Importing an S30 from Japan

Z

Zedman

Well-Known Forum User
Hey folks,

I see lots of recommendations on importing from the USA and converting a LHD car but very little about important from Japan where they’d be RHD already.

Is there a reason behind this? Will Japan just be more expensive?
Can’t see rust being an issue on their cars, much like all other Japanese imports.

Thanks!
 
Z

Zedman

Well-Known Forum User
Duly noted, thanks! But that would be the case on cars from the USA too?

Was that rust flagged on the cars inspection sheets before it was imported from Japan?
 
Albrecht

Albrecht

Well-Known Forum User
Zedman said:
Was that rust flagged on the cars inspection sheets before it was imported from Japan?
Click to expand...

No. It was very well hidden and the car was - clearly - bodged up cynically and put through one of the big Japanese commercial auctions.

It was bought from that auction on behalf of a UK buyer, by a UK-based "specialist" in the North East of England, using their Japan-based "expert appraiser", and then imported. It was described by the UK "specialist" - and I quote verbatim - as "immaculate"...

Most of the rear of the car - an early 1970 production model - had been replaced with used sheetmetal from a late 1973-up USA market car, and badly. Just horrendous. It took tens of thousands to rectify to a decent standard.


So there are bad cars in Japan, but also good and very good. The best ones usually change hands privately and the good ones are fairly expensive. The main obstacle in finding somebody both trustworthy and knowledgeable - specifically about the S30-series - who will appraise a specific car on your behalf.

The above-mentioned car passed through several sets of eyes who assured the buyer that they knew what they were looking at. They didn't.
 
Z

Zedman

Well-Known Forum User
Albrecht said:
No. It was very well hidden and the car was - clearly - bodged up cynically and put through one of the big Japanese commercial auctions.

It was bought from that auction on behalf of a UK buyer, by a UK-based "specialist" in the North East of England, using their Japan-based "expert appraiser", and then imported. It was described by the UK "specialist" - and I quote verbatim - as "immaculate"...

Most of the rear of the car - an early 1970 production model - had been replaced with used sheetmetal from a late 1973-up USA market car, and badly. Just horrendous. It took tens of thousands to rectify to a decent standard.


So there are bad cars in Japan, but also good and very good. The best ones usually change hands privately and the good ones are fairly expensive. The main obstacle in finding somebody both trustworthy and knowledgeable - specifically about the S30-series - who will appraise a specific car on your behalf.

The above-mentioned car passed through several sets of eyes who assured the buyer that they knew what they were looking at. They didn't.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the info. I guess it’s a bigger risk importing unless you have direct contact with the owner on the other side of the pond then. Makes sense.
 
richiep

richiep

Club Member
Add to this that the quality of cars in general going through the major auctions in Japan has been deteriorating and there's a well documented trend of the auction ratings becoming unreliable. Given the ropey quality of some of the 90s tuner scene cars going to market that route, consider what sort of quality the 70s-era cars going through the auction houses are likely to be.

In comparative terms, Zs and other desirable period JDM cars (Hakosuka and Kenmeri Skylines especially) are expensive in Japan. This is enough to render them financially impractical or undesirable to most international buyers, particularly as most don't understand the distinctions between the JDM cars and the export market models. Occasionally, JDM cars surface already in the UK (sometimes having been imported from the US) but that's a rare occurrence (both Albrecht and I have them for example).

It would be quite easy to spend significantly more on importing a car from Japan and have it be a nightmare versus go for a higher-end UK car that you can at least inspect and may be able to access a history of work for, or a project level US car that you can build up.
 
Z

Zedman

Well-Known Forum User
Thanks folks.
I see a few appear on the auction listings, listed as grade 3.5+ and a B interior which is usually a pretty good standard. Bids starting around £19k shipped… But if there’s a big risk of a bodged repair to get it through an auction sheet it’s probably not a risk I want to take. Inspections over there are £35-40 a pop but I don’t know the inspectors so have no idea how much I can trust them to do a good job.
 
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