mean, dude, what do we be sitting here?
Right.
Exactly.
What do we be talking about?
Skylines right here?
What would be talking about Camaro's and Mustangs?
No, no, no, no, that couldn't be it.
So, I mean, from there, you know, because skyline was already a popular thing in Japan, likethis, you know, this just helped bring awareness more globally right in the car because, youknow, over 90% of the skylines produce state in Japan, especially GTRs.
Yeah.
So, it was already a thing in Japan.
And so we were earlier looking at this super street magazine.
Yeah, yeah.
And just tripping, it's from 2003, we were just tripping on like, oh wow, yeah, I remember,you know, this and that and the other.
And while we're flipping through, I mean, what, how many R34 ads did we have?
Quite a few.
Like Apex was one of them.
And just raise had one.
Raise had one.
Yeah.
They had the signal auto.
Like, yeah, it's kind of crazy.
Like, and they were pretty new back then.
Yeah.
Because I mean, I imagine those cars are a 102, 2000, whatever.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
So, it's.
Right.
So, it's kind of crazy.
And that was still like, quite a long time ago.
Yeah.
So, I mean, if you, if you were looking at super streets, you know, you might figure it out.
Right.
But.
And that was after, I mean, that was right when two fast, two years came out, but that wasafter the first fast and a few years.
So, you know, interest in sport compacts or import cars, like really went up in 2001.
So, yeah, no, it is, it is crazy.
And then, of course, you know, R34 started showing up in a variety of racing series.
And, you know, just different events like that.
And some of those cars became like iconic.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And so, I know there's one that you love and you would love to touch on.
Oh, yeah, yeah.
And one of the most iconic R34s to me personally, it's the reason why I like Ford was so much.
And it's because the Blitz ER34 drift skyline did a Kendameera drove.
Yeah.
That car was always so cool.
And like, I didn't even really realize it was a non-GTR, like until I like, whatever,really started to read about it.
Okay, that's okay, because it's real world drive.
Okay, cool.
Wait, it has four doors.
Oh, and they never made four-door GTRs.
Oh, that's even cooler.
So, this guy has like, yeah, and so like it made, it turned me onto like the four doors,or the four-door chassis of the skylines.
And like, that's one of the reasons I think why I love the sedans is because of seeingthat car, like, and being into drifting back in the day.
That was just like, all right, yeah, that'll be my thing.
I think that's cool.
No one else is doing that.
Only he is, right?
Everyone else has the coupes.
Yeah.
This guy's cool because it always had the sick library and like good color combos.
So it was like, it was perfect.
It was, yeah, I would like the reflective Blitz and like the chrome, whatever.
Yeah, I mean, I agree, like watching those old videos, like he always stood out becausehe had a four-door, and it was longer.
And it just like, it didn't, it wasn't stout in like short, like these other vehicles.
It was like a long car ripping around the track.
And it was, and plus he was like a cool driver.
A character, yeah.
Yeah, and he was in all the options or a lot of the options and stuff like that.
He did way more than just, he was way more than just a driver, I feel like.
Yeah, he was a personality, yeah, for sure.
And it was also cool to see like in the, in like the street league series, like thestreet legal series.
When he drove that, it was the same thing.
It was 34 sedan, but you know, had full interior, bolt-in cage, had a more stock engine,still had the RB25, stuff like that.
So it was cool to see him like stick to that.
Right, right, right.
He was true to it.
Yeah.
So, one of my, I would say iconic R34s would be the pen's oil.
R34, that's like, you know, that bright yellow livery with the, of course, pen's oil on it.
And you know, at 1.99 championship, then that blew up and there was all of the die cast
and all the collectibles about it.
Yeah.
You know, and the fact that it stuck with the RB26 and like still one, yeah.
It was like pretty cool to me and hopefully at some point, because I know that this caris still in Japan.
Yeah, yeah.
It's at one of the museums, right?
Museums, yeah.
I hope to see it.
Big Zama.
Just because it really is like when it comes to R34, like track cars that was like at thepeak, you know, because they had just came out with the 34, just came out with it andthey won.
That's one to me.
And I know you were talking about the story earlier about another one of these iconic cars.
