Importing M35 Stageas

[NicsR33]

Hi, just a quick question. Whilst sites like Prestige Motorsport can sell you a nice shiny Stagea for approx $35k, I have seen these go for sale in Japan for approx $10k. Now, basically what I need to know is if you were able to provide details to an importer (my mates dad has his own business) and the type of car and the budget you were after, does that mean you can basically have a 2002 M35 stagea for the initial $10k and whatever is on top (compliance, transport, etc.)? It just seems a lil too good to be true in finding a newish car with only approx 40,000kms on it for around 10k. Lets say that worst case scenario you run into a few difficult situations and all up the cost comes up to around $18k, from car in Japan to car in your driveway, then you would have bought a very nice turbo wagon for $18k while other companies might offer you mid to late $30k to buy one out right.

Is that basically how importing works?

Many thanks!

[Angus Smart]

i think on top of the cars fob (free on board aka on the ship) price in japan you will be adding roughly 6-7k all up. so i beleive the m35 could be bought for as little at 17k perhaps a little more as i have not looked at auctions for a few months.

where are you seeing these cars selling for 10k? i'm sure it would be happening but perhaps these cars are a little beaten up? you have to be rather careful when buying a car as we seem to have pretty strict rules (at some places) for compliance.

[NicsR33]

http://www.tradecarview.com/stock/japan_ca...d=2004&pn=1

thats one website for example. i know the money is in US but our dollar is good now so its only a couple grand more.

[Muz]

http://www.tradecarview.com/stock/japan_ca...d=2004&pn=1

thats one website for example. i know the money is in US but our dollar is good now so its only a couple grand more.

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

Edited January 3, 2008 by Muz

[NicsR33]

those costs might be a direct percentage because the car you purchased was quite expensive (eg. kinda like our stamp duty where its 3% or something of the purchase price). Nevertheless there are some stageas on that website which seem to be in "good" condition with 60000 odd kms on it for approx $8-9k. ill ask perhaps my mates dad next time we speak and he'll advise me on exactly how much it might end up costing once all the bs taxes are counted. cheers for your input.

[autech_axis]

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.

[autech_axis]

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...)

[Muz]

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...)

Ouch that hurts!!

[Jetwreck]

Hi, just a quick question. Whilst sites like Prestige Motorsport can sell you a nice shiny Stagea for approx $35k, I have seen these go for sale in Japan for approx $10k. Now, basically what I need to know is if you were able to provide details to an importer (my mates dad has his own business) and the type of car and the budget you were after, does that mean you can basically have a 2002 M35 stagea for the initial $10k and whatever is on top (compliance, transport, etc.)? It just seems a lil too good to be true in finding a newish car with only approx 40,000kms on it for around 10k. Lets say that worst case scenario you run into a few difficult situations and all up the cost comes up to around $18k, from car in Japan to car in your driveway, then you would have bought a very nice turbo wagon for $18k while other companies might offer you mid to late $30k to buy one out right.

Is that basically how importing works?

Many thanks!

Hi NicR33,

A little sum up for you. My car cost $15,286AUS in Japan. By the time I was driving it(insured) it cost me $30,191. I will send you my cost sheet of all the expenses if you want it. PM me though.

It is worth it...one small thing though NEVER stop chasing you car e.g. I stopped chasing for fear that I was becoming annoying and my car sat for three days at the Toll booth in Sydney until I chased again....I ended going to pick it up myself because they wanted another three days after that to deliver it the extra 10KM's....lol.

Edited January 29, 2008 by Jetwreck

[NicsR33]

thanks for that ^^^^ but i bought myself another car instead