Import - is this a good deal?

[YHTM]

I've located a roadster which has just entered the UK. Black with black leather, elec seats, 17 inch alloys, cd player air con. 3,000 miles. The importer is asking £18,995 on the road including CAT 1 alarm, plates underseal, oil change.

 

Any comments from more experienced members?? Any more questions I should be asking? The dealer has a good reputation.

 

Thanks

 

Paul

[Dan]

Have a very close look at the paintwork. Many dealers buy low grade or damaged cars in Japan very cheaply and tart them up over here. I've been in the trade over 20 years and can honestly tell you that the vast majority of imports have been repaired and quite often to a very mediocre standard.

 

It constantly amazes me that the general public can't see panel repairs and paintwork. I have had customers trying to part exchange cars they have owned for years, totally unaware they have been driving round in a repaired car, and yet as soon as it is pointed out to them they can see it.

 

The paint in itself is not important, the question is why was it painted and how extensive was the damage. It could be simply vandal damage, scratches or light panel damage but it could also be quite a heavy shunt and you really need to know before you part with your money.

 

If you are not clued up take an expert, preferably someone who works in the trade or works in a bodyshop. Be advised the AA and RAC inspections will NOT spot panel repairs, they are only trained to spot mechanical problems.

 

You need to be getting up close to the car and looking for little blobs of dirt trapped under the paintwork, pinholes in the paint where they left silicates on the panel and the paint has "sunk", orange peel paint finish from applying too much paint, masking lines around the edges of panels etc. On bad jobs you may well see differences in the shade of colour from one panel to the next and even spot runs in the paint.

 

Of course all this applies to UK cars too, but you at least have a good chance of any serious repairs showing up on a HPI check. The HPI check is not totally infallible mind you, but thats another story...

 

Lets be careful out there.

[GC350z]

Dan is spot on.

 

Most imports have been repaired in some way. When checking lift the carpet in the boot and also lift the rubber seal on the doors. Look for trapped dirt, as Dan said, under the paint. Also check for sort of wavy lines running from the roof down to the boot. Check of weld repairs in the boot, around the door sills and the engine bay. Particularly look for welds in the engine bay. They may look like they should be there so take pics if in doubt and compare them to cars here. Also look for uneven gaps in the panels between the bumpers and the fenders (front and rear).

 

Low mileage imports are the ones to be most cautious around. The clocks may of been tampered (happens a lot) with to entice someone to part with their cash even though they know about the repairs.

 

Best advice is to take your time. I'm an impulse shopper myself but when you're about to part with 20k you've got to be sure it's worth it. There's a lot of Z's for sale out there so there are plenty of good ones.

 

Guy

[lomoto]

Dan is spot on.

 

Most imports have been repaired in some way.

 

 

Low mileage imports are the ones to be most cautious around. The clocks may of been tampered (happens a lot)

 

I beg to differ

[Guest prescience]

Dan is spot on.

 

Most imports have been repaired in some way.

 

 

Low mileage imports are the ones to be most cautious around. The clocks may of been tampered (happens a lot)

 

I beg to differ

 

So do I, I think it is a ridiculous statement to say most imports 'have been repaired in some way'; there have been many many successful imports of Zs and there is a grading system is there not - are you calling foul on that. Perhaps you have a vested interest in people buying UK/Euro Zs?

 

Please substantiate these claims which seem intended to put people off importing for no good reason

 

I can honestly say that I have contributed to UK Z forums for over 3 years now and I have never heard of a case (on this and forerunner forums) where someone stated that their import was as described here - I might have missed one or two but it would be extremely rare nevertheless

[drude]

There is no problem at all with buying an import. Suspect repair work and faked clocks are just as likely with a UK car. Why on earth would only Jap imports be faked?

 

If I were you I'd not buy from an importer's stock but go to auction and get the colour spec and car you want. It's part of the fun checking out loads of Zs and finding a great one.

 

For the money you have been quoted you would be able to get almost any Z at auction out there in Japan. I paid just a little more for my mint 800 mile "type G". Check it out here: http://www.bluchip.gg/special_orders.htm

 

You should also deal with an importer that has a man out there in Japan. www.bluchip.gg do this - have bought 2 cars from them and the service and attention is excellent.

[YHTM]

Seem to have stirred something here! I have read lots of info about imported Zs and never come across the 'most are damaged' view beforehand. I will only consider a Grade 5 car and have struggled to locate a black Roadster with so few miles in the UK . The importer states that the mileage is genuine and service history and full documentation is available. Any deposit I make is refundable on viewing too.

Given all that I thought there was minimal risk with all the checks that are made, perhaps even less than if I buy privately in the UK ?!

Thanks for the link to the Gurnsey importers, would they supply to the mainland?

I have submitted my requirements to 2 other importers neither of whom have responded!!

