Jump to content
SAU Community

Recommended Posts

I imported my levin through J-spec. I found Ben to be quite helpful, answering all of my questions. There was some confusion over which car was which... but he stuck with it and got it sorted, made sure the car I wanted was the car I got. (Aside from the condition... the only describable difference was 15 inch Enkei RPF1's.... ).

Car arrived and the clutch was shagged, guy at the compliance workshop was pretty sure it was coz of the guys in Customs\quarantine giving it some 'welcome to Australia' love. It also still had snow chains fitted... front and rear.I had budgeted to replace the clutch anyway....

Not sure if I'll go back to J-spec next time (I'm planning to buy a Manual S2 R33 coupe with the Active LSD later this year), But I wouldn't hesitate to reccomend them, I found Ben to be very honest in his dealings. I will say, I found dealing with them to be really easy, My mate imported his levin through the compliance workshop, and he ended up having to do more ringing around than I did!

Reguardless of who you go through... make it easier on yourself and make sure you've got extra money in case things go wrong, or the ability to get your hands on that $$$$ (Credit card). Nobody likes having to chase you for money. I took the precaution of applying for a credit card when I imported my car.

I was IT Contracting at the time, and as this was over Christmas I had a few weeks with no pay... and then a major stuff up with my pay after that. I ended up not getting paid from the day I paid for my car... until the day before I was due to fly down and collect the car from the compliance workshop (it was in Sydney... I'm on the Sunshine Coast).

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/273322-jspec-imports/#findComment-4640669
Share on other sites

Hi John,

I did a quick search on this forum alone and came up with a few posts that might help you, actually there were WAY too many results so I got bored quickly :) There are many more out there

http://www.skylinesaustralia.com/forums/Co...er-t130367.html

http://www.skylinesaustralia.com/forums/Gt...amp;pid=3783458

http://www.skylinesaustralia.com/forums/Im...ey-t217533.html

http://www.skylinesaustralia.com/forums/Pu....html&st=40

http://www.skylinesaustralia.com/forums/Im...anu-t98555.html

And that's just this forum. Also if you Google our name you'll get tons of info.

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/273322-jspec-imports/#findComment-4640813
Share on other sites

Wow look at that, hes even here!

Sorry to hijack, but later this year when I'm hunting for a 33... What kinda dollar value should I be looking at to import a Series 2 coupe, manual one in a colour other than silver? I'd like say, that dark blue(I swear they are all silver). Preferabley with an active LSD. Just an approximate so I know how much damage I'll do to the wallet :)

I'd PM but I haven't got 10 posts yet.

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/273322-jspec-imports/#findComment-4640875
Share on other sites

R33 prices will vary quite a bit for different condition and mileage so it depends what you're after, but probably between $11,000 - $14,000 landed and complied... you can pay less than that, but often they'll be that cheap for a reason. Active LSD is rare so that could be difficult, BN6 blue is a sweet colour (there's a purple pearl in the sunlight) but it's also a little tricky to find, but not impossible.

Edited by Blipman
Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/273322-jspec-imports/#findComment-4643216
Share on other sites

  • 4 years later...
  • 2 weeks later...

I used them to import my R33 a while back. They were quite helpful but communication was difficult at times. Also, make sure you are familiar with the entire importing process as back then I didnt know much and wasnt told much either unfortuantely

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/273322-jspec-imports/#findComment-7181627
Share on other sites

Hi

We imported the wifes Stagea through these guys, we were a bit green to the whole import scene , yes communications was a bit patchy at times, but that was over 6 years ago.

To be honest I am looking to sell my s15 and import another car using J-spec , so yeah.. I would rate them.

All i can say is be ready with your $$ , as we got told with 1 days notice we had to pay the landing fee ( or something like that ) and yeah that was a fair bit of $$ and this was all before paypal etc made everything so easy.

In summary , I rate em :)

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/273322-jspec-imports/#findComment-7186115
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

I just imported through Iron Chef and saw my car for the first time this morning, no surprises, clear communication, quick responses etc

Highly recommended

But yeah, quick payment for shipping is required otherwise you incur more storage fees

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/273322-jspec-imports/#findComment-7199971
Share on other sites

I got my M35 through J-Spec and, being totally new to importing, I was VERY pleased with the communication, willingness and outcome of the whole process.

Ben knew what I wanted and we searched for a couple of weeks with not really any luck, he suggested a couple of cars that were slightly off my list and I wasn't really too keen on those.. Then, the day came with 3 good cars up all at once. I didn't get the two in my spec.. but he told me that I needed to consider this other one (Blue, which I really didn't want at the time) and pointed out that it was particularly good example.

I checked it out, it was easily the best car of the lot (and have barely seen anything that compares to it since for cost and condition) so I went for it.
Now I LOVE the colour and still have the best car off the list...

CANNOT RECOMMEND HIGHLY ENOUGH!

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/273322-jspec-imports/#findComment-7200672
Share on other sites

dealt with Ben, very knowledgable and not too pushy listened to your requirements and sent cars to suit.

ended up buying locally so didnt go through but i did have a positive dealing with them leading up to it

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/273322-jspec-imports/#findComment-7200860
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...
  • 1 month later...
  • 4 months later...

