Would you ever purchase a JDM car through Canada?

[da3dalus]

Such as something like this? http://www.j-specimports.ca/index.php?page=list/index.php?ID=10234

Lets say I pay the additional fee to have a dealer check out the car mechanically before you went through with the deal, and had it imported to Canada, flew up there and drove it back what would be the big deal?

My buddy just purchased a '92 R32 GTR from Canada and registered it successfully here in Nebraska.

I would think that if the car was sold here, if would be even easier to register? Or am I missing something huge here?

My only thoughts are I am looking for a NA1 NSX with low miles and they are becoming increasingly hard to find here in the states. I'm not saying that specific car, but i've seen them pop up through that site from time to time all with low KM's on them. I mean, if you buy an NSX in Japan you've gotta be pretty loaded to begin with considering what it costs to have a parking space, so I was thinking that most of them would be fairly well cared for examples.

As for the RHD, i drove a RHD S13 last weekend and didn't mind it that much after you get used to it... so what are the negatives here other than not being able to see it personally before hand?

Thoughts?

 

[MCM]

"so what are the negatives"

Would it be considered a gray market car?
Safety, Smog, Registration, might drive you nuts / poor....

Just something to check into.

 

[Tom239]

As for the RHD, i drove a RHD S13 last weekend and didn't mind it that much after you get used to it...

Did you do any passing on 2-lane roads?

 

[nsxtasy]

My only thoughts are I am looking for a NA1 NSX with low miles and they are becoming increasingly hard to find here in the states.

There are plenty of low-mileage NSXs, including early ones as well as the later ones. (You know that the NA1 engine designation has nothing to do with age, since it was sold for all years, '91-05, right?) All you have to do is pay the premium placed on lower-mileage cars. Which is still probably less than all the extra costs (and hassle) you would have to incur to import a RHD car from Japan.

 

[95ttht]

Such as something like this? http://www.j-specimports.ca/index.php?page=list/index.php?ID=10234

Lets say I pay the additional fee to have a dealer check out the car mechanically before you went through with the deal, and had it imported to Canada, flew up there and drove it back what would be the big deal?

If you drove it back without declaring it properly at the border, I believe that would make you a felon. And if you try to declare it for what it is, they won't let you do it. They are very specific rules about which vehicles can be imported into the USA, and non-Canadian spec cars are expressly forbidden.

There is no legal way to do it. Sorry. It has been researched to death.

 

[Oyagi]

I brought one of the first R32 Skyline GTRs into Canada. I know the J-spec guys well (Craig, Ben and Shan) as they sponsor my club. I can get cars at cost from them.

I still bought a North American NSX.

The cars there can sometimes be sketchy, the odos tampered, and history unknown. The ones that are pristine will cost more than the USDM equivalent simply because they are more revered there.

In the end, the place with the cheapest prices for a used nsx is still the States. The vast majority of them were destined here, they are lhd (which after having the GTR for a while I still prefer to rhd), most have services histories, and most are unmolested.

I would only want a jdm nsx if I wanted the novelty of the JDM-tyteness of the rhd and if I wanted something modded with jdm parts. Both of those reasons are not good enough to buy a car sight unseen, based on some photos and the opinion of your 'guy' there, and prone to the theft and potential damage inflicted on board a cargo ship.

 

[da3dalus]

Thats what I wanted to know. Much thanks for your response!