Importing a Japan market car the proper way, including all the bullshit, to the US.

"Kanaric" (Kanaric1) 07/05/2014 at 14:33 • Filed to: None

28

84

Read the first (not) legally imported R32 GTR article filled with misinformation and the wrong way of doing things and decided to post my experience.

Why I Did It:

I tried buying numerous cars before this, however prices on enthusiast cars in minty condition were skyrocketing. Skipping everything i looked at and tried to buy right before I finally decided to import I tried to buy two different MR2 Turbos only to have my offers rescinded and this was at a $7000 offer on a non-perfect car with a lot of miles both times. I was on a Canadian forum and I saw how much less money cars like this were up there due to imports, which is when I decided to do it.

I decided to import a Skyline R32 GTS-T

Importers:

The first two importers I checked with were Right Drive and JDM Legends. Both I got quotes from, the same price at $8000. This seemed like an excessive amount since I saw them selling for much less in Canada. On top of that they wanted me to pay shipping from their location instead of shipping it to LA or San Diego. For Right Drive this is in excess of $2000 and I wasn't about to drive a newly purchased unregistered car from Ontario to Las Vegas. JDM Legends was in Utah but the quote was excessive so I decided to look elsewhere.

After some searching on Japanese Nostalgic Car's forum someone said I should contact Derek at Pacific Coast Auto. Derek is a Canadian who lives in Japan and ships the cars internationally. He has an auction tool on his site where you find Japanese car auctions and you tell him which car you want to bid on and how much. Browsing the site there were a lot of very good condition cars being sold for pennies compared to what i've been quoted on. He said I could probably get a Skyline GTS-T for $2500 and all his fees including shipping costs were $2000 so I decided to go with him. After watching the auctions and feeling like I missed out on a couple of cars I decided that I was in. Saw a 4 door Skyline GTS-T sell that was in absolute immaculate condition as well as a Mazda Familia GTR that I was also interested in. I wanted to bid so I had to send him a $1000 deposit and set up with a company that wires funds internationally. The time it took to set it up made me miss out on those.

The deposit cleared, at that time there were 3 cars available. A heavily modded GTR and two GTS-Ts one 4 door and one 2 door. I was curious about all 3 of them so i'll explain how Japanese auto auctions, when using Pacific Coat and I assume someone like him, works.

Japanese Auctions Using The Importer:

Every car has a rating, some images, and an auction sheet. There are also several auction locations throughout the country that list the cars at varying times before they are to be sold and have varying quality of images and inspections done.

Rating:

Each car has a rating. A number of 1-4 some sites have higher numbers and typically as well as letters like R. The higher the number the higher the quality with R seeming to mean the equivalent of a salvage title car. The cream of the crop are 3.5 and above. 3 and below typically may have rust or other issues. The auction sheet is pretty much an inspection of the car, lists any issues or mods on the car, miles, the Japanese equivalent of a VIN which lets you know how it's equipped with a tool thats on the auction search engine, as well as listing some of that on the car. These sheets are in Japanese and before you bid you ask the importer, in this case Pacific Coast Auto, to translate it for you. If you approve of you see you tell him how much you want to bid up to and they will bid for you.

What I found:

The GTR was, to me, too far gone. It would make people in 2001 right after watching Fast and the Furious envious but in 2014 to a 30 year old? No. The GTS-T 4 door had numerous issues according to the auction sheet in terms of the body condition and I wanted a coupe anyways. Heres what I decided on:

In two days -

http://auction.pacificcoastjdm.com/auctions/?p=pr…

USS Hokuriku 7058 (plus 15,000 yen transport)

1989 June Skyline GTS-T Type M

2000cc

Grade 3

Interior B

131,658 km

5sp, AC, AW, PS, PW

Sales points

Timing belt changed

Electric folding mirrors

Report

Owner's manual

Report

Steering wheel and shift knob wear

Seat cigarette burn and wear

Right side baffle deformed

Right front inner panel dented and corrosion hole

Underside surface rust

Diagram notes

Windshield rock chip

The corrosion hole in the baffle is a problem. That should be fixed. I am not sure how much it would cost to have it repaired though. The underside surface rust should not be much of a problem.

I don7t know how much this one will be since it is now legal for the States but maybe around 250,000 yen…?

When it arrived at the shipper the car was of much higher quality than we expected. The rust? Nonexistant. The deformity? The plastic wheel well protector was falling off, new clips fixed it. When it arrives at his holding area he sends a couple gigabyte email of photographs of all angles of the car including engine bay and underside as well as some detailed videos then posts a shorter video on his youtube page.

