We see lots of old cars for sale in Japan and they usually look shiny and nice in the auction pictures but what are they actually like when you get up close and take a good look ?
Well, condition varies from pristine museum pieces to absolute pieces of… umm rust and abuse. And generally you get what you pay for.
So unless you like a project, do yourself a favour and allow a reasonable budget to buy one in nice condition, bearing in mind that ALL old cars regardless of how well cared for, will always still need some form of attention — that’s the nature of old cars. Inspection is critical so you know what you’re bidding on.
This 1977 Nissan Fairlady Z S31 was inspected for a client on 07 November 2014 at USS Nagoya auction and was in average condition.
It had been repainted so the whole body had some paint “wave”. Engine and clutch were good. Engine had been turbocharged. Had past rust repairs and front accident repair history. Left door needed resetting as the panel gap was wrong. It passed in (not sold third week in a row) for 1,545,000 YEN FOB equivalent. So the owner wanted more than $20,600 landed in Australia at that time, plus $1,000 to $1,200 compliance allowance, plus tyres (if required for roadworthy) and ORC’s (calculated at a rate of 99.03 yen to the dollar).
We only source for import the best vehicles with clean and tidy interiors, and only vehicles we would be pleased to own ourselves. This is why we are constantly told by clients that the vehicles we source are well above the condition of most others on the local market.
The pictures are typical of the information we provide prior to auction for each vehicle of interest, with any faults shown so you can clearly see the condition before we discuss whether to bid, and your budget.
Whether you’d like to import a 1977 Nissan Fairlady Z S31 coupe like this from Japan, or another year, make or model, we can find it for you in nice condition.
It is vital when sourcing your vehicle to use an agent that takes the time to physically check each vehicle and looks beyond the auction pictures and report to confirm condition. Some vehicles may have an unpleasant smoke or other odour, rust underneath, or other faults which are impossible to know without inspection.
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