2019 Jap Import advice
Discussion
Been in the market for an import for a while now and am quite set on an S15 Spec-R or PS13. I am in the UK and see that Torque GT would be my best option to manage the import, but they require a budget from myself. What should I be expecting to pay for each car including the fee's which Torque would take for it to be on the UK roads? I'm looking for a grade 4+ with as little mods as possible.
I'd also appreciate any buying advise as I have no idea what goes in to the import process.
I'd also appreciate any buying advise as I have no idea what goes in to the import process.
Generally these days you take the japan auction purchase price and add around £3-5k. That will be your drive away price from an all-in importer like torque...Some places can do cheaper but then you are left with the costs of underseal, speedo conversion, etc.
Its always cheaper to buy something already landed in the UK...don't rule out grabbing a car off someone who is flipping it after it's been here a year or two, could save you a bundle.
I recently bought a JDM import toyota that was brought over two years back. it's immaculate underneath, low miles, and very clean all round... I paid £2500, i reckon to buy the same car from japan through torque would be about £5k landed.
as another comparison, torque are selling low miles fresh import DC5s for around £11k, the same car bought here from a UK owner would cost around £9k private sale.
Or you can completely DIY it and use an agent in Japan, cheapest way, but the most legwork.
Its always cheaper to buy something already landed in the UK...don't rule out grabbing a car off someone who is flipping it after it's been here a year or two, could save you a bundle.
I recently bought a JDM import toyota that was brought over two years back. it's immaculate underneath, low miles, and very clean all round... I paid £2500, i reckon to buy the same car from japan through torque would be about £5k landed.
as another comparison, torque are selling low miles fresh import DC5s for around £11k, the same car bought here from a UK owner would cost around £9k private sale.
Or you can completely DIY it and use an agent in Japan, cheapest way, but the most legwork.
Edited by designforlife on Wednesday 16th January 11:15
Echo the above with both times I've used Torque GT, my Skyline & Toyota were between £2-4k over the price of doing it myself getting it from Japan.
Price compared to one already in the UK for the type and condition of car I wanted was about £1k more for the Skyline but about the same for the Toyota so I felt I got good value from them for the amount of work they do and the service I received.
Will use them again if I get another car from Japan
Price compared to one already in the UK for the type and condition of car I wanted was about £1k more for the Skyline but about the same for the Toyota so I felt I got good value from them for the amount of work they do and the service I received.
Will use them again if I get another car from Japan
Prices vary of course, finding a good one isnt as easy as it used to be
After a quick look the PS13 with a decent grade of 4 or 4.5 is very hard to find. Almost all are "R" grade and prices vary but generally around the 500,000yen mark. Most have higher miles too. That would be around £6500 if you done it yourself.
The S15 in grade 4 or 4.5 are more common with prices from around 10m yen to 15m yen. This is around £11000 to £15000 in the UK if you did it yourself.
Those are based on actual grades, as with any import ask to see a copy of the auction report (if bought from auction) and have it verified.
You'll likely know this anyway but you can always browse autotrader stylie here: http://www.goo-net-exchange.com/
After a quick look the PS13 with a decent grade of 4 or 4.5 is very hard to find. Almost all are "R" grade and prices vary but generally around the 500,000yen mark. Most have higher miles too. That would be around £6500 if you done it yourself.
The S15 in grade 4 or 4.5 are more common with prices from around 10m yen to 15m yen. This is around £11000 to £15000 in the UK if you did it yourself.
Those are based on actual grades, as with any import ask to see a copy of the auction report (if bought from auction) and have it verified.
You'll likely know this anyway but you can always browse autotrader stylie here: http://www.goo-net-exchange.com/
designforlife said:
Generally these days you take the japan auction purchase price and add around £3-5k. That will be your drive away price from an all-in importer like torque...Some places can do cheaper but then you are left with the costs of underseal, speedo conversion, etc.
Its always cheaper to buy something already landed in the UK...don't rule out grabbing a car off someone who is flipping it after it's been here a year or two, could save you a bundle.
I recently bought a JDM import toyota that was brought over two years back. it's immaculate underneath, low miles, and very clean all round... I paid £2500, i reckon to buy the same car from japan through torque would be about £5k landed.
as another comparison, torque are selling low miles fresh import DC5s for around £11k, the same car bought here from a UK owner would cost around £9k private sale.
Or you can completely DIY it and use an agent in Japan, cheapest way, but the most legwork.
That’s not quite right though. It would be the cost in Japan + 30% tax, then say £1k shipping and £1.5-3k dealer mark up. Its always cheaper to buy something already landed in the UK...don't rule out grabbing a car off someone who is flipping it after it's been here a year or two, could save you a bundle.
I recently bought a JDM import toyota that was brought over two years back. it's immaculate underneath, low miles, and very clean all round... I paid £2500, i reckon to buy the same car from japan through torque would be about £5k landed.
as another comparison, torque are selling low miles fresh import DC5s for around £11k, the same car bought here from a UK owner would cost around £9k private sale.
