I heard people are poor these days and can't afford cars. Luckily the Yen is extremely devalued and Japanese cars with low mileage are cheap. If you're american, you're stuck with cars over 25 years old. Here is an example car, it's a reliable Toyota with ~60,000 miles for $2,800.
https://www.goo-net-exchange.com/usedcars/TOYOTA/CROWN/700091014330240322001/
The basics:
>Exporter: (someone who will buy & act as a middleman for you)
These guys will typically purchase the car for you and export it (FOB). Their job ends there.
Recommendtions: https://autoaccessjapan.com/ or maybe goo-net exchange. LOTS of Pakistanis in this business who will scam you (they sent me a different car than I ordered). Sometimes you can get direct bidding access to auction sites, but it costs $1,000-$1,500 and it's honestly just easier to let someone else handle it.
>Importer: Once the car arrives, you'll usually want a customs broker to receive the car in, pay any taxes, and ship it to its final destination. Think of it like a power of attorney. Alternatively, you can do this all yourself, but it's worth paying someone $500 for the paperwork + $500+ for shipping so that you don't have to take off work to sit in a hotel room waiting for the boat to arrive (boat schedules aren't exact).
The costs:
>Shipping: $3k+ typically. Potentially less (quotes from websites for RO-RO are fairly accurate)
>On-ward forwarding to its destination: Depend on distance but probably at least $500.
>Tank of gas + battery (car will arrive almost totally empty and potentially with a dead battery)
From here, just do your typical stuff like oil changes, etc. when buying any used car.
Determining if a car is good:
Unfortunately without an exporter inspecting the car, you have to trust the auction sheet (3rd party at least). Go for a 4 or above unless you want a project car where you may have to fix a bunch of little things.
https://www.driftanddrive.com/wp-content/uploads/drift-and-drive-auction-sheet-decoded.pdf
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>but anon, I want a truck!
>not not a gei-truck, gimme a real man's truck
Well truckgays, you're in luck, because a Hilux with 50,000 miles is only $11k. And it's exactly the "no nonsense, mid-size" truck that you all claim to want.
>inb4 "but if it's RHD how will I use the drive-thru at goyslopBurger?"
https://www.goo-net-exchange.com/usedcars/TOYOTA/HILUX/700051109830230618002/
I just drive through drive-thrus in reverse in RHD vehicles. Not that hard.
I have had places complain about this recently claiming its unsafe yada yada, and that it could confuse other patrons. Usually though this is just some self important drive through window clerk and a call to the store manager will resolve it.
I just don't trust that these 25+ year old cars have such low mileage.
>buying a car full of Jap farts
How would you register it here? Their driver seat is on the right side and they likely aren't up to our safety standards BS.
Way too easy to roll mileage back, I'm literally never buying a used car again after the nightmare I had with a Toyota Prius that must have frickibg 300k miles on it sold as a 60k vehicle.
>Their driver seat is on the right side and they likely aren't up to our safety standards BS.
dude have you seen the rusted through 80s shitheaps rolling around on American roads? Are you seriously worried about any crash tests? these things are almost 30 years old
Time is going by so fast the 1980s were nearly 30 years ago now, but I dont remember them at all cause I'm under 35
>the 1980s were nearly 30 years ago now
anon the 80s are 40 years ago
and the 40s were 80 years ago, frick
>Their driver seat is on the right side and they likely aren't up to our safety standards BS
this is one of those things where depending on whom you ask it's either a nothingburger or the end of the world as we know it. and I feel fine
also i thought the whole point of your 25 year rule thing is that such vehicles are exempt from current crash safety standards or whatever (aside from making it harder for people to get cars they want).
It totally depends on the person, but I wouldn’t feel unsafe driving my family around in a $5,000 toyota century. If it was a kei sports car, that’s different (but great for a single guy).
You simply take the Japanese export certificate to the DMV along with an affadavit signed by the local police that the VIN hasn’t been tampered with. You should also bring your import paperwork. It’s also legal to drive it home from the port with just the import paperwork, but I don’t recommend that simply because everything on the car is an unknown.
You CAN pay to have the car investigated, but that’s really only worth doing if you’re spending a lot.
>only cost me $20 to import my RX-7 because the white boomer waived my taxes, lmao.
>the white boomer waived my taxes
wait what
never ever imported a car before. how the frick do/can they do that?
He literally pointed to the customs paperwork that said something like “the customs official may duty the vehicle at x% of its value” and emphasized “MAY” because I was so taken aback I asked twice. Saved me several thousand dollars. Thanks based Savannah boomer.
damn son. there's a guy to buy a beer for next time you get a car imported
A brief search indicates that you need proof that the vehicle conforms to smog standards if your locale has them, along with US and any additional state safety standards,. That's the fricked part because it has to comply with our FMVSS and smog bullshit otherwise you have to independently test it which I don't know the process of. Something also indicates the safety standards may not apply to anything made before 1995. I'm in California though so we have and even stricter and gayer government. It's best to contact your local DMV before buying the vehicle and ask them if it can be registered. Insurance might be a b***h too.
>Land of the free
We're 50 different counties with an extra layer of government. Some states are definitely not free, some are very free. I lived in Arizona and some people just drive offroad vehicles like UTVs and side by sides as their primary vehicle. I've even seen a Polaris RZR on the highway doing fricking 75+, I had no idea they were even made to go that fast.
>you need proof that the vehicle conforms to smog standards if your locale has them
This is a common misconception. While technically true, cars over 23 years old are EPA exempt and americans can, in practice, only import cars older than 25 years old.
>t. lived in a smog testing area in Georgia and never got my car tested. No issue with registration (except the DMV took over a year to give me the title because they’re homosexual Black folk).
>the federal standard applies to all 50 separate states
Ok layman. Get in contact with someone from your local DMV and work with them so you know what you can and can't register.
Sometimes they don't. Try beforward and look at photos to see condition. Like this one looks like a car that actually has the states mileage for example
https://sp.beforward.jp/suzuki/wagon-r/br836266/id/7261057/
Do you know where they source their cars from? I found a nice car on there but not seeing it on YAJ, goo, carsensor, etc.
I'd rather buy it directly from the source before someone else gets to it.
Beforward has their own stock. But also have 3rd party sellers on their site
People just don't drive that much here. I've put about 5k miles on my current car in the 2 years that I've owned it.
Japan aint that big anon you could walk it in a day or two hence why the cars don't need to go as far
I'm in the states and have a 1989 5.0 mustang with 85k original miles.
I bought it in 1999 and it had 40k miles- I just don't drive it very often.
Bought it from a guy in the navy that was always out on ship so he didn't drive it much either.
Neighbor has a 2002 Lincoln with 30k miles.
>If you're american, you're stuck with cars over 25 years old
freedom!
shill post
reported
Let's say I import a JDM car. How do I get parts and repairs if it breaks?
>Let's say I import a JDM car. How do I get parts and repairs if it breaks?
import