It wasn't a Japanese-spec Type-R that first sold Randy Gagan on the right-hand-drive aesthetic. It wasn't even JDM cars that attracted him. No, Gagan was fascinated by one element of imported cars, and one element alone: the orientation of the steering wheel.
"I would see right-hand-drive cars, [like] Bentleys, Coopers, even postal trucks, and wonder what's it like to drive on that side of the car," he confesses.
For as long as he can remember, Gagan, a Los Angeles resident and owner of body/fabrication shop QuestToyz, has been curious about right-hand drives. When he was a 16-year-old Honda head, he began to entertain thoughts of bringing over a JDM vehicle. He soon learned about the lengthy and expensive process of importing a car into the United States (see Honda Tuning, May '05), but pressed on and secured himself a 1990 CRX SiR.
That was nine years ago. Since then, every car Gagan has owned has been a Japanese-market right-driver. It's an impressive list that includes a '90 Civic Si, a '94 Civic SiR, and a '90 Civic SiR hatch that he still owns today. If you hadn't noticed, Gagan is especially fond of the pre-EG chassis compacts. "In '92 Honda started rounding off the [body] lines," he explains. "I'm more into the boxy style."
Fair enough. In addition to his preference for the late-'80s compacts, Gagan is also at pains to distance himself from the JDM crowd. He considers himself simply a car enthusiast, not a JDM guy or even strictly a Honda guy. It's fitting for a guy who once owned a classic 21-window VW van.
"I happen to like right-hand-drive cars because they're different, not because of the whole JDM thing," Gagan says. "I may have all the same Japanese parts as everyone else, but when it comes down to creativity and attention to detail, my cars stand out."