Jump to content
SAU Community

Recommended Posts

hey people...

Just wondering what are people ideas / views on buying locally vs. Importing cars.

Currently looking for an R34, people who have imported one would you help me out with some info, things such as quality of the car from what was desribed to what was delivered , all those sort os little things.. Just let me know about any problems you encountered.

For those who bought 1 locally, was it an easier choice because you were able to see and touch , again some feedback would be greatly appreciated

many thanks in advance buys and girls...

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/120516-r34s-buying-locally-or-import/
Share on other sites

buy one locally. if u import u might save a couple of grand, but being able to get up close n get a good look at it is definately worth it. you can also get it properly checked out if its already here

There are a lot more around locally now than there used to be and the prices are good. Speak to SS8_Gohan for R34 import tips as he has done it. Personally I would buy locally now as there is a good selection.

Local, the dealer i got it from had only just imported himself.

I wanted this one becuase he was a RAWS member and this was his first 34 so it was his test car to get approved to compliance and sell 34's.

It had to be 100% perfect because people come down from canberra and test it over and over to see if everything (including compliance) was done correctly and running right.

IMO, buy local, and make sure the dealer is RAWS approved.

Local, the dealer i got it from had only just imported himself.

I wanted this one becuase he was a RAWS member and this was his first 34 so it was his test car to get approved to compliance and sell 34's.

It had to be 100% perfect because people come down from canberra and test it over and over to see if everything (including compliance) was done correctly and running right.

IMO, buy local, and make sure the dealer is RAWS approved.

Quite right - the first one that is approved by canberra is probably the best one to get.

Importing is good if you want to save money, if you can wait atleast 2 months and if you want to choose from a very very wide selecting of cars, colours etc. But locally is also good in the sense that if you buy one thats already here, you get to test drive it, check it for faults etc. Plus its also good if you cant wait (like i was when i was looking for my car :)) Where are you located? The guys and girls on the forum will be able to help with dealers/importers you can check out.

When going for a dealer, take Merli's list of things to check: http://www.skylinesaustralia.com/forums/in...showtopic=35129

This is what I used when I went looking for the car, and boy did it help heaps (thanks merli!)! But having said that, I would also suggest you talk to the guys at j-spec and allblitz, they know their skylines as well. Perhaps go on one of the cruises or meets and see the cars that have been imported by them.

As for getting the car tested by RACV etc - you have to be careful. Sometimes they dont understand japanese cars. Hence, before you decide to buy or import, test drive a few - listen, feel, see - how the car performs.

Hope this helps. Let us know how it goes :P

M

I have imported a car but its a lot easier when the other country speaks the same first language as you and if you can do it all yourself. i.e see it that end, put it on the boat, meet it at customs. By doing this, you minimise the time that anyone else would have the opportunity to tamper with it and also ensure the car is what you want in the first place.

I wouldnt attempt a Japanese import on my own personally though.

I imported myself, its not hard. As long as you read a bit (search on this site and you will find heaps of info) its pretty straight forward. If you use a trusted supplier in Japan you can even cut out using people like J-spec etc and save the 1000$ fee they charge.... Although using people like J-spec may give you much more range.

PM me if you would like info + help.

i was trying ti find a late model white Supra TT in immaculate condition and there arent too many of them going around in Aus. I really didnt wanna import but it would have been my last resort if i couldnt find one in Aus. I was so lucky to come across the car that i wanted. It was in Syd and flew up there in a heartbeat and drove the car back

hey mate, you still keen on getting a 4 door? when we going looking? :)

btw, its about time you got rid of that girly 4 cylinder :D

wasss up... hey mate yea still getting rid of the S15.. its not girly just not as tuff as a 34. hahah

Not looking fro a 4 door now i think. Just gonna get a whitw 2 door instead.

justin0 - hey mate find out some details for me about the 1 for sale .. cheers.. hey did u go to the 666 premier the otehr nite ??? was pritty decent...

thanks to every 1 else for the input.. Leaning more towards locally now i think.. but ill look into importing ...

For sale: S15 ---> pm me for all the glitzy bitz...

I imported my 33 and my 34 myself, it's not that hard at all just a lot of waiting and look at it this way, if you want mods buy it local. You'll have to buy a DEAD stock 34 if you import one, mines for sale at the right price :(

y0 Adz... why r u selling? what's next? got the EVO bug too? :dry:

Toby - 666 vid was pretty good. The footage was a bit old but some real good riding. That wall ride Ruban did at the end was the best thing ever lol.

Not a fan of the BMX scene at the momment, too many try hard newbie riders around.

No worries ill get some more info 4 you, why? are you selling the S15.

haha, thought you'd like the girly call.

you know we are gettin on the booze tonight magguire... i'll ring you later

yea.. u know it... good times..

justin O - yea was rather nice.. yea tehre are a few wanks getting about these days...

The radivo section was good.. but yea was alot of footage from glasses.. but still was something 2 do for a bit.... selling the S15 becasue im sick of the lack of room .. tall guy u see.. 34's are a touch bigger inside...

plus the sound of an RB is nicer than an SR

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Similar Content

  • Latest Posts

    • Well, I can recommend the partial AV system translation CD I ordered from Car Audio Workshop in NZ. Whilst it didn't address the date issue, it has conveniently translated on-screen menu items into English, and now allows the GPS-received time to be offset in hours rather than minutes, so I can display Eastern Australian time accurately ( and bump it by another hour when daylight savings starts ).
    • Yuh, if it's 45°C outside, my car is driving in it.
    • I'd be curious to hear more. Otherwise, have you driven a modern x-trail? I wonder how it compares. Here in Australia they are/were popular for rentals and fleet vehicles. I have been in some and my impression was they are bad. But, this may have been very different in the 2000s at a good trim level. Twenty years is plenty of time to make the model worse. I do very much agree with the 2 silver cars in the garage approach. But, not driving because it's too hot would not leave a lot of time in the year for many Australians. I don't think you need to worry too much unless the car has actual issues with overheating. 
    • Back again. I returned to Japan in Jul/Aug to spend time with the car on my birthday and remind myself what all the sacrifice and compromise is for. It happened to line up with the monthly morning meet in Okutama, which I have been wanting to go to for a long time. It's a unique event at a unique spot with really rare, interesting, and quirky cars. It's where all the oldheads and OGs gather. The nighttime scene at DKF certainly has its place and should be experienced if you're into cars, but there's too much bad attention and negativity around it now. IMO the better time is Sunday morning at DKF or Okutama; it's more chill and relaxed. I'm glad I was finally able to go, but not sure it's worth the drive from all the way from Nagoya immediately the day before, unless I was already staying in Tokyo for the days right before the meet, because you have to wake up quite early to make it in time. Funnily enough though I didn't drive the car all that much this trip because it was just too damn hot. While there were zero issues and running temps were nominal and the A/C was strong, RBs already run crazy hot as it is. Sure, it took it all like a champ but something about driving these cars in the ridiculous heat/humidity bothers me and makes me feel like I'm asking too much of it. I'm just me being weird and treating the car like a living thing with feelings; I'm mechanically sympathetic to a fault. Instead I was mainly driving something else around - a KX4(silver) 2001 X-Trail GT, that I acquired in May. There's a few different flavors to choose from with Xs, but visually it's the Nissan version of the Honda CR-V. Mechanically it's a whole different story as this, being the top-trim GT, has an SR20VET mated to a four-speed auto and full-time AWD! It was a very affordable buy in exceptional condition inside and out, with very low mileage...only 48k kms. Most likely it was owned by an older person who kept it garaged and well-maintained, so I'm really happy with how it all worked out. It literally needs zero attention at the moment, albeit except for some minor visual touch-ups. I wanted something quirky, interesting, and practical and for sure it handily delivers on all three of those aspects. I was immediately able to utilize the cargo and passenger capacity to its full extent. It's a lot of fun to drive and is quite punchy through 1st and 2nd. It's very unassuming -in the twisty bits it's a lot more composed than one would think at a glance- and it'll be even better once I get better tires on it(yes, it's an SUV but still a little boat-y for my liking). So...now I have two golden-era Nissans in silver. One sports car and one that does everything else; the perfect two-car solution I think👍 The rest of the trip...I was able to turn my stressed brain off and enjoy it, although I didn't quite get to do as much as I thought. I did some interesting things, met some interesting people, and happened into some interesting situations however, that's all for another post though only if people really want to know. Project-wise, I went back to Mine's again to discuss more plans and am hoping to wrap that up real soon; keep watching this space if that interests you. Additionally, while working in the tormenting sweatbox that is the warehouse, I was able to organize most of the myriad of parts that my friend is storing for me along with the cars, and the 34 has a nice little spot carved out for it: And since it can get so stupid hot in there, that made it all the more easy -after I was standing there looking at the car and said 'f**k it'- to finally remove all the damn gauges that have mostly been an eyesore all this time. Huzzah. The heat basically makes the adhesive backing on the gauge mounts more pliable to work with, so it was far less stressful getting this done. I didn't fully clean it up or chase the wiring though; that will happen once I have the car in closer possession. Another major reason to remove all that stuff is to give people less reasons to get in my car and steal s**t while it's being exported/imported when/if the time comes, which leads us to my next point... ...and that is even though it's time in Japan is technically almost up since it's a November car and the X would be coming in March, I'm still not entirely sure where my life and career is headed; I don't really know what the future looks like and where I'm going to end up. I feel there's a great deal of uncertainty with me and as a result of that, it feels like I'm at a crossroads moreso now than any point in my life thus far and there are some choices I need to make. Yes, I've had some years to consider things and prepare myself, however too much has happened in that time to maintain confidence and everything feels so up in the air; tenuous one might say. Simply put, there's just too much nonsense going on right now from multiple vectors. Admittedly, I'm struggling to stay in the game and keep my eyes on the prize. So much so in fact, that very recently I came the closest I ever have before to calling it quits outright; selling everything and moving on and not looking back. The astute among you will pick up on key subtext within this paragraph. In the meantime I've still managed to slowly acquire some final bits for the car, but it feels nice knowing there's not much left to get and I'm almost across that finish line; I have almost everything I'll ever want for my interpretation and expression on what it is I think an R34 should be. 'til later.
    • Thanks for that, hadn’t used my brain enough to think about that. 
×
×
  • Create New...