Here is the Youtube video he made for my car.

At this point all was needed was for it to be stored until it could be shipped for a June arrival. Cost to import a Skyline so far: $6000

End of May :

By the end of may we began the process of importing. The person exporting the car, Pacific Coast, did all the paperwork asking for signatures from me as needed. So far this has been an excellent experience. Then we find the customs broker. I had thought up to this point that everything was including, it was claimed that all fees to import the car were covered in the $2000 which I had assumed meant the customs fees. I was wrong. First all the exporter that Pacific Coat Auto used did what's called a ISF Filing late. I was warned that this would be a $5000 fine and Pacific Coast said if it came to that they would cover it. Here is what the customs broker charged me:

1. ISF Filing $ 50.00 <- shouldn't of had to pay for this, pacific coast covered it

2. Late ISF Bond $ 100.00 <- shouldn't of had to pay for this, pacific coast covered it

3. Customs Entry $ 200.00

4. EPA Filing $ 50.00

5. DOT Filing $ 50.00

6. Single Bond $ 104.00

7. Customs Duty $ 156.34 ( Estimated )

8. Terminal P/U $ 85.00

I also needed the car shipped. I would need at least one other person to help me bring the car back. Unfortunately I work weekends and nobody else I know that would help has free days during the week. I found some shippers who would do it for $230 from LA to Las Vegas, however the customs broker said they will only allow shippers that have the ability to ship from a port, i forget the exact terminology but they had to be cleared to ship by customs. The cost for this? $625.00

Total cost $7270.34

These customs fees I was unprepared for so was quite annoyed at this point but accepted that it is the fault of my own ignorance and moved on. If I were able to pick up the car myself I would have saved a good deal of money. However there is one other problem.

Arrival:

I was told that the car would arrive at port on June 6th. If I were picking it up I probably would have taken a 3 day weekend and drove out there to grab it and bring it back. This would have been a mistake. The ship arrived at June 6th but customs had held the car for week not telling me when it would be released. I was also told they will need to inspect it due to the late ISF filing and that they might need to x-ray the car and that would be charged to me. That, fortunately, never happened and I received the car on the 16th without issue.

Registration:

I live in Nevada so obviously this will be different state to state. Make sure you know exactly what your documentation is when you bring it. The DMV doesn't get many of these cars despite them saying "we get a lot of military people bringing foreign cars" they still don't know what they are talking about. If you have all the paperwork and the car is legal don't take no for an answer, they have to register it and they just don't know what they are talking about. Make sure you keep all the stickers and everything that customs put on the car with the car when you get it inspected, they will need it. I took mine off and they registered anyways.

Was It Worth It? Would I Do It Again?

This car had 80,000 miles, which is low compared to what i've been looking at but I could have picked up a newer car for the same price or less. I just had to accept mods on the car. Cars I could of got in a similar condition for same price or less? E36 M3, 300ZX, Starion, E30, 944, 924S, any of the 3 MR2s, 240SX, MX5, Mazdaspeed Miata (someone wanted to sell me one for $7000), S2000, etc. In my searching I found all of these cars for $7000 or less.

The Price? This Skyline let's say is a 90s turbo car. Cars in that category command a premium especially in mint condition which this car turned out to be. Even cars like the 240SX at a mint condition command a price like this now and the Skyline is a "better" car. The 300ZX Twin Turbo is a larger, much heavier, harder to work on car and in a condition like this would command a similar price if not more. Keep in mind that I paid ~$600 for shipping as well and this car sold for higher than usual.

The upside to this all? I got a much higher quality car. The Skyline has double wishbone suspension, weighs 2800lbs, has 50/50 weight balance, tons of aftermarket, and is stock turbocharged. Aside from being only 220hp the only car that probably compares to this is the FD RX7 which costs significantly more than what I paid. All this plus the fact I have tens of thousands less miles than other cars I was looking at most of which were in the 130ks or higher. Plus no rust, no mods, no defects. Almost unheard of in USDM enthusiast cars over 10 years old. In the end I am pleased with my purchase.

Would I do it again? Yes. Now that I have the experience and know the process I feel like I could shave a large sum of money off of what I feel I lost out on in this deal.

