/o/ - Auto

>Have any of you imported a car without getting a chance to see it?

Yes, depression Challenger, North Carolina to Western Australia. Blogged about it from beginning to end in 4ch /o/ Ausfag threads.

>Was it a big mistake or is it something that seems like a bad idea but really isn't?

Yes, because I didn't know what I was doing and I did it solo like a total champ. It can be a great idea if you cover your bases and do it right and protect yourself.

Get it right and it's awesome. Get it wrong and it's a mess.

Before we begin, it's older then 30 years, yeah? Almost certainly. Just checking. Life gets a lot harder when your vehicle is younger then 30 years old and is imported.

Also make sure it has a title and that you get a bill of sale. Some American states don't believe in titles for old cars. No idea what you do then.

First, try to make sure you have a friend locally to help you with this. I don't mean a friend of yours, but a trustworthy contact who is passionate about the brand (preferably) or classics (at least) and has imported before or knows or has helped people import. Worst case, get your dad or something. It's better then nothing and having someone to keep you in check when you're in the thick of it is useful.

Next, research the car. Learn about it, it's common problems, what to look for, etc. Cruise forums dedicated to it if you can. Going in green with some book smarts is better then going in blind. At least skim the workshop manual. I downloaded mine and printed it at Officeworks. That was useful.

Now definitely get a few mechanics (I used two) at its location (GRORIOUS NIHON) to look it over, test drive it and take photos of things that need attention (do get a report on how the car is, stupid things you might not know of will trip you up when registration comes along (think window defoggers, etc) (also consider hidden costs like tires)). Good luck, I only had to deal with the Australian/American English divide.

Now, if you can, take what you got from those mechanics to someone In The Know where you are (ideally, someone who registers cars, a certified engineer would be ideal), and hash out a rough costing together of all it might need (be generous and add a few thousand in case of disaster here). If this is not possible, make a worst case list anyway and maybe consult a dedicated forum or cross your fingers. That disaster fund will be appropriate regardless.

I also recommend consulting someone who has experience with getting unregistered imports registered. It's harder then you'd think, but much easier with help.

After all that, if the price looks reasonable and you think it's viable, go ahead and bite the bullet. At this point brace for any relevant customs bullshit (I got charged a few hundred to degas the air-conditioner by my shipping company (fair enough?), and was "chosen" for "random" car cleaning, which is basically a flat fee on top of customs inspection that they hand out liberally. Suffice to say I found spiders in my car after this so assume your car won't actually be cleaned).

5K is a good deal thus far even assuming it's not perfect. You're not too deep in it if it goes belly up. I paid 11K for mine, and then 4K for shipping from Florida (inc. trucking to depot), for reference.

All that said, I still love my car, very, very much, but it's a project instead of a perfect Sunday cruiser when I could have got the latter. That's annoying, but I've gotten over it. Pic related.

Also, is that some Mini variant? Looks like it. You might want to talk to British Leyland Drift Champion in 4chan's /o/ in Ausfag threads. He's a swell guy, real nice, and is familiar with the brand. Tell him I said hello if you do.

[horror story intensifies]

>>4530

>depression challenger

Although that is apropos in my case, I'm still hurt, new-owner-of-/o/-san.

To blog a little, it arrived with a rust hole as big as a tire in the trunk floor, covered with siliconed and riveted in aluminum panels. The exhaust I asked the seller to install was installed by mexicans (that's another lesson, get work done locally if it needs it, not overseas) and is literally straight pipes, so loud that it passed muster by being one decibel quieter then the legal limit, the starter and auto-choke were nigger rigged in so that they stole all charge the alternator delivered to the battery and the interior was pretty botched and it has rust problems in other areas.

Oh, and the petrol tank leaks at the seam in the middle.

And the differential was several inches too short and liable to fall out.

And the indicator failed shortly after arrival.

And the hood pins are installed with wood screws.

And the frame rails had holes in them.

But other then that, she's a sweet old girl and I love her. The trunk floor is fixed, as is the diff, frame rails and electrics, I have a new petrol tank ready to go in and then as soon as my muffler man won't spontaneously combust the car when he starts welding, he's ready to put real ones in too.

And the engine runs like a dream which is nice.

>>4532

I've learned that now. Why I bought a car from rust country I'll never know. I'd not consider selling the fucker until the petrol tank is sorted, though, as I wouldn't do that to someone else.

>>4533

Look, the long and short of it is that I fucked up. I didn't know shit about cars and I didn't tell anyone and surprised my parents with it one day.

I get to parade around my big brass balls now as a result, but in reality, I had the right idea but didn't get other people involved. Had I shown the photos of what I saw to other people, they'd have spotted areas of interest immediately and it'd been fine. I'd seriously ask around (local mechanics, etc), and find someone whose done it and just talk about what you want to do, or AT LEAST involve family.

You've got a real cheap car there, so your sunk cost initially will be really low even if it's the worst fucking car, and it looks like it comes from a reputable seller, so I'd say that, at absolute worst, you'd be facing an extra $5k in costs. You're also not buying from a scumbag American seller, which helps.

Also, after everything, I'm still smiling, and I do love my car, for what it's worth. No matter how bad the experience, I say do it. It's cheap, relatively speaking, and you only get to do it when you're young unless you're lucky. It may not be worth much, but I think you're safer buying from Japan, too.

If you'd ask me whether I'd do it again, I'd say absolutely. I wouldn't buy this particular one again knowing what was up with it (probably get one from Florida as anon correctly endorsed above), but I'd definitely get another.

>>4534

Euro is so boring though…

>>4538

E-body mopars command a price premium by being a popular type. I found a few others in similar shape. Probably should have gone for a 383 Cuda I found instead, but this looked nicer and that had a sketchy aftermarket 80's sunroof which I was almost certain leaked.

I'm serious, I looked for a few months before I found this one, and have been eyeballing the market periodically since. It's not great if you want a Challenger or Cuda (non-online auctions sometimes are an exception). Now, this is partially my fault. I've since come to realize that I would have equally loved a Roadrunner, Dart or Mustang, but I was obstinate and had to have my favorite car (I also chose the Challenger over other less famous cars because it has a strong aftermarket with every reproduction part you could ever want).

And it was a small nightmare, but I pulled through and it's still worth more then what I paid for it plus shipping in Australia in it's state. Sure, I've lost some thousands in labor and parts, but I'm not too badly hurt to be honest and that's the price you pay for knowledge the hard way and easily avoidable.

>>4539

Okay, well I agree with your assessment then. Safety nets are important.

5k isn't that much to take on as sunk cost, and personally if it was me and I was positive it was a good car after getting it looked over and verifying findings with others locally, I might go for it and let it sit while I saved up money for any work it might need, but I totally respect people who would just say no due to the risk.

I'd still chat with BLDC though. His family has two minis and two mokes IIRC.

>>4541

There are things like old Celicas, but they're not really that cheap. Certainly nothing worth buying in the $5k range; they'd definitely be projects or basket cases in that price bracket.

Australia has some great older cars, but they have no parts support. The best of those cost a fortune, though there are some neat ones in there though that you can still buy for cheap. Everything else is expensive for what you get. We're the fourth most expensive country in the world and you definitely feel it.

>>4542

Decent life choice tbh.

I spent some time looking at Skylines as I was originally interested in going fast and selling my DD. You might like to consider checking out some unmolested 4 door R33's perhaps (if you can find one), as all the hoons gravitate to the coupe versions.

Only concern about rotaries is that they burn oil and are at risk of having been hooned due to looking remotely sporty and that is an additional cost you'll need to consider.

Anyway, if you find anything, chuck up some links or whatever and /o/ will no doubt give you shit over your life choices while telling you to buy an MX-5.

>>4543

>RX-7 for less then $10k worth it's price in scrap metal

>Press (Y) to doubt.

>>4546

It's basically shit here.

Now that the USD has surged upward too, it's the holy duo of expensive to shop locally and abroad.

>>4545

Would throw a mechanic at it before you buy, make sure the targa top doesn't leak (if it has one) and make sure all electrics work as it's a little old.

Also, have heard that it's good to consider mileage, turbo and engine rebuilds, but I have no clue.

Friend bought a Mitsubishi GTO and has been given months of shit from friends because it has faulty electrics. Think top-gear style windows winding down for no reason, etc. Another reason I like 70's cars. Less to go wrong.