For info I am after a Roadster, Grade 5, low miles, Black or Azure with a decent spec. Not 100% sure about semi auto or manual as I can't locate a semi auto to test drive locally. I did test drive a Coupe for the day from the local Nissan dealer but living in South London there's a hell of a lot of gear changing in a 6 gear car with all the traffic. I currently have an 03 BMW 330 auto which is easy to drive and really smooth but lacks the instant kick the manual 350 gave me!! It does have a 'manual' option but I don't use it as I lose track of which gear I am in unless I look at the dash.

Right, back to the interweb!!

[Emperor Ming]

I also looked at importing a car myself but unless you are brining in a few the overheads do not make it much of a saving I don't think. Go to a dealer of imports and get a warranty. Mine gave me 12 months.

Check the auction sheet that comes with the import. Go onto the auction site and look for your car. The sold ones are still there if you know the date.

Make sure the numbers match up and you will see your car with its grade.

I personally would not buy less than a 4 and 4.5 would be preferable

There is noe place I know of that is dubious with clocks on imports and has a very bad rep with imported vehicles. I have seen cars shown in adverts several years newer than they actually are.

The importer I used gave me the contact details to verify the import authenticity of my prosepective car!!

Good luck and don't be put of an import I have had 2 and Mrs Ming drives one as we speak!!

Good hunting

Ming the Import happy

[flakmunky]

YHTM - which dealer are you buying from?

[jim]

Dan is spot on.

 

Most imports have been repaired in some way.

 

 

Low mileage imports are the ones to be most cautious around. The clocks may of been tampered (happens a lot)

 

I beg to differ

 

+1

Why are you trying to put someone off importing? Plenty of us have done it and are very happy with the outcome.

[GC350z]

Obviously a touchy subject eh? When I posted a comment stating “most importsâ€

[Dan]

Sorry, I forgot to subscribe to this thread so missed the subsequent answers.

 

I was not referring exclusively to the 350z, I was referrring to imports in general. Firstly I have to point out that I have no vested interest in stopping people buying imports - I am an independent Nissan specialist so I can stock whatever I like, and I would buy an import if it was a nice car - in fact I have owned well over a hundred imported cars, Supras, Skylines, 3000GT, 300ZX etc.

 

The vast majority of these cars had been painted, but I bought them direct from the importer and had the damage repaired myself, so I knew the extent of the damage when I bought them.

 

I would challenge anyone to go look at ten Supras, Skylines, 3000GTs, 300ZX etc and spot one that hasn't been painted. Better still, save yourself some time and visit a well known "trade centre" where you can see 60+ imports all on one site, and not one of them is wearing its original paint

 

Many dealers, not just importers, are in this business purely for profit and they are not particularly concerned what they buy ( and sell ) as long as there is a profit in the car. The vast majority of importers buy low grade cars and tart them up over here. That is fact, it's simple economics. There is more profit to be made that way. I am sure there will be many importers who do look out for nice high grade cars, just like there are many dealers who take pride in their stock and don't buy scruffy cars.

 

I am not trying to put people off imports at all - although when your budget puts you into a UK car I don't see much point - my advice was to be careful and take an expert.

Let the buyer beware

[rickya]

Though I agree in parts to what you have said above, the same can be said for all garages/car salesman around the world, Uk or Japan. A paint job can be re-done anywhere & its not recorded UK or Japan log book. I would however say that Japanese cars are usually lower mileage cars (less miles driven by people in Japan) & are better maintained by general Japanese public than European cars. I dont think we can compare the condition of 5 to 10 yrs old Nissan Sylvia; R32 Skyline; evo4; SI14; etc to newer 1yr to 4 yr old zeds that are not your normal Turbo modifying Jap teenagers second hand, cheap delight.

[nixy]

can i just also point out that not all importers buy the cars themselves and sell them on for a profit. There are some importers who act as a broker for you and charge a fee. Thats the route I have taken and the car is grade 5. Not all importers work the same way - there is a difference between importing cars and being a trader in imports.

[lomoto]

Though I agree in parts to what you have said above, the same can be said for all garages/car salesman around the world, Uk or Japan. A paint job can be re-done anywhere & its not recorded UK or Japan log book. I would however say that Japanese cars are usually lower mileage cars (less miles driven by people in Japan) & are better maintained by general Japanese public than European cars. I dont think we can compare the condition of 5 to 10 yrs old Nissan Sylvia; R32 Skyline; evo4; SI14; etc to newer 1yr to 4 yr old zeds that are not your normal Turbo modifying Jap teenagers second hand, cheap delight.

 

+1 , quite agree , I dont think the 350z has dropped into the same catogory as Skyline 32/33's and Mitsy GTO's , Pajero's etc..yet ...

[Dan]

I would however say that Japanese cars are usually lower mileage cars (less miles driven by people in Japan) & are better maintained by general Japanese public than European cars.

 

I have to agree with some points of your post, however that bit is a fallacy.

The Japanese are notorious for being very hard on their cars and have no mechanical sympathy whatsoever. If the car has a 6000rpm red line the typical Japanese driver will change up at 7 !