Here's what will save you money that I learned from this:

Buy cars that are not just newly legal:

Don't buy a car that just became legal. The prices go up, as you see here. What was a $2500 car is a $4000 car. I saw later R32s and cars like the Pulsar GTIR that are a while off yet for legality being around the $2000s price range in similar condition to my car. I ended up paying what they pay in Japan for a 90s Supra.

Find your own customs broker:

Find someone who will hold the car for you so you can get a reasonably priced shipping or time to come down and pick it up yourself. The people Pacific Coast found refused to do this for me and I heard there are some that will. I was forced to use their choice for a shipper who charged a good $400 more than who I wanted. That or take your vacation to Disney or Hollywood around the time the car is about to arrive and drive it home.

Pacific Coast did say they couldn't use their usual shipper yet for US imports. They have a shipper they use in Canada that is supposedly much better that has a US subsidiary and the paperwork to import with them hasn't been completed yet. It could be done by now as this was a month ago.

The Bullshit:

I've had to pay a few fees that I wasn't told about. Never had to import before and thought the customs fees were included in what I was quoted from Pacific Coat Auto. You can chalk this up to my lack of knowledge but I also wasn't informed of this. On top of that the customs broker they used refused to let me pick my own shipper for the car so I had to pay a good $400 over what I would otherwise of had to pay. Then on top of that the remaining customs fees I was made unaware of.

I think in the future I will do this again, I want to buy a Pulsar GTIR eventually, however there has been NO info about this process online at all and I think I suffered some minor setbacks because of this. I hope all this information helps people here.

*Sorry I do not have proper pictures at the moment, my camera is damaged. Here is what I was able to take with it anyways.

Epilogue: (about a month of ownership)

A month later i've been driving the car weekly, not as a daily the Mustang in the pic above is for that. The car is in excellent mechanical condition, did some standard maintenance and changed the coolant was all that was needed.

Despite it being a 25 year old car and a car that isn't from this continent aftermarket parts were easy to find. I was able to get intercooler, downpipe to fit the exhaust housing of the turbo (6 bolt that's unique to this car), easily. Bought from FRSport, Nengun (in Japan), and Japspeed (in the UK), all had parts for this car.

Nengun's parts are comparatively cheaper even with the shipping still ends up costing less than buying locally, shipping just takes a month. Also the shipping from the UK for the downpipe was not much more than shipping between the US on similar parts plus they give you a "discount" off their listed prices which includes VAT which foreigners don't pay. Most everything else, OEM replacement parts for example, was available locally since this shares parts with most 90s Nissans. 300ZX and 240SX especially.

Fit my old 350z's wheels, got new tires, and going to autocross next weekend. I'll be the slowest car in modified.

offroadkarter > Kanaric 07/05/2014 at 15:05

6

keep us up to date on this car

Ferrero1911 > Kanaric 07/05/2014 at 15:09

0

Congrats on the car! Looks like in the end even with all the surprises you saved a little bit of money. How long was it from when you bought the car to when it arrived?

I do have to disagree though that there's no information about this process online, but I think it is always good to have accounts of a specific experience from start to finish. Having gone through the same process for the first time recently, I found lots of info about the process online. The proper procedure for the ISF filing seems to be a bit of a moving target though since the official way it is supposed to be done is nearly impossible and it's not being enforced correctly. I won't be surprised if that part is different the next time you bring in a car.

I would also point out (for others who might want to do this) that what you ended up doing was going with a Japanese Exporter instead of a U.S. Importer. That's what really save you the money because you were dealing with all the phone calls, emails, and customs stuff that an importer would have done. Basically you cut out one of the middle-men and did some of the work yourself. That's also why you had to pay customs separately, because the Japanese Exporters do not typically deal with importing the car into your country.

Enjoy the car and I can't wait for more photos!

PanchoVilleneuve ST > Kanaric 07/05/2014 at 15:14

0

You are living my dream.

That means I now hate you.

At least put a PMC.S sticker on it for me.

Bird > Kanaric 07/05/2014 at 15:32

1

Nice car! As Ferro1911 said, we jut imported two cars ourselves. The ISF caused me extra stress for sure. I don't think it is currently possible for individuals shipping RoRo to get their ISF in on time...I couldn't find anyone who would claim to be capable of it at least. We also didnt get charged an extra fee for the late filing...I was worried about extra inspection, but no one mentioned it. One of our cars cleared immediatly, and the other was giving a standard but not intensive inspection. The intensive is what you pay extra for. I think part othe problem is the way the shipping industry works. You're often dealing with an agent of an agent representing the actual shipping line, and the agents in Japan are inexperienced at shipping to the US.

