The Import Industry

[Guest]

I know it is bringing up an old post but this is an example of the problems people have to deal with after paying hard earned money for there car.

It was only two problems but as you can see not an easy or cheap fix.

Got my V36 delivered from NSW to WA and had to bring it to the pits prior to registration (already has a compliance plate), the inspection failed on two items.

[Mr Eps]

this is not a thread that gets "dug up" .. it's an on-going discussion point...

as for the V36 debacle... it's as simple as getting the tyre placard re-printed CORRECTLY as the compliance shop made a mistake (probably unintentionally)

HIDs... swap them back to normal halogen globes? it's not that hard at all! i'm just saying it's not the end of the world... and to say that interstate cars are being flagged by DPI (first of all it's dept of transport and has been for years) but to say they're being "flagged" is stupid man...

that particular car had rego refused cos it has HIDs fitted without self levellers or headlights washers - same as ANY car would.

not becasue it's an interstate complied car.

and compliance is a FEDERAL practice. the tyres dont match an incorrect placard? that's the compliance shop making the wrong placard. can happen in WA. can happen overeast. it would be rejected ANYWHERE.

not because it's an interstate car. but because it's not REGISTERABLE like that...

NO state will register an incorrect tyre to what the placard states!

and that's not got anything to do with interstate cars being clamped down on. it's because the car has been complied by a monkey... but that can happen in WA also.

just because WA charges more doesn't mean they're all as meticulous as the work you perform, Nigel!

[Guest]

For the HID's who is going to pay for them to be done here as it is still $250 for a good job to be done especially if they want them put back in after the pits with no scratches on your front bar. With only 2,000 klm's on the car I would want new (or close to new) tyres fitted and the correct size, you cant just reprint a placard either as it isn't that simple unlike swapping HID's to H1's and back.

A don't comply cars it is easier that way and making remarks about me isn't what this is about, if I cant do the job correctly I wont do it simple. It isn't about the money, if it was I would (as a business) be out there breaking the law for some dumb F@#K to save a few dollars.

Complying cars incorrectly is a breach of the Trade Practices Act 1974, ADR's, Motor Vehicle Standards Act 1989 and its Regulations and Determinations but again what the hell lets do it just for some dumb F@#K to save a few dollars.

One last thing I can tell you first hand interstate RAWS cars if first registered over here are we will say "carefully looked at" other wise the training DOTARS held at "Dept of Transport" was a waste of time.

Edited August 10, 2010 by Guest

[Mr Eps]

im not making remarks about you? i'm saying you do good work... don't be so defensive!

and - point still stands... ALL cars, interstate RAWS. WA raws. import, non-import.. should all be "looked at carefully" by our dept of transport, this V36 got rejected registration not because it was interstate, but because it was complied illegally... should never have happened, but they'd reject it over east, too!

and there's nothing stopping a WA raw from complying a car like a spastic either...

[mxfly]

I'll add my experience with what i have observed with a particular raws in Sydney. Recently we got a job in with an import just for a general service. The guy also asked if we can fit child restraints as they were never installed. I thought, wtf. That's one of the integral parts of having an import properly complied..

Since we are a raws with most of the hands on stuff done by myself, I know what should be done to all imports. Well this particular car had so much work left out, it was bordering on being a potential danger on the roads. I felt incredibly ashamed on the industry that I work in, honestly. The child restraint anchors only costs a few dollars and takes about 30 minutes to install for a person who knows what he's doing. Some cars like M35's takes considerably longer as you need to remove a lot of trims in the boot, and there's a special way to fit the anchors properly, but nevertheless, it's not a difficult job.

Back to this car. Things I can remember that were left out during compliancing was.

- child restraints

- replacing lens on side mirrors

- air filter

- tyres, non-dot approved

- cat

I'd also question if the oil had been changed as well but obviously, I couldn't tell as the owner had driven it for a few thou kms already.

So I totally agree on what Richard said. The entire import industry is in shambles from so many dodgey operators not doing their jobs properly. Raws are undercutting one another just so they can get the business and quite often, will cut corners themselves in the process when a car is being complied.