And I didn't know if you could just rip through briefly how much of a wild like, you know,this car that we, a lot of us grew up, you know, post on our wall.
Right, right.
So yeah, if you, I mean, if you got a super street or like one of the other car magazinesback in the day, there was that BFG ad.
And one year they had like posters of it.
And it was the iconic base side blue R34.
And the caption at the top of the picture was track meet with like MET.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Talking about the tires, of course, or whatever, but like super corny ad, but super cool shotof the car and like it was on some T 30.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Pretty sure.
Yeah, it was.
And that was iconic for a lot of people because I had that on my wall.
Yeah, yeah.
Yeah, yeah.
So the dudes at new, I'm sure it's the same thing.
So a little bit about that car.
I read a little backstory earlier about it.
A guy in the military originally bought a brand new in Japan.
The Ode to Ben Sweet.
Yeah, imagine.
Yeah.
Like, yeah, imagine buying one of these brand new in Japan.
In Japan.
For that actual initial cost.
Yeah, that would be safe.
So long story short, he had MotorX, tried to do some stuff to get it legalized over here.
Classic.
And pretty much the guy, the shady guy in MotorX ended up like letting Paul Walker bar atone point, letting Gready borrow it, like letting all these companies borrow it and like notreally telling them it's this guy's even got his overseas.
Yeah.
And it got him pounded at one point, like all this crazy stuff.
But it was also a Seema car, I'm pretty sure, and was like for that ad campaign.
It was dressed up for that.
Wow.
So like this military guy sends his car to get federalized.
Yeah.
Ends up starring in an ad commercial, which he doesn't probably benefit on.
Yeah, he didn't, oh yeah, and he didn't know anything about any of this.
He was never informed about any of this.
So like, imagine.
Hero or whatever the guy's name is for MotorX.
Like, if you know the MotorX story, you know who I'm talking about.
Yeah.
And right.
So, and you can find out about the MotorX story.
Definitely big was a big thing at a certain point.
And yeah, they put together between 14 and 16 cars that they were having federalized.
Didn't really work out how, you know, they were thinking, but you should look into thatif you would like a really interesting story.
But yeah, I mean, dude, I mean speaking on MotorX real quick.
I don't know how I found out about MotorX back in the day.
It might have been an ad in a magazine or like a little article about them or something likethat.
But I remember going to my grandma's house getting on her computer, typing in the website.
Oh yeah.
And checking their stock.
And that's, that's how I found out about the 33s and the 32s and like kind of startedputting the puzzle together.
You know what I'm saying?
And like, just being able to see the cars like that is like, oh wow.
And then.
I don't know.
But like, if it were for MotorX being able to do that and being able to get that first impressionon those other models as well.
Yeah.
Like, so they probably, they definitely helped bring attention in a positive and negativeway.
You know, like the whole scandal or whatever.
Yeah, that sucks.
Yeah, that's a negative thing.
That definitely sucks it.
Put a halt to anything that we could have done to have these cars sooner.
Right.
So, you know, there's always been, you know, kind of different police vehicles in Japan.
And a lot of people know about the R34s that were made into police vehicles.
And they did five marked vehicles, one on marked vehicle.
And, you know, this was in the early 2000s that like this really happened.
And I thought that was really cool.
If you get a chance, you know, Google R34 police car.
They look cool.
There's still one in service.
And I can't remember the exact place in Japan.
It's a little small town.
And they still got their R34 in service.
And it's like displayed out in this like open garage that like you see it.
Yeah.
Because like, where else would they going to do that?
Right.
That's so cool.
I mean, I'm sure people go there too and just, just.
Oh, yeah.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
For sure.
I think that's like part of it.
It's like kind of crazy.
I wonder, I wonder why they did that.
Was that when they were cracking out on street racing?
And they needed something to a little more, yeah.
Right.
Or like where they trying to fit in like, where they GTRs or GTTs.
So like, I believe that they are GTRs.
I think they were badged and stuff as GTRs, right?
Yeah.
And so, but earlier I had read that they were ER34s.
So that would be a GTT.
So I'm not.
I can't really find clarification on it.
But regardless, like, cool, right?
Even if they were bad.
