Muz

Huh?

In case anyone is still interested, it is now over 12 months since we imported our M35 Stagea. $35 grand tied up in a car that we are yet to drive. Car is now probably worth mid twenties and we have had no use out of it whatsoever and it appears we never will. I really can't say enough about the wonderful assistance we have received from the import broker. Yes people, I am only kidding about the last part. The silence from the import broker has been deafening. Not even an offer to refund the brokerage fee as a result of his ineptitude. In 12 months I have seen the car once and my wife has not seen it at all. Roll on the outcome of Autech Axis's court case. cheers Muz

Autech Axis's car is probably up for sale after the court case is finished. He is suing the person who gave him the false information and has very little chance of losing the case. Case is scheduled to be heard in about 3 weeks. I wish him every success as once the precedent has been set then I will probably follow suit. Nope mine is not on it's way to compliance in the forseeable future. Several factors are working against an early resolution. One being the fact that no testing station is available for quite some time. Cheers Muz

Yes it can be imported no problems at all. You then just simply have to wait for someone to produce an evidence pack to have it complied. My 2004 ARX VQ 25DET has been in country now for 12 months and still no compliance. My issues are well documented elsewhere. I would just like to once again thank that very knowledgeable import broker who categorically assured me that compliance was definitely available. What he neglected to tell me was what year it would be available in. Thanks heaps *%^&$*##! cheers Muz

As my Stagea doesn't look like being on the road for some time (another story) I would be happy to send my Nav Unit across for them to convert (my expense) as I think Chris Rogers already has my unit in his workshop. Do you still have it Chris? If this is any help guys please let me know. cheers Muz

All PM requests replied to. cheers and many thanks to all Muz

Just another update for all following this thread. Unfortunately I am unable to comitt my self to an exact date of completion in relation to successful testing to ADR79/00. As I have previously said, there are to many variables to be able to give an exact time frame. I also need to inform you that the test facility which has been conducting the emissions test (VIPAC ENGINEERS) are currently in the process of establishing their new facility at Port Melbourne and are unable to continue testing until the facility is comissioned. The indication I have received from the test facility is approximately the beginning of April before they can recommence testing for any of their clients. I have contacted Orbital in Perth and they have informed me that they can not conduct any additional work due to their current work load. I have contacted Ford Motor Company to see if they can assist us in testing vehicles however they have not yet got back to me on the issue. This leaves us in an unfortunate position. I can appreciate your frustration however as you can see the situation is out of my control. Once again I would like to thank the caring import broker who has cut and run like a mongrel dog. Where to now guys? Muz

Please include me as a provisional on the conversion list. My M35 is the one trying to be complied (MY 2004) at present and I am approaching decision time on whether to junk it or persevere with the compliance attempts so if we continue to proceed down the compliance path and get it thru, I am definitely in for this. cheers Muz

Well the New Year has arrived and already almost one month gone and still no answer from the compliance workshop. Remember guys we aren't allowed to ring him because he says that it is very upsetting for him and his staff to have someone constantly (once every six weeks or so) harrassing him. So he has demanded that we use email which I have but they choose not to answer them either. Probably just filters them straight into the trash bin. Got to talking with a friend of the Iron Chef and he informs me that nothing will happen before late march at the earliest as the testing people are relocating their workshop in Melbourne so wont be doing any testing until that is completed. I'm still more than happy to tell everyone who the incompetent import broker is via PM so nobody else gets caught by these cretins. cheers and have a great Aussie Day Muz

I have Type Flex on my 34 and they are firm without being overly so. I had Fulcrum change the springs for to a softer set and made a huge difference. Original ones made the car like a go kart to drive. They shifted rear spings (softer than front) to front and put a softer set on the rear to maintain the balance front to rear. Only other thing to do is to have them re-valved to allow a higher by-pass rate. You can generally get by with a 1-2 kg +/- in adjustments. cheers Muz

Is that Skaifeys Championship winning Formula Holden in the fore-ground centre?

I just want to take this opportunity to say thanks to the many people who have PM'd me offering all kinds of support. What an absolutely fantastic bunch of blokes you all are and it is very reassuring to know that the good old Aussie credo of sticking by your mates still exists in a great many people. Of course, there are still those very un-australian ones out there who think it is fun to sink the boot in when someone is going through a rough patch. I thank you for your PM's as well. You will notice that I didn't bother to answer you. Cheers to all and lets see what the new year brings (hopefully a very nice Stagea AR-X) Muz

Quite correct. Most are done under a mailout to owners and are done during routine servicing as a warranty repair item.

Thanks cobber. I guess only time will tell what happens with the cars. On another note, not all Nissan dealers are unhelpful as my local spare parts guy is bloody great in sourcing parts for my R34 and he sticks at it even though it may take a couple of days to locate part numbers so stick with it. Cheers Murray

Well actually Baron (and I thank you for coming to my defence as only one of such true noble personnage would ) it is not different at all. The difference is in the way ADR's changed after 11/2003. Same car/same engine could be made a matter of hours apart and according to DOTARS they don't meet the standard required. I have previously attempted to explain the "generous" offer made by the compliance shop to purchase the car and never at any stage have we declined the offer! Quite simply we just didn't think that 9 or 10 months later we would still be no closer to getting our car. When we did agree to accept the offer just prior to xmas, it was no longer there. At no stage has the import broker ever offered to purchase the vehicle from us. As someone has already alluded to, the original post was put there as a warning to all who may frequent this forum. Ensure that you thoroughly research everything (I really thought I did) prior to committing and try and be absolutely sure that if you are going to use a broker get as many references as you can. $35000.00 is a lot of money to my wife and I and we are not prepared to just write it off as "just one of those things" and whoever it was that made the smart crack about bending over and taking it please feel free to send me your $35000.00 dollars and I'll quite happily do that. If your not prepared to do that then please keep your arcane comments to your self. Cheers to all Muz

Ouch that hurts!!

Hate to put a dampener on your efforts to import an inexpensive import but no matter which way you go you will still have to pay the taxes and duties and these add considerably to the price of car. We bought ours thru the auctions for an auction price of A$19000.00 but by the time you add shipping, Japanese land costs, Australian import duties, sales taxes and compliance costs, the cost blows out to about $35000.00. cheers and good hunting Muz

Well said!

Nengun has these for very reasonable prices. cheers

No it doesn't, I think he is just trying to remain positive

Hey Matthew, I just had another thought, is there some way I can charge the "import broker" for the depreciation on the unused car?

Ditto for me too! But I guess we both know the outcome hey Matt!

2002 Stagea can already be complied as all the testing has already been done! Post 11/2003 is the real issue as they have to meet the more (apparently) stringent ADR 79 standards. As I said on the phone, you will have no problems with the 2002 car as it already complies.

Jump in your car, start car, engage handbrake, place car in second gear, attempt to move off while keeping handbrake engaged, if car stalls clutch is good, if car doesn't stall and car goes nowhere clutch is stuffed. Simple yet effective test.

Lets see now ...... car arrived in Australia April 07 and it is now December 07 ...... car still not complied ...... oh yeah that's right .... how silly of me to forget that I made a mistake in dealing with an incompetent although very highly recommended import broker who was not aware of the regulations. So the answer to this question is WTFK's!