[Beer Baron]

the sad problem is a lot of that is driven by customers who want to save money. the price of compliance gets to be so low due to haggling by customers and competition for business that when they want to save that extra $100 it gets to the point that a compliance workshop just cannot do the work required for the money available and that's when it starts to cut into the quality of work and that's when you get stuff being left un-done.

For the reason above I always pay fair money for compliance on any car I have something to do with. Part of that is because I have done work complying cars under the old CPA LVIS scheme and it was hard work and we did it properly even without having to be told to. We didn't have to pay big money for ISO systems etc we just did the right thing cause it was the right thing to do?!?! strange concept I know. Still people would come and smash us down on price and sometimes we had to take the work and end up basically working for free. little things like how you do a fuel filler neck restrictor (I know not done these days thank god). back then most people would just cut the neck with an angle grinder and then use sikaflex to 'seal' the restrictor in place. other places would just not do it at all (at least these didn't leak or cause problems until an inspector looked at your car).

the ones that did it dodgey would soon have the sikaflex eroded by the petrol fumes and cars would leak fuel out of the filler neck! very spectacular through turn 1 at eastern creek... you would see R32 GTRs literally loosing litres of fuel each lap as it gushed out through the hard high speed right hander. we on the other hand would hand finish the cut with a file to remove the sharp edges and then shape the neck so the restrictor actually fitted properly and then remember to fit it the right way up too. we'd then seal it using devcon which is about 5 times the price of sellys "no more gap" but is resistant to fuel vapour and seals properly against METAL. small thing but you can see just that one thing cost more time and money but no one cares. until their car leaks fuel that is...

anyway it's still no different to the rest of the auto industry or most other industries for that matter. yes there are some operators who do the wrong thing but there are also lots of dedicated hard working guys who are struggling to stay in the game but continue to do the right thing.

as customers you need to ask yourself do you want a 'good' job or a 'cheap' job. you can't have both. Be prepared to pay a little more for compliance but it's fair to expect good work out of it.

[Iron Chef]

Short version - if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys

[mxfly]

I used to remember in the early-mid 90's when the 300ZX TT were first available, they were 100 grand. Then when prices were more reasonable at 40k, I bought my first import in 1997. I thought that was a bargain. Now how much are they, 5-7 grand?

I can't imagine how much these importers were making out of me with that 40g.

And I remember the doors were super heavy from the side intrusion bars that were required as part of compliance.

[Import Monster]

The major issue here is that the average punter wanting a car imported gives no fark for the work required to meet ADR's. He/she doesn't care about the cat needing replacement, child restraints being installed, that the car must be scrutinised for hours to check part numbers are correct as per evidence and so on. All they care about is the little purple sticker and let's face it, pretty much the only time there is a complaint is when there is an issue come time to register the car. But tell someone prior to offering them compliance that they need to lose their Xenons and watch them walk to the next RAW who will let them keep them. Add in that the process for registering fresh imports is different from State to State and that just

Many of the guys I talk to and deal with through the importing process (from a customer point of view) either don't believe the work required to achieve compliance and think their money goes straight into the RAWS pocket in full in return for the compliance plate, or they are wanting to try and find a way around doing it - like reusing a mate's exhaust and headlights.

Whether right or wrong, they look at a country like NZ or the UK where all they need is to get the car in, take it for an MOT or WOF without any of the hoops we have to jump through and they see the whole compliance and RAWS scheme as another beauracratic bunch of redtape designed to make their lives miserable. If they could see some of the epic POS that came through and ended up on our roads pre RAWS, they'd get it - they'd understand the need.

But as it stands, due to the massive restrictions we are under vis a vis what can and can't be imported, compliance is seen as just another extension of that. Honestly when I explain that it can take $15-20k and 6+ months for a single RAW to achieve compliance for a vehicle, people are stunned. Then they start doing the maths. Yes, it really will take 15-20 cars complied before the RAW can even think about making some money on their investment. Not to mention the setup process and costs, the ongoing audits and the fact that with the points system, doing a customer a "favour" by leaving this or that on for compliance can cost them their livelihood. None of this is really public knowledge and many parts of the industry like to keep that "secret squirrel business" aura of mystery around it, so are loathe to share this info.

Education is key

[mxfly]

15-20k is considered cheap. The PM and PNM35 costed us 25 grand and more than 6 months to get approval, not to mention the back and forth the car went between Syd and Melb.

[Import Monster]

15-20k is considered cheap. The PM and PNM35 costed us 25 grand and more than 6 months to get approval, not to mention the back and forth the car went between Syd and Melb.

Very true, but of course the RAW who does the first test car then flogs off the evidence packages to other RAWs, recouping much of this and easing the pain for other RAWS. Not uncommon for a few workshops to share the cost of the initial test car - they'll also then sell the plates for a premium vs other cars, until the other RAWS catch up. Case in point is the E51 El Grand. Only 6 months ago there were two RAWS holding compliance and both charging $3500 ex GST.

Nowadays, $2700 is the norm and more RAWS coming on board all the time

[Specul8or]

the sad problem is a lot of that is driven by customers who want to save money.

The major issue here is that the average punter wanting a car imported gives no fark for the work required to meet ADR's.

bang on - compliance is viewed by most 'customers' (and that includes both the ultimate end user and many importers alike) as merely a process. a process which implies cost and - to a lesser degree - time. Quality is by far and away the lesser consideration. To some extent the time factor is neutralised across most importers (not all, but incidental to this discussion), however there is a clear trade-off between quality and cost. I have witnessed many purchasers (end users?...ie. not the importer) complain about what or what was not done after the fact (after they took possession of a car). However, prior to taking possession, their overarching driver is almost always cost, not quality. Customers may be prepared to pay more for aesthetic matters like kits and alloys, but to those 'out of sight, out of mind' matters like restraints, intrusion bars, etc - they have little concern.

I recall many people saying in 2002-3 when they shut down the old system in favour of the introduction of the RAWS system that this was designed to 'flush out the cowboys'. I knew back then then it was only a matter of time before these guys came back, and they've been back with us for years. (where there's a will, and a loophole, there's a way). any system is only as good as you can or will govern it, and the more RAWS who come on board, the less ability DoTaRS has to do so. hence things will likely only get worse. but - for what it's worth - let's hope not.

[NISMO]

As much as i agree that customers haggling to save $10 on a $30k import causes alot of the problems, I honestly think there are RAW's out there who are just as much to blame.

The good old era when imports where purely a thing for enthusiasts (workshops and customers alike) are long gone. There are RAW's that without doubt are 100% in it to make as much money as quick as possible. Thats not to say they're all like that, as most here can attest to the great service recieved by present company , but i think its naive at best to think that all the workshops are here purely cause they love imports and just want to earn a small living. And that all this is the fault of the customer.

I'd bet my house that even if everyone in Aus paid $10k say for compliance that you would still have workshops who say, ok out of this $10k we currently make $5k profit, but if we don't do the cats, no fluids then we can turn that into $6k!

[Import Monster]

As much as i agree that customers haggling to save $10 on a $30k import causes alot of the problems, I honestly think there are RAW's out there who are just as much to blame.

The good old era when imports where purely a thing for enthusiasts (workshops and customers alike) are long gone. There are RAW's that without doubt are 100% in it to make as much money as quick as possible. Thats not to say they're all like that, as most here can attest to the great service recieved by present company , but i think its naive at best to think that all the workshops are here purely cause they love imports and just want to earn a small living. And that all this is the fault of the customer.

I'd bet my house that even if everyone in Aus paid $10k say for compliance that you would still have workshops who say, ok out of this $10k we currently make $5k profit, but if we don't do the cats, no fluids then we can turn that into $6k!

couldn't agree more

[NISSAN GTR]

Need specialist advice please - I live in Adelaide and decided 2 years ago to buy a GTR R32 registered in Queensland , car was brought to SA and taken to regency for I.D check , i was told car had no compliance plate , and had to get full inspection ,found out only SEAT BELTS in the front had been done , no other ADRs had been carried out eg, side intrusion bars , child restraints got some really handy advice and eventually was complied after compliance works all carried out .

This car has since been written of by accident (others fault) and now i am looking at getting an R34 GTR V spec from an import spescialist or interstate !!!!!!!!!!!!!

My question is how can i check if ADRs are carried out on any R34 GTR myself if buying interstate before purchase ????????

And will a GTR R34 , still be treated like an new import like my R32 was even if its been in Australia for 3 years already would i have to get a full inspection + compliance shopped again if i brought it from NSW to SA .................

What are common ADRs to done on a R34 GTR

Cheers

[Iron Chef]

Two different kettles of fish - your R32 would have been imported under the old 15 year rule, that's why it needed a full pit inspection. The R34 will be imported under RAWS, no such problems, in fact the workshop that does them in SA will run it through Regency for you.

[Mr Eps]

question - does anybody else share the view that for a few years a few major components of the industry have just - sorta... gave up on itself? and are now paying the price for that?

that sounds ridiculously vague..

what i mean is - think back to 2003. there were R34's back then. the R34 was the "buzz" import then - that was the car everyone DREAMT of..

nowadays the "buzz" (buzz meaning freshly added to SEVS) is the jzx110 markII and the toyota crown

nothing wrong with these cars... i mean who doens't love a V8 luxury saloon or a 4 door sedan with 2.5lt turbo??

but

as far asseeing these cars as marketable and desirable - in today's market the newest jzx110 you can get is already what, six years old?

production ceased for these YEARS ago - 2010 shouldn't be seeing the approval of this car..

2006 or 2007 should have.. because THEN they still would've been a fresh face..

hmm that sounds stupid - but i mean..

okay 2010 we're STARTING to get the ball rolling on the zx110...

but.. since the 110 - toyota's had two generation changes since!! being - the mark X, the mark X series 2...

and in 2009 there's a new model!!!!

yet - late 2010 and we're JUST getting zx110? we shouldn't have even bothered, should've just start clean slate with the mark X

the mark X is the nicest car i've EVER sat inside... they look amazing from the outside when on the road.. sure - no 1JZgte.. but

The Mark X Supercharged version uses the 3GR-FSE engine with a supercharger added. 236 kW at 6200 rpm and 42.0kgm at 3200 rpm, paired to a 6 speed auto transmission.

moral of my story - i think that the import industry needs to get back in front of the ball and get back to being dynamic and innovative instead of telling people that 30 grand for a ten year old campervan is a good idea..

dealers spent too many years riding the coat tails of the V35... the industry has grown stagnate and fallen behind the 8ball with products available!

the VW scirocco is the only exciting car to be added to sevs this year IMO

[Iron Chef]

The main problem is that there are less and less models coming out of Japan that can be imported under SEVS for the Aussie market (ie turbo, RWD, manual).

I suspect the future of SEVS will eventually rely more heavily on Europe for cars....

PS I just bought a 110 - don't diss 'em

[Import Monster]

Compliance for the 110 took about 18 months longer than it should have. The first test vehicle came in back in late 07 or early 08

[_Ryan_]

bang on - compliance is viewed by most 'customers' (and that includes both the ultimate end user and many importers alike) as merely a process. a process which implies cost and - to a lesser degree - time. Quality is by far and away the lesser consideration. To some extent the time factor is neutralised across most importers (not all, but incidental to this discussion), however there is a clear trade-off between quality and cost. I have witnessed many purchasers (end users?...ie. not the importer) complain about what or what was not done after the fact (after they took possession of a car). However, prior to taking possession, their overarching driver is almost always cost, not quality. Customers may be prepared to pay more for aesthetic matters like kits and alloys, but to those 'out of sight, out of mind' matters like restraints, intrusion bars, etc - they have little concern.

It could be worth this thread being turned into an article of sorts, informing people what is involved in SEVS and compliance in general?

An eye-opener may do alot of people on both sides benefit...