Yeah, no, no, no, no.
And as GTRs, they make people think they had faster cars.
Right.
I mean, but.
So that is like, you know, one of the cool things, how like the police will kind of take.
Because when we were over there, we saw like different police cars, you know.
Yeah.
A few different.
What they're using these, you know?
Yeah, they undercover.
Yeah.
And the browns.
Yeah, exactly.
So yeah, that was one of the things.
But so if you're wanting to get like, because everybody wants an R34, right?
And if you listen to our previous episodes, you know, the GTT behind us, legal as of 98,first GTR becomes legal in 99.
So if you want something or if you wanted something in the past, you would need to, yourvehicle would need a qualify under what's known as show and display.
Right.
And so this is the only way to have a legal R34 in the United States GTR, GTR federally.
Right.
Yes.
And how do you qualify as show and display?
It's generally a model thing, right?
Yeah.
Like certain models.
It has to be so limited.
Right.
Exactly.
So I do have here that it is the V spec in midnight purple, too, which is this super desirablecolor.
That's actually what Adam LZ has.
Yeah.
Is his R34 is a midnight purple, too, car.
And that's why it's been here for so long.
That's how he's had it for so long, because it's under show and display.
And a lot of people don't get in there.
They're like, oh, he has it here legally and blah, blah.
You know, no, it's under show and display.
Nobody's going to literally show and display in R34 like that, knowing like how thingsgo and not have it be legit.
Right.
Right.
And then if you have an M specner, which a guy that we know from Nashville, Sebastian hasone of those, I got to see it in person, like, beautiful car.
It's Millennium Jade.
Oh, so it's like the cream of the crop when it comes to that.
Or if you have a V spec N1 or V spec 2N1, those all qualify for show.
Yeah, good look on those last two though, right?
Yeah.
Well, right, exactly like the N1 is what it says, you're not getting one.
I mean, so, yes, exactly.
Yes.
So, you know, there's a lot like when it comes to the R34, we, so when we talked about theR33 last week, we read through the different kind of options and different submodels andspecialties and stuff.
And it felt like, you know, for the R33, there was a few, you know, like because we had theATAC, we had the 400R, you know, but when you get to the R34, it was like a whole thing.
Like, they went crazy.
Yeah.
I don't know who they had like doing this, but they had quite a bit, you know, when it,when it comes to it.
So, when it comes to specialized versions, right?
You have the V-spec to NIR in the M-spec NIR.
So, do you know what the NIR means?
NIRB or green?
Yeah.
So, it's, that's part of the special edition, right?
And so, there was 1000 V-spec to NIR and M-spec NIR's period.
Right.
Like, that's really, really rare.
And so, but not that bad whenever you compare to other like R33s and 32 special editions.
Right.
Well, you right.
No, I agree.
Like, 400R in the year.
That's like double of like what, how many 32 Nismos there were?
That's true.
Yeah.
I mean, so the M-spec NIR like, Sebastian, there was only 285 of those.
He is one of 285, dude.
Yeah.
That's true.
And sure, Nissan Stod's a few of those.
Yeah.
Oh, yeah.
Sure.
And so, you know, beyond that straight up M-spec NIR, there was 366 built.
And then you have those N1s that we said you're not getting one.
Well, that's because the straight V-spec, there was 38 in the V-spec 2.
There was only 18 N1s built.
So, you're really not getting them.
You know, and when we're talking about LZ's car, right?
Yeah.
The midnight purple.
Why is that showing display eligible?
Like, why is that?
It's a color.
That's it.
Well, there was only 347 built.
Right.
Not that many.
Not that many at all.
And the midnight purple, three, which was like the second generation, it was only 199built.
Like that's not much at all.
So, you know, and these are all the specialty models and colors.
This is, these are the ones that are really sought after.
You know, and then of course there's just the base model and the V-spec and the V-spec2 when it comes to your standard kind of models that won't be eligible until the yearthat they're eligible.
Right.
Which again starts in 99.
So that's like, you know, kind of a lot of just models, right?
And then for just GTRs.
Like that's just like the high end and it keeps just going higher and higher and higher andhigher.
