Important Importing Questions

I've been test driving a few Supes to get a feel for them before I buy and also test driving a few GT4's with a mate.

We've been to a few local dealers who import direct and seen some real dogs. A couple of these traders when asked about auction grades say they sourced it from private sellers in Japan so have no auction sheet or grading. Or they had it from auction but the auction sheet is at the DVLA. Some dealers don't bother with BIMTA either.

Can any of the above be true? I thought all cars from Japan came via auction and if without a BIMTA report can be assumed to be dodgy. Is this not true? Does the DVLA also require the auction sheet to register the car?

I wanted to be 100% on this before I start questioning anything dealers say! I weren't gonna be buying from these cowboys but wanted to know for sure either way! Cheers

I pretty sure the auction sheet is retained. At least if you DID need to leave it with DVLA (can't see why) then you'd take a copy wouldn't you?!

Not all imports come from auctions.

I got mine from a backstreet garage who didn't have a clue what the car was worth, didn't have the V5 but was registered, taxed & MOT'd. He said it was a taken as px from a Japanese family who had moved to the UK a few months earlier and from the evidence I found in the car I believe this to be true.

I was trading in a knackered Mk3 and it was a deal I could not refuse, and have not regretted it.

Conalex, have you considered looking at cars for sale privately?

They often have a couple of years of history (including possibly the auction sheet), the importing conversion glitches have been ironed out, some will have had caring affluent owners that have lovingly maintained the car but that now they are selling either down want / need top dollar or find that they need to price it lower to get any interest at all.........

.........IMO private sellers are generally more honest (or at least easier to 'read') than dealers, but there is the perceived 'no come back' risk so i understand the dealer option route too.......

Dunno about your question, can't help there, but I've just been trying to make sense of your sig!

Not all cars come with auction sheets and can be bought privately from Japan, thats how i got my supra. You can still do a BIMTA mileage check to see if the car has been clocked since the time it was de-registered in Japan until the time it came to UK. BIMTA check mileage against what it was when the car was auctioned in Japan. Hope this helps.

Do you know where you can do the BIMTA check? Is it possible to do for cars that have been in the UK for some time?

I've just been trying to make sense of your sig!

http://www.bimta.co.uk

Thanks, just giving this a try.

It does seem to be reliable but I guess if the vehicles been clocked before the auction its still not going to show up in the report. I suppose at least you can be reasonably sure the car isn't stolen or has finance outstanding.

Does anyone know how to find out the 'Date of First Registration in Japan dd/mm/yyyy'? I know the month of manufacture of my car but can't see how its possible to find the 1st registration date...

Have u got the Japanese deregistration document?

No mate, I didn't know such a thing exisited!

I take it this is for a car thats already been registered? IF so that normal as the DVLA keep the jap de-reg...

I think it's a quotation from The Young Ones.

"You utter, utter baarsted" I was going to say that

mate if u buy a car from me u can have the auction sheet, if they dont have it ask yourself why.

anyway if they are importing a car bought from auction they should have it if its private sale they wont have one.

anyway if they are importing a car bought from auction they should have it if its private sale they wont have one.

Cheers Jurgen, just wanted to clear up whether it was possible to source cars from Japan from anywhere other than an auction.

Jake Quote:

Originally Posted by stevie_b

I've just been trying to make sense of your sig!

 

I think it's a quotation from The Young Ones.

The Young Ones! Quality.

Scooter Quote

Conalex, have you considered looking at cars for sale privately?

Yes mate, I will more than likely buy private (Unless Jurgen/Paul W have a cheap enough one for me). I only went to local importers to test drive the cars to get a feel, I had no intention of buying from them. I don't feel bad wasting a traders time as they probably get it all the time, a private seller doesn't. Also if I buy private I've got more chance of knocking them down on price!