Feeler: Importing ST205 (and others) to US Options

[snapshotgt]

thrill of driving my own st205 is priceless ..

haha, I am weeping now.

This post has been edited by snapshotgt: Oct 1, 2006 - 10:51 PM

[95celgt]

well i'd like to see some 86-92 rx7's, and cool ST185's, not just gt-fours though, gotta see some ss-ll and ss-lll

[j0e_p3t]

oh yeah... i wouldn't mind an ss-iii either. but i've never heard of any lhd ss-iii's. and when i said gt-four, i meant st205.

[slyd]

Well, as I said, my network of buyers should be able to locate nearly any vehicle. So SS-II and SS-III are definately options, actually cheaper and easier (except for the 3sge-vvt-i models).

As for buying a cosmetically flawed vehicle for customization, we should be able to find a reduced price, well used, fender bender, or something. If your going to replace body panels with fiberglass or carbon, restyle, reupholster, repaint, etc. anyway, why buy a perfect specimen? But I will not sell anything, other than by explicit customer request, that is substandard. Likewise, I will not buy anything that requires anything other than minimal reconditioning. Most vehicles will come with a warranty, probably a year or two. But the lawyers and insurace people will have a lot of say on that front.

As for left hand conversion, there are two ways: 1. Locate new or used dash pieces from a LHD-spec or similar dash from the same manufacturer and extend wiring, fabricate bracketry, ducting, and such. 2. Complete fabrication of mirror image dash. Obviously number 2 is more expensive, but normally we should be able to locate suitabe parts for the conversion. As far as the GT-4 goes, just get a dash out of a wrecked LHD-spec ST or GT and your half done. Making it look stock and pretty is the hard part, wiring and mechanicals (usually) are fairly easy.

[TomPoz]

As for GT4 - in Europe you can get LHD 1994-1996 priced from 10 to 16 k $. Mileage in range of 100-150 k miles. And 96 is the last year for LHD. 97-99 are available RHD only so JDM is the only option. You could get them for around 10-12 k $ but you need to add 2-3 k $ for conversion. Of course shipping to US of 1-2 k $ needs to be added to both options. I am not aware of any of your taxes (import, excise, whatever you may have) which need to be on top of all that.

Ergo, it would be very difficult to get GT4 to US below 15 k $.

Also, remember that spares are original only which means: 1) available in Toyota , 2) priced by Toyota .

This post has been edited by TomPoz: Oct 2, 2006 - 6:54 AM

[doGGy]

GT4 in Japan cost from 2K$ till 8K$ depending on condition and etc. And all this pricing is fo a DAMAGED cars only. SSIII Prices are a little bit lower...

Shipping from Japan to almost any country is the same (almost the same) Shipping from Japan of 40ft container including 4 cars would cost somthere near 5-6K$ range. so even if you buy a well used GT4 lets say of 97 for about 5$ with little cosmetic damage + add another 1.5K for shipping, add customs fees, papers and etc and im well sure you will be standing in about 10-12K$ price range with it RHD.

I did imported already 6 JDM cars, and will do more in future, so im a bit familiar with all the stuff and etc.. And to get best prices of the JDM cars you have to have a really really good source - cuz otherwise Add another 1-1.5K of dealer fees...

[slyd]

Unfortunately, in the US we have different import laws than our European friends. Please, if you are not from the US, you probably don't understand what we have to go through, so don't confuse the issue with non-US importation laws and regulations. I'm not trying to be mean, it's just different here.

As an individual, you can import a car illegaly (to the US) by doing a few things to it. Then you have to do illegal things to register and insure. Good luck ever selling it. Furthermore, if a cop, dmv, epa, dot, etc. ever gets a suspicion of what you did, bye bye car, and hello prosecution.

