dizzariot

~ Happy New Year from Japan ~

It's new years eve, and everyone is out washing their cars and tidying up to prepare for the New Year. So am I.

I was sitting in my car this morning, and just felt good to still be here. Navy admin people FUCKING SUCK, if you're in the Navy, NCs and YNs specifically. It's just crazy to reflect on the headspace I was in about 2 months ago and how it's night and day to how I'm feeling lately. Happy to be here. Happy to have removed a fair chunk of dead weight from my life, and happier for who/what's left.



I don't know what's going to happen this year. Selling both S13s seems like a solid move, and the nostalgia is starting to wear off. I just don't want to regret letting them go.
***cue that scene from Inception about being an old man filled with regret***



I got the cars tucked back in their spaces, and the first two beers have been had.

Happy New Years, let's try to keep the forum alive for another year.

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Krusty_s13

Amen!

Glad you're doing good dude! That s13 has my <3

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dizzariot

Well.

I think I hit that point where I'm no longer actively looking for cars.

The only possible move left is selling everything and getting an M4 or a Volvo SUV. My hobby is starting to look like dollar signs. I guess we'll see how this goes.

I made some friends at my new job that go to a lot of track days in Japan. As per usual, I don't have anything crazy planned but I'm looking forward to the prospect of getting out more this year in this car.

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spooled240

Aren't your cars pretty much stock and done for the most part? They can't be costing you that much.

It's not like a heavily modified s14 that never seems to run right..

dizzariot

100%...but the cost to legally own and operate them here is a little much. It's not as much if you were a full-blown resident, but it adds up when you have too many cars (and wheels) like I do.

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dizzariot

I've been a little busy lately. Trying to get things ready.

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dizzariot

Got the red car on the road via insurance and some temp plates. I'm 100% certain an old man owned this car judging by the taste in audio/navigation equipment and the fact that he appears to have used Locktite on the fucking shift knob. Slowly removing all unnecessary audio/electronic equipment and just looking over the car.

A friend of mine that's still in the Navy is due to rotate back to the US. I handed him the key to the red car, we met up with the dude that bought my Type-X, and we all drove to Daikoku on Sunday morning. It was nice to get out and cruise during the day.



The long process to get a waiver for a third car (you're only allowed to register 2) is about to start. I haven't decided if I'm going to full-stop things with the red car or just enjoy myself...we'll see how it goes. I'm a little torn when it comes to deciding which car gets the aero bumper. I'd like to buy another, but the prices are up and they don't come up often. The blue car is the 'cleaner' car and the aero bumper I have was already notched for a front mount...and if either one of these cars gets any motor work it will be the red car. Maybe that's my answer

For anyone that reads this, I'm going to get better about taking pictures. I'll be off IG shortly and want to use this thread more. I like how it's 'off the grid' compared to Facebook and IG.

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dizzariot

Update:

Still on IG because I'm addicted to technology.

Car is fully plated, and recently lowered. Still going through brakes, fluids, gaskets, ETC.

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PoorMans180SX

I'm not sure I've ever related to a post on zilvia more, haha.

Cars look good man! This is an interesting thread.

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Build: http://zilvia.net/f/showthread.php?t=643065

Friends don't let friends buy knock-offs.

dizzariot

Updating pictures coming soon. Then everyone can get a REALLY good look into how stupid I am lol.

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projectsupra

This thread is solid gold! So jealous!

dizzariot

After holding out for what seems like forever, I finally sold my S13s.

The fastback I had stored in military storage for almost 4yrs sold to someone in CA, and I finally let a friend here in Japan buy my S13 Silvia. He was slated to move back to CA and he took the car with him. I think they'll both 'live good lives' with their new owners. I was saving them for a day when I could be an old man taking his 'classic' cars out on the weekend, but in the meantime they were taking up space and not being used. Maybe I'm growing up. Who knows. I had planned to sell most of the parts I had accumulated for the S13s, but I've decided to keep them for a rainy day. Maybe one day I'll get another, but in the meantime these parts are just going up in value.

For the record, I got my asking price in both instances. If you have clean, unmolested cars, do not let any manner of cunt try to fuck you out of you car's worth. I didn't even have to wait long to find buyers that were willing to pay for clean cars.

With the S13s sold, I helped my Mom get this:



We worked out a deal to where she gets a new, warrantied car for daily use and I get to essentially take over whenever I come back to the US. I was stoked to help my Mom out and get a Hakone car before they 'went away'. I've said it a thousand times, but I don't care about the HP figures or the rumors surrounding the next iteration of this car. Pair that with this rad color and all the tech gadgets, and I was sold.

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dizzariot

On the Japan side of things, I was able to rent another parking space near my house and route a request to have 3 vehicles in my name. When you're in Japan and affiliated with a military base, you're limited to only two cars per household...and that's only if you're married and your home can accommodate two parked cars. I'm not in the military anymore, but I'm still subject to the base rules and processes.

The BN5 car, like most cars I own, is treated like an ornament. I've gathered a ton of wheels with the help of a close friend, and I decided to finally use a set I'd always wanted and never thought I'd own.

Car is on an uneven surface, and sits lower than it appears here. I even bought the Nismo smoked/clear sidemarkers although I've always thought smoked/clear lights are terrible. I think they look okay, but that's probably due to the OEM-spec fluting(?) they have.



