Lauren

My other 86:

Excellent speakers.

Happy 86 Day indeed! Wicked time at the EVO Triangle, I just love those roads!

That's probably a good way to do it as Minshuku is like a B&B or smaller family run places, so good value. I must admit I'd be a little daunted about going on my own. Very brave!

I'd say drive the car a bit more before worrying too much about mods. Listen to the exhausts, get a ride in the various forced induction cars and see what you think. I've been fortunate enough to drive most of them now it seems. It's been interesting comparing the different options for sure. Enjoy the car a bit first then you get a better feel for what's important I think.

Oh I see, thought I was going mad!

You can't do them all, Rab, you will be missed! Hope you get your car sorted soon.

And there was me thinking you had them on already! I was sure I had already seen them. Must have been seeing things!

If only you hadn't gambled you might have been able to afford the fuel for tomorrow!* *To be fair it is a bit of a trek!

Great stuff, Dave, the more the merrier! I'll be at McDonald's (at Chester services for brekkie about 10am.

Welcome along, Adam. Hope you are a little less lost here. I think it's a closer group here as we are a very sociable bunch, we like to get out and about, so hope to see you soon.

Looks like it's in Kyoto: http://www.speedhunters.com/2013/08/the-house-of-style-tra-kyoto/ We've only got one day in Kyoto, though we have the following morning if we need it.

Of course there'll be a RHD version it's a Japanese car!

Don't worry, Mark will be filming with his Go Pro and camcorder and I will be taking lots of pics if I can get my new camera by then. We are staying within a five minute walk of the peace memorial in Hiroshima. It looks like there is a whole park dedicated to all that happened on that day as well as other stuff. From what I gather it will take us all afternoon to get round it. I'm also going to add Carland to the Kyoto stopover as it's a very famous AE86 garage. I would like to go see some GT86 tuners though as well, but need to work out who.

Hi Carla, welcome aboard! It was great to meet you on Thursday, hope to see you at some more meets. Summer is here so there is a lot going on.

Bit of an update! Quick update. All hotels bar two nights booked. My Japanese friend from Tein UK has organised a factory tour at the Subaru main Gunma plant where the GT86 is made. Bit of a holy grail this one as we have an individual tour with hopefully an English guide. This is not easy to do and when I asked Toyota GB they gave up pretty easily. Also have a factory tour at Tein to finalise. My Irish friends are arranging for me to go pop into Kids Heart in Nagoya but really you can just turn up at the tuner garages and look enthusiastic and be polite which apparently works quite well. I have also another Japanese friend, who owns an AE86 and lives in Odaiba who is going to be a guide for us and there is of course another Irish friend who lives in Tokyo who is hopefully going to sort out a visit to some tuner garages. We will of course be going to 8-6 day on the third, I'm trying to work out if we can convoy in with some of my Japanese Facebook friends. We'll see. We will hopefully do the Initial Drive with 7 tune over the mountain passes that influenced Initial D. I would be doing this in an AE86 and a further drive in a Hakosuka is planned. If only I can get a reply from 7tune! In terms of hire cars we are seeing if we can hire a GT86 from Toyota rentacar. Fingers crossed on that one, it's looking good! We are on bullet trains for the first week. Itinery so far: Tokyo x2 nights. Nagoya, Toyota museum, Kids Heart, Garage Defend and Mind Control x1 night. Hiroshima, peace gardens. x1 night. Kyoto, Ryokan hotel x1 night. Travel back to Yokohama and get hire car for drive up to Gunma main plant for GT86 factory tour. After that we have a week in Yokohama. We will aim to get out to some more tuner garages. Thinking Tec Arts, RWB and Liberty Walk. It's starting to come together! On thing I was going to ask though who are the GT86 tuners to see in Japan? I just don't know any really.

Japanese restaurant: http://www.samsi.co.uk/wilmslow.htm Italian: http://www.strada.co.uk/italian-restaurant/wilmslow Not been in that one though, but should be fine. Also there is a Pizza Express.

Okay, well will have a think about food. The North West is famous for Curry but there are other restaurants of course. Actually thinking about it, fancy Wilmslow? It's a nice place to eat with lots of choice. I have had take out curry two nights running so a third might be pushing it! Hows about Italian? There is even a Japanese restaurant there if you fancy that?

Hi Nerfie, Welcome aboard. I may have spoken to you, but difficult to tell from your username. I had the one with the red wheels. I fully expect Alec would have introduced himself though, he's no shy retiring wallflower! In all seriousness, we're a sociable bunch, pretty much always up to something and we just like to get out and about with our cars. If you fancy an impromptu drive round North Wales tomorrow we'll be doing the EVO triangle. The following week we're at Woodbridge (Ipswich) for the Toyota Sprint Series, spectators welcome. Everyones welcome and I must say in the last 18 months I've made some great new friends on here. It's all good.

Looks good!

Good driving Alec. I see you passed Mr Senna out there. He was looking quite tidy I thought.

LOL!

I think he prefers a 'proper GT86', Keith.

Will, would you mind posting that map you had? It just looked like a really good route. Faith if you're up on Saturday night at Alec's we could all pop out for a meal? I've got a guest room if anyone else wants to stay over.

Get the real thing. Worth saving for I reckon. Smudge, I'm sure Rob will get a different colour.