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Newbie here. Importing a Sambar or a Hijet soon

Discussion in 'Introductions' started by Ohkei Dohkei, May 24, 2018.

  1. Maximal

    Maximal Active Member

    most places wont even touch anything less than auction grade 3.5 for export unless its for use as a parts vehicle, Sambar are very easily obtainable in mint shape for cheap. i imported my 97 with 40,000km last August for $7000 in mint shape and over $2000 of that was shipping and other fees

    i dont know how tied up i would be about diff locks, ive driven in some crazy poor winter conditions and ive never even come close to being stuck as long as its in 4WD
     
    cmoore likes this.
  2. Bobacuda

    Bobacuda Member

    OD-
    How are your problems with your new truck progressing? Please tell us the importer is finding you a suitable replacement or that they are refunding you in full.
     
  3. matt167

    matt167 Active Member

    I've been curious as well, and if you actually used Japan Car Direct to make this purchase? I'm in the market for a 660cc Suzuki Jimny right now, and PCA ( who I know is legit ) is backed up on Emails so I contacted JCD.. They quoted me a baseline price that was 200k yen higher than I knew it should be, and upon my own research the prices are 25-50% of what they quoted for good vehicles. But they still seemed ok. He warned me of one vehicle I considered had an oil leak and can't be shipped in that condition and I have been searching while also feeling something might not be right and waiting on PCA. Now I'm just going to wait
     
  4. cmoore

    cmoore New Member

    VW_94Sambar01142019a.jpg

    I'm in the middle of a Sambar import with JCD too. I'm pretty happy so far with how they've communicated and the over all cost (acquisition, storage until 94 build date, and delivery) I thought were reasonable--at a total $4900USD). Hardest part is going to be waiting until June to pick it up. #crossingfingers
     
  5. Ohkei Dohkei

    Ohkei Dohkei Active Member

    I requested a refund when I found out that they misrepresented the truck as having diff lock and couldn't export it. They are essentially giving me the run around saying they are putting it up for sale to try to make a profit. After they sell it for a profit, I'll get a refund. I've been patiently waiting since before Christmas. There's not much I can do about it, you pay them up front by wire in another country. I'll give them about 30 more days before I sound the alarm, I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt since they do seem to have a good reputation.
     
  6. Ohkei Dohkei

    Ohkei Dohkei Active Member

    You would have to see this red clay to believe it. We had to pull out two 4wd pickups this weekend just getting out of camp.
     
  7. VanOne

    VanOne Member

    I got my Town Box through JCD, all the faults/imperfections that did not come up in the inspection vid were hidden ones that would have required a visit at the port maintenance or a very long sit in the auction yard to be seen(broken thermostat, and now a bad catalytic converter). Every vehicle I chose was given a full run down on known faults, they also make commentary if bidding is reasonable due to mileage & your budget. The pricing was what I expected for a grade 3(got it for 21,000 yen).
     
  8. matt167

    matt167 Active Member

    I came across this while browsing. https://www.beforward.jp/subaru/sambar-truck/bg090946/id/1144936/ I'd take a hard look at this truck. It's got some bumps and bruises but it's overall pretty nice for the price of it. As for a diff locker. If you get stuck in clay bad enough to need diff lock, these trucks are pretty stuck at that point. But you can ride the brake to keep oposite side from spinning backwards and you get a poor mans locker. You will heat up the brakes but for the limited amount of time that you might be able to use a locker it will work.
     
    Last edited: Jan 16, 2019
  9. Ohkei Dohkei

    Ohkei Dohkei Active Member

    I was very specific as to what I wanted. High roof, working A/C, 4wd, and Diff lock. I hired JCD to get what I wanted. I paid them what they wanted when they requested it. I paid for an inspection and that should have been done or I wouldn't be in this situation because the truck doesn't have diff lock. I can't read Japanese, that's what I paid them for.
     
  10. Ohkei Dohkei

    Ohkei Dohkei Active Member

  11. matt167

    matt167 Active Member

    ...
     
    Last edited: Jan 16, 2019
  12. Ohkei Dohkei

    Ohkei Dohkei Active Member

    Yes, they found the truck, translated the sheet somewhat, and told me it had everything I was looking for with the exception of maintenance issues described previously (which I told them to go ahead and fix since I couldn't get it here until April).
     
  13. matt167

    matt167 Active Member

    Last edited: Jan 16, 2019
  14. VanOne

    VanOne Member

    Didn't find a totally goner clutch on a 1995 Suzuki Every, blown waterpump(and all the coolant hoses had holes all over, would have been apparent with the mess it left after itself), nor the fact that the head cylinder gasket was blown which made itself apparent by the car keeping itself on even after removing the keys if the engine was warm, and the fact that the car kept a constant 20 to 40km/h speed when a gear was on with no touching on the gas pedal, all that on a grade 3.5 vehicle with only notes on the sheets being stuff like ripped driver seat, and external dings. Japanese auction sheets aren't as rosy as you claim, it all depends on the auction house how far they go with their inspection. Hence why individuals like these get through, where bodies/frames have been switched with other vehicles. And ones that are totally mechanically broken that pass cause they turn on when you turn the ignition key, and no warning lights come on.