For our next cars, we're going to attempt to go direct, and book the cars ourselves directly with the shipping line, or at least an agent here in the US. I think that will help some of the issues we had with shipping.

Glad your car turned out so nice. Our Aerocabin was a 3.5, and for the most part was in amazing shape. There was some deffered maintenance that we've taken car of because we intend to do a major road trip, but the paint and interior, and really the overall condition were very nice. Our Crown was a 3, and it had some issues. I think it should have been graded slightly harsher, but it is a 40yr old car, and the age needs to be taken into consideration with the grade. Also each auction house is different. I've noticed the smaller auction houses typically have less detailed inspections.

As far as port pick-up, your shipper needs to have a TWIC card to get into the port. I picked up my own cars and paid a company called Lucky's transport $60 cash to go in and pick up the cars. They met me at the gate, and took paperwork in to get the cars. They dropped them right outside the gate, and then I loaded them onto my trailer there.

ThePenguin > Kanaric 07/05/2014 at 15:52

0

Would you recommend importing a car such as an Evo IV?

daender > Kanaric 07/05/2014 at 16:08

4

Wicked, this is a big inspiration for me since I want to get my hands on a R33 after a few years (unloved generation, ftw). You need to bring that beauty to the annual FD event and blow people's minds (and take first place in the car show over those wannabe-JDM RHD converted Hondas)! Congrats on a successful import and trailblazing the way for future Skyline and non-USDM owners!

Ferrero1911 > ThePenguin 07/05/2014 at 16:20

0

The Evo IV won't be eligible for import until 2021 because of the 25 year rule.

ThePenguin > Ferrero1911 07/05/2014 at 16:24

0

Ah, but would you recommend importing with this company?

cluelessk > Kanaric 07/05/2014 at 16:38

1

Just wait for the market to be flooded and everyone will be driving a R32.

I happened up here already.

Ferrero1911 > ThePenguin 07/05/2014 at 16:59

0

I'm not the original poster, so I don't know.

Kanaric > ThePenguin 07/05/2014 at 17:27

0

It has to be 25 years or older so no.

Kanaric > ThePenguin 07/05/2014 at 17:27

0

Yes I would.

Kanaric > cluelessk 07/05/2014 at 17:30

0

The difference is the car here is 25 years old and most of them have been exported already. Also IDK if a lot of people would be interested in a car this old, who knows though. I say mint condition in the article but mint for a 25 years old car still needs a lot of refreshing. For example all the rubber on this car is gone. The leather inside needs replaced. Etc.

Kanaric > daender 07/05/2014 at 17:31

0

Where is this FD event? I live in Las Vegas so if it's here or near I will go.

Kanaric > Bird 07/05/2014 at 17:33

0

Great post and awesome information.

daender > Kanaric 07/05/2014 at 17:38

1

Just checked the FD schedule for this year but it's not there! I was there for the event at the speedway about four years ago. Did a little research and I guess they stopped top-tier events there in 2012 but there's an amateur series that's still ongoing !

Kanaric > Ferrero1911 07/05/2014 at 17:39

0

All the information I was able to find was like second hand and nothing verifiable. Like it was all people talking about doing it and getting the "whats needed" list together and nobody actually having done it.

I bought the car about 2 months before it was imported. When it became legal it was imported then, which was June.

Also pacific coast did all the work with customs. I was just required to pay for it. I was kept in the process but he took care of everything which made it easy. Now that I know how it works I will do that part differently in the future. Planning on getting a Pulsar GTIR or Autech Stagea in the future.

daender > Kanaric 07/05/2014 at 17:47

0

I don't know if this Skyline owner is still around since this was taken in 2009 but if you can get yours next to that one, that'd be amazing!

Kanaric > daender 07/05/2014 at 17:51

1

I hear these people go to cars and coffee often. I work weekends which is annoying but I took off the 12th to go to that and a autocross. If I see that there I will.

The only classic Japanese cars i've seen around me are a Datsun 510 and a RA60? notchback Celica.

I am impressed that this car is in Las Vegas. I must find it.

Kat Callahan > Kanaric 07/06/2014 at 06:18

2

This was beautiful. Keep me informed how it plays up. Since I am in Japan forever, it's nice to know that I can get these for a fraction of what you ended up paying.

