DaiOni

"Plus all delica spacegears seem to look like each other because theres silver, blue and white... that's about it..." and green! I see them every day, and 50% of them, in my area, are green

* you don't have to 'ring its neck' to get good performance - but you'll be flying if you keep it at 5,000 and above. * I've got most of the bolt-ons, and there has been a fairly consistent gain across the range (not much down low - but no reduction either). twin turbo + rotary is dynamically quite different to any other performance car I've driven (and it's mostly a very good thing).

just changed - now not possible.

* fuel consumption is, to a certain degree, a hangover (stigma) carried over from earlier rotaries. In fact, driver magazine (japan), found the r32 GTR to have marginally worse fuel consumption. For a real world example, my FD (with nearly all the bolt-ons) isn't _that_ much worse than my 98 forester (stock 184kw ej20t, 1380kg, exhaust/filter). I can't imagine the evo vs fd would be that much of a big deal. * anyone here who thinks an rx7 is a compromised handling car, or would be left for dead by an evo, is talking out there arse. Please try driving each car before you type. The only thing that comes close to the rx7, in terms of japanese rwd cars, is the NSX (and it's in another universe, in terms of price bracket). * the top spec series 8 cars are rated at 280ps (thought to be closer to 300ps). Among the changes from s6 = different turbos (faster spool), different engine lubrication, better intake, different cooling system, different exhaust (dp/cb), different sequential system, radically different suspension, bigger brakes, better aerodynamics, 16bit ecu, upgraded abs, last versions have an extra electronic braking system (EBD), lighter rims, better brake ducting - along with a host of interior/exterior aesthetic upgrades * as for the 'club racer' comment - series 6 are old cars, and series 8 haven't been widely available. In japan the FD is certainly appreciated for its quality and qualities. * the bottom line (for the modifying minded) - you can easily, and relatively cheaply build a 10 second rx7 that will handle sublimely - try doing that with an evo or subie. For the same inputted $$$, you will make a mockery of the evo, corners and straights. Not to say the evos aren't amazingly gifted cars - I'd certainly have one - but you're a fool if you believe every myth on the net, and underestimate the FD.

It's not particularly close to top secret.

chicken gizzards, hearts, lungs, skin, gristle... to name a few. It's one of the items on a menu you should steer away from, unless you can read the kanji (or, rare though it might be, if they have an english menu). my recommendations for tokyo (if not going for automotive reasons): harajuku during the day for people watching, shibuya at night for a beer and atmosphere, and kabuki-cho in shinjuku for some night-time people watching. Chill out in central shinjuku with a last drink at the top floor bar of the hyatt (same bar as seen in 'lost in translation') - the view is awesome and they do a great bombay sapphire and tonic

just to clarify, they are actually a base-price unit from apexi (ie: same as skyline GTT, silvia, etc). Any variation in rrp comes from the distributor (for example, someone who has made a bulk purchase and can provide a significant discount)

" besides endurence ones like targa " results in nz targa pretty much smash that myth

first thing to check is whether the hotel has a courtesy bus - might save you some cash if it was me, I'd take the hotel address with me. However, one would assume that a taxi driver working that area may have taken the time to learn some rudimentary english (at least. Not that I've ever experienced that in other asian countries...)

sorry - narita express (NEX) - a rather fast train, and a very limited stop express line (= quickest connection between central tokyo and the airport). They run constantly (though not 24hrs - as with all japanese trains), so are quite convenient

bugger all, really - but there are some solid chunks of civilisation nearby - so you could definitely just wander around and soak up the atmosphere. If you have a full day there - then you could get the NEX into central tokyo (takes about an hour), have fun, then go back

power fc all the way - the vast majority of japanese FDs run them with no issues (the only reason you'd consider a microtech is tuner availability...) I got mine delivered (in japan) for A$920, including controller. Shouldn't be too much more expensive from someone like nengun. Installation is extremely basic (unscrew kick panel, unplug, plug in pfc, tape it in, do 'idle learn'). That only leaves tuning - which is a totally random variable.

evo vi vs s6: evo vi evo vi vs s8: s8 (that's an s8 (or a kitted 6) that is pictured above, btw) evo vii vs s8: evo vii s6 is a bag of worms - definitely do some research before heading down that road (take my word for it!). s8 is the perfection of the 3rd gen FD (though still requires research and caution if you want to mod). Both cars are pretty much on par when it comes to performance and ability - though the driving experience is poles apart. The FD is a real "drivers' car", while the later evos largely run the show, as opposed to the driver. The FD is definitely cheaper in terms of bang for buck (despite the common misconception that anything twin turbo is horribly expensive to mod) - as long as it is done wisely. Having ridden in an evo vii - I can say that it is one of very few japanese cars that I would swap my car for. Aesthetically, however, I'm not a big fan of the viii.

JET definitely aren't overtly discriminatory when it comes to asian applicants - in my prefecture, for example, there is an obvious and healthy number of asian teachers. However, you may find that the corporates aren't so kind. In particular, the smaller english companies run by japanese management. I can see them thinking that customers wouldn't be getting an 'authentic' teaching experience, if the teacher was of asian descent. Hopefully this is the exception, rather than the rule - but you can guarantee that this sort of misguided sentiment exists. Anyway, if you have the qualifications, and want a job here - then you will definitely get one if you persist. I can't recommend JET highly enough though - it has so many advantages over corporate work (especially since they dropped the wage level for visa requirements - some of the the salaries offered these days are insanely bad). now, life as a non-japanese asian in japan... there's a whole different thread...

it says "bills/notices prohibited" and below says "saitama prefecture police" (basically saying - 'no flyers etc, here')

yep - a freight container is the way to do it if you are shipping bulk. In fact, as long as you are maintaining a good profit margin, it's probably the only half-decent means of freight. surface mail usually means 'by ship' - but these days it's just a general term for 'really bloody slow'

Yeah, it's possible, but most people don't like paying the freight. A 20kg package* to zone 3 (inc states, nz, oz) via airmail is nearly US$300. Surface mail is about a 1/3 of that - but takes forever. * PO rates - but my investigations have found that independant freighters are not much cheaper. PO has a 20kg limit as well.

Say goodbye to her. The cost and borderline impossibility make it unfeasible. Sell it and buy something else - plenty of other great cars out there for you to explore - and there are plenty of 2nd-hand and new bargains in the states

it DOES have to be complied - but what is required is far less stringent. It'll be things like fuel filler thingy, child anchor point, tyres, and so on (but will vary depending on the complier - that's what I've noticed, anyway). first thing you need to do is own the car for 12months - as I told you, that will actually need to be a little more than 12 months (so more than 12 months in-country is required). Make sure you get a car with plenty of shaken. Also, you can only leave the country for a certain # of weeks (maybe 6? but check with DOTARS. This info isn't listed on that site) - so be careful with holidays. next, you download the form on the DOTARS site - fill it out, then send it to them (atm, $50 fee). Wait for the reply - it might take some time, so factor this into the plan there is a lot of paperwork required for approval (it's a pain in the butt) - things like photocopies of your passport (all pages), parking permit, purchase contract, insurance forms, yearly tax certificate, etc etc etc (make sure you file and store all these things carefully). DOTARS asks for these things to be translated by a certified translator in oz (I got around this, and they let me use a translator here. evo_lee reckons he didn't translate anything - which would have suited me, but DOTARS specifically told me what they wanted). the form also asks for the name of your freight forwarder (customs agent) - so you need to contact one of those, too If you're bringing an older car in (maybe... pre-96?), you'll need to check that it's AC gas isn't on the banned list (it most likely is), then you need to contact the enviro department, who will tell you what you need to do. Your customs agent will do the rest. Make sure he knows what he is doing though - because, as a p.i you can get an exemption (which is a lot cheaper than getting the car de/re-gassed by a certifed company). organise freight - container is expensive (probably 3x the roll on, roll off (RORO) price), but the safest method. Recent quotes I got, for RORO, to brisbane or sydney, varied quite a bit. Expect, on average, currently, about US$69 per cubic metre (as an example, my rx7 would have been just under 10 cubic metres). Some companies may charge an additional fee for freight insurance (there have been numerous discussions on here as to the worth of such insurance). As well as having an agent in oz, you'll need one to process customs in japan. If you use kiwi - they can organise those people at both ends. If you have organised the freight, hired agents, and received approval - then it's time to get the car to the port. If you're in the kanto or kansai regions to start with - then you can simply drive the car yourself. Otherwise, you'll need to get a company to put it on a truck. Once the car is in port in oz, it needs to go through quarantine. There is a couple of good threads on here that outline this process. In general, it's an excuse for the govt to steal some money off you (and, sometimes, an opportunity for wharfies to steal things off your car). There are numerous little (and large) fees that need to be paid. Don't pack your car with personal goods - otherwise it will incur even more freight/quarantine fees, and take more time to process. Prices vary, but most I've seen will be around the $1k mark (including agent fees). During this process, the government will steal lots of money off you. First you pay import duty (10% of the car's value), then you pay 10% GST on the car's value + import duty + freight (tax on tax on tax! it's criminal, especially as you've already paid japanese sales tax...). As the car is a personal import, they will probably get a private valuer to come and value the car (and charge you $300 (or more/less) for it). This is because 'the value of the car has changed, as it wasn't recently purchased'. I'd be very pissed off if the price came to more than what I paid in japan. They can up the price for mods (ridiculous - as you never get your money back, resale, on modifications). /edit: content removed by Vijay Then you have to pick up the car, put it on a trailer, and take it home. Then find a compliance workshop and take the car to them. As stated, the compliance cost will vary according to the dodginess/strictness of the engineer. The biggest cost you may incur is a new set of tyres. You will also need to purchase and have fitted, a 'yellow plate' (compliance plate, in the engine bay) - this is the magical 'out of jail free' card (a personal import only has to comply to safety regs - not ADRs - this is explicitly mentioned by DOTARS - thus, great for defect time). Of course, the other great advantage of p.i compliance is that you get to keep all your mods. After this, you'll be needing to go to vicroads/rta/whatever and get it registered. And, beforehand, you'll need to be raped by an insurance company. cheers - the car is now onroad and ready to go. (disclaimer: I may have missed a few points - but that is the rough guide to p.i)

"it'll be a b!tch driving around a big car like an R34 in japan, that's why i hardly saw any Soarers or Supras there. Just too inconvenient to get around." I'm going to disagree a little there (for one, being a forester driver here...) - where I live has the worst roads (in terms of width) that I have seen in japan - lots of alleyways, roads where you have to wait for opposite traffic to come past, etc - yet it doesn't stop countless people driving cimas, cefs, crowns - and just about every other v8 lux0barge you can imagine VIP urge > common sense

you'd need to buy it straight away (not too hard - I had an r33 by the end of my first week here). yes - a personal import will be marginally cheaper than buying from an import yard - as you cut out standard compliance (p.i is much less stringent) + their mark-up there are three big plusses for p.i: 1. you get a car in japan (great if you're in a semi-urban or rural locale) 2. you don't have to comply to ADRs - just safety regs (bald tyres, etc) - so you can get away with a lot more (re: defects) 3. you don't have to put the car back to stock when complying personally, I think a non-turbo would be a waste of time. You'd be better off buying an older performance car - perhaps an evo V?

if you're in the city you won't need one. if you're going to buy one you need, effectively, to be there more than one year. an early r34 turbo is going to cost you, on road, at least 1.5 - 1.8 million (for something worthwhile, though with relatively high kms). The best ones are going to start at the low 2mill mark. insurance is not going to be cheap, and, if you're going to be there for over a year, there will also be car tax (the first year should be calculated into the initial price). getting the car home will cost you a packet too - shipping, agents, agents in oz, quarantine, import duty, gst, compliance, then re-rego, stamp duty, etc etc etc... make sure you're aware of all the costs before you contemplate doing it

right, but that relies on the fact that a potential buyer would find that valid. I for one, would not.