Hi guys,

Just wanted to add my experience to this post.

So far my car has been sourced by J-spec and has now landed in Australia and should be in the midst of the compliance process.

I'll admit Ben is a very nice guy to deal with especially at the start and won't run off with your money. However as stated before it is sometimes hard to get ahold of him.

Haven't seen the car yet in person, I will have a professional pull it apart to see if it matches everything I have been told by J-spec.

After I get a look at the car and get the professional report I'll come back and post a finished review.

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/273322-jspec-imports/#findComment-7418748
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...

Just about to pick up an R34 tomorrow we imported through J-spec and all went really smoothly - Ben found a couple of options, and from what I've seen - the car is in great condition - Bespoke have done the compliance and got through the roadworthy pretty lightly which was great.

Overall very happy and would use him again.

I post a question in one of the general forums, but does anyone have any suggestions re insurance - have cover with Just Car insurance now but its $1,400 pa! and that's with a rating 1.

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/273322-jspec-imports/#findComment-7473665
Share on other sites

  • 2 years later...

I imported via Ben lippa at j-spec j spec imports the experience was really horrifying. Bought car in DEC 2016 and paid for the very next day. Car wasn't shipped until March 2017. Was never sent photos. When questioned, everything was blamed because it was bought before Christmas time (a very lame excuse). OK, it landed and was supposed to be complied via bespoke (Ben lippa recommended). It was supposed to be complied in Adelaide as I live in SA but Ben lippa suddenly changed the agreement after the car landed in transit melbourne and said that they will comply in Melbourne for $3000 (all the while it was agreed to comply in adelaide) and then shipped to SA and then I can straightaway register in SA. I actually ended up paying $4000 for compliance. Anyway the car arrived in SA and when I took it for inspection to register, the SA transport said that I have to do the compliance all over again. Now, Ben Lippa and bespoke motors have washed hands. Sadly, I have to take Ben Lippa to tribunal. He's a dishonest unscrupulous guy. Stay well clear. I didn't do my research well and wasn't even aware of Iron chef imports right here in Adelaide. I will definitely be importing with ironchef imports in future

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/273322-jspec-imports/#findComment-7836523
Share on other sites

16 hours ago, Solomon said:

I imported via Ben lippa at j-spec j spec imports the experience was really horrifying. Bought car in DEC 2016 and paid for the very next day. Car wasn't shipped until March 2017. Was never sent photos. When questioned, everything was blamed because it was bought before Christmas time (a very lame excuse). OK, it landed and was supposed to be complied via bespoke (Ben lippa recommended). It was supposed to be complied in Adelaide as I live in SA but Ben lippa suddenly changed the agreement after the car landed in transit melbourne and said that they will comply in Melbourne for $3000 (all the while it was agreed to comply in adelaide) and then shipped to SA and then I can straightaway register in SA. I actually ended up paying $4000 for compliance. Anyway the car arrived in SA and when I took it for inspection to register, the SA transport said that I have to do the compliance all over again. Now, Ben Lippa and bespoke motors have washed hands. Sadly, I have to take Ben Lippa to tribunal. He's a dishonest unscrupulous guy. Stay well clear. I didn't do my research well and wasn't even aware of Iron chef imports right here in Adelaide. I will definitely be importing with ironchef imports in future

Surprising to hear. I had an excellent experience with him as have many others I know. Shipping and compliance time frames are almost completely out of the importers hands. My old car sat in compliance for over 8 weeks, even though it was only supposed to take 5 or 6. However the car shipped over a week earlier than it was supposed to. It's very hit and miss. I do buy the Christmas excuse, it would be a legitimate reason - although a 2-3 month delay I can't vouch for. 

$4000 in compliance costs sounds a little high. I seem to remember paying less than half that and it included 3 months rego, however the car didn't require tyres or any other major expenses. Are you sure you weren't informed of any issues the car may have had prior to purchasing it? I recall Ben being extremely thorough, down to the smallest of marks on the paint. 

Sucks to hear you had such a rough experience. Just curious, what car did you buy?

  • Like 1
Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/273322-jspec-imports/#findComment-7836612
Share on other sites