But then you go to the, like what we discussed last time, the Nismo Omari factory cars.
And now it's a whole different thing.
Yeah.
Now it's a whole different thing.
Like, you have Z-tune.
Right.
Only 19 built.
Yeah.
And one of those lives in a bubble in Australia.
Yeah.
Exactly.
And the global auto owners, you know, private collection.
Right.
And that's two.
There's only 17 that we haven't talked about.
And that's all of them.
So they also did something called the R-tune and S-tune in these were special editions basedon Arrow and.
Right.
And that's the R1 or the S1 logo that they put on the like the back on the trunk.
Yes.
Exactly.
They do have specialized badging.
And then, you know, depending on what you model up the R-s-tune, if the motor's done, youknow, it's also as badging there too.
Which, you know, like, so if you're not familiar, the Z-tune is kind of like the best of thebest.
Right.
So to speak, you know, and.
They're not making any more of those.
Right.
Exactly.
And the R-s-tune are just kind of like a service.
Yes.
Exactly.
It's like something you can order and bring to a Mario factory.
And then, you know, the R-tune and S-tune are actually pretty much the same.
Right.
Yeah.
Like, that's what Dustin Williams is doing.
Right.
Right.
Right.
Pretty much.
And, you know, like, bad.
Like, you brought a briefcase, dude.
You brought a briefcase.
And so along with the R-tune and S-tune which are like complete packages, there's theF-sport and the sports resetting.
And so the sports resetting is, you know, long.
It's his highness.
And the F-sport is something of minor motor along with like power train chassis, all ofthat stuff.
You know, and then just like with the R-33, you can get the club and race back and therestored options.
And so one guy took the restored options to like the next level.
Like what's it?
What's his name?
The ultimate one of one.
Yeah, it's okay.
So it's Tung Koo Abdul Rahman.
And like the badger has the Malaysia flag with Japanese flag.
Also known as Prince Jeff.
Dood is.
Yes.
Dood.
What?
Prince of Jill.
Like, chassis number one.
He had what his name is.
Dude, how much money do he have to have a J-tune?
He paid enough to get his moa, a Mory factory to create a J-tune.
Dude, it's insane.
Yes.
And calls him his highness.
Like, wow.
Dude.
Yes.
And it's like beautiful.
Dude.
Like it's obviously can be.
I don't even know if I could do that is crazy.
I bet I can't even.
And it's like all magic.
I can imagine it.
So it kind of blends new and old.
I feel like the way that they did everything with it.
It's like, that's just a beautiful car.
So if you got enough money, you could get a T-tune or whatever you're trying to get anA-tune, whatever.
Like, if you got the money, you can get it.
Too much.
So, you know, that's kind of like the broad range of like what Nissan released years.
I don't know.
You know, leading up to the Xper A-tune.
Some of the lower models that are starting to come in now.
And, you know, so there's still kind of pricey.
The real question kind of is, what is that for the R-B-20-E?
Where does that give us today when it comes to the R-34?
Dude, I mean, it's definitely a little 15.
It's usually right 1840.
You know, even higher, for some extent.
But for a G-T-T, like a nice one or a decent one, 30 to 35 plus.
Yeah.
So, like, it's insane.
Like, and it goes up from there just for G-T-T's.
They're way higher priced than the models before them.
For sure.
Like, 100%.
Like, doesn't even compare to the 32 G-T-S and the 33 G-T-S.
Over there?
Yeah.
I mean.
[ Inaudible ]Yeah.
[ Inaudible ]Yeah.
And so, right, what do you think, like, as the G-T-RRs?
Because it's just that chassis, right?
It's the body stuff.
It's just like it was for a little bit of the R-33s, like the sub-mannels kind of come upin price.
I mean, there wasn't, you know, as much hype on the R-33 with the R-B-25 in the singleturbo as there is with the R-35 with the R -- I mean, sorry, the R-34 with the R-B-25 and thesingle turbo.
And --Yeah.
It's the body style.
Everybody does love it.
Right.
And so, just like looking real quick, like, a G-T-T is right now.
Yeah, I mean, yeah, I'm sure right now you're closer to 40s, 45 range in Japan ever.
And so --Moving forward, those are all gone.
Where does that put the G-T-R in?
Like, their --There is not going to be a G-T-R in the 1999 to 2024.
Like, it's going to be insane.
Where does that put those, like --Yeah, which I don't even think you necessarily could right now.
Right.
It's not lost when you got here.
Right.
Yeah.
Oh, for sure.
Right.
How do you feel about, like, silly question, but it is worth it?
Yeah, I don't think so either.
And I mean --Like, is it worth my --I bought my --The G-T-R, the 34 GT-R.
Like, seven months ago now and it was --Given everything else on the market for the same price range.
It's not lost any value.
That's for sure.
It's not going down.
It's not --You know --How do you feel about some --My big horsepower, what's --Whatever it's --The car.
Yeah, it's what it's worth.
What it's worth.
What it's worth.
Right.
You know, like, giving that big --Yeah.
What's the best for you, my future?
Yeah.
Because of what we've discussed in this episode.
Because it's not -- it's worth it not because, like, it's some super car.
It's some big horsepower car.
It's some --Right.
You know, whatever it's worth it.
Because of what it means to me personally.
You know, like, having that vehicle, especially my situation, being able to drive it in Japanand experience it from, like, a whole perspective that, you know, a lot of people would weighbetter our 34 GT-Rs, never even get to experience.
You know, so, for me, is it worth it?
Yeah, I mean, especially when it's here and I'm able to get it to exactly where Iwant it.
Like, yeah, it's a major checkbox stemming all the way back to what we initially talkedabout.
And so, if we ask the question, what makes the R34 arguably the most popular import car,like, in the world?
Yeah.
It's because of how ingrained it is in the fabric of our community, right?
Like, that's why --Right.
-- it's the most popular.
It's not because it's the fastest car.
It's not because it's the best body line.
I mean, it's arguably does have.
But, you know what I'm saying?
It's because of those sequence of events between --Yeah, I agree 100%.
-- and that's just one of those questions you always --I mean, with everything --One of those things that people always argue is like that.
-- That's not worth that.
It's not just --You can get so much more of a different car.
It's not just because it's ---- it's because it's ---- it's that box checked.
It's that thing that's been --It's so low back here for the longest time.
And you finally like --Right.
--It's one of those things that we want to do on the internet.
Yeah.
--Yeah.
--Oh, yeah.
You probably don't even know what that feeling is.
Or maybe they don't care about that feeling.
Right.
Maybe it's not --Right.
Yeah, I think that ------ Over 20 years, right?
And so it's --Right.
It's finally there.
And so you're living that out.
Which some people don't get the opportunity to do.
And maybe some people never had that in the beginning.
So they don't have anything to live out.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Right.
Maybe it's not --It's not their thing.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I think that a lot of guys, you know, whether it is a R34 GTR or, you know,an H-N-R34 Fordor, right?
It's the whole thing.
It's not just about that GTR badge.
It's --Yeah.
It's crazy.
It's like a whole thing.
And anybody listening to this that feels that same way gets it, you know,without even having to explain it.
But we want --You know, being the 34th episode, we really felt like we wanted to give the R34 its flower,so to speak.
Do a whole episode on it.
Did we touch on everything about the R34?
Definitely not.
But we just wanted to get it started.
Yeah.
Get the seed planted in your mind just to, you know, kind of get you thinking about it.
And so we definitely appreciate you listening.
Hopefully you enjoyed.
If so, hit us up at our HDG UIS on Instagram.
Check us out on YouTube, whatever.
But for now, episode 34 on Bobby, this is Aaron.
Peace.
About this episode
The R34 Skyline has captured the hearts of car enthusiasts worldwide, and this episode dives into its unique appeal. Bobby and Aaron discuss the defining moments that elevated the R34's status, including its iconic appearances in 'Gran Turismo' and 'Too Fast, Too Furious.' They explore the car's distinct styling, racing legacy, and the various models and special editions that make it a sought-after classic. With personal anecdotes and insights into the car culture surrounding the R34, the hosts highlight why this vehicle remains a favorite among fans.
Original notes
In episode 34 we discuss the R34 Skyline and why you love it! ( Even if you don't think you do)
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