Turning Japanese
Discussion
I have over the weekend been browsing the usual online sources in my attempt to find a good X350 V8 . I have been surprised to find that those one owner cars with gentle mileages seem to have evaporated . It was only a year or so ago when finding an X350 ( for some reason mostly V6 SE Models ) in these circumstances was relatively commonplace but sadly it seems no more . I have seen a few anomalies but all north of £20,000 and for me intending to drive the Car that's simply too much money with too much of a fall in value once I add a few thousand miles onto the mileometre .
The elephant in the room is of course these Japanese Cars and even they have started to climb at least in the asking prices . As always its getting the proper spec , some of these finishes dash boards especially take a lot of putting up with .
The elephant in the room is of course these Japanese Cars and even they have started to climb at least in the asking prices . As always its getting the proper spec , some of these finishes dash boards especially take a lot of putting up with .
Edited by reddiesel on Sunday 24th September 07:55
reddiesel said:
The aluminium trim doesn’t work with ivory leather it needs to be a darker contrast imo The Japanese cars are always a gamble because you don’t really know what their history is
craigjm said:
reddiesel said:
The aluminium trim doesn’t work with ivory leather it needs to be a darker contrast imo The Japanese cars are always a gamble because you don’t really know what their history is
https://thumbsnap.com/i/qTXXMD9Z.jpg
https://thumbsnap.com/i/MBFaT2gY.jpg
And wonder what "R" and "RA" means (not good), XX (not good at all) etc etc.
The first car has been through the auctions multiple times since July, not meeting the reserve, or going unsold. Its a Super V8 in black. The latest time it got to the block (last week), it reached £1800.
The second car sold in July for £600. Its been in a prang with door and wing replaced. If was due for the UK, it will be here now on a forecourt.
The Prestigemotorsport.com.au site is good, because you can search past non-USS auction sales. If you havde a Jap import, you might be able to find your car there and any hidden history the importer was keen to gloss over.
I've literally had some importers tell me that the auction sheets and any history they find in the car they throw away, as customers ask too many questions. Of course, they were shady, it was a bit unclear who owned their stock.
30 years ago, I am fairly sure part of the grey import trade was money laundering. I brought my first MX5 off a garage in East Belfast, running cars up from Dublin on what turned out to be fake Irish import plates, selling the cars, then running the cars back downn south to get them registered in the new owners name (to get around the then restrictions on personal imports). The dodgy import trade went away, but now there is this seeming explosion in German cars from Japan, especially VWs, whuch are less obviously "Jap spec". Imports from Japan only make sense if they are a lot cheaper than UK stock, ue 20-30% saving. There is a huge risk for quite a complex car. There is a better case for X300s; relatively simple mechanics, and the lack of rust in most (not all) Jap imports
Of the Jap imports that came in 25-30 years ago, most have gone, rotted away or became nonseviceable. The ones that survive are mostly Eunos Roadsters, which are basically a very simple car to maintain. FTOs have virtually disappeared, and even Mk2 MR2s are quite a rare sight.
I think its nuts to pay £20k for a 20 year old car with zero reliable service history. Importers will routinely markup by 100%, and quickly disappear once the exchange rate goes south.
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