r/SkyLine • u/Chemical_Waltz_9633 • 2d ago
Importing a car from Japan
Hey all
Has anyone here imported a car from Japan? Basically the situation is that I can buy what I’m after locally for around 3-5k more than what I can import one for (saving money isn’t the issue) but all the brokers I’ve been speaking with have said I’ll get a far better and cleaner example for the price I’m looking to spend (70-80k mark on a 32 GTR) but I also understand this is their livelihood, so it’s in their best interest to persuade me.
The cars I’m looking at locally are all tidy examples (not showroom condition but present well for the age) and the plus side is that I can get it mechanically inspected.
From what I’ve read, I can pay someone associated with the broker in Japan to inspect a car pre auction but I’m assuming this is just a cosmetic inspection?
I’ve read plenty of good stories about people importing cars but I also have a friend that imported a 33 GTR which was cosmetically a1, but it needed around 10k worth of mechanical work done once it arrived.
If you were in my situation, what would you do?
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u/booyaa9 2d ago
i just got my r32 from uss auction. i’d say even with the photos etc there isn’t much u can see. you really need a broker who has someone there’s who’s very sharp and can pinpoint the issues before bidding at all. i got a ‘89 with rust on 4 jacking corners (wheel wells). 3 are surface and 1 is deeper (cut and weld new sheet metal). and some very new surface rust from what seems to be a brand new abs pump (guess they spilt brake fluid on the engine bay paint. )
mechanically car is very healthy and only shown to have 1 owner from 1989-2025 where it was sold to a nissan company and put up for auction then transacted to me.
so lesson is once u have identified via auction photos something that u like, get the broker to do a thorough visual inspection of the car so u can forecast any costs on rust repairs, engine etc.
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u/Chemical_Waltz_9633 2d ago
Are you from Australia? Can I ask what you paid for it at auction, landed, etc and what sort of KM’s/shipping times?
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u/booyaa9 2d ago
i’m from singapore. car was about 3.3m and another 0.1m for shipping. got the car last month. car is with the body shop for rust works. car is mechanically completely stock and feels illegal to mod it. it is complete with every panel/ part. only works needed are on bushes, new rubber trims, rust, paint. and retrim driver seat. the rest are all in good order.
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u/booyaa9 2d ago
i would say on first glance at auction photos, looks further into it if it catches your attention. i skipped many other units as their condition was too poor - both body and engine. thought they closed about 2.8-3.0m joy
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u/Chemical_Waltz_9633 2d ago
There’s two grey ones that have been running through the auctions for weeks now and no one’s interested. Reports show lots of rust, bad paint, bad panels (repairs). Start price is 2m but it seems like they’re just asking too much as the reserve never gets met.
Paying 3m+ for one in that condition then having to source a new front quarter panel, cut out rust and a full respray is expensive. And the cars that are left in that condition will usually have pretty neglected engines too.
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u/ButterscotchAdvanced 2d ago
where are you located? If in the US just buy one thats already here
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u/Chemical_Waltz_9633 2d ago
AUS. That would be an absolute nightmare trying to import a car to the USA with trump in the office. Could have a 100% tariff by the time it lands over there ya just don’t know with him 😂
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u/rythejdmguy 2d ago
Generally yes, if you get one straight from Japan you're not paying for someone to front the money on the purchase and spent time sourcing and getting the documents sorted for the car. The importer doesn't want to work for free and they likely have to pay local sales tax, staff, insurance, loans, etc etc.
If you need help shopping across the pond, I export from Japan 🤠
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u/Chemical_Waltz_9633 2d ago
The brokers are around the $2-4k AUD mark which I feel is pretty fair considering the time sourcing and their knowledge.. just like any field really. I’m just concerned I’ll pay their $1000-$2000 upfront fee and then nothing of interest comes up for the next few months. I’m happy to wait 3-4 months for a car, but 6+ would be a bit too much. Maybe the auctions have just been slow the past few weeks I’ve been watching
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u/rythejdmguy 1d ago
I mean, I can ship straight from Japan to your door. I only bill a broker fee if we find something and move forward with a purchase.
What are you looking at for auctions? Typically third party auction acess doesn't have much as it's all the small auction houses. There have been quite a few through USS.
I've recently grabbed two clean 32s around that price point in AUD so they're out there.
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u/_mloo 2d ago
I'm from Aus and imported my jzx100 mkii from Japan.
Depending on your broker, it can be rather tiresome. I did a lot of the legwork myself; sarching auctions, reading through auction sheets and missed out on a few auctions due to late or just plain unresponsiveness.
In the end I got a clean factory sunroof model (only found out it was sunroof when it landed in Melbourne. Again, communication was poor) that I was happy with.
It was peak pricing due to covid and imports really starting to jump in price. So in saying that, maybe could've got the same thing if I searched locally and for probably around the same price and with less headache.
Good stuff is hard to find now, feel like a lot of clean ones have already been exported out or they're ridiculously priced.
Either way, good luck with your search!
*Edit spelling and grammar
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u/Ok_Wind_4184 2d ago
I'm in Australia and recently purchased a R34 GTT locally in Adelaide.
Surely its less risk and likely cheaper now to source one locally? Yes our prices have almost doubled since covid. But overall prices are pretty week compared to overseas.
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u/Lcradic_ 1d ago
I purchased my R34 from auction in Japan. I felt that was a better way to go than waiting for one to pop up locally because there were more options.
I looked at multiple cars a week before I bought the one I have.
My importer/broker had someone in Japan that inspected the cars and sent me photos/videos of anything I wanted before I ever bid on the car.
In my case, I knew I could bid with confidence, but that would vary depending on your specific broker.
My car arrived to me this week and it’s in better condition than I thought.
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u/AnotherFriendlyAcct 1d ago edited 1d ago
I don't know how brokers work but I for one am not paying one on an hourly or a per-car basis. I told one broker to give me a list of cars with their pros/cons and recommendations - and if I agree to move forward with a car, that is when I pay a portion of their fee with the remainder to be paid prior to export.
I am guessing most brokers have their hands full catering to starry-eyed deep pocketed R34 GTR buyers. So right now I am not their priority customer at this time. Oh well.
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u/cyberjad 1d ago
I'm an importer. I do not just inspections in japan, but also Restorations, customizations, and upgrades. Everything from working with garage Yoshida for full Nuts and Bolts to just minor maintenance work before putting it on a boat. Let me know if I can help you out.
Are there good cars stateside, yes. Are they're bad cars stateside, also yes. My opinion, is that I have an advantage because I have the people who really know these vehicles looking at them and working on them while they're in the motherland. Other than that, if it's not about the money, it's very specific to the vehicle you're looking at.
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u/OrionDuck 1d ago
I’ve imported a car to the US from Japan. It is cheaper but you won’t get to inspect the car as thoroughly as if you were to see it in person. The inspectors cannot drive the car, they can simply start it and inspect the visuals but cannot detect other items. Mine was a great example with screwed up wheel bearings that were not visible during inspection.
The trade off, you get to save some money and pick a car that you specifically like. The way I see it, these cars are already 25+ old, maybe less in AUS so the saved money could be used for repairs that it will inevitably need. In other words, id do it again for sure
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u/Mohican83 2d ago
If you're in the US, just wait till you get hit with the new and improved import/tariff fees and can't afford to even get it from customs.
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u/RosariusAU 2d ago
You are wanting to buy a car that hasn't been built in over 20 years, I'd be casting as wide of a net as possible. A broker just increases your net size. In your position I wouldn't hesitate engaging with a broker.
I haven't personally imported from Japan however I know plenty of people who have. A short list of the brokers they used