I cannot export a car from Japan for you

[shogun]

From time to time some people from this board and Germany are asking me if I could possibly buy a car for them in Japan, which usually are quite cheap and have low mileage. I have checked that.

This is NOT possible for me.

Read this:

From most countries, private individuals can import used & new Japanese cars without license or special permission. Since July 2005, only authorized shippers can export cars. An EXPORT CERTIFICATE, issued upon screening & approval from Department of Transport, is required for each vehicle shipped out of the country. The only way out of Japan is by sea and cars will not clear Port Customs without a valid Export Certificate. Exports by ordinary citizens or unauthorized car shops are illegal. A car purchase on eBay/Yahoo auctions, will end up in disaster as it cannot be exported. To stay safe, purchase exclusively from a reputable source and guarantee your import is genuine and legal

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Here are some companies listed which can do it for you
http://www.bestjapancar.com/documents.htm
shipping cost info
http://www.japan-partner.com/car-shipping-cost.php
Domestic fee and payments
http://www.gcar.co.jp/gbtrader/payment.htm

here more companies which are specialized in this field
http://de.search.yahoo.com/search?p=japan+used+car+export&ei=UTF-8&rd=r1&fr=yfp-t-501&xargs=0&pstart=1&b=1
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That is why I am bidding now in this auction for an E32 750iL Highline for my fleet :D
http://page4.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/d78601211
scroll down to see more pics.
1992 Model, only 38.942 km, with new road certificate. Auction started with 100 Yen 100 , now at Yen 251.000 = approx. USD 2.185.00
Auction ends in 3 hours approx. 01.10.07. Let's see where it ends.
If it stays low, I am in, otherwise I wait for the next chance.

http://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/101132626
Here a 1989 E32 750iL in white with 94.000 km for at the moment 620 EURO = Yen 100.000 US$ 885.00
94.020 km, ends 4.10.07

Here an Alpina B12 5.0 from 1989 with 118.000 km for Yen 2,980,000 = EURO 18.625.00 US$ 26.580. Assume it will not be sold for that price
http://page2.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/b81696109


scroll down to see more pics.
1992 Model, only 38.942 km, with new road certificate.Auction started with 100 Yen 100 Yen = 0.60 EURO, now at Yen 193.000 = ca. 1.210.00 EURO US$ 1.720.00
Auction ends 01.10.07. Let's see where it ends.

Our fleet needs some fresh blood ;)
http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i155/shogun_bucket/?action=view&current=warehouse2.jpg
http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i155/shogun_bucket/?action=view&current=warehouse1.jpg

[t.wak]

<droooool> awesome collection you are building there!!

How are cars treated in Japan? Are they maintained well? What's the reason they are sold with such low kms?

[shogun]

<droooool> awesome collection you are building there!!

How are cars treated in Japan? Are they maintained well? What's the reason they are sold with such low kms?

Maintenance is usually good. Most of the people do not have the space/garage to DIY, so they go to their brand dealer for maintenance.

Low kms: usually they travel by train or subway to work, as this is much faster, and long distance travelling is done by super express Shinkansen or airplane.
For example Tokyo-Osaka is about 550 km, by car maybe 8-10 hours, by Shinkansen less than 3 hours, and cheaper than by car, as the Highway toll is quite expensive.
Average kms in Japan is about 7.500 kms a year.

[///Sniper535]

amaz-azing collection

[winfred]

cornering the market for big cars in a small car country :D

[shogun]

I lost that auction "cry" by about 150 $ what my dearest lady allowed me to offer :(

Final bid was 315.000 Yen USD 2.750 or EURO 1.920

Well, there will come another one .....:)

[Sam-Son]

Maintenance is usually good. Most of the people do not have the space/garage to DIY, so they go to their brand dealer for maintenance.

Low kms: usually they travel by train or subway to work, as this is much faster, and long distance travelling is done by super express Shinkansen or airplane.
For example Tokyo-Osaka is about 550 km, by car maybe 8-10 hours, by Shinkansen less than 3 hours, and cheaper than by car, as the Highway toll is quite expensive.
Average kms in Japan is about 7.500 kms a year.
hmm interesting...what's Shinkansen?

[shogun]

hmm interesting...what's Shinkansen?

They are a bit faster than our cars

The Shinkansen is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan, with running speeds of up to 300 km/h (188 mph). Test run speeds have been 443 km/h (275 mph) for conventional rail in 1996, and up to a world record of 581 km/h (361 mph) for maglev trainsets, in 2003.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinkansen

[Tiger]

Average driving is 7500kms?! That's like 3600 miles a year?!

[shogun]

Yes, that is correct. For example my daily driver is from 11/1988 and it now has 141.000 kms on the clock.
But there are cars which have even less kms.
Cars are not the no. 1 for travelling, trains, subways, airplanes.

Abt 1/3 of the total population of 128 mio. of Japan lives around Tokyo Bay. You can imagine how the traffic is there by car.
Trains are much faster usually. In the Shinkansen trains it is like in an airplane with reclining seats, service onboard, restaurant section, and one arrives relaxed at destination.

In addition here in Tokyo we have to prove that we have a parking lot within a radius of 2 km from home, otherwise we cannot register a car. Parking lot within Tokyo costs between 200-600 $ per month. And if you want to travel by car to the office, then you need another parking lot there for the same amount. So basically everybody goes by train/subway to the office in these big cities, cheaper and faster and more puctual than driving by car.

[Tiger]

Wow... that's fascinating...