    Instantly jumping on a exporter that they are frauding someone cause the client approved a purchase of a vehicle that did not match what they wanted. We don't know what he got on the pre-auction vid for details, we don't know if they told him it shouldn't be bid on. Just seems a little quick going. With that sort of thinking JPCTrade is also a bunch scammers cause they got me that Suzuki Every.

    They'd have frauded him if they had the car in their inventory, and they did not tell him all the details. But if they are bidding on a vehicle even they do not have all the details, how can it be fraud from their side? And the pre-auction inspector is not one of their guys, he comes from the auction house. For all you know they got shafted by the guy.
     
    Last edited: Jan 15, 2019
  15. matt167

    matt167 Active Member

    ...
     
    Last edited: Jan 16, 2019
  16. VanOne

    VanOne Member

    Every was from JPCTrade, not JCD. I very specifically switched exporter cause JPCTrade didn't notice a totally worn down clutch(nor the fact the reserve coolant tank was empty) even though they supposedly ran the vehicle at port etc.

    For me JCD didn't recommend any maintenance procedures, then again I am in Finland not in the USA. They expected me to queue it for maintenance if I wanted it. In my case I didn't need to cause there is a Mitsubishi shop here with software that gets spare part catalogs for Japanese vehicles.

    Also, even Derek has been caught in a bad deal...funnily enough he used JPCTrade as a intermediary. https://forums.jdmvip.com/threads/5736-Pacific-Coast-JDM-amp-JPC-Trade-Fraud-Review-Complaint

    Every reputable exporter has at least 1 case a year where they are in a bad deal. Maybe they don't bid on something themselves, and use another exporter cause they don't have the time to deal with it. Every single one of these does not come up. Tons of people don't know these forums to come talk about them. So some exporters might look 100% clean but in reality even they've had a frame/body switch vehicle come to their yard, get a car with totally blown engine, they bought a price fixed vehicle and so on.

    JCD just seems too customer caring to be fraudsters. They ask customers to send back pictures & commentary on the vehicle they bought(and they show the pictures on Instagram if you allow). Even I'm going to send back some when I've finally had the interior cleaned up, and have the vehicle plated. They were very careful to point out everything to me on the sheet including if the vehicle was sensible cause of mileage. I actually dropped a few cause they thought with the mileage there would be too many hidden faults.
     
    Last edited: Jan 16, 2019
    cmoore likes this.
  17. Ohkei Dohkei

    Ohkei Dohkei Active Member

    Yeah, I'm not saying anyone is being fraudulent at this point of time. Everyone makes mistakes, and things happen that aren't expected. We are communicating.
     
    cmoore likes this.
  18. VanOne

    VanOne Member

    Yeah, you can notice I was responding mostly to a certain member who kept coming on with the angle that JCD is somehow fraudulent(among other things implying they were inflating price on a Jimny offer when a estimate of price is just that, a estimate. Jimny's are quite wanted.) while also endorsing Derek quite heavily, then magically removed the content of their posts when I posted one single incident where Derek was seen in a bad light.

    Like I've said before, these things just happen in the auction house industry. Just by sheer volume every exporter will one day be hit by a bad egg. You can spend a whole day on http://www.exportcar.jp/ looking up one day's auctions.
     
  19. matt167

    matt167 Active Member

    I was nicely contacted by a certain individual. While I may have been off base a bit. I still believe a no claim/ no inspection vehicle is a higher risk than I would have personally taken. I knew about Derek's mishap but he was actually proven not guilty in a Japanese court.
     
  20. VanOne

    VanOne Member

    Yeah, it was merely an example of how every exporter hits a situation where they are seen in a bad light, usually due to no fault of their own.
    Btw, I'd be wary of recommending beforward. Don't tell a vehicle is a R grade out of auction. https://www.beforward.jp/honda/acty-truck/bg112610/id/1170666/?mfg_year_from=1980 http://www.exportcar.jp/en/component/auctstat/?view=auctstatdetail&id=a3fAVh9LzNeYIv
    They do mention speedo replacements, but that is just about it. Sometimes they are willing to give you the auction sheet, sometimes not.

    They pick mostly grade 3.5 and below. And what you get is a nice price up. Observe: https://www.beforward.jp/mitsubishi/minicab-truck/bg112951/id/1170826/ http://www.exportcar.jp/en/component/auctstat/?view=auctstatdetail&id=blXb298WVm4NZB

    20,000 yen, yet their price is 790 dollars. 607 dollars difference. Far wiser to buy that same painted over Minicab from auction, and get it cheaper, rather than curse yourself for buying a Minicab with flaking paint(quite often these near mint looking grade 3.5 vehicles are painted over, the paint flakes by the time you get it at port, my Every had the same treatment for auction) for nearly 800 dollars plus shipping. One might argue the exporter fee removes that advantage, but at least you see the sheet when doing it that way.

    Beforward might sometimes put them on sale, and sell them pretty close to what they got them on auction, but at that point I'd ask why.
    https://www.beforward.jp/mitsubishi/minicab-truck/bg094846/id/1150384/ http://www.exportcar.jp/en/component/auctstat/?view=auctstatdetail&id=i58uUF8H44lAiK
     
    Last edited: Jan 17, 2019
  21. matt167

    matt167 Active Member

    I would agree that Be Forward isn't an end all, but they are an option. I've talked to people who have cars of theirs and they are mostly fine ( wouldn't buy a GT-R or other high dollar off them ).. However you can see the sheet on any vehicle they sell or at least every one I've ever looked at. Right below the picture is a link that says " Auction Sheet ". Click it and you get the sheet, as well as a check sheet inspection.. If you ask, they will translate it too.

    The reason I say there an option is, the cost. These are low dollar vehicles for the most part, usually under 100,000 yen at auction, lot of times 2-20k yen. So when they mark the vehicle up, even if they marked it up $600 it's still going to be cheaper than the auction, sometimes by $1-200 where it's arguable, sometimes a lot more.

    If you take that Mini Cab. CIF to port of NY ( if it was legal to import since it's a 1997 ) it would be $1,804 and it's on the boat.. If you did through an auction exporter, with 100,000 yen exporter cost and 100,000 yen shipping it would be about $2,212 or 220,000 yen
    Be Forward, being a little bit cheaper actually gives an edge of detailed pictures along with the auction sheet. In this case for a cheaper vehicle it's actually a win I'd say

    I actually just purchased a 1993 Jimny from them more or less on a whim for under $1,700 . It's pretty rough by Japanese standards ( not by US Suzuki Samurai standards ). It went on a very steep discount, and someone I know basically offered me what I paid just for the body if it wasn't what I want ( tin top, so hens teeth in USA ). So win, win without any risk. If it ends up being not worth anything to me or the engine has issues. I'll use the EFI system, possibly the turbo on my Suzuki Carry and sell the body off to my friend.. I'm using Davidson And Sons for brokerage.


    And BTW, JCD does seem pretty decent. Insert mouth open foot kinda thing.
     
  22. Maximal

    Maximal Active Member

    Be-Forward is pretty fair and they have good communication. i ordered a pair of glass headlights for my Toyota Crown ($40 with $360 shipping, go figure) and the one headlight i needed came completely shattered. they immediately offered to replace it and found a new one. if i ever import another vehicle i would consider going through them, they seem pretty legit
     
  23. VanOne

    VanOne Member

    Where? Cause I don't see it on any the vehicles above I posted as an example
    https://ibb.co/4Wt8hdZ

    And I didn't see such a button on any of the cars I checked for 3 months while following Beforward's pricing strategy.
     
  24. matt167

    matt167 Active Member

  25. Ohkei Dohkei

    Ohkei Dohkei Active Member

    Well my truck is currently soaking up the sun in Acapulco.. Headed to the canal next!
     
    punimog likes this.
  26. Ohkei Dohkei

    Ohkei Dohkei Active Member

    Hopefully I'm picking up my Sambar in the morning. I called customs and they told me over the phone that "those Japanese mini trucks are a 25% duty. I was under the impression that it was a 2.5% duty. Anyone have suggestions on how to get the 2.5% vs the 25%??
     
  27. matt167

    matt167 Active Member

    They are a 25% duty indeed. No way around it. Commercial vehicle/ cargo vehicle with a bed and 3 or less passangers qualifies it.

    It is tax on JUST your purchase price though, so use your auction invoice and it's what $30 for you?
     
  28. Maximal

    Maximal Active Member

    as said, just use the auction price. 25% will likely end up being a couple hundred max
     
  29. Bobacuda

    Bobacuda Member

    When they calculated the 25% tax on mine, the Fed included all costs from the auction to the boat - Pacific Coast’s fee, transport from auction to shipping site and I bought the insurance for shipping. Once they added the price to the total, they calculated the 25% tax. Cost me about $456 (posted in Introductions, Sambar titled and tagged in Texas).
     
    Last edited: May 24, 2019
  30. Ohkei Dohkei

    Ohkei Dohkei Active Member

    Well it ended up being $204.44. Of course customs would only accept the exact amount so I had to go to a gas station to get change. Then another $200 for a TWIC escort and misc fees. But she's out of jail!
     

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