where do i start?

[SW20zor]

ok. i know absolutely NOTHING about importing, all I know is that I want to import. sooo, if someone wants to give me advise I would be very thankfull. :headspin:

anyway, for starters, I go to Japan from time to time, am I able to buy a car there then ship it back to aus? It sounds too simple, and I doubt its this easy right?

I think I have to find some import dealer or something right? Anyway, where do i start? How do I find everything? I know how to find the car, thats the easy part. Where do i go from there?

Sorry for any extreme newby inconveniences I have probly caused. :Bang:

:ghost:

[sewid]

Well you can do it a few different ways.

You can technically just go to Japan and buy a car and have it shipped. When it gets here you will need to clear it through customs and pay duty etc on it. This is probably the worst way to do it however as you probably wont get such a great deal on the car, and you will have difficulty getting the paperwork done and getting the car on the boat yourself.

The other way is to use an import broker, they deal with finding the car for you while you stay home. They speak with buyers who attend the auctions and bid on behalf of their customers. They can also source a few cars from various wholesale yards they have dealings with.

Probably the most talked about import brokers on this forum are Prestige Motorsport and J-Spec. I'm not endorsing them although many do.

Another way to do it is to cut out the import broker and talk to the buyers in Japan yourself, some of them speak english and specifically deal with overseas customers all the time. You can save the import broker fee this way. The problem with this is that you dont reach as many buyers as you would if you used an import broker. You may take longer to find a car.

Since you're such newbie at this i suggest you do a load more research on it, read the FAQ's and such on the J-Spec and Prestige websites. There is no hard answer on which way you should go when importing a car. It's kind of a personal decision where you weigh the risks and costs against the benefits of each method.

http://www.prestigemotorsports.com.au/

http://www.j-spec.com.au/

[SW20zor]

thanks a lot for the advice

getting a good deal on the car however is no problem. My gf is Japanese and her father works for Mitsubishi and knows a few people in the car selling business

however, if that doesnt work out Ill use one of the importers.

just wondering, how much does shipping cost? and how could i set that up?

dont worry, Im not taking your advice lightly, I appreciate it a lot, Im just searching through all the options.

im trying to research all the fields.

also, how do i find out BEFORE i buy the car if i can bring it back?? Im thinking either Evo V or MR2........ if I wanna skyline Ill probly just buy it here.

[Shell]

have a look here for some info:

http://www.dotars.gov.au/transreg/str_imp-cert.htm

[sewid]

You need an import license as well before the car lands in Australia. Importing a car without that bit of paperwork is against the law. It costs very little but is a key step.

Depending on the cars age you also may not be able to import that model. Over 15 years old should be fine but 14 years and younger cars will need to be on the approved for import list under the SEVS scheme. See the DOTARS site for a list.

Shipping costs roughly $65 USD per cubic meter. So about $650USD for a R32 plus insurance which can vary in cost.

[SW20zor]

hey thanks guys

this is still pretty confusing :headshot:

cant seem to find evo v or mr2 on the list at all :throwup:

[Duncan]

hey thanks guys    

this is still pretty confusing :headshot:

cant seem to find evo  v or mr2 on the list at all :throwup:

yep, a lot of cars are either not eligible now or have not yet been applied for by a workshop. I'd really suggest talking to one of the brokers, the fee is generally only $1100 which is great value for the work they do.

If you are buying a car that is 15 years old thats a different matter...as long as its already 15 you can bring in any sort of car you like.

And there is another option called "Personal Import" if you are going to be there for more than 12 months, once again the details are on the DOTARS site

[SW20zor]

yeh personal import is what im wanting to do, seeing as I'll be living there for a few years... anyway, i have to make engine modifications when i get back to aus right? with the difference of high octaine 101 and 98 yeh?

[predator]

I wouldn't worry about it to be honest right now.. if you're going to live there for a couple of years, the rules would have changed so much by the time you come back, its little irrelevent asking now isn't it? Might not even be able to do it in 2 years who knows...

[SW20zor]

........ but but but..... aaaaaaaa i like to dream :Bang: :wassup: