Right Hand Drive Guys

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What happens when you put seven serious R34 GT-R owners in one conversation?

In this episode of the Right Hand Drive Guys Podcast, Bobby and Aaron are joined by Jesse Iwuji, Jay aka Jzilaw, Jerome Espiritu, Justin, Paul, Chris, and Anthony for one of the biggest roundtable episodes the show has done yet.

The common thread is obvious: R34 GT-Rs. But the conversation goes way deeper than just owning the cars.

The guys talk about how each of them got into the GT-R world, where their cars came from, what it was like buying and storing R34s in Japan before they became federally legal in the U.S., and how friendships formed around a shared obsession with these cars.

Naturally, the self-proclaimed “GTR Police” also make an appearance.

The group gets into up-badging, GT-Ts wearing GT-R badges, tribute builds, replicas, and where the line is between modifying a Skyline with GT-R parts and intentionally misrepresenting what the car actually is.

From there, things get technical.

The guys debate whether the R34 GT-R is actually overhyped, dig into its motorsports history, discuss Nürburgring myths, compare the R33 and R34, and talk about why performance numbers alone don’t determine what an iconic car should be worth.

There’s also plenty of build talk: stock-motor track cars, 2.8-liter strokers, V-Cam setups, big twins, single turbos, custom titanium fabrication, full chassis restorations, suspension, brakes, and why several of the guys have moved away from chasing maximum horsepower in favor of making the entire car better.

They also share stories from Japan, including buying cars through Toprank, Space Auto, Garage Defend and Best R, driving R34s around Tokyo, visiting Omori Factory, installing NISMO parts in the rain, drifting at Daigo Saito’s compound, and creating experiences that made the cars mean more than their market value ever could.

But the biggest theme of the episode isn’t really the cars.

It’s the community.

What started with Instagram posts, arguments over up-badging, and random messages turned into a group of guys who talk almost every day, travel together, race together, argue about technical details, help each other with builds, and have become genuine friends through the GT-R world.

This is less of an interview and more like sitting in on the group chat.

R34 GT-R history, builds, myths, Japan stories, badging controversy, ridiculous opinions, and plenty of shit talking.

Welcome to the GTR Police.

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Rust might be the single biggest nightmare in the JDM import world.

In this episode of the Right Hand Drive Guys Podcast, Bobby and Aaron dig into one of the most important—and expensive—things to understand before buying an older Japanese car: rust.

The guys talk about why so many JDM cars develop serious corrosion, from Japan’s climate and coastal exposure to road treatments, aging seam sealer, moisture trapped between overlapping panels, and bare metal that can sit hidden for years before finally bubbling through.

They break down the common problem areas to inspect, including frame rails, rocker panels, wheel arches, pinch welds, strut towers, windshield frames, brake-booster areas, and model-specific trouble spots found on cars like the R32, R33, R34, S14 and S15.

The conversation also gets into the terrifying side of hidden rust—fresh undercoating covering flaky metal, fiberglass repairs, filler, spray foam, rust forming underneath windshields, and cars that look great in photos but turn into a completely different story once they’re on a lift.

So how much rust is too much?

Bobby and Aaron walk through the difference between simple surface corrosion, scaling and flaking metal, and full structural rust-through. They also discuss why the location of the rust can matter even more than how ugly it looks. A replaceable frame section might be manageable, while corrosion in a difficult structural or exterior area can quickly turn into a massive restoration.

They also cover common repair and prevention methods, including grinding, media blasting, cutting and welding, panel replacement, epoxy primer, seam sealer, cavity wax, underbody coatings, and why properly protecting repaired metal is just as important as removing the rust in the first place.

Finally, the guys talk about what buyers can do before purchasing a JDM car: research where it lived in Japan, check history when possible, inspect carefully, understand the weak points of the specific chassis, and accept that buying sight unseen always comes with some level of risk.

If you own an older Japanese car—or you’re thinking about importing one—this is an episode you should probably hear before the screwdriver goes through the frame rail.

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How much power does a mostly stock S15 SR20DET actually make in 2026?

In this episode of the Right Hand Drive Guys Podcast, Bobby and Aaron talk through Aaron’s first real dyno experience with his SR20-swapped Nissan—and what started as a simple baseline pull turns into a much bigger conversation about horsepower, reliability, and what actually makes a street car fun.

The car is running a mostly stock S15 SR20DET with basic bolt-ons, a mid-mount intercooler, exhaust, stock clutch fan, and even a catalytic converter. On stock boost, it lays down 189 horsepower on a Mustang dyno. With the boost turned up to roughly 14 psi, it wakes up to 223 horsepower and 234 lb-ft of torque.

Not huge numbers by internet standards—but that’s exactly the point.

The guys talk about why lower-horsepower cars can sometimes be more fun, more reliable, and better for actually developing driving skill than constantly chasing bigger dyno numbers. They also get into the hidden costs that come with more power: more fuel, more tires, more maintenance, more broken parts, and more time spent working on the car instead of driving it.

Aaron also breaks down what might come next for the SR20, including ECU options, squeezing more out of the factory S15 turbo, and whether chasing 300–330 horsepower makes more sense than tearing into an engine that currently works perfectly.

Bobby compares that mindset to his own R33 and R34 GT-R builds, and the guys discuss why they’re both becoming more interested in maximizing stock-ish setups rather than building cars that constantly live on the edge.

They also talk about Maine’s limited performance-shop scene, Aaron’s experience at Limp Mode Tuning in Portland, old-school dyno days, and why supporting knowledgeable local shops matters if enthusiasts want those resources to stick around.

Sometimes the best build isn’t the one with the biggest number.

Sometimes it’s the one you can actually drive.

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Nobody really prepares you for owning your first right-hand-drive car.

In this episode of the Right Hand Drive Guys Podcast, Bobby and Aaron break down the weird, funny, frustrating, and sometimes sketchy things you only learn after actually living with an RHD car in America.

From accidentally hitting the wipers instead of the turn signal and relearning how to position yourself in the lane, to dealing with drive-thrus, ATMs, toll booths, parallel parking, limited visibility, and passing on two-lane roads, the guys get into all the little things that feel totally normal now—but definitely didn’t at first.

They also talk about the less obvious side of ownership: short VINs, registration headaches, insurance problems, discontinued parts, expensive OEM pieces, and how much harder it has become to keep older JDM cars complete as parts supplies dry up.

The conversation gets into some of the sketchier stuff from the early days too, including questionable registrations, dealer plates, imported cars with little paperwork, and why the modern legal import process is a much better route than trying to recreate what people got away with years ago.

Then there’s the bigger question: after finally owning the cars you grew up idolizing, do they actually live up to the hype?

Bobby and Aaron talk honestly about Skyline ownership, rising values, the gap between performance on paper and emotional value, and why these cars only really make sense if you genuinely love them.

And if you own something like an R34 GT-R, there’s one more thing nobody warns you about—the attention. People will stop, stare, follow, wait around, take photos, and sometimes do completely insane things on the road just to get a better look.

If you already own a right-hand-drive car, you’ve probably dealt with most of this. If you’re thinking about buying your first one, consider this the stuff nobody puts in the sales ad.

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What starts with blowing up your own Subaru can apparently turn into building some of the cleanest Skylines in the country.

In this episode of the Right Hand Drive Guys Podcast, Bobby and Aaron sit down with Tommy Kentner of TK AutoWorks in Clarksville, Tennessee to talk about how he went from fixing his own blown-up 2005 STI to running a performance and restoration shop specializing in Subarus, Evos, Nissan GT-Rs, Skyline GT-Rs and Toyota Supras.

Tommy breaks down the progression from backyard Subaru builds to R35 GT-Rs, Skylines and full-scale restorations, including what it takes to build reliable 500–600 horsepower street cars versus the maintenance and headaches that come with chasing four-digit horsepower.

The guys also get into Skyline restoration, hidden rust, what buyers need to watch for when importing cars from Japan, TK AutoWorks’ approach to building cars around a customer’s long-term goals, and why Tommy and technician Adrian prefer keeping the operation small rather than sacrificing quality just to increase volume.

Tommy also shares the story behind his own Midnight Purple R33 GT-R, why Skylines are still the cars that excite him most when they come through the shop, and some of the wild builds TK AutoWorks has put together—including 900-horsepower R32s, TH400 conversions, full engine-bay restorations, titanium fabrication and high-end street builds.

The conversation eventually turns to GTR Festival, old-school car culture, modern takeovers, and why so many enthusiasts want to get back to the days when people could simply meet in a parking lot, admire each other's cars and enjoy the scene without everything turning into a spectacle.

From thirteen Subarus sitting in the backyard to a shop full of Skyline GT-Rs, Tommy's story is a great example of what happens when obsession, experience and attention to detail turn into a legitimate business.

If you’re into Skyline GT-Rs, high-end JDM builds, restoration work or just want to hear how a real performance shop gets built from the ground up, this is one you’ll want to hear.

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Can you still buy a genuinely cool JDM car for under $20,000 in 2026?

In this episode of the Right Hand Drive Guys Podcast, Bobby and Aaron go hunting through the current U.S. market to find ten right-hand-drive cars they’d actually consider buying for less than $20K—and the results show just how much the JDM market has changed.

The guys dig through everything from an Evo IV, R32 Skyline GTS-T, Toyota Altezza, JZX90 Mark II Tourer V, and 180SX to some more unusual choices like a Honda Orthia wagon, widebody Mitsubishi Pajero, Mazda Bongo camper, and even a Mitsubishi Minicab food truck.

Along the way, they compare today’s asking prices to what these same cars were selling for only a few years ago, talk about how difficult it has become to find cheap entry-level JDM cars, and debate whether paying $15K–$20K for vehicles that were once considered disposable in Japan actually makes sense.

