The Ins And Outs Of Cars In Japan

[Laurence]

I am attempting to work at the car auctions in Japan at the moment so if you would rather pay rip off Laurence prices than rip off retail prices then I would be sort of happy to help. If you are willing to get a car that isn't black or white then you will be able to pick up a bargain if you wait long enough.

People I work with have exported E39 5-series BMWs and made decent money, but they take a while to sell. Do you have someone in Australia who can help you?

[Kaido_RR]

I am attempting to work at the car auctions in Japan at the moment so if you would rather pay rip off Laurence prices than rip off retail prices then I would be sort of happy to help. If you are willing to get a car that isn't black or white then you will be able to pick up a bargain if you wait long enough.

People I work with have exported E39 5-series BMWs and made decent money, but they take a while to sell. Do you have someone in Australia who can help you?

want to help me a car

[dswifty]

sorry about the late reply. Had my eye on te euro prices in japan in general, however we're restricted to the sevs list which pretty much rules out most cars. That left us with the option of perhaps a ferrari modena however, there is no such thing as a right hand drive ferrari in japan it appears :S. Another consideration was an h2 hummer or an escalade however the import duties and conversion issues are quite substantial. Its on the backburner at the moment, may try a japanese car or so before we get serious.

For your situation however it really comes down to preferance, a rare suby or mitsu make make u some money but the fact that u can own someting luxurious that most people cant is also tempting. An m3 would be a good car to bring in, probably not an e500 due to the rocketing fuel pricing which is affecting depreciation, an e320 however is a well sought after car 03 04 models are still going for AUD 75-85K.

My advice, get what u want, u probably wont lose any money on it either way. And if u do then at least u owned someting nice for a little while.

black e500 on 19in brabus rims, mmmmmm japan here i come.

Peace

[akeenan]

Ha! Not like i really care Akeenan, but would you like me to drive down to where you are and take you for a spin

yes, then we can become good friends

[m3gtr]

sorry about the late reply. Had my eye on te euro prices in japan in general, however we're restricted to the sevs list which pretty much rules out most cars. That left us with the option of perhaps a ferrari modena however, there is no such thing as a right hand drive ferrari in japan it appears :S. Another consideration was an h2 hummer or an escalade however the import duties and conversion issues are quite substantial. Its on the backburner at the moment, may try a japanese car or so before we get serious.

For your situation however it really comes down to preferance, a rare suby or mitsu make make u some money but the fact that u can own someting luxurious that most people cant is also tempting. An m3 would be a good car to bring in, probably not an e500 due to the rocketing fuel pricing which is affecting depreciation, an e320 however is a well sought after car 03 04 models are still going for AUD 75-85K.

My advice, get what u want, u probably wont lose any money on it either way. And if u do then at least u owned someting nice for a little while.

black e500 on 19in brabus rims, mmmmmm japan here i come.

Peace

dswifty, you may not be singing the exact tune but i think we like the same band.

Ive given up on Mercedes... at least for now. I understand they had a world wide recall, the brand has taken a serious knock of late...people are more wary of the badge than ever before. Ive read and heard about all sorts of electrical and mechanical problems associated with them too and even though the average Japanese person will pamper their merc, they will also fork out hand over fist, wads of cash to keep it going. Such is life here, failure or not.

Not for me.

But...

Every time i search the web for an E46 M3 review i hear people gush over the things... and it brings back memories thats for sure.

Ive never driven one but ive worked on many.

Ive always wanted and dreamed of having an M3... It seems thats about to be fulfilled.

And youre right dswifty, even if i only break even, ive had a fantastic car to drive for a year and thats nothing to complain about. I hear the M3 is a car everyone who is serious about driving should drive, and or own, sometime in their lives. The cars that im looking at are just that...other peoples cars. Im going into this with the mentality that im getting this car only to pass it onto someone else in the near future.

Should still be fun though!

Now...Beer Baron.. about those beers... who owes who? This tab has gotten mighty messy.

[m3gtr]

I am attempting to work at the car auctions in Japan at the moment so if you would rather pay rip off Laurence prices than rip off retail prices then I would be sort of happy to help. If you are willing to get a car that isn't black or white then you will be able to pick up a bargain if you wait long enough.

People I work with have exported E39 5-series BMWs and made decent money, but they take a while to sell. Do you have someone in Australia who can help you?

I do Lorry.

He's in the trade and has freaked at the thought of me getting a car like this. He was like, " You drove a shitbox colt 3 years ago and now you're coming back with an M3? How the f**k can you expect me to believe that?"

Im still laughing at the thought of posting him pics and vids, lol!

Looking forward to the shock on his face when i roll up in it.

Edited March 21, 2008 by m3gtr

[Laurence]

Dude, you really gotta chill on the proving yourself to people thing...

I sold my E46 318i to come to Japan, and it was a wonderful (albiet gutless) car. You will definitely not be disappointed. I realise they are very different cars, but considering how good the base model is the M3 has to be pretty awesome. I have only driven a E36 M3 and that was pretty nice, but a bit "distant" to drive, a bit like a Playstation.

The stock muffler has got to go, but apart from that they are great, 19" tyres have come down in price a lot, so I would go for one with stock 19's and Aussies always want a sunroof. Unless your GF wants auto then I would personally steer clear of the SMG II, but it is probably easier to sell with it.

Edited March 21, 2008 by Laurence

[m3gtr]

Dude, you really gotta chill on the proving yourself to people thing...

I sold my E46 318i to come to Japan, and it was a wonderful (albiet gutless) car. You will definitely not be disappointed. I realise they are very different cars, but considering how good the base model is the M3 has to be pretty awesome. I have only driven a E36 M3 and that was pretty nice, but a bit "distant" to drive, a bit like a Playstation.

The stock muffler has got to go, but apart from that they are great, 19" tyres have come down in price a lot, so I would go for one with stock 19's and Aussies always want a sunroof. Unless your GF wants auto then I would personally steer clear of the SMG II, but it is probably easier to sell with it.

Whoa whoa. Im not trying to do anything but get a nice ride in the driveway, dont get me wrong Laurence. Don't misunderstand.

So what was the M3 E36 like to drive? Ive only serviced them, never road tested. How the hell did that happen? Anyways, whats the impression you got? Craving,..craving,....

I never took you for a BM driver Lorry, thats fo shizzle.

Still, good to hear about it. The thing im worried about the most is the Navi unit...

Mercs have given me a similar headache...JPN spec u nits NEVER match with OZ spec units...

What to do...what to do. OEM or aftermarket?

The WIFE by the way, doesnt have a license. Thats okay, i can chauffeur her around no dramas. Im thinkin manual over smg...

whats your take on that?

Edited March 21, 2008 by m3gtr

[Laurence]

BMW Navi unit is fine, just a CD-ROM away from Aus-spec according to my E39 exporting friend.

LOL, E36 is nice, it was a long time ago so all I really remember was having a bit less feedback than I would like as it started to break away.

Haha, well I am not a BMW driver any more, so no reason to take me for one. Life changes as you know, doesn't always get better.

[dswifty]

it seems like u have a fair idea on what u wanna do. The only other suggestion i have is to look at later 330ci convertibles because they seem to be worth a fortune here. Anyways enjoy buying. Love to see what u get.

[DaiOni]

I would have had an M3 here years ago, but finding a well-priced one with the wheel on the right side is a bitch...

[m3gtr]

I would have had an M3 here years ago, but finding a well-priced one with the wheel on the right side is a bitch...

I found one in Shiga, 2002 model, 4.5 million yen, Right hand drive, full leather options, manual, Harman Kardon sound system, 15 K on the clock, Silver, factory Navi...

very nice car. I have someone chasing up on it. If its kosher, we'll start bargaining.

You can get RHD M3's but finding one with the exact wish list is a bitch...

Check it out...

http://www.carsensor.net/usedcar/detail.ph...KN=CU0002173112

Edited March 24, 2008 by m3gtr

[m3gtr]

oh and Laurence, what happened to my PM? Write me back yo!

[Laurence]

we'll start bargaining.

Hehehe... Japanese people are as good at negotiating as they are at; making quick decisions, wearing shoes inside and changing old habits. Good luck! Car looks perfect though.

oh and Laurence, what happened to my PM? Write me back yo!

I am in Australia until April 4th so I will be able to reply after that. Edited March 25, 2008 by Laurence

[siksII]

When i was in japan a couple of weeks ago every merc i saw (mostly new model e and s class cars) were all left hand drive.. is this normal? And why is it the case when all other cars there are right hand drive?

In relation to the M3 i have never driven one so I cant say for sure, but have been passenger in an e46 and was very disappointed. It might be a car that grows on you i guess, but my first impression was disappointment. With this in mind I would recommend having a good drive of one or at least a long passenger ride before making a decision. Perhaps the good reviews from everywhere might have lifted my expectations too high.

[Laurence]

I asked a few students about this, one in particular who had just bought a new BMW. She chose that as it was the cheapest boutique brand German car (Audi or VW is not cool) available in LHD.

So for her anyway the reason was the baller status of owning a European car that looks European. Another common fashion is putting European number plates under the Japanese plates.

People even import Lexus from the US so they can have a LHD Japanese car. Very, very former D1 driver Kazuya Bai drives a 240SX so he could have a LHD 180SX.

[m3gtr]

I asked a few students about this, one in particular who had just bought a new BMW. She chose that as it was the cheapest boutique brand German car (Audi or VW is not cool) available in LHD.

So for her anyway the reason was the baller status of owning a European car that looks European. Another common fashion is putting European number plates under the Japanese plates.

People even import Lexus from the US so they can have a LHD Japanese car. Very, very former D1 driver Kazuya Bai drives a 240SX so he could have a LHD 180SX.

Hey, ive saw that just the other day! Some Peugeot 307 had a Euro under the Jap plate.

LHD is out of the question in Oz, unless something has changed in the time ive been here? In response, RHD cars are plentiful here. Every week. EXCEPT, strangely, for Ferrari, Porsche, and lamborghini. I think i have seen 1 RHD Fezza out of thousands and only a Hanful of RHD Porkas...not ONE Lambo.

Its just that there are way more LHD. Its all image. And a lack of import restrictions plus a few thousand Euros is not going to harm the local economy considering Japan has 7 or 8 (?)manufacturers.

The E46 you went for a ride in didnt have a 250kw powerplant plus all of The M goodies you could poke a stick at. The chassis is a winner. It just needed more balls.

[m3gtr]

Hehehe... Japanese people are as good at negotiating as they are at; making quick decisions, wearing shoes inside and changing old habits. Good luck! Car looks perfect though.

I am in Australia until April 4th so I will be able to reply after that.

Ok, kewl. Let me know..i HAVE to know about the Navi unit but ill have a google in the meantime...

[Laurence]

Well the guy told me it could be done, but his car had the older 4:3 navigation, I am not sure if the later model one in the car you are looking at uses the same system. I don't really think a functioning navigation system is quite as important in Oz as it is in Japan so I would be more worried about bent radiator supports and other things before that.

Also if you intend to stay in Japan for the long term, the last thing you need to do is rush into getting a car. Japan has lots of them and better to miss out on a good one you are not sure about than buy a bad one you were in a rush to check.

[m3gtr]

Well the guy told me it could be done, but his car had the older 4:3 navigation, I am not sure if the later model one in the car you are looking at uses the same system. I don't really think a functioning navigation system is quite as important in Oz as it is in Japan so I would be more worried about bent radiator supports and other things before that.

Also if you intend to stay in Japan for the long term, the last thing you need to do is rush into getting a car. Japan has lots of them and better to miss out on a good one you are not sure about than buy a bad one you were in a rush to check.

Oh boy do i hear that. Im not in any particularly crucial rush but a 2002 with 15k on the clock is very interesting. Ive seen another one that had "minor" RHRQ damage that had been "repaired". If thats true why wouldnt the car have shaken then, lol.

Avoided that one.

Not sure if the '02 has books and complete service history but im still awaiting a verdict from the initial contact. I wonder what the Japanese version of the RAA inspection is..??