I was able to get the AJ4 car registered. I was given an opportunity to sell the car, and after wrestling with the idea for about a week, decided to keep it. I dropped it off at local body shop, got the OEM side skirts painted and mounted, and dropped the car on HKS Hipermax IV SPs. They are marginally more comfortable than the GTs on the blue car, as they're intended to be. Funny, if ANY car gets taken to a track event, it will be the red car so I'll probably have to swap the suspension over at some point. With the current lockdown, there's no rush.





I decided the AVS were a nice departure from the TEs/LMs I usually use. It's so funny when I look at the wheels I've sourced over the years. I have a set from Russia and the AVS came from Germany..all Japanese wheels. The places you buy from/sell to when this is your hobby is gnarly...

I'd like to get both cars on the same 'level' before I dig a little deeper into the AJ4 car. I used my old tires from the silver LMGT4s on the AVS, but I'd like to get another set of the Nittos for the red car too. Ideally, they would both receive the following:

Refurbished Front/Rear Brakes
Brake Pads/Rotors
GKTech Stainless Lines
New Subframe Bushings
New Slave Cylinders
New OEM Coilpacks/Spark Plugs
Nismo Arms
New Turbo/Exhaust Manifold Gaskets
PBM Cobra Flex Downpipe

Some of these things are already done. Beyond that, the AJ4 car would get the Yashio Radiator and a few other things I've been contemplating.



I'm in no rush. I constantly catch shit for not driving my cars or going to events. With this forced lockdown, I'd be lying if I said I didn't regret doing more when I was able to, but I also don't mind being 'more ready' when that time finally comes. Besides lowering the cars and doing things that would accommodate the 'GTR-spec' wheels I like to run, I want to keep the cars as close to 'refreshed stock' as possible. When I get the red car to an event, I want to give it a go at close to stock to get a feel for it and then make a roadmap from there. Exhaust, cooling, and brakes are the only areas I want to focus on before that time comes. Making more power will always be an option and I'm not in a hurry to go down that rabbit hole. I've been stuck on SChassis cars for a long time now, and making more power has never been by main objective anyway.

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silviamang

wow. that green car looks stupid.

dizzariot

wow don't u like not even like cars anymore wow.

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da_crew10

Cute wing on your Toyota

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dizzariot

wow ok wow. not cool but wow.

I'm moving to Nagasaki area...but I will have more space and two small garages to store (maybe work on...?) the cars in a covered, closed environment. I am (hopefully) driving up to Hakone on Sunday to say goodbye to the turnpike. I know there are some great scenic roads in Kyushu, but I am going to miss Hakone when I leave the area.


...I also finally got that Tomei titanium goodness with the help of a friend. I am in love with this shit. Pictures soon.

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TheRealSy90

I'm on the fence myself on ordering the Tomei Ti exhaust for my s13. I just want it to be super loud lol.

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dizzariot

The noise is perfect. I didn't want to be too obnoxious in my neighbourhood (although I enjoy loud cars) but I wanted it to sound great. I'm running the PBM Cobra Flex downpipe, stock cat (for now), and then the Expreme. The sound is 'muted' a little due to Tomei adding a resonator on the newer Expremes but the sound is primetime lol. When I figure out how to upload a video to my YouTube I'll get a sound clip.

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spooled240

I can't wait

TheRealSy90

I wonder what it would sound like if you removed your cat for the Tomei Ti test pipe.

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dizzariot

...after I talk to you about my day and tell you what I had for breakfast for like 25min.

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dizzariot

We went on a trip to Hakone last weekend. One of my friends was headed back to the US and wanted to see the turnpike again before he left.

We hit the coast pretty early and drove up. I suck at taking pics.



A buddy of mine snapped this pic at the Anest Iwata Sky Lounge, the first parking area you hit on the way up.





We took a route around Lake Ashi and headed towards Mt. Mikuni. I need a new slave cylinder badly. The squeal was real.

My friend's EV1 Lightning Yellow SpecR. Deal of the century, and an even better deal on the R33 whees he recently purchased.





We headed down a route that none of us had ever taken and ended up driving through a pampas grass field. I forget the name of the area, but the road was surrounded on either side by pampas grass that Jin Sakai could hide in for days.



I recently took a new job in Kyushu, and posted the red car for sale again.



Unfortunately, even with links to similar spec'd cars included in my post, people are still talking shit on the price. That's fine by me. I don't know why people don't understand that 'testing waters' means I am in no rush to sell my shit or lose my ass on a car I recently bought, did maintenance on, and installed suspension bits on. Cats out here are so jaded because 3yrs ago they heard of a sister's cousin's friend scoring a car with 150,000KM+ and a repair history for $10k. Blows my mind.

I'm also tentatively in the market for something else. I will have more parking where I'm headed and had I known I would get this job, I would not have sold my two-tone. I considered and NSX, then another S13 Silvia, then a Porsche, then the S13 Silvia again, and now an R32 is at the top of my list. If I seem all over the place it's because I am. I'm always torn between a departure from what I know or sticking with the same old shit. I guess we'll see.

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spooled240

How about a 99+spec FD? Are you still in the military? I've been looking at contracting jobs out that way but it's been fairly dry

dizzariot

They're still expensive as well.

I'm out now. I was able to get a gig on base and avoid returning to CA. I'm in no rush to get back.

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IIIXziuR

Those pics look pretty good to me. Very nice, TY for sharing.
It is nice seeing S15s in OEM colors other than white and silver

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TheRealSy90

I tried leveraging my S clearance to try and find a contractor job somewhere in japan but didn't have any luck

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