In Japan there are many electronic auction houses. All cars are rated on a scale and have pictures so that the buyer knows what they are getting. And my buyers have been instructed to inspect each vehicle that they buy before finalizing. I will not buy substandard cars unless my customer has instructed me to. Nearly 70,000 cars per week go through the auctions and private sale houses my buyers have access to. I am working to expand that. According to the pricing information they have given me, add to that processing and shipping, add to that various other things that have to be done to keep it legal. It can be done for what I have priced, but like doggy said, you just have to have the right source.

[Celiracer18]

You have PM.

[celica47]

so slyd are you speculating about all this or are you actually ready for business?

This post has been edited by celica47: Oct 2, 2006 - 5:44 PM

[BBoYRuGGeD]

driving a real st205 sounds mighty appealing...hMmMm

bboy

[D_Money5042000]

I'm interested

[j0e_p3t]

off topic... but hey doggy, whatever happened to your lhd conversion project with your ss-iii?

[slyd]

As of now I am in the late planning phase. It is on hold until I get final OK's from lawyers, officials, and such. I think everything will be a go, but there is a lot of running around before I even accept the first order. It has to be perfectly legal and ironclad before I will risk accepting anyone's money, making a mistake, and the resulting lawsuits. So although I appreciate your enthusasim (I want a real ST205 also), lets hold off on the orders at the moment.

This topic is simply a feeler to guage interest and such. Please no more PM's or emails until everything is finalized. Feel free to post interest, suggestions, questions, wish lists, etc. I will answer them as best I can.

I could start in as early as two weeks if everything progresses like I think it will.

[celica47]

DAmn dude....you better be ready for a headache because as soon as somebody gets the first GT-4 youre gonna have half of 6gc asking you lol.

[block]

thats how he be making money..duh hehehe

As of now I am in the late planning phase. It is on hold until I get final OK's from lawyers, officials, and such. I think everything will be a go, but there is a lot of running around before I even accept the first order. It has to be perfectly legal and ironclad before I will risk accepting anyone's money, making a mistake, and the resulting lawsuits. So although I appreciate your enthusasim (I want a real ST205 also), lets hold off on the orders at the moment.

This topic is simply a feeler to guage interest and such. Please no more PM's or emails until everything is finalized. Feel free to post interest, suggestions, questions, wish lists, etc. I will answer them as best I can.

I could start in as early as two weeks if everything progresses like I think it will.

is there a time set to do this? like next year or in 10 years or what? i know you're still planning but give us a date so we can save dough!

[celica47]

oh yeah i agree duh....Hopefully hes serious and can make this happen, maybe this thread wont disappear :::::KNOCK ON WOOD::::::

[block]

oh yeah i agree duh....Hopefully hes serious and can make this happen, maybe this thread wont disappear :::::KNOCK ON WOOD::::::

hell yeah i agree with u...i have about 14K right now..if i save up to next summer i'd proly afford it

CRAP!

This post has been edited by block: Oct 2, 2006 - 10:32 PM

[Kwanza26]

I'd like an AE111 Levin/Sprinter and am willing to pay upwards of FIVE... yes... count them... FIVE United States Dollars. Seriously now... there are only a handful of people really capable of actually buying an imported JDM car.

[slyd]

you better be ready for a headache because as soon as somebody gets the first GT-4 youre gonna have half of 6gc asking you

As I said, I plan to sell to 6gc members cheap. Lower profit per unit is offset by volume and advertisement. And I like you guys.

there are only a handful of people really capable of actually buying an imported JDM car

Until some rich guy buys one, wrecks it or gets tired of it, buys another, and sells the old one on the US market cheap. And who wouldn't like to start a build with something like that. And if your out there, rich guy, I don't mean this as an insult, in fact I'd love to do business: minimum order say...10 cars.

Seriously, once I get a bit bigger and have more cash flow, another option for the more financially strapped enthusiast could be payments. But that is probably a year or so down the road.

As far as time goes, if all goes well, I could be open for business in about two weeks. But I'll keep the board informed as to the timetable.

[Toyoca]

cool