Hi guys,
just thought Id share this with you.I recently imported a car from japan (nissan skyline) and then sold it around 3 months later and made around a 25% profit on it.
The reason being was:
1 – The Ozzie dollar is good compared to the Yen.
2 – There is a risk with buying a car without “Seeing” it, hence it is cheap to import.
3 – Dealers selling imported and japanese made cars always sell them way too high, pushing the prices up for them.I bought my Skyline for $21,500, spent about $2000 getting it regod and cleaning it up a bit and sold it for $29,500.
What year was the skyline? T or Non T?
C2
“Is it true the more you owe the more you grow until the bank steps in?”
It was a 1994 R32 GTR.
Andrew,
I think that now there is more issues to importing cars from Japan than at the start of the year. Im not sure but I think that you cant import them privately anymore or at least if you could you would be limited in how many. Since the 1st of May the new RAWS scheme means that to import cars for onselling you must be able to have support ie a workshop stocking the parts required for that vehicle. Since this new shceme has started it has been much harder for importers to get cars complianced. I know I have been looking for a Toyota Supra for some time now!!Cheers
Wilko
yeah any car that is imported (being kept via the owner, or on sold) has to be stock standard!! i’m not sure of exactly to what extent, but i hear its pretty stricked, as in, no engine mods at all things like different mag wheels are about the only things allowed. and even worse if you do import something that has a few mods, anything that is not standard has to be destriod, along with documentation proving it!!! so ya cant even take it off and bang it on later!!
NEO
NICE ONE BRUVA!! Nice One Bruv! nice one
Once the car has passed compliance any modifications that is legal for other cars can be performed. Im pretty sure that the cars must have stock mags when being complianced but I think that exhaust mods are OK. Most importers state that you have to pay for the stock parts to be fitted for compliancing but you can keep the old parts from modifications, at least in SA. Anyway it has become a lot stricter that in was at the start of the year.
Cheers
Wilko[
]Wilko, nice choice in cars! The Supras are very nice.
Yeah with the new importing laws, the cars basically have to be stock when complied, but there is the 89 year rule, where if they are 15 years old, then they dont have to be stock or complied. But who wants a 15 yr old car anyway???
Anyway, you can still import a fairly stock car, do it up a bit and I reckon youd still be able to make a small profit.
In about 4 months Im going to import another GTR, and try and make a larger profit this time. [8D]Hi Andrew, By my calc you paid about 8-10 K too much, but then again you still made a profit. How much do you want to spend this time? Are you based in Japan?
Wilko what model supra and how much do you want to spend on the final price of getting it to OZ. Cars can be technically scrapped in Japan imported as parts and then put together in OZ and the modifications added on after compliance and sometimes before but it is a little bit tricky.
C2
“Is it true the more you owe the more you grow until the bank steps in?”
I have a friend who is buying computers etc second hand from e-bay and then selling them locally.
He is basically making his money on the principal you mentioned, because most people only buy something they can physically check out.
There’s some other reason why it works out well, something like that on powerbooks the warranty applies world-wide.Drive down Parramatta Road and look at all the crap examples of Skylines, FTO’s and Soarers. Although private importers are being restricted, the market is getting sick of “tired” models and prices are dropping but if you can make money good luck. I wouldn’t touch an imported car personally. The fuel grades are different here and can hurt the cat. converter. And on an import, try and get a reasonable one (price and condition).
Hey C2,
Im pretty keen on a RZ model around 96-97 or later. Prices over here are around 35K upwards. I may have to wait awile since I got a quote on insurance the other day which made me think that I can wait until Im 25 to get one.George it is not only imports that are getting tired. Just look at all the rusted VB, VC,
, XF and even EA’s that still are on the road. Some questions need to be asked when you can buy a brand new car for 14K but the registrars still let bombs like that get around!!Cheers
Wilko
C2, if you notice I said 1994 GTR. The twin turbo AWD car, not the GTS-T. They sell for anything over $30,000 these days.
