![]() A right-hand-drive car, or a vehicle too small to pass crash-safety tests, or one with an engine that would not pass emissions-all are viable reasons to not give a free pass for cars never meant to be sold here.īut time-enemy of yellow bananas and pop music stardom-is the friend of gray-market car enthusiasts with an appreciation for Japan’s coolest cars of the 1990s. She remarked how people will come into the store and ask if they’re the “new Radio Shack.Sadly, for car aficionados the federal government’s regulations have kept us from enjoying the world’s coolest rides. ![]() I remarked how great it was to have a shop that still sold this stuff, especially since there were no Radio Shacks around. I chatted briefly with the woman behind the very long counter (although they were only allowing one person in the shop at a time due to COVID-19). This place was both amazing and seemingly from a bygone era with brightly lit fluorescent lighting, endless aisles of slat wall, and a very ’80s kinda feel. However, I did find time to run down there and pick up some capacitors. But as they mainly service commercial businesses, they were open commercial business hours. Neither did, however, both recommended URS Electronics on the inner east side of Portland. I called two local Ace Hardware stores to see if they sold the 50V 100uF capacitors. When asked if he had any suggestions on where I could bring it, he simply suggested perhaps the dealership. Unfortunately, the gentleman at the shop wasn’t willing to touch the circuit board for a car. Local TV repair? Does such a thing still exist? Amazingly, there is a shop just a few minutes away. Upon the advice of other JDM car owners, I contacted my local TV repair shop to see if they could test the circuit board. This is exactly the scenario that is playing out with our ’92 Pajero, aka the Ralli Tractor. But, not that long ago, you could run into your local Radio Shack-a staple of every town in the USA-and buy a handful of 50V 100uF capacitors and simply bust out the soldering iron and hopefully fix the computer. These ’90s-era Mitsubishi computers are known to burn up capacitors. Instead, some of us try to fix this stuff. Unfortunately, those of us who like to tinker on older cars (especially rarer JDM stuff) can’t simply run to Autozone to pick up a new MD158815 glow plug control unit for our ’92 Pajero. For the cost of professional electronic repairs-assuming you can even find someone to fix whatever’s broken-you can often replace the gizmo for less money. The idea of fixing electronic things seems trivial. ![]() In a world where everything is electronic, if something malfunctions we simply throw it out and get another one. When the nearest Radio Shack is actually in 1996, it can be a chore to get electronic project things quickly. There’s actually a sad irony behind all this if you think about it. Yet the brick-and-mortar stores have pretty much gone the way of the dodo bird. Connectors, wiring, capacitors-all in one shop open seven days a week. As electrical things break and need fixing on our small fleet of 1990s JDM cars, specifically our 19 Mitsubishi Pajeros and 1994 Delica Space Gear, it’s ironic how much I could use a local Radio Shack these days.
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