Right Hand Drive Guys

Hosted by RHDGUYS

Leisure Automotive Hobbies

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Episodes

203

Latest episode

Nov 2026

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EN-US

About the show

We are the Right Hand Drive Guys! Our show is about the JDM culture, and Right Hand Drive Cars. From trips to Japan, to knowledge on importing your own car. If you love Japan, this podcast is for you. Download and Subscribe. Socials @RHDGUYS

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November 8, 2026Episode 20231 min

2027 Marks the END of the 25-Year JDM Era - EP.202

Send us Fan Mail The 25-year rule is starting to feel a lot less exciting. In this episode of the Right Hand Drive Guys Podcast, Bobby and Aaron look ahead to the JDM cars becoming federally legal to import into the United States in 2027—and realize that we may have officially reached the end of the era we’ve all been waiting for. There are still some interesting cars becoming eligible, including the Honda Accord Euro R, Toyota Caldina GT-Four, Mitsubishi Colt, Nissan Cube, Nissan March, and the Z33 Fairlady Z. But compared to the cars that have become legal over the past decade, the list feels very different. And then comes the depressing part. By 2027, the entire production run of some of the most iconic Japanese performance cars will finally be 25 years old. The R34 Skyline GT-R. The S15 Silvia and the end of the S-chassis. The A80 Toyota Supra. The FD RX-7. Cars enthusiasts have spent years counting down toward will no longer have another model year left to wait for. For American JDM enthusiasts, the 25-year rule created a second golden era. Every year brought another version of a Skyline, Silvia, Supra, RX-7, Evo, or other hero car that we had spent decades wanting but couldn’t legally own. Now, that countdown is basically over. The guys talk about what that means for the future of the JDM import market, what importers and right-hand-drive dealerships do when the “hero cars” stop becoming newly eligible, and whether the next phase of the market could actually bring back affordable Japanese imports instead of six-figure collector cars. They also discuss how many of the desirable cars have already left Japan, how quickly clean examples are disappearing into private collections around the world, and whether seeing an R34 GT-R or S15 at a Japanese auction will eventually become something genuinely rare. Does the end of the 25-year countdown hurt the JDM market? Or does it just mark the beginning of a new phase—where every car we’ve ever waited for is finally legal? Either way, 2027 feels like the end of something big.

November 1, 2026Episode 20139 min

The Horror Story Episode - EP.201

Send us Fan Mail Every car guy has a horror story. For Episode 201 of the Right Hand Drive Guys Podcast—and a Halloween release—Bobby and Aaron dig into some of the worst automotive decisions, breakdowns, shop disasters, crashes, blown engines, and straight-up nightmares they’ve experienced over the years. Aaron starts with the 180SX that may have been cursed from the beginning. What looked like a properly modified SR20 car quickly turned into missing mods, questionable tuning, 20 pounds of boost on a mystery fuel setup, broken valve springs, a damaged twin-plate clutch, a fried turbo, and eventually a street-drifting accident caused by a throttle hanging wide open. And somehow that was all basically the same car. Bobby answers with the story of his Evo IX MR—a car he loved enough to keep dragging around the country even after launching a connecting rod through the side of the block while trying to prove a point to a passenger. Add in crash damage, more than a year sitting at a shop, questionable fender rolling, and eventually trading the thing away, and the Evo earns its place in the horror-story hall of fame. The guys also revisit the time Bobby’s R34 GT-R started smoking from the MFD after a full day at Fuji Speedway, leaving them stranded at the Fuji Speedway Hotel with a dead car and a complicated trip back to Tokyo. Then there’s Aaron’s S13 convertible: a custom roll cage that was specifically supposed to clear the convertible top...except once the car came back from the paint shop, the top wasn’t even close to fitting. That mistake eventually made the car nearly unusable and permanently soured the entire build. And because questionable teenage decisions deserve their own category, Bobby tells the story of turbocharging a D-series Civic with an incomplete turbo kit, using the wrong type of hose for the turbo oil return, putting out an engine-bay fire with a two-liter bottle of Mountain Dew, and ultimately blowing the engine anyway. Some horror stories come from dishonest sellers. Some come from bad shops. Some come from broken parts. And some happen because you’re twenty years old and absolutely convinced you know what you’re doing. Happy Halloween from RHDGuys.

October 26, 2026Episode 20030 min

OUR 200TH EPISODE

Send us Fan Mail 200 episodes. In this milestone episode of the Right Hand Drive Guys Podcast, Bobby and Aaron look back at how a couple of guys talking about right-hand-drive cars in a Maine garage somehow turned into 200 episodes, trips across the country, multiple visits to Japan, major events, unforgettable guests, and a community that has stuck with the show for nearly four years. The guys revisit some of their favorite moments from the podcast, including recording live from Tokyo Auto Salon, doing episodes from Japan Airlines flights and tiny Japanese campers, visiting UP Garage, covering GTR Festival and Import Alliance, getting recognized as media by events like SEMA, and sitting down with people they never imagined they’d have the opportunity to interview when the show started. They also look back at some memorable guests and episodes—from RJ De Vera, Jun Imai, Jesse Iwuji, Albo, TommyFYEAH, Mark Bahna, Leb Cueto and countless builders, collectors, racers, importers and personalities who have helped tell the story of JDM culture through the show. There’s plenty of nostalgia too: marketplace sweeps, deep dives into Skyline and Silvia models, import guides, Japan convenience-store debates, disappearing Japanese tuning shops, road trips, shop visits and all the ridiculous conversations that somehow became part of RHDGuys history. But Episode 200 isn’t just about looking backward. Bobby and Aaron also talk about where the podcast goes from here. Life is changing, traveling to every major event isn’t always realistic, and neither of them knows exactly what the next 200 episodes look like. What they do know is that as long as the podcast is still fun, the listeners are still supporting it, and there are good stories left to tell, they’re going to keep showing up. Two hundred episodes later, it’s still two friends talking about cars they love. Thank you to everyone who has listened, shared an episode, joined the Facebook group, sent a message, came on the show, met us at an event, or supported RHDGuys along the way. Here’s to 200.

October 17, 2026Episode 1991 hr 15 min

The GTR Police: R34 Owners Settle the Internet’s Biggest GT-R Debates - EP.199

Send us Fan Mail 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.

October 10, 2026Episode 19831 min

Rust Never Sleeps: The Hidden Killer of Japanese Icons - EP.198

Send us Fan Mail 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.

October 3, 2026Episode 19733 min

We Dyno’d a Mostly Stock S15 SR20DET — Here’s What It Made EP.197

Send us Fan Mail 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.

September 27, 2026Episode 19633 min

What They Didn't tell Us About Owning RHD Cars - EP.196

Send us Fan Mail 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.

September 19, 2026Episode 19545 min

Tommy Kentner - TK Autoworks - EP.195

Send us Fan Mail 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.

September 12, 202631 min

Can you still buy a genuinely cool JDM car for under $20k in 2026? EP.194

Send us Fan Mail 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.

September 6, 2026Episode 19332 min

Why So Serious? EP.193

Send us Fan Mail 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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