Hi Andrew, Depending on K’s and if 1 owner your probably still around the 8K mark. I’m assuming you bought it in Japan and freighted it back to OZ. If you bought in Oz then I stand corrected. Most of the importers are selling their cars for 2,3,and even 4 times the price they paid in Japan for the vehicles. Here in Japan, I recently bought and drive a 1 owner (94)300zx 5sp non/T 80K’s price I paid in equivilent Aud was $2,500, with 2 year govt registration. This car was an exceptional bargain. What do you think it is worth in OZ?
Hi Wilko91, I’ll have a look around and find out the going price here. Please understand I don’t do this as a business, but have helped a few friends buy cars here and then freight them back. The price you can probably save would cover a few years insuarance, I would think. A friend of mind recently bought a 98 Supra I don’t know the exact model but he paid around 25K Aud. I think he should have paid a little less. I don’t know what his finally price will be on getting it to OZ, but he works here and will take it back next year or the year later.
“Is it true the more you owe the more you grow until the bank steps in?”
C2, so youre saying that you can get an R32 GTR there for $8000? With the exchange rate of 75 yen to 1 ozzie dollar, that makes it only 600,000 yen? I think youd be lucky to get one under 800,000 yen.
But yes I am in Australia, so theres shipping costs, stamp duty, buyers fee, GST, compliance, rego etc etc…. It all adds up. I actually got it pretty cheap over here.
That 300zx was only 187,500 yen???? Far out that is a bargain!
Hi Andrew, Have a look at goo-net.com take off 30-50% of the price and that is what the dealers are paying for these cars. BTW can you read Japanese?
C2
“Is it true the more you owe the more you grow until the bank steps in?”
Hey C2,
That would be excellent if you could do that for me. Most importers over here say that a 93 Supra is around the 1 million yen mark but from what you are saying that sounds like the are winding us up!! If I could get a 98 for 25K AUD I would be laughing!Andrew how did you go about getting finance for your import? Or did you have the cash?
Cheers
Wilko
PS C2 a 93 model 300ZX over here varies from about 24 -30K depending on K’s TT or NT. SO you got an absolute bargain!![8D]
Quote
George it is not only imports that are getting tired. Just look at all the rusted VB, VC,
, XF and even EA’s that still are on the road. Some questions need to be asked when you can buy a brand new car for 14K but the registrars still let bombs like that get around!!Because of pink slips in NSW, you don’t see VB, VC,
, XF and rusted EA’s on the roads here, which makes the bad imports still look bad. The laws restrict them here and it works, but I don’t know about SA and QLD.I know this is off the subject of cars, but I have a few clients that import Bulldozers.
They pay approx $25-30000 per machine, imported to Aust. Sell for approx $50-60000 and this is still selling below market value.
Other machinary items make can make a better return than this too.
Just thought you might like to know returns on other imports.
Hi picja1, You have definitely hit the nail on the head there. With the govt tying up the import market this area of imports has taken off more. I just wonder how many dozer drivers would like to drive a nice big pink and purple one. Most of the ones I see in OZ are yellow.
C2
“Is it true the more you owe the more you grow until the bank steps in?”
Hi Wilko91, Thanks for the info on the 300ZX. But the bargain I really missed out on was 2001 GTO for $7K Aud. The owner needed the money and a condition of the sale was he could still drive it for 3 months. I was told on a Friday afternoon about 10 minutes after the banks had closed and the ATM has a limit of 5K. I rang a few mates but they were all strapped for cash. Needless to say someone else got themselves the bargain of the century. I think a true value of a 93 Supra is about 6-800000 Yen.
George, I agree that there are a few tired imports around but generally the cars in Japan are looked after a hell of a lot more than back home. I’ve been involved with various car clubs in Australia and the way the Japanese treat their cars you would think the cars were GOD. Oil change and service every 1,000 Kilometers, a speed limit of 50 Kmh unless you go on the express way and then it’s 80 Kmh. I knock around with a few Rev heads in Japan and when I tell them that in the NT there is no speed limit in some areas they nearly wet their pants. Most imported cars are 1 owners and under 60,000K’s. If I was given a choice of two identical cars one from Japan and one from OZ, the Jap crap would win every time.
C2
“Is it true the more you owe the more you grow until the bank steps in?”
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, XF and even EA’s that still are on the road. Some questions need to be asked when you can buy a brand new car for 14K but the registrars still let bombs like that get around!!
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