Or you can completely DIY it and use an agent in Japan, cheapest way, but the most legwork.
Edited by designforlife on Wednesday 16th January 11:15
A £20k car in Japan would be about £6k tax alone.
I did an import myself in 2017 and it was pretty straight forward. Was for a grade 4 2002 Subaru Legacy Twin Turbo.
Process was relatively straightforward.
-Agent in Japan found the car
-I transferred funds
-They did all the paperwork in Japan and put it on a boat
-About 2-3 weeks before arriving in the UK the port I received car documents and cost of tax/import duties
-paid these and printed off the forms for the car and started filling them out
-Got car collected and dropped off (MOT on the way)
-Sent MOT and registration docs to DVLA
-Received letter with Reg number
-Ordered Reg plates online
-Car on the road
UK Price for my car was pretty difficult as hardly any about, especially in manuals. I paid roughly in total £6k for the car from start to finish. Price in Japan for them is around £3.5-4k. I probably could have found a cheaper one from auction but this one from a dealership ticked all the boxes and was immaculate.
I'll likely do it myself again for the missus's next car (A Nissan Figaro).
Process was relatively straightforward.
-Agent in Japan found the car
-I transferred funds
-They did all the paperwork in Japan and put it on a boat
-About 2-3 weeks before arriving in the UK the port I received car documents and cost of tax/import duties
-paid these and printed off the forms for the car and started filling them out
-Got car collected and dropped off (MOT on the way)
-Sent MOT and registration docs to DVLA
-Received letter with Reg number
-Ordered Reg plates online
-Car on the road
UK Price for my car was pretty difficult as hardly any about, especially in manuals. I paid roughly in total £6k for the car from start to finish. Price in Japan for them is around £3.5-4k. I probably could have found a cheaper one from auction but this one from a dealership ticked all the boxes and was immaculate.
I'll likely do it myself again for the missus's next car (A Nissan Figaro).
Using Torque GT right for a Skyline and i'm 2-3 weeks off collection i reckon.
If you are time poor like me then this is the way to go and worth a premium, i'm looking forwards to just pitching up and collecting the keys and driving something that is exactly what i wanted. They have prepped the car to my specification and sorted all the niggles and are dyno'ing it so i know its in good fettle and what the numbers look like. There was also the small matter of something leaving the car during transit which they are also handling with no fuss whatsoever.
Yes you can land the car cheaper, but when all is said and done the ease of use and trust in a long running company with good form is a big positive for me
If you are time poor like me then this is the way to go and worth a premium, i'm looking forwards to just pitching up and collecting the keys and driving something that is exactly what i wanted. They have prepped the car to my specification and sorted all the niggles and are dyno'ing it so i know its in good fettle and what the numbers look like. There was also the small matter of something leaving the car during transit which they are also handling with no fuss whatsoever.
Yes you can land the car cheaper, but when all is said and done the ease of use and trust in a long running company with good form is a big positive for me
Edited by J-Tuner on Monday 21st January 12:47
J-Tuner said:
Using Torque GT right for a Skyline and i'm 2-3 weeks off collection i reckon.
If you are time poor like me then this is the way to go and worth a premium, i'm looking forwards to just pitching up and collecting the keys and driving something that is exactly what i wanted. They have prepped the car to my specification and sorted all the niggles and are dyno'ing it so i know its in good fettle and what the numbers look like. There was also the small matter of something leaving the car during transit which they are also handling with no fuss whatsoever.
Yes you can land the car cheaper, but when all is said and done the ease of use and trust in a long running company with good form is a big positive for me
Gear knob? Mine went walkabout thanks to the thieving RO-RO drivers at Southampton docks!! If you are time poor like me then this is the way to go and worth a premium, i'm looking forwards to just pitching up and collecting the keys and driving something that is exactly what i wanted. They have prepped the car to my specification and sorted all the niggles and are dyno'ing it so i know its in good fettle and what the numbers look like. There was also the small matter of something leaving the car during transit which they are also handling with no fuss whatsoever.
Yes you can land the car cheaper, but when all is said and done the ease of use and trust in a long running company with good form is a big positive for me
Edited by J-Tuner on Monday 21st January 12:47
TommoAE86 said:
Gear knob? Mine went walkabout thanks to the thieving RO-RO drivers at Southampton docks!!
Torque GT have all the gear knobs removed in Japan and sent over separately, as they are a top item to pinch!I recently picked up a 2002 JDM EP3 Civic type-r from them and I've been super pleased with the car and the outstanding service I received from Darren at TGT.
As said, if you want a hassle free import, its the way to go (even if you do pay a little extra).
oh and thinking about it, this is a good article to read...….
https://www.torque-gt.co.uk/blog/post/how-to-spot-...
https://www.torque-gt.co.uk/blog/post/how-to-spot-...
Its really not necessary to use the likes of torque gt...though a few friends have used them and all got good cars/good service.
I opted to source a car and deal with shipping/registration. It's a few hours emailing the dealer, documents between agents an ports whilst organising electronic transfers (paid in US dollars) followed by a chunk of old school paperwork plus a cheque to the dvla. It's not thousands of pounds worth of time/effort.