They also get into the growing value of clean, mostly stock cars, why heavily modified builds can sometimes hurt resale value, and whether certain JDM cars are reaching the point where you can drive them for years and still sell them for more than you paid.

Are affordable JDM imports disappearing for good? Have prices finally leveled off? Or are we going to look back in another five years and wish we bought everything we could at today’s prices?

If you’ve got $20,000 burning a hole in your pocket and want something right-hand drive, this episode might either help you find your next car—or convince you that you should’ve bought one five years ago.

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When did JDM culture get so serious?

In this episode, Bobby and Aaron take a look back at what made the car scene of the ’90s and early 2000s feel so special—and how much things have changed since then. From magazines, MySpace, CarDomain, cheap project cars, driveway engine swaps, and open-header Hondas to Instagram, TikTok, influencers, six-figure builds, and the never-ending chase for clout, the guys break down how JDM culture went from something raw and experimental to something much more polished—and expensive.

They talk about the massive rise in prices of cars like the Skyline GT-R, Silvia S15, Civic Type R, 180SX and other Japanese icons, whether social media and YouTube helped create the current JDM bubble, and what happens when people start buying these cars because they're trendy rather than because they genuinely love them.

The conversation also gets into Japan's ability to hold onto old-school car culture longer than the U.S., the significance of the 25-year import rule, whether we've already lived through peak JDM import culture, and what happens when there aren't many legendary cars left waiting to become federally legal.

Most importantly, Bobby and Aaron make the case for getting back to what made this stuff fun in the first place: drive your cars, stop worrying about whether your build is impressive enough for the internet, put the phone down once in a while, and enjoy being part of a moment in automotive history that probably won't last forever.

If you remember when a $6,000 JDM Honda or a $7,500 180SX felt expensive, this one's going to hurt a little.

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In this episode of the Right Hand Drive Guys Podcast, Bobby and Aaron leave the pavement behind and dive into a side of JDM culture that doesn't get nearly as much attention — Japanese 4x4s, off-roaders, and overlanding vehicles. While Skylines, Supras, and other '90s performance icons dominate the conversation, Japan has also produced some seriously capable machines built for getting dirty.

We talk about everything from the Suzuki Jimny and Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution to the Toyota Hilux Surf, Land Cruiser 70 Series, Mitsubishi Delica, and some of the more obscure Japanese 4x4s making their way into the United States. We discuss diesel engines, short-wheelbase models, aftermarket support, and why these vehicles are becoming increasingly interesting to American enthusiasts.

We also ask a question we hadn't really considered before: Do Japanese enthusiasts go mudding? We compare Japan's more controlled off-road and overlanding culture with America's obsession with massive tires, horsepower, UTVs, mud holes, and sending it through the woods. Could imported Japanese 4x4s become the next big niche within the American JDM scene?

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In this episode of the Right Hand Drive Guys Podcast, we're joined live from Import Alliance by Joshua Travis, a lifelong Nissan enthusiast whose passion for the brand started early thanks to his father's nearly four-decade career with Nissan. After years of drifting everything from a 350Z to a Corvette, Joshua finally fulfilled a lifelong dream by importing a truly special Nissan Skyline R34 GTT sedan built by the legendary Okubo Factory. 

Joshua shares the entire journey—from searching Japanese auctions and navigating the import process to the excitement of winning the car at auction after it unexpectedly left consignment. We also discuss what makes an Okubo Factory build so unique, the rare June-built 2.6L stroker engine, period-correct Japanese modifications, and why he intentionally chose to preserve the car's identity as a GTT instead of trying to turn it into a GT-R clone. 

We also dive into the realities of importing a car from Japan, avoiding scams, choosing the right importer, and the modifications Joshua has planned as he carefully modernizes the car while staying true to its Japanese roots. It's an episode about patience, passion, and finally owning the Skyline you've dreamed about for years. 

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n this episode of the Right Hand Drive Guys Podcast, Bobby recaps an unforgettable trip to Import Alliance in Nashville, Tennessee. From hauling two GT-Rs over 1,500 miles in a stacker trailer to navigating one of the biggest JDM gatherings in the country, we break down the entire experience—the wins, the challenges, and everything in between. 

A major highlight of the weekend was watching our friend Marq "Squirk" Drenon officially launch Roll Forged Wheels. What started as an idea at SEMA has quickly grown into a full lineup of forged wheel designs, and seeing them debut on everything from GT-Rs and Supras to Lamborghinis made the moment even more special. We also dive into the incredible Nashville car community, the packed pre-meets, drifting, vendor displays, and why Import Alliance continues to be one of the best enthusiast events in the country. 

We also share stories from the road, lessons learned towing a 74-foot RV and stacker setup, visiting some of our favorite Nashville shops and attractions, and catching up with many of the friends and guests we've met through the podcast over the years. If you've ever wondered what makes Import Alliance such a special event, this episode gives you a front-row seat.

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