autech_axis

$9,000 in legal fees to recover $26,000. Me happy? Not. No - not going near another import. Besides with the Yen not far off half what it was when I bought the car, the numbers don't add up any more. Plenty of local bargains to be had right now.

Well folks, after 18 months of waiting, to no avail, and a protracted legal battle, settlement has been reached and most of my losses recouped. My 2004 NM35 Axis with VQ25DET motor was exchanged for a cash settlement with the RAWS shop who gave me the wrong advice about compliance. There's still no sign of this motor being able to meet the ADR specifications, and this whole farce has been a monumental waste of my time, and a good deal of my money. I believe Muz's case is now being handled by my lawyers, and I wish him every success in achieving a satisfactory outcome. If only the RAWS shop had done the right thing and bought the car off me in the first instance that a claim was made, they would have saved them and me a lot of money in legals. The terms of the settlement include a gag order, so don't ask me to name and shame. Cheers and farewell to all. Matthew

Muz, DON'T FEED THE TROLLS (F#$%WITS THO THEY MAY BE).

Muz, Please don't dignify the above drivel with a response. I have reported the poster for highly offensive trolling. Matthew

Furthermore... On the page you linked to (which is a dealer's site, not auction house) the cheapest compliable M35s (i.e. not fitted with VQ25DE) would appear to be around 1.35million yen. This relates to around AUD$14,000, plus tax, plus FOB and derego charges - probably around $15,500 FOB. SO where do you get $10k from! (Hint: be very careful here, the devil is in the details - and even when you think you've done everything right, you can still get caught out. Can't we Muz...)

Prior to purchasing my 2004 Autech Axis Stagea I spend a great deal of time studying both listed cars and actual auction results. Since I have an (Australian) buyer in Kobe, I could obtain detailed reports on what the cars were actually like. I few observations:- 1. There is a tremendous variation in pricing between the many different iterations of the Stagea M35, depending on motor (some of which cannot be complied), 2WD or AWD, interior appointments, trim specification etc etc. For example, the VQ25DE cannot be complied here (doesn't meet the SEVS criteria for power/weight). 2. There is tremendous variation in condition of vehicles, much of which does not show up in photos. You need to see the engineer's reports (and again these can vary very widely) and preferably have a buyer inspect the car prior to auction. Do you know how to read an engineer's report? If I were you I'd be looking at a late 2003 model M35 with AWD, VQ25DET, leather interior, high level of spec (TV, satnav etc - some of which can be made to work here). A highly specced car in Grade 4/5 condition can go for almost twice the price of a 'pov pak' roughie - but they all look the same in photos. The top of the line Axis and AR-X models will definitely set you back up to $20k by the time you've paid the FOB fee and sales tax in Japan (I paid 1.85 million yen when it was at 107 to the AUD$). Shipped and complied here around $30k. If you think you can put an M35 on the road here for $18k it would have to be very poorly specced and probably quite rough - but then sometimes you can get lucky at auction. However, the cost of shipping and compliance is NOT proportional to the FOB cost, in the way that GST and duty are. These are the only components of the total cost of the vehicle that get cheaper when you buy a less expensive vehicle at auction. Therefore my advice is to buy the best possible car that you can - leave the cheapies to the dealers who love to buy real cheap and real rough for a quick 'do-up-and-flog' "street machine" that finds its way into the yard ready for some poor sucker to lap up.

Would you like to buy mine? You can have it for what I paid for it - I'll pay the freight to you. As long as you don't mind waiting for compliance...

If you are able to find 'some other avenue out of this' I assure you I will very much make it worth your while, and no doubt Murray too. Please be encouraged to apply the most rigorous 'lateral thinking'

I am trying to remain positive! Although now planning to buy another car - probably a Land Rover! There would appear to be some kind of pump right where a normal towbar would attach. I think it would be tricky and expensive to fit a towbar, but - when and if I finally get to drive the car - I will take it up to the local towbar place, who make them from scratch rather than just look through a catalogue - and get their opinion. I think the Subaru Liberty / Outback wagons tow around 1500-1800 kg so I assumed the Stagea might be the same. Although without closer inspection it's impossible to tell. I don't recall seeing one on any of Nissan Japan's options lists.

You bet! When and if we get to court, this will be one of the myriad costs I will be suing them for - as well as liquidated damages such as loss of earned interest etc.

O really? How come they are such a major issue for everyone else then? If you are relying on a north Brisbane RAWS shop to sell you the evidence, you could be (like Muz and me) waiting for a very long time. If you already have the evidence I will send you my car for compliancing...

Here's a curly one... Anyone ever had a tow bar fitted to an M35? If so - what was it rated at (capacity and ball weight)? If not - anyone care to hazard a guess? Matt

Hi, Let me get this clear as, like Muz, I have been sweating on compliance for a 2004 M35 with VQ25DET for more than 6 months (car in my garage in Brisbane). You have a post 11/03 test vehicle that you are working on gaining emissions evidence for? Where is the vehicle? You are confident of a positive outcome with Vipac? If this is the case, what sort of timeframe are you looking at? regards Matthew

The VQ25DET motor fitted to the model of M35 Stagea that Muz and me own was never exported to any market outside Japan. The VQ35DE fitted to the Skyline et al was built to meet California emissions standards (in its Infiniti incarnation), and hence has no trouble meeting the ADR79 emissions standard - which I think is built around Euro III. This is why there are so many problems with this motor (VQ25DET) meeting the post 11/03 standard - so in that sense it's not the fault of the regulations. And the Japanese never intended that this car should be sold outside Japan, so you can't point the finger at them. Of course neither of us knew this when we bought the cars, and were told otherwise in writing by 'experts' who should have known better. (Def: "expert" - n. ex - a has-been, spert - a drip under pressure. Kinda sums it up. I hope they have a Merry Christmas as all hell is about to let loose in 2008.... TTFN - Matt

Emissions testing - not available for post 11/03 vehicles.