What do people think about buying imports (S2000)?

[Davey111]

Hi there,

After the help from my previous post I have another question (I have also posted this in at S2ki)

I have found an interesting car that is in my price range. Basic details are: 1999 model, Yellow (quite like the colour myself), 89k on the clock, uprated ECU, Discs and Alloys.

The thing is it is a Japanese import (brought in in 2007). Just wondering if there is anything I need to look out for here and what the general feeling is about buying imports? Are there standard features that will be missing from UK version or maybe even extra ones you don't get here? What is it likely to do to the value of the car?

One more question. Apparently it has a factory fitted Sat Nav that is currently in Japanese, does anyone know if it would be possible to re-set this to English?

Any help appreciated, cheers.

[havoc]

There's usually a decent market for Jap imports in the UK now, but the S2000 has proved so popular in the Uk anyway that there's little real benefit in getting an import over a UK car, IMHO, and I think it would put at least 50% of potential buyers off when you come to sell...so value it accordingly!

As for the rest of it - sorry, can't help - s2ki may be able to though.

[mikey P 500]

There are pros and cons to import s2000’s the good news it less miles on our salted UK winter roads will probably mean the geometry bolts are less likely to be seized and there is less chance of any rust (an early uk car might have minimal rust by now).
But some insurance companies charge a premium to cover it, you can’t trace the service history. The Jap sat nav can’t be made to work over here with uk maps so looks ugly in the dash and is point less. And the extra quoted 10bhp is lost once you have to run on uk octane fuel anyway.
Personally I would prefer a UK car, like many others so the Jap import would have to be a little cheaper than the Uk equivalent for the same year miles etc. (I would value a 99 car with those miles at around 6k if its fairy tidy).

[mikey k]

What they said!

I doubt the ECU has been upgraded.
Unless it is J's, Mugen, Spoon etc.
On a NA car it won't give that much extra anyway.
There are a few small difference on the engine.
The thing that would have me running from this one is the oil banjo bolt recall.
ALL the early UK cars had a recall to improve oil injection to No4 cylinder.
Many if not most the JDM cars didn't get this.
Hence many of the JDM cars in the UK of this age lunch the engine.

[Davey111]

Thanks for everyones contributions here. I have found a UK S2000 that I have agreed to buy and will be picking it up later this week. Looking forward to that!

[mikey k]

well done!