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, apparently they do fit, however this wont be a problem if not because the car will be stationary while i do the suspension work. I was just going to use the 16's to roll the old girl around if I needed to. I just need to get the E90 back on the road first. Yes! I'm a believer! 🙌 So, I contacted them because the site kinda sucks and I was really confused about what I'd need. They put together a package for me and because I was spraying all the seat surfaces and not doing spot fixes I decided not to send them a headrest to colour match, I just used their colour on file (and it was spot on).  I got some heavy duty cleaner, 1L of colour, a small bottle of dye hardener and a small bottle of the dye top coat. I also got a spray gun as I needed a larger nozzle than the gun I had and it was only $40 extra. From memory the total was ~$450 ish. Its not cheap but the result is awesome. They did add repair bits and pieces to the quote originally and the cost came down significantly when I said I didn't need any repair products. I did it over a weekend. The only issues I had were my own; I forgot to mix the hardener into the dye two coats but I had enough dye for 2 more coats with the hardener. I also just used up all the dye because why not and i rushed the last coat which gave me some runs. Thankfully the runs are under the headrests. The gun pattern wasn't great, very round and would have been better if it was a line. It made it a little tricky to get consistent coverage and I think having done the extra coats probably helped conceal any coverage issues. I contacted them again a few months later so I could get our X5 done (who the f**k thought white leather was a good idea for a family car?!) and they said they had some training to do in Sydney and I could get a reduced rate on the leather fix in the X5 if I let them demo their product on our car. So I agreed. When I took Bec in the E39 to pick it up, I showed them the job I'd done in my car and they were all (students included) really impressed. Note that they said the runs I created could be fixed easily at the time with a brush or an air compressor gun. So, now with the two cars done I can absolutely recommend Colourlock.  I'll take pics of both interiors and create a new thread.
    • Power is fed to the ECU when the ignition switch is switched to IGN, at terminal 58. That same wire also connects to the ECCS relay to provide both the coil power and the contact side. When the ECU sees power at 58 it switches 16 to earth, which pulls the ECCS relay on, which feeds main power into the ECU and also to a bunch of other things. None of this is directly involved in the fuel pump - it just has to happen first. The ECU will pull terminal 18 to earth when it wants the fuel pump to run. This allows the fuel pump relay to pull in, which switches power on into the rest of the fuel pump control equipment. The fuel pump control regulator is controlled from terminal 104 on the ECU and is switched high or low depending on whether the ECU thinks the pump needs to run high or low. (I don't know which way around that is, and it really doesn't matter right now). The fuel pump control reg is really just a resistor that controls how the power through the pump goes to earth. Either straight to earth, or via the resistor. This part doesn't matter much to us today. The power to the fuel pump relay comes from one of the switched wires from the IGN switch and fusebox that is not shown off to the left of this page. That power runs the fuel pump relay coil and a number of other engine peripherals. Those peripherals don't really matter. All that matters is that there should be power available at the relay when the key is in the right position. At least - I think it's switched. If it's not switched, then power will be there all the time. Either way, if you don't have power there when you need it (ie, key on) then it won't work. The input-output switching side of the relay gains its power from a line similar (but not the same as) the one that feeds the ECU. SO I presume that is switched. Again, if there is not power there when you need it, then you have to look upstream. And... the upshot of all that? There is no "ground" at the fuel pump relay. Where you say: and say that pin 1 Black/Pink is ground, that is not true. The ECU trigger is AF73, is black/pink, and is the "ground". When the ECU says it is. The Blue/White wire is the "constant" 12V to power the relay's coil. And when I say "constant", I mean it may well only be on when the key is on. As I said above. So, when the ECU says not to be running the pump (which is any time after about 3s of switching on, with no crank signal or engine speed yet), then you should see 12V at both 1 and 2. Because the 12V will be all the way up to the ECU terminal 18, waiting to be switched to ground. When the ECU switches the fuel pump on, then AF73 should go to ~0V, having been switched to ground and the voltage drop now occurring over the relay coil. 3 & 5 are easy. 5 is the other "constant" 12V, that may or may not be constant but will very much want to be there when the key is on. Same as above. 3 goes to the pump. There should never be 12V visible at 3 unless the relay is pulled in. As to where the immobiliser might have been spliced into all this.... It will either have to be on wire AF70 or AF71, whichever is most accessible near the alarm. Given that all those wires run from the engine bay fusebox or the ECU, via the driver's area to the rear of the car, it could really be either. AF70 will be the same colour from the appropriate fuse all the way to the pump. If it has been cut and is dangling, you should be able to see that  in that area somewhere. Same with AF71.   You really should be able to force the pump to run. Just jump 12V onto AF72 and it should go. That will prove that the pump itself is willing to go along with you when you sort out the upstream. You really should be able to force the fuel pump relay on. Just short AF73 to earth when the key is on. If the pump runs, then the relay is fine, and all the power up to both inputs on the relay is fine. If it doesn't run (and given that you checked the relay itself actually works) then one or both of AF70 and AF71 are not bringing power to the game.
    • @PranK can you elaborate further on the Colorlock Dye? The website has a lot of options. I'm sure you've done all the research. I have old genuine leather seats that I have bought various refurbing creams and such, but never a dye. Any info on how long it lasts? Does it wash out? Is it a hassle? What product do I actually need? Am I just buying this kit and following the steps the page advises or something else? https://www.colourlockaustralia.com.au/colourlock-leather-repair-kit-dye.html
    • These going to fit over the big brakes? I'd be reeeeeeeeaaaall hesitant to believe so.
    • The leather work properly stunned me. Again, I am thankful that the leather was in such good condition. I'm not sure what the indent is at the top of the passenger seat. Like somebody was sitting in it with a golf ball between their shoulders. The wheels are more grey than silver now and missing a lot of gloss.  Here's one with nice silver wheels.
×
×
  • Create New...