buying an import ?
09-08-2011, 06:17 AM
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buying an import ?
Hello all I was wondering if you could give your thoughts and opinions on buying an import
Japanese or European S2000.
Are there any reasons not to, i.e more expensive to insure, harder to get parts, are parts different to UK cars,higher depreciation costs,better or worse spec etc.
I would be probably looking at cars up to 05 so warranty will not be an issue.
As always your experience and thoughts will be most welcome, many thanks Steve..
Japanese or European S2000.
Are there any reasons not to, i.e more expensive to insure, harder to get parts, are parts different to UK cars,higher depreciation costs,better or worse spec etc.
I would be probably looking at cars up to 05 so warranty will not be an issue.
As always your experience and thoughts will be most welcome, many thanks Steve..
09-08-2011, 06:22 AM
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My Japanese import is *slightly* more to insure, but is also less to tax. Parts are the same (all S2000s were built in one factory). Usually slightly lower cost to start with and depreciate at the same rate, so worth slightly less than an equivalent car at the end.
The overall quality of the car is far more important than whether it was an import or not.
The overall quality of the car is far more important than whether it was an import or not.
09-08-2011, 08:46 PM
#4
You may struggle to find an 05 Japanese import something to do with the use of the different f22 engine that was an option.
Ive owned a 99 JDM for a while now, It was serviced and MOTd exactly like a UK car. Infact when i first got Honda even did some warranty work on it!
Ive owned a 99 JDM for a while now, It was serviced and MOTd exactly like a UK car. Infact when i first got Honda even did some warranty work on it!
09-09-2011, 02:50 AM
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It's not that I am looking specifically to buy an import, I was just wondering if there was any reason not to buy one, as I remember years ago when the Shogun / Pajero were being imported, the Pajero was a lot more expensive to get insurance, that was if you could get it, you had to go to specialist insurance agents, and dealers wouldn't recognise the imports.
I was wondering if there was a downside to the imports, they do seem to be a bit cheaper than a UK model of the same age and spec.
I was wondering if there was a downside to the imports, they do seem to be a bit cheaper than a UK model of the same age and spec.
09-09-2011, 04:40 AM
#7
Some insurers aren't good for imports, but they tend to be the insurers that aren't good for performance cars in general, or mods. I don't think I pay any more for an import, but perhaps I have less options.
Dealers can be a little bit arsey with not having your car on the system, but 99% of the parts are the same so it rarely causes a problem.
I don't think anyone should be put off, but OTOH unless it's substantially cheaper it may not be worth the hassle. Personally I looked for an import because I didn't want the horrid leather seats.
Dealers can be a little bit arsey with not having your car on the system, but 99% of the parts are the same so it rarely causes a problem.
I don't think anyone should be put off, but OTOH unless it's substantially cheaper it may not be worth the hassle. Personally I looked for an import because I didn't want the horrid leather seats.
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09-10-2011, 02:56 AM
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Yeah you might find a few insurers won't cover you but like someone else said they are the expensive ones anyway so don't worry too much.
You'll get part leather part fabric seats with s JDM, I like mine, I had full leather in my last car and it was too cold in winter and too sticky in summer, all depends how much of a penchant for dead cow you have.
Other things to consider are you won't have a f@#king clue what the service history says, your manuals have funny pictures in, and I was always under the impression you had to use premium petrol because of the compression ratio's. Although I raised this the other day and someone said they regularly use 95 ron in their JDM, me I stick to 97 minimum.
Chances are it won't be under sealed, so check for that, get it done before the winter because of all the salt. Overall though I got a lot of car for a good price by buying a JDM, just do your research, treat it carefully, and if you see a winner and you like it, go for it. I've had my Jap import 6 months now and I've had nothing but fun, no problems whatsoever and I've accumulated a few more points on my licence than I'd like. If you can find a good one go for it.
You'll get part leather part fabric seats with s JDM, I like mine, I had full leather in my last car and it was too cold in winter and too sticky in summer, all depends how much of a penchant for dead cow you have.
Other things to consider are you won't have a f@#king clue what the service history says, your manuals have funny pictures in, and I was always under the impression you had to use premium petrol because of the compression ratio's. Although I raised this the other day and someone said they regularly use 95 ron in their JDM, me I stick to 97 minimum.
Chances are it won't be under sealed, so check for that, get it done before the winter because of all the salt. Overall though I got a lot of car for a good price by buying a JDM, just do your research, treat it carefully, and if you see a winner and you like it, go for it. I've had my Jap import 6 months now and I've had nothing but fun, no problems whatsoever and I've accumulated a few more points on my licence than I'd like. If you can find a good one go for it.
09-10-2011, 06:54 AM
#9
I wish I had a pound for every time I read somebody saying JDMs have half-leather seats. They don't. They have half vinyl half cloth seats.
It'll work fine on 95RON, but I worked it out and it really was a false economy. 270 miles to a tank instead of 320 doing the same trip.
On the undersealing front, I think JDMs probably have more undersealing. Why? Because they've often been undersealed on import because that's exactly the sort of thing people who buy imports always ask (and nobody can say for sure that JDM S2000s weren't treated exactly the same as UK cars). And if it's had a couple of years on Japan's unsalted roads, the underside is probably in a better state than the equivalent age UK car. So buying a JDM might mean a) less exposure to nasty salty roads, and b) it's been undersealed twice.
Certainly mine was very clean underneath, although three cold winters running (thanks to global warming) has now taken a bit of a toll. ;-(
It'll work fine on 95RON, but I worked it out and it really was a false economy. 270 miles to a tank instead of 320 doing the same trip.
On the undersealing front, I think JDMs probably have more undersealing. Why? Because they've often been undersealed on import because that's exactly the sort of thing people who buy imports always ask (and nobody can say for sure that JDM S2000s weren't treated exactly the same as UK cars). And if it's had a couple of years on Japan's unsalted roads, the underside is probably in a better state than the equivalent age UK car. So buying a JDM might mean a) less exposure to nasty salty roads, and b) it's been undersealed twice.
Certainly mine was very clean underneath, although three cold winters running (thanks to global warming) has now taken a bit of a toll. ;-(
