go it alone or use an Importer??

[SS8_Gohan]

hey guys,

just wondering if i could get ur opinon on whether i should:

1). use the help offered from someone i know who imports japanese cars every year (mostly skylines) who said that he'd help me bring a car over all the way thru under my own name and buy it privately in Japan as his cousin lives over there. He told me that buying privately is safer bcos the cousin gets to really check out the car, test drive, engine, blah blah. Oh...and he's helping me for free.

2). Go thru an importer, pay them their fee and let them do it all for me and get it thru an auction. I've heard nothing but great things about a few companies so it seems a pretty safe bet if i went thru say jspec of edgeimports, but i'd have to pay them a fee and the buyer a fee in Japan.

as you are most aware, time is running REAL low to get the old compliance plates so any help would be very appreciated.

thanks guys.

[Just Jap Racing]

Go through a agent at least you are dealing with some one who

has done it auction reports are acurate .

Mates rates 90% of the time you will have more headaches.

What is your budget there is a lot of cars through out australia for sale that you can test and drive here.

Stevehttp://www.justjap.com

[Shell]

I guess it comes down to how much you trust your mate to help you out thru the whole process.

will he be able to find as wide a range of cars privately as an importer could thru the auctions? will he be able to help you out with plates, approvals, paperwork etc once it gets here? and since he's doing it for free, will he give you as good/quick/efficient service as an importer would?

sometimes with "mates rates" you don't feel like you can hassle them too much cos they're doing you a favour and you end up wishing you'd paid the little bit extra for the service a company provides..

[Shell]

I guess it comes down to how much you trust your mate to help you out thru the whole process.

will he be able to find as wide a range of cars privately as an importer could thru the auctions? will he be able to help you out with plates, approvals, paperwork etc once it gets here? and since he's doing it for free, will he give you as good/quick/efficient service as an importer would?

sometimes with "mates rates" you don't feel like you can hassle them too much cos they're doing you a favour and you end up wishing you'd paid the little bit extra for the service a company provides..

[Black33]

my opinion - use an agent. the one I had was very professional and it made it all very easy, I could imagine it would have been a big headache and heaps of running around if I didn't.

I think it was worth the $1500 or so I paid, there's a lot to the process that you may not consider.

only my opinion though, it's up to you in the end.

[HJB]

I would go for an importer ie J-spec (Craig) and this way you may even be able to lock in a price for a compliance plate now! I think this should be the most important thing to consider at the moment. As far as I'm aware the plates are drying up as we speak and I do believe prices are soon to rise!

[nissaner]

may i suggest craig??? www.j-spec.com.au

[KamikazeR33]

Geoff at prestige motorsport is really good too i heard

www.prestigemotorsport.com.au