I opted to source a car and deal with shipping/registration. It's a few hours emailing the dealer, documents between agents an ports whilst organising electronic transfers (paid in US dollars) followed by a chunk of old school paperwork plus a cheque to the dvla. It's not thousands of pounds worth of time/effort.
I get your point but when I bought through Torque the advantage was that if I didn't like the car when I turned up I would only loose an admin fee (something like £90) and get a full refund of what I had paid during the import process.
If your car/truck/van had been a bit of a dog up close when you laid eyes on it in the port, how much of a refund would you have got?...
If your car/truck/van had been a bit of a dog up close when you laid eyes on it in the port, how much of a refund would you have got?...
I factored that in, I paid around £3000 (on the road) for a car Torque gt would want 7k for.
I'd seen over 40 images of the car and decided that if it turned out to be cack I'd just not register it an sell the engine/running gear, body kit, interior an easily make my money back.
A mate acquired is Euro R from TGT on the basis another customer pulled out when the car was already on the boat. Maybe that happens to them a lot?
I'd seen over 40 images of the car and decided that if it turned out to be cack I'd just not register it an sell the engine/running gear, body kit, interior an easily make my money back.
A mate acquired is Euro R from TGT on the basis another customer pulled out when the car was already on the boat. Maybe that happens to them a lot?
It's the dealing with the full list of things you need to do that (to me) justifies the cost of using Torque GT, here's what I can remember they do, of course some if this can be covered by other services:
Searching
Inspect the car prior to auction
Auction bidding
Auction to port transport (Japan)
De-registration
Insured shipping
Collection and customs (UK port)
Transport to their site
Foglight
Underseal
Speedo & Odo conversion
DVLA registeration
MOT
If I had the time to do it then I would love to do that myself and I can understand why in that case you wouldn't want to pay the extra. They are also there to help out my HICAS unit failed after 3 months and they replaced it free, I didn't expect them to do that on a 25 year old car at all and was willing to pay myself!
Searching
Inspect the car prior to auction
Auction bidding
Auction to port transport (Japan)
De-registration
Insured shipping
Collection and customs (UK port)
Transport to their site
Foglight
Underseal
Speedo & Odo conversion
DVLA registeration
MOT
If I had the time to do it then I would love to do that myself and I can understand why in that case you wouldn't want to pay the extra. They are also there to help out my HICAS unit failed after 3 months and they replaced it free, I didn't expect them to do that on a 25 year old car at all and was willing to pay myself!
I get both ways, if you dont have the time then the Agent/Dealer is fine and you have a relatively safe pair of hands
However, for me, I really enjoy the process, the search and the excitement of something new from Japan and the slight gamble with what you get
Its just different ways to get a similar result, but I take great joy in searching and bidding for a few months
However, for me, I really enjoy the process, the search and the excitement of something new from Japan and the slight gamble with what you get
Its just different ways to get a similar result, but I take great joy in searching and bidding for a few months
Yep its exactly that - pick your poison.
I'm firmly in the category of "not enough time" and happy to pay for a safety net. If i had time on my hands to research and meet contacts etc i'd definitely like to try my hand at it. I'd actually like to head out to Japan and view a car and bid on auction in person (with a agent obviously). Bucket list item.
I'm going to pick my Skyline up in just over a week and there is literally nothing for me to do on the car when i pick it up - I can concentrate on driving and enjoying the car. All i have done is wire money over and ask them to make it happen.
The amount of stuff i have asked them to do from a major service, bush replacement, new rays wheels and AEM fuel pump, sill and door cavity wax in addition to the underseal, right down to slinging in a UK Spec headunit and its all being done without any fuss. Another point to make especially with performance cars is these guys rolling road the cars and make sure they go out the door with a safe tune. I had a Dyno graph emailed through to me the other week showing i had a very healthy 395BHP on standard boost
That in itself is worth a lot in my opinion given a RB rebuild will be probably in excess of 4k if i threw a rod on the way home!
I'm firmly in the category of "not enough time" and happy to pay for a safety net. If i had time on my hands to research and meet contacts etc i'd definitely like to try my hand at it. I'd actually like to head out to Japan and view a car and bid on auction in person (with a agent obviously). Bucket list item.
I'm going to pick my Skyline up in just over a week and there is literally nothing for me to do on the car when i pick it up - I can concentrate on driving and enjoying the car. All i have done is wire money over and ask them to make it happen.
The amount of stuff i have asked them to do from a major service, bush replacement, new rays wheels and AEM fuel pump, sill and door cavity wax in addition to the underseal, right down to slinging in a UK Spec headunit and its all being done without any fuss. Another point to make especially with performance cars is these guys rolling road the cars and make sure they go out the door with a safe tune. I had a Dyno graph emailed through to me the other week showing i had a very healthy 395BHP on standard boost
That in itself is worth a lot in my opinion given a RB rebuild will be probably in excess of 4k if i threw a rod on the way home!Gassing Station | Japanese Chat | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff