All other things aside such as congestion and their amazing transport system, lets do some calculations based on statistics (there are statistics for everything).
The average age of cars in various countries:
1 – Japan = 7.56 years
2 – EU = 8.1 years
3 – USA = 8.4 years
Then the average annual mileage
1 – Japan = 5,700 miles
2 – EU = 9,300 miles
3 – USA = 12,000 miles
Then multiply the average age of these cars by the average number kilometers they are driven every year, and you will see a huge gap between your representative car from Japan and those from these other first world places.
So a typical car in Japan will have less than half the mileage on the clock as a typical car in the US! That’s a huge difference.
1 – Japan = 43,000 miles
2 – EU = 75,300 miles
3 – USA = 100,000 miles
On top of that, Japanese people are, frankly, obsessive about caring for their cars.
They religiously obey the manufacturers’ full service schedule and have the work done by the dealership. Even lazy car owners are forced against their will to keep their cars in good shape by Japan’s rigorous Shaken road-worthiness test every couple of years.
We believe so.
An exporter is like a car salesman.
He has a vested interest in offloading his stock, as it is costing him money when it isn’t turning over.
Every car which goes through the Japanese auctions is examined by a professionally trained inspector.
These inspections are a thorough assessment of the car.
Interior, exterior, underneath. Every scratch, dent etc. is measured and logged, even down to cigarette stains.
This inspection is done by the auction house, not by a seller, not by an exporter, by a true third party.
I remember personally collecting cars from Liverpool docks in around 2005, and they had an auction in a shed on the dockside.
These cars came on the same ship as my cars, but the condition of them was so low it meant they were not good enough to go through the auction in Japan.
So some arrived in Liverpool, some in Bristol, some in Southampton and car dealers bought and sold them as fresh imports.
Which they were.
But not all fresh imports are equal.
An exporter is like a car salesman.
He has a vested interest in offloading his stock, as it is costing him money when it isn’t turning over.
Every car which goes through the Japanese auctions is examined by a professionally trained inspector.
These inspections are a thorough assessment of the car.
Interior, exterior, underneath. Every scratch, dent etc. is measured and logged, even down to cigarette stains.
This inspection is done by the auction house, not by a seller, not by an exporter, by a true third party.
I remember personally collecting cars from Liverpool docks in around 2005, and they had an auction in a shed on the dockside.
These cars came on the same ship as my cars, but the condition of them was so low it meant they were not good enough to go through the auction in Japan.
So some arrived in Liverpool, some in Bristol, some in Southampton and car dealers bought and sold them as fresh imports.
Which they were.
But not all fresh imports are equal.
Of course.
We generally ask for a 20% deposit, and keep you updated at every step of the way.
We generally ask for a 20% deposit, and keep you updated at every step of the way.
We pay all the registration fees, and also the number plates.
All you need to do is tax it and insure it.
We offer two different options:
Option 1 – we register it, and when the V5 (log book) comes back from the DVLA we transfer this into your name and order the number plates.
The advantages of this are that we can send off the documentation immediately, and the preparation work, ie valeting, underbody protection, reversing camera, head unit, fog light etc., can all be addressed whilst waiting for the V5.
The disadvantages are purely that you will not be the first person on the log book.
Option 2 – we register it in your name.
The advantages of this are that you are the first and only name on the V5.
The disadvantages are that you will need to tax and insure the car, on a chassis number as it will not have a registration number.
Whilst this is a common thing, you will have to insure it on a chassis number which cuts down the number of insurance companies who specialise in this, and also some charge a premium.
As soon as it has a registration number, there are far more insurance companies who will insure it, and lots who specialise in imports..
You will also need to pay the road tax on application.
This could mean you may insure and tax the car, but not have it registered for perhaps six weeks.
you would also need to send us a copy of your driving licence,
All you need to do is tax it and insure it.
We offer two different options:
Option 1 – we register it, and when the V5 (log book) comes back from the DVLA we transfer this into your name and order the number plates.
The advantages of this are that we can send off the documentation immediately, and the preparation work, ie valeting, underbody protection, reversing camera, head unit, fog light etc., can all be addressed whilst waiting for the V5.
The disadvantages are purely that you will not be the first person on the log book.
Option 2 – we register it in your name.
The advantages of this are that you are the first and only name on the V5.
The disadvantages are that you will need to tax and insure the car, on a chassis number as it will not have a registration number.
Whilst this is a common thing, you will have to insure it on a chassis number which cuts down the number of insurance companies who specialise in this, and also some charge a premium.
As soon as it has a registration number, there are far more insurance companies who will insure it, and lots who specialise in imports..
You will also need to pay the road tax on application.
This could mean you may insure and tax the car, but not have it registered for perhaps six weeks.
you would also need to send us a copy of your driving licence,
No, And here is the analogy.
A brand new white cloth will seem to get far dirtier far quicker than an old brown cloth.
Both will in reality pick up the dirt at the same rate, but the new white one looks to have come off worse.
Because the underneath of Japanese cars are so incredibly clean, we strongly advise they undergo a complete underbody protection program.
Not because they are more susceptible than uk cars, but because all cars will suffer in the UK with our salted roads.
A brand new white cloth will seem to get far dirtier far quicker than an old brown cloth.
Both will in reality pick up the dirt at the same rate, but the new white one looks to have come off worse.
Because the underneath of Japanese cars are so incredibly clean, we strongly advise they undergo a complete underbody protection program.
Not because they are more susceptible than uk cars, but because all cars will suffer in the UK with our salted roads.
More often than not, a lot of the vehicles manufactured for both the UK and JDM markets are made in the same factory.
The Jimny is built at Kosai in Japan.
The only difference is, the ones bound for the JDM market have all the bells and whistles added, such as heated seats, heated windscreen etc.
The Jimny is built at Kosai in Japan.
The only difference is, the ones bound for the JDM market have all the bells and whistles added, such as heated seats, heated windscreen etc.
Yes, we more often than not apply a program or underbody protection.
The vehicles we sell are in such pristine condition, it would be a shame not to look after them.
With a regular re-application of rust prevention, the cars we sell will have a very long life ahead of them
We normally use:
A cavity wax for internals (Dinitrol 3125)
A stonechip for the arches and chassis ( Dinitrol 447)
For the underbody in general ( Dinitrol 4941)
This can be ‘thorough’, or ‘intensive’
Thorough = inside the chassis rails, arches and underbody
Intensive = interiors of the doors and bonnet, the side panels behind the trim, the engine bay.
If we don’t do this, we would advise you get it done yourself.
The vehicles we sell are in such pristine condition, it would be a shame not to look after them.
With a regular re-application of rust prevention, the cars we sell will have a very long life ahead of them
We normally use:
A cavity wax for internals (Dinitrol 3125)
A stonechip for the arches and chassis ( Dinitrol 447)
For the underbody in general ( Dinitrol 4941)
This can be ‘thorough’, or ‘intensive’
Thorough = inside the chassis rails, arches and underbody
Intensive = interiors of the doors and bonnet, the side panels behind the trim, the engine bay.
If we don’t do this, we would advise you get it done yourself.
Of course we can.
Get in touch and we will discuss things.
Depending on what vehicle you are wanting will depend on what deposit we would need.
If it is something really unique or obscure, we would probably need a larger deposit.
The deposit would be refundable unless we make a successful purchase of a car through our partners – in which case we have committed to buy the car.
We will get a brief from you, make model, colour, edition, year, engine, in fact as much as possible.
Sometimes we will be able to show you a vehicle, sometimes ther ewill not be time.
Because of the time difference, if we see a vehicle on an evening, it could be for sale the following day.
We can not get in touch with our partners in Japan until our midnight (their 8am) to ask for further details, and based on their feedback we must make a decision to buy or leave it, as the sale will go ahead during the night.
Get in touch and we will discuss things.
Depending on what vehicle you are wanting will depend on what deposit we would need.
If it is something really unique or obscure, we would probably need a larger deposit.
The deposit would be refundable unless we make a successful purchase of a car through our partners – in which case we have committed to buy the car.
We will get a brief from you, make model, colour, edition, year, engine, in fact as much as possible.
Sometimes we will be able to show you a vehicle, sometimes ther ewill not be time.
Because of the time difference, if we see a vehicle on an evening, it could be for sale the following day.
We can not get in touch with our partners in Japan until our midnight (their 8am) to ask for further details, and based on their feedback we must make a decision to buy or leave it, as the sale will go ahead during the night.
No not at all.
Most insurance companies will insure an import with little or no premium, and there are plenty such as Adrian Flux whose whole business has grown around specialist insurance.
Some companies are reluctant to insure an import just on the chassis number, but this is just because it is unusual for them.
However using the chassis number pre-registration would only be if you were to register the vehicle in your name, in which case it just means there are less companies to choose from.
Most insurance companies will insure an import with little or no premium, and there are plenty such as Adrian Flux whose whole business has grown around specialist insurance.
Some companies are reluctant to insure an import just on the chassis number, but this is just because it is unusual for them.
However using the chassis number pre-registration would only be if you were to register the vehicle in your name, in which case it just means there are less companies to choose from.
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