kazoospec
kazoospec UberDork
3/30/21 4:50 p.m.

We were heading through Three Rivers, MI today on an unrelated trip, so I decided to do an "unofficial" GRM recon run.  Here's a quick report/summary:

One of their specialties appears to be RHD, manual, Turbo SUVs.  They had enough to equip a small dictator/military coup.  Apparently, these are popular with rural route mail carriers:

Some "straight otta GT4 goodness" (this is just a random sample):

Not sure if these ever made it onto Gran Turismo, but this really caught my eye:

So here's my "unofficial" assessment:  Car quality varied wildly, from "straight out of the high school parking lot" to near show quality.  You would MOST DEFINITELY want to put eyes on anything you were thinking about buying.  I was reminded how generally crappy 1990's paint jobs were.   Everything I saw was RHD and manual transmission.  According to the tech I spoke with, all come with a clear Michigan title and are completely federalized.  Staff seemed pretty young.  This isn't necessarily a bad thing.  I suspect this is someone's "dream business".  We'll see if they can make of go of it.  The tech I spoke with said most of their "Gran Turismo" stuff is sold within days of arrival, most of the SUV's are for mail service, which seems to leave only a few "odd ball" cars like the Subaru above available to walk in and buy.  I'm about 1 hour away, and might be able to put an untrained eye on something for a fellow GRMer if schedules lined up.  I also have a friend who is a professional appraiser I could hook you up with on a car you're considering dropping serious bank on.

As an aside, a visit here seems like a GRM article waiting to happen.  PAGING JG TO THE WHITE COURTESY PHONE, JG TO THE WHITE COURTESY PHONE PLEASE.

Their website: JDM Sport Classics

 

David S. Wallens
David S. Wallens Editorial Director
4/2/21 7:25 p.m.

Yeah, good grief, that slicktop AW11 is all the wow, complete with (near) Eddie Baurer treatment. And just noticed similar roof treatment for the SW20. I'll send JG an IM. 

Thanks for sharing. And wow. 

JG Pasterjak
JG Pasterjak Production/Art Director
4/2/21 8:57 p.m.

If you guys need me I'll be in the bathroom for the next four minutes

John Welsh
John Welsh Mod Squad
4/3/21 6:49 a.m.

Just 8 miles south of my house, at my friend's business, the mail arrives via rhd, turbo diesel, Montero

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