to import or not

[redline2003]

Im looking to buy a 95 gtst r33 in bout 6-9 months time. the problem is i dont know whether to import it or just to buy it privately. what r the pros and cons. what r ur expiernces on the topic.

[franks]

its a farken long wait between buying and receiving thats all i can remember!!!

i had no dramas with importing. abit of running around to do when it got here, but that only took a morning to get all sorted and then an inspection from the rta...

i guess the big advantage of buying locally is that you can feel, touch, smell, drive the thing before buying...

[sven laptop]

If you don't like surprises, or you're impatient, then buy locally.

If you don't mind waiting & you think you can trust your import broker, then go for it, you might save some $$$.

But having just received & registered my R33 (more than 4 months after I signed on the dotted line with the import broker) my advice would be to be patient & don't believe what you're told about how much it will end up costing.

Good luck.

[Dragon18]

well ill tell ya about my story i imported my car 5 moths ago with my importer it was a whole headache and in the end i didnt even get the car. iam waiting for the money that he ows me 6 k to be exact

in the end i bought a car locally with afew less mods. yes you can get cars with more mods in japan thats the only reason why i went for an import but i got stuffed around alot and thats why i dont really reconmend it

dont get me wrong there are alot of good importers out there and i would gladly reconmend some to you but i dont belive it is worth importing a car with the new sev scheme if you want somthing with afew mods if you want a bog stock one yea go for it

thats my two cents =)

[Guest skylinedude]

Geoff at www.prestigemotorsport.com.au he is the most honest helpful person i have ever come across in the industry if your importing go with him.

Now that i have that out of the way there are alot of pros and cons with importing the waiting when importing and not being able to see,smell,test drive the car,but if you go with a good import company THAT YOU CAN TRUST and have some good buyers in japan with plenty of experience you save alot of $$$ when you import.

[ImPrOvIsE]

skylinedude is correct in whom he recommends.

However, it was the longest wait in my life for the 'line

[sven laptop]

Also remember that the broker can give you an idea of how much the car will end up costing, but in the end there are several variables & it might cost you considerably more than you expected.

If it does, there's no-one to complain to.

It's not like going to a car yard & seeing the price of a car rise by $2,000 overnight.

You can't bargain it down if you're already financially committed to buying it.

My R33 GTS-t sedan ended up costing me $3,000 more than I was told it would, but there's nothing I can do about it now.

Mind you, the car is here now. I love driving it & it was probably still a little cheaper than buying it here, but the wait & the hassle made up for that.

[king_kw13]

Hi guys

As a person in the process still of getting my car under the import scheme (most probably one of the last to ever do so), I have been finding it at times a frustrating process.

The car is always in the hands of the broker - you need to find out from them what is happening with it. So you will always get second hand information. The wait is terrible - I have not been waiting as longs as others who have been posting have, but even these last 2 months have been excruciating.

Yeah, I hopefully would save a little (hope hope), but I kind of like to think that it is a 'journey' to go through the process, no matter how frustrating or how anxious you feel for it, if you end up importing yourself, it makes your ride all the more worthwhile.

[Blackness]

I bought privately through the trading post. I got to test 3 skylines (and a couple of 180sxs). I ended up with a well priced car within a couple of weeks that had all the mods I was after ... no hassels, no suprises

There a lot of Skylines in australia now ... buy locally !

[Guest skylinedude]

i waited 6 weeks for my line and i went with prestigemotorsport :shake: :shake: :shake: :shake:

[T0nyGTSt]

Importing is actually a very big risk.

You know that the mileage is fulla shit and you don't know if you're getting a real bomb.

But you can get lucky.

T.

[Lozza150]

Your's kiks a$$ Tony. I imported mine. It's a great car and well priced for the stocker that io bought.

My advice would be to visit Prestige motorsport 's website give Geoff a call and find out all the info you want. He's a great guy.....

and he's got one mutha F*#ker of a Fairlady Z.......

go the Trust.....

Cheers

Loz

[adam 32]

i would never import again

other than the normal reasons such as a long wait, paperwork, hassles, the chance of the car being a piece of shit if you want my reasons PM me, cos i cant say on open forums

[Guest Shunted]

As it stands, cars imported from the beginning of May have to be completely standard vehicles! So unless you have a ton of standard parts (or a complete standard vehicle) it's not going to be worth the fact that you can buy a more modified vehicle from Japan for less... for the 95 R33. Also you will have to go through a registered auto workshop - thanks to your federal government for doubling the price of compliance.

The laws may change in due course... but I think that they have had the effect that the government (and major manufacturers) wanted - less vehicles available outside the "proper" channels.

[franks]

at what point in the import process will they demand to strip the mods off the car?

[Guest skylinedude]

compliance is my guess

[franks]

so the mods come into australia...?

whos to say your friendly compliancer wont just put them back on!?

[Guest Shunted]

There is alot more emphasis on the complier being responsible for the vehicles with the new laws. Audits are to be introduced as well - I suppose there is not going to be anything really stopping compliers passing modified vehicles BUT there is more chance of being caught, and losing your complier rights. Takes alot of cash and effort to become a complier now (ask around - alot of people are not going to continue in the business now)... would you be willing to do something dodgy and lose your business over some riceboy?

[T0nyGTSt]

Are the compliancers obliged to give you all the mods back?

T.

[Lozza150]

Yes.... but you have to fit them yourself. So i guess you pay for compliance + parts to have back to Standard. Then you can decide if you want the Mods..

I think now the Workshop gets the car's and they are responsible for the whole importing, approval, etc etc (like Shunted said). Once the car has "Aussied Up" then you take delivery.

May as well buy off a dealer.....

but the new law's are weird...