ThePenguin > Kanaric 07/06/2014 at 11:54

1

OK Thank You!

153624 - Straight Six > Kanaric 07/06/2014 at 21:22

1

Nice car and nice post. I'm in Canada and there's an awesome Pulsar GTIR that comes out to my local autocross. Really cool looking car with the loudest damn turbo noises. I might ask the owner for a ride...

Kanaric > 153624 - Straight Six 07/06/2014 at 21:29

0

I saw a Pulsar GTIR on Nellis Air Force Base owned by a local with Nevada plates a while back. Not legal yet so I don't know what foolery he did to import it.

Kanaric > 153624 - Straight Six 07/08/2014 at 12:10

0

Yes, they sound great. IDK if it has to do with the ITBs they have or what.

50fridge > Kanaric 07/19/2014 at 17:46

2

Thank you for posting this article. I hope in the future to import some 25 year and older import cars.

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > Kat Callahan 07/19/2014 at 18:59

1

Never mind the video doesn't work

jkm7680 > Luc - The Acadian Oppo 07/19/2014 at 19:04

0

I be gettzing zis.

djmt1 > Luc - The Acadian Oppo 07/19/2014 at 19:05

0

And it's gone but here you go.

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > Luc - The Acadian Oppo 07/19/2014 at 19:08

0

Well, that was quick. It got DMCA'd

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > djmt1 07/19/2014 at 19:11

0

AH for fuck sakes! How the hell do other people upload this stuff without it getting blocked?

I like the MCM video but it doesn't explain the shaken and owning a car IN Japan which is where Kat is.

djmt1 > Luc - The Acadian Oppo 07/19/2014 at 19:12

0

You are uploading stolen content where as I'm providing a link to a Youtube show.

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > djmt1 07/19/2014 at 19:15

0

I know but there are many other episodes of wheeler dealer on Youtube which were not from Discovery and they work fine.

no worries that's what I get for being a criminal I guess.

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s 07/19/2014 at 19:15

1

yup! the thug life is not for me I guess.

djmt1 > Luc - The Acadian Oppo 07/19/2014 at 19:16

0

They change the sound levels to make their voices either a little higher or lower to confuse the Voice ID and they mess with the aspect ratio and mirror it so the Content ID can't match it.

Reborn Pyrrhic > Kanaric 07/19/2014 at 20:29

0

The cars the military personnel bring in were registered with the military, not with the country they came from, so all their paperwork is in English, easily understandable by the DMV, and complies with information needed by all DMV. Hence registering a car that came from overseas from a military base is easy. Registering a car with foreign papers is much harder, and 9 times out of 10 your DMV might be a bit lost with foreign registration documents.

Kanaric > Reborn Pyrrhic 07/19/2014 at 20:34

0

That is good to know. They didn't explain.

As Du Volant > Kanaric 07/21/2014 at 12:06

0

I'm considering doing something like this in a few years. I have a question- how much did the car by itself cost, before all the shipping and fees? I'm curious to see how much I should estimate to pay when figuring out what importing would cost.

Kanaric > As Du Volant 07/21/2014 at 12:57

0

$4000 and this car cost on the upper end of what they were at the time. GTR you will pay like $10k more.

As Du Volant > Kanaric 07/21/2014 at 13:07

0

Ah, thanks. I figured it would cost $4-5k to get the car here once it's all said and done. Though with me being on the east coast that may well be the case.

FWIW I'm not after a GT-R. I don't want a monster, just something unique and fun to drive.

Kanaric > As Du Volant 07/21/2014 at 13:52

0

To get the car here that just cost $2000. Then you have customs fees and taxes which depend on the price of the car. I go through all that in the article. For a $4000 car I paid $7250 total which included in-country shipping from the port to my door that cost like $650.

plx92 > Kanaric 07/22/2014 at 09:16

0

Awesome read! This is great info for someone in the position to bring something in!

MachineReplica > Kanaric 07/23/2014 at 12:00

0

This makes me want to import a Kei car really bad... I just need money. Living on the East coast doesn't help...

yellowdatsun > Kanaric 07/23/2014 at 22:35

0

I'm sure after you do it once, it's not such a big deal. I'd love to do it, but dropping a pile of cash on a lot of unknowns is scary. This is why places like JDM Legends exist. Sure you may pay a lot more for the car, but there's absolutely zero hassle or worry. Out of all things I'd like a Nissan Pao first. They just hit the 25 year mark too.