[Macv]

In addition here in Tokyo we have to prove that we have a parking lot within a radius of 2 km from home, otherwise we cannot register a car. Parking lot within Tokyo costs between 200-600 $ per month. And if you want to travel by car to the office, then you need another parking lot there for the same amount. So basically everybody goes by train/subway to the office in these big cities, cheaper and faster and more puctual than driving by car.

yet you have a warehouse of bimmers. :D You're my hero.

[bigtisas]

Remember the Japan is like the size of California. I believe 99% of the Japanese (and most Asian countries) use public transportations (bus, subway, train) to work.

[bigtisas]

Public transportations are not only cheaper and faster. They are a lot more energy efficiency.

[Dr. evil]

great deals !

kinda makes me want to move to japan

[Tiger]

LOL... Increase your living expense by quadruple... decrease your living space by 10 times and increasing your food expense by 5 times just to drive cheap BMWs? Oh... also gas is not cheap in Japan too I believe...

There is no such thing as cheap BMW in Japan...

[shogun]

Importing cars from Japan, some hints here
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071006051405AAQk6bb

[ThoreauHD]

If shogun was a chick, I'd do'er.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y106/toasty0z/ASIAN.jpg

[Kakaire]

My E34 1990 is a Japanese import, well I live in Africa. I got it 69KM $2300 3yrs now, and very sound and still going strong. there is a E39 on http://www.arabtradingcompany.com mileage is above 100K, but I guess for its price.... and still looks good.

[BigKriss]

the trains look very nice.

http://www.carto.net/neumann/travelling/japan_2004_09/03_himeji_2004_09_11/09_inside.jpg

is there always sitting room though or do you have to stand also?




Yes, that is correct. For example my daily driver is from 11/1988 and it now has 141.000 kms on the clock.
But there are cars which have even less kms.
Cars are not the no. 1 for travelling, trains, subways, airplanes.

Abt 1/3 of the total population of 128 mio. of Japan lives around Tokyo Bay. You can imagine how the traffic is there by car.
Trains are much faster usually. In the Shinkansen trains it is like in an airplane with reclining seats, service onboard, restaurant section, and one arrives relaxed at destination.

In addition here in Tokyo we have to prove that we have a parking lot within a radius of 2 km from home, otherwise we cannot register a car. Parking lot within Tokyo costs between 200-600 $ per month. And if you want to travel by car to the office, then you need another parking lot there for the same amount. So basically everybody goes by train/subway to the office in these big cities, cheaper and faster and more puctual than driving by car.

[shogun]

is there always sitting room though or do you have to stand also?

Green car is reserved seat, others are not, usually it is quite full. The pic shown above is not the "normal condition".
Maybe just boarding at the first station.
From Tokyo mainstation down to south (Yokohama, Kawasaki, Osaka, Kobe and further) the shinkansen leaves about every 10-15 minutes.

[BigKriss]

Thanks Erich and for your quick reply.


Green car is reserved seat, others are not, usually it is quite full. The pic shown above is not the "normal condition".
Maybe just boarding at the first station.
From Tokyo mainstation down to south (Yokohama, Kawasaki, Osaka, Kobe and further) the shinkansen leaves about every 10-15 minutes.

[RockJock]

----snip---
Our fleet needs some fresh blood ;)
http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i155/shogun_bucket/?action=view&current=warehouse2.jpg
http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i155/shogun_bucket/?action=view&current=warehouse1.jpg

Wow!! :D Stupid Question: Are these investment cars that are going back to Germany with you at some stage of the game?!?

[shogun]

Wow!! :D Stupid Question: Are these investment cars that are going back to Germany with you at some stage of the game?!?

Probably not going back to Germany at some stage of the game.
And it will take too long to consider it as investment, except maybe the Alpina B12 5.0 cars, as there were only around 300 produced, as well as the Highline 750iL version, close to 5.000 were produced.
But you know, collectors are always a bit crazy.......:)

[Barney Paull-Edwards]

Interesting slice of life in Japan! We pay a price for our freedom to drive but not that high.Come the revolution I suppose we`ll all be going by train.

[BMWDriver]

Hey um... ain't the driver's side on the right in japanese cars ? I understand there's a lot of that going on in Asia. There's begining to be a stink in our local news about them too: seemingly that would be dangerous on our Canadian roads (increasing imports lately, R32 GTR's in particular it seems). So one paper claims, as far as I've read, but what with the paper's leniency on sensational news, I'm more than enclined to doubt it without real serious case studies.

I've seen a couple of R32 GTRs go by me, and they do look hot.

[shogun]

Hey um... ain't the driver's side on the right in japanese cars ?
yes, but many people ordered imported cars with left hand drive, as that is/was like a kind of fashion to show off, especially in those days when our cars were produced.

[shogun]

back to the subject, here a company with good info how to buy and how the whole process works
http://www.providecars.com/

Recommended by someone from Ireland:

quote

"I always buy from providecars.com best by far and i only buy cars that are graded at auction. I have imported over 35 cars to ireland which were mostly japanese performance cars but the 3 cars in my sig pics and also an e34 M5 with 45k miles on the clock were for myself and the m3 for my friend. I personally wouldn't buy here in ireland again if i was looking for a clean second hand car.

I currently also have a tommi makinen edition lancer evolution 6.5 modified to over 400bhp from it's 2.0 turbo engine.. a serious car."
unquote

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?p=11334242#post11334242

FAQ http://www.epoi.com/