all TTs had ABS from the very start, ie 89. N/A's had it as either an option that 98% took up, or as a delete option that only 2% said no to - not sure which.. its all in the tech manual my 90 N/A does not have ABS . - this includes standard boot siding and trim that DOES NOT have the "bump" for the ABS, no sensors on the hubs or diff, no ABS sticker on the brake booster, - so its was not removed after manufacture
Here is some advice from an expert! You are asking for trouble if you have not dealt with a Japanese supplier and have not previously imported a car. Just because the car looks good from the outside and the interior is in good nic, does not mean that the car could not have done 100 or even 200 thousand k's ... or more. Anyone who believes a car that is 10 years or older with only 50 or 60 k's showing is seriously in need of a spanking. As someone has stated, it is common practise for the odometers to be altered prior to export. If I were you, and I was on this site looking for advice, I would listen to what people here have to say. You did contradict yourself by saying that you wanted to go through a dealer but then said that you dont trust dealers (I think thats how it read). Yet you are willing to trust a Japanese agent you know nothing about. If you want a good car, dont limit yourself to your home state, there are more than plenty of great cars in other states that are proven and a lot cheaper than your budget. As someone also said, for a cheap plane flight, you can touch it, feel it, even drive it before you buy. Buy direct from Japan and you are stuck with what you get ... no ifs no buts! If its stolen cars you are concerned about, then you obviously have not had a lot of experience within this industry, just because your relees have got imported cars, does not make them experts either. You can do an easy search that shows if a car has been stolen and things like REVS cert comes with a car also. Dealers have to give a stat warranty with any car sold with rego so this should ease your mind a bit. There are too many people out there that brag about importing their own car from Japan and get STUNG bigtime! For what its worth, buy local, dont let interstate travel deter you. There are also many experienced members who can inspect vehicles for you for a small fee to give you piece of mind. That is what this forum is all about - fellow zedders getting together to share info, share experiences and help each other out. If you persist with the idea of importing a car yourself with little or no experience, then honestly and without malice, you deserve what you get. If you despaeratley want to buy through a dealer, I can refer you to a dealer in Brisbane that has a great range of zeds in very very good conditon (zed4life can vouch for this). Zed4life is a respected member of this forum and does vehicle inspections for members. Good luck, and WHEN you need parts, just give me a call! John Cresta Australia Brisbane 0732451555
I have personally imported my last three cars from Japan. Firstly check all Raws laws. Your car must have never been in an accident before (which yuo can't often tell from photos), have no modifications ( Minor body miodifications and I think wheels are ok as long as same size as stock) Make sure car has all appropriate papers japan de reg etc... Next major problem is rust, my best friend has had cars that looked mint in photo's etc and told that the cars are ok to import to Aust but when landed have found rust and as the cars have to go from the dock to the compliancer if the complaince shop sees body rust. Instant fail and car gets crushed. Remember in Japan they have snow and salt the roads so underbody rust can be a problem. Do you know anyone who can look over it in Japan. Other things to consider is shipping schedules. Ships are booked up months in advance for Roll on roll off which is the cheapest way of shipping. As oposed to buying one locally where you can test drive get mechanic to check. See service history in English etc... I have been on Geoff Risby from prestiege motorsport's mailing list since 2002 He has always got good deals or can source you a good deal. He is located in Perth. His prices are say $1100-$1800 more than you could import for yourself if you find a good deal but still 3-10K cheaper than on yards. My advice would be to do your homework with todays compliance prices I wouldn't go past looking at the Australian Market as well.
there's some good advice going around here. i wish i had been on the forums for a few months before i bought my zed, well actually, that's not true, i'm having good fun fixing my car - but there are some crackers that come up for sale on here. check out the cars for sale section. have a look at the zedsled for starters; http://www.aus300zx.com/forum/showthread.php?t=249565
hey mate you need toshop around for better incurence then just cars........it may not be that much if you are an older driver but i am 19 and mine was an import and they wanted 2200 a year from me.........i looked around for a while and ING seem to be the only other place that would take 2 looks at me i managed to get insurance through them for just under 1000 a year.......big difference in price!!!! but still expensive for a poor uni student
thanx for all your advice guys didn't know about the rust problem or the accident history ING! i forgot about them! *smacks forehead*