Kanaric > MachineReplica 07/24/2014 at 21:36

0

East coast I would just import from Europe. There are a lot of JDM cars there.

MachineReplica > Kanaric 07/25/2014 at 09:31

0

Do they have the same selection of weird Kei cars? I've never looked into importing. For the most part, I'm happy with the selection of cars I like in the US. The Skyline GTR is cool and all, but it's not high on my list to import. It certainly makes sense as an investment as it has such a large following int he US.

Kanaric > MachineReplica 07/25/2014 at 17:43

0

I've seen Suzuki Cappuccino in the UK and the Honda Beat.

Sir HoonsAlot > Kanaric 08/01/2014 at 13:01

0

Sweet

Ducky > Kat Callahan 09/03/2014 at 00:32

0

i read your article about owning a car in japan though, "technically can" and "can" seem worlds apart

small wonder these marvels are in the state theyre in for these prices.

Kat Callahan > Ducky 09/03/2014 at 00:33

0

Truth.

harrison121 > 50fridge 12/15/2014 at 01:56

0

Thanks for sharing your review..........We would love to know more about used Japan cars.

Visit here for more information.

http://www.japancarimport.co.uk/

Reddot > 50fridge 12/25/2014 at 02:14

0

I am working on definitely pushing a few units to the States this coming yr.. I used to export mini trucks about 5yrs back until the EPA became impossible to deal with..I want to start again working with 25yr or older units.. could use some networking or any assistance possible. I am not as informed about cars as you seem to be.. I am just as the right place with right tools and am interested in the business side of it..

50fridge > Reddot 12/26/2014 at 21:25

0

Good luck. I hope it goes well.

dave > Kanaric 03/19/2015 at 03:38

0

HI , i moved to LA 3 months ago form Miami , i had a Hyundai genesis coup 2.0 t 6 speed , un fortunately i crashed it in the hi way .. now i want to buy a 240 sx aka(s14) but its hard to find one that has not been abused in the states , so i was looking at this site http://www.tradecarview.com and they have in japan the s14, like a 1997 for 1500 dollars supposedly there sold by a Japanese dealer , my question is, sens that car is the same 240 sx that was sold in the US.... do i still need to prove the dot and all that other stuff , crash test and all ?

Kanaric > dave 03/19/2015 at 14:28

0

You would still need everything. It's not considered to be the same. Also if you use them you need to do all the leg work with finding someone to ship and find a customs broker on both sites. i would use the pacific coast jdm people.

Also in California you will need to have the car modified to pass smog.

neo > Kanaric 05/10/2015 at 14:29

0

I import quite a lot of cars from Japan into Ireland. I’ve Spoken to pacific before but they cannot inspect cars before auction in person so we’re of no use to us. I’ve seen grade 4 evos that had serious underbody rust. Also I have seen cars sell on a Monday at one auction and appear in Tokyo auction with a different grade. I would always advise Getting cars checked out precaution by your agent. We bought this little baby last week for a customer here

Kanaric > neo 05/18/2015 at 11:02

0

Ya I would only use Pacific Coast is you are on a budget, if you want to spend a ton of money and get an absolutely perfect car there are alternatives. If I used someone like that I would have spent significantly more for no better a car in my case.

killimajaro > Kanaric 06/15/2015 at 11:12

0

was $7,270 was total for everyting for you including purchase price of the vehicle or is that the import fees just to get it into the country

Kanaric > killimajaro 06/16/2015 at 12:53

0

total to my door for everything

Tyler the car guy > ThePenguin 07/03/2015 at 18:23

0

Well one he’s right about the 25 year rule but until thisbyou can go with show and display rules they say you can dive only 2,500 miles one a 12 month period but you don’t have to do any modifications for it to be here you would have the car but you won’t be free with it

Miggster > Kanaric 07/22/2015 at 22:14

0

Just wondering, I’m currently going to import an R32 GTS-T as well. I’m going through an auction broker/global car exporter, SBT Japan. I got mine a tad bit more than yours. Had a question about shipping. Approximately, how long did it take for it to arrive, excluding the week of Customs Inspection?

Kanaric > Miggster 07/23/2015 at 11:55

0

A week for me.

Once I even ordered a Subaru and got that from Gunma japan in a week.

STR8INSTINKZ > Kanaric 07/26/2015 at 01:16

0

Well if you plan on selling your gtst give me a text. Need one bad. But don’t want the hassle of importing. Just let me know Lol 541-630-0262

CurtDragon > Kanaric 10/13/2015 at 15:02

0

A little over $7k that’s worth it

NoFaksAreGiven > Kanaric 10/20/2015 at 16:38

0

Late congrats! How would you rate your importer?

I am thinking about doing the same thing.

Kanaric > NoFaksAreGiven 10/21/2015 at 18:44

0

highly

07rvg > Kanaric 12/24/2015 at 20:29

0

Hey hows it going Kanaric! I’m also from the Las Vegas area, I myself am ready to pull the trigger on getting one imported. Still a bit nervous on the process, but I’d like to do it your way since saving is on the agenda.

GTR24 > Kanaric 05/29/2016 at 05:39

0

why is the above YouTube video private? I’d like to check it out before I buy later this year.

NC22 > Kanaric 11/25/2016 at 23:14

0

How much was the auction price?

Kanaric > NC22 11/27/2016 at 16:07

0

4010 usd

Matthew > Kanaric 01/07/2017 at 18:41

0

Hey Kanaric,

I’m looking to get a Nissan Gt-R32 1991-92, for about 6000 USD, is that a good price for that car? And how much would the import and the customs fees be?

Thank you.

Kanaric > Matthew 01/07/2017 at 19:44

0

What kind? For a GTR that is way too cheap and will end up costing you too much for $6k it’s probably rusted out and not running. For a GTS-T it might be ok at that price likely to have serious issues. If it’s a GTS (non-turbo) then IMO it’s not worth importing.

I only know what Pacific Coast Auto charges and they only will buy you a car from auction. Their fee right now is about $1700 but you won’t be able to get this car unless it’s at an auction even then setting it up it probably will by gone by then.

Aside that let me convince you to not get a Skyline.

If you want a car for $6000 you are better served looking at a Silvia now or wait until October and get a JZX90 which would WRECK a non-GTR Skyline. A silvia with stock turbo, upgraded fueling, and an ECU will do 300whp. That is like $2000 at most on top of what you pay for the car and it will be reliable at that power. A R32 GTS-T will not even hit 230whp with stock turbo. A GTS will only ever be slow.

If I were buying now I wouldn’t get a Skyline GTS-T. Silvia is a better car for a budget build and in a few months the REALLY good shit starts becoming legal like the JZX90. Then you have the JZA70 (1JZ MKIII Supra) being legal now.

A 1JZ car will make 300whp with the stock turbo. A JZX90 will be faster than a MKIV supra due to having the same power while being lighter. 

Then you have the WRX and LanEvo. The Mazda Familia GTR and the Pulsar GTIR. All of those would be faster than a non-gtr. Hell they could even take on a GTR. Especially the Pulsar as it, like the Silvia, can make over 300whp on the stock turbo but weighs a good 500lbs less than a GTR. LanEvo is damn near close to that. Both come with turbos that people use on other builds (16G for Evo and GT2860RS for Pulsar).

All those cars can be had in decent to good shape for $6000. A GTS-T or higher Skyline cannot.

Matthew > Kanaric 01/07/2017 at 22:12

0

Thanks so much! been a big help!

Matthew > Kanaric 01/07/2017 at 22:15

0

One more question thing though, I found this Gtr online and it comes with the bid price, FOB charge, pre shipping inspection, and the shipping all for 6607. is it to good to be true?

heres the link: http://www.japan-partner.com/Auto/25811/Nissan/SKYLINE/car-for-sale.html

Kanaric > Matthew 01/08/2017 at 13:26

0

That’s a GTS not a GTR so it’s non turbo and would be ridiculously slow.

It’s not worth importing imo. You can get a number of cars here not imported that would be more interesting and would wreck that car.

If you want to import a car from Japan get a car that is the reason why people look at the JDM cars. Something with a turbo like I mentioned in that post.

insertnamehere > Kanaric 01/22/2017 at 03:17

0

What you say does make sense, newly legal cars will be more expensive. So ideally I should buy a car that I can’t import from Canada yet, rent storage up there for a few months and then drive it across the border free and clear?

Kanaric > insertnamehere 01/24/2017 at 12:11

0

Yes, especially if it’s a model that isn’t available here yet, Ie. EVO I

erichung1218 > Kanaric 03/06/2017 at 23:03

0

I have saved up around 7k cash. What should I get?

I am not looking for mod or speed, just want a stock fun car that are:

clean without mod (I love EG/EK but all had mod, same with all Lexus)

Low mile (80k mile is low to me)

Different (that is the main point of this)

Cappuccino, EK, as long as is with no mod.

Kanaric > erichung1218 03/16/2017 at 16:39

0

If you want a completely different car than what’s on the US roads for that price you may be able to find a Nissan Pulsar GTIR for that or a Mazda Famlia GTR. Both are those ttwo companies rally car efforts. It will be a stretch though, the Mazda might be a bit easier to get for that price. Pulsar GTIR has a unique SR20DET with solid lifters so requires more maintanance than a regular car. IE. valve shimming like old europeon cars.

You could try to get a Lancer Evo I they became legal later this year and that generation lancer was not sold here. I don’t think lancers were sold here at all until the 2000s. EVO I would be a good choice because the drivetrain is very well known here. On that note if you can find a Eterna ZR-4 (same chassis as the Galant VR-4 here) I would snap that up, they are extinct in the wild. Similar to a Galant VR-4 except they have a lift back.

You could wait until near the end of the year and try to get a Toyota Mark 2, Chaser, or Cresta... JZX90 version. You can get a JZX81 but that is basically a Toyota Cressida (which was sold here) with a 1JZ in it. If you jump on it before they are legal and have the place store it for like a couple weeks beforehand you could probably get a deal.

You could try to get a Nissan Leopard if you want some wild stuff i don’t think anyone has brought here. The F31 is the chassis code, 1986-1992 iirc the year. Should be able to get one with a manual. (I guess it was here as the Infiniti M30.... not with that engine though and I have not seen one in the wild). Has VG30DET (single turbo version of 90s 300zx engine)

Nissan Cefiro should be possible within that budget. Like a R32 GTS-T but with less expensive suspension. If you get the AWD version it has the same suspension as a Skyline.

You could try to get a Nissan Bluebid Attessa SSS, it was here as the Nissan Stanza (1g) and Nissan Altima (2g) and has the Pulsar GTIR drivetrain. So not really unique looking.

I usually wouldn’t recommend a unique car because they are hard to get parts for. The best cars to import if you are on a budget are those that are too expensive here but cheap there (FD Rx7, still not in your budget) or cars that there got a much wilder engine (Nissan Silvia). Most of the good cars were here in some form aside kei stuff. The stuff that wasn’t brought here and not sold in any form here including just the low trim are all Luxury cars mostly. Like the later Nissan Leopard, Skyline, Toyota Mark II, Mazda Cosmo, etc.

edit: Forgot the 80s toyota soarer, that is a great car to try and find. Same drivetrain as the MK3 supra which is very underrated.

I think the easier car to get that fits your requirements would be a Cefiro or a Soarer with the Cefiro being easier. If you didn’t care if it was a chassis available in USDM then Leopard and Silvia/180SX. You basically will need a car you can get for $5000 in Japan all these on this list is possible but you will have to look. Also ask Derek what you can get now for $7000 to your door.

Chance > Kanaric 05/22/2017 at 23:06

0

Hello would you mind emailing me I can’t seem to just send you a message but I am looking to do what you did but would like to talk privatly

Kyser > Kanaric 12/01/2017 at 01:21

0

Kanaric,

I’m about to start my wonderful journey into buying a JDM car since Suzuki Cappucino’s are finally hitting the 25 year mark. I’m looking to start saving a building a budget, yet people can’t seemingly give me straight answers. I know I want to spend about $5-8K on a Cappuccino, but I don’t know the process or the know how to connect with someone who can get everything setup in the correct way to give me an idea of what I need to do first.

Kanaric > Kyser 12/06/2017 at 17:33

0

I would just email pacific coast auto who i used in this and as them. They have a website

www.pacificcoastjdm.com/

He takes care of everything and should be able to answer all your questions. Things might have changed since 2014

Prkid > Kanaric 12/15/2017 at 12:29

0

Would it be possible for me to get a r32 gtr for 10k usd

Kanaric > Prkid 12/21/2017 at 15:15

0

Yes, but it would have something seriously wrong (ie. blown engine, horrible horrible mods) with it probably compounded with rust. I would not trust a $10k gtr unless it was a R33 which you can’t import yet lol.

You could find a project GTR you could rebuild for that price.

The GTR is not a car you want to go cheap on. Too much to go wrong.

johnadam11 > Kanaric 10/31/2019 at 05:37

0

https://www.zulfiqar.co.jp/bahamas_auction_plan.php