Security checks - buying

[phorbiuz]

Can anyone offer any basic advice on making sure you buy a pukka Surf?

I'm worried about buying a surf that turns out not to be fully legit. Apart from buying from a dealer, where you have some comeback (providing Mr Houdini doesn't do his vanishing act), what can be done?

I'm looking at a couple this weekend, one private (from this site), and one from a dealer nr Wigan. I don't believe a HPi check can tell me much about a privately owned Surf (especially whether its on the nicked list in Japan) apart from it's time in the UK.

Any advice much appreciated.

Cheers.

[marky]

Can anyone offer any basic advice on making sure you buy a pukka Surf?

I'm worried about buying a surf that turns out not to be fully legit. Apart from buying from a dealer, where you have some comeback (providing Mr Houdini doesn't do his vanishing act), what can be done?

I'm looking at a couple this weekend, one private (from this site), and one from a dealer nr Wigan. I don't believe a HPi check can tell me much about a privately owned Surf (especially whether its on the nicked list in Japan) apart from it's time in the UK.

Any advice much appreciated.

Cheers.

check here as its local www.freeportmotors.com its in bootle
it'll work now

[andy]

As you say an HPI check is a waste of time and money,so get a http://www.bimta.org/mileage.htm check done even if you buy from a dealer it only cost's £17.62 inc Vat .

[marky]

When a car is entered into a Japanese auction. The auction house employs independently trained inspectors similar to our AA or M.O.T.inspectors to grade the vehicles.
Here is a rough idea of the translation.

The cars can gain a grade from

(a) Accident repaired
(1) High mileage, rough, damaged many owners poor mechanical condition.
(2) Poor condition in need of attention in both bodywork and mechanical defects
(3) Fair condition for age reasonably well maintained some miner faults.
(3.5)Good condition very few minor faults. Road worthy.
(4) One owner low mileage well serviced cars above average condition for year.
(4.5) Very good condition, mint cars for year, nearly new.
(5) As new. Pristine

The grading system in the main is extremely reliable 99% of the time
A good dealer should have no difficulty (if genuinely buying direct)
In producing the auction grade sheet for the car they offer you.
This will gives you a good guide to the cars history and condition when the car was originally purchased in Japan.
Another way to check that your seller is in fact importing your prospective car direct.
Ask him to produce the bill of lading and invoice from the shipping company who shipped the car.
This document will show the chassis number for the car, the vessel it was shipped on and the port of origin.
If they can do neither, the chances are the car was bought at one of the many low cost auctions set up around the country or at one of the large wholesale import yards at the ports in UK, Ireland or Cypress
In which case, you will almost certainly be paying the wholesalers margin, as well as the end seller’s profit.
Most wholesalers do not provide their customers with the auction grade sheets from Japan.
So you lose the ability to grade the car.


Mileage Guarantees
Or service history

The plain truth is no matter what most people say or insinuate it its very difficult at best to verify mileage on used cars from Japan.
Even the auction houses in Japan don’t provide this unless stated on the sales sheet, which is rare.
A UK. Dealer should display a disclaimer on the car in UK showroom; even if he is reasonably sure the mileage is accurate and suits the over all condition of the vehicle.
Prudence and a basic knowledge of the trading standards act of 1968 would prevail.
Truth is many cars if grade 4 or above are genuine enough, but even so it is better to display a disclaimer sticker and let the buyer judge the vehicle on its own merits and over all condition.
Most sensible people know enough to judge that a car that has done 100,000 miles will look suspicious with 19,000miles on the odometer.
There are organisations in the UK who sign up trade members and issue certificates for them to pass on to their customers as mileage verification.
In today’s world all one needs is a good pc and enough cheek to pass yourself of as some sort of authoritative body ,away you go nice little earner.
So the best method is to treat any certificate, with suspicion.
We trust the Japanese grade system as a guide to a decent motor and it has stood us in good stead.
This is our honest opinion and is based on many years of buying used cars in Japan to ship direct to the end user.
It is of course arguable and probably will be by one or many of the different associations who have set up around the Japanese used car import business.
Some of these associations undoubtedly try to do a good job but we sometimes wonder, how many of the organisations involved actually know the business at its grass routes level.
They couldn’t possibly know the half, unless they had their money on the table and where buying cars in any quantity and had hundreds of thousands of pounds floating around the various oceans on route from Japan to the UK.
Which has its own way of focusing ones attention to the details?
Collecting subscriptions for a 2 page monthly leaflets no doubt has its problems .But can not compare to actually doing the business and pondering the many ways you could lose a small fortune.
Anyway good on them they probably all mean well and I wish them well in their efforts.

I have heard some of the cars from Japan are stolen - is this true?
DVLA Swansea now checks every imported car with Interpol and must be satisfied the car is not stolen before they will issue a UK registration.
So to be sure, buy one from a dealer, that has not been registered, and recently imported, and you will know it is OK.
p.s i dont know how true this is ive obtained it from a dealers website

[phorbiuz]

Now thats replying. Cheers guys.

Marky, I've just phoned and spoke to someone called Chris, but you don't have the spec I want. I'll call again in a couple of weeks if this weekend is a no-go.

I'm after a 3ltr auto, met blue/black/silver/grey, spare on door, bullbars on front, at least SSR-X, budget wise prob a 94.

Cheers.

[marky]

POST IN SURFS WANTED SOME OF THE GUYS ON HERE IMPORT THERE OWN. GIVE IT A GO MATE YOU WILL GET ANSWERS

[andy]

They must be a good company to buy from,all of the Surfs have intercoolers fitted even the 2.4s.

[marky]

They must be a good company to buy from,all of the Surfs have intercoolers fitted even the 2.4s.

I know its been like that for ages ive even mailed them to say 2.4's dont have them

[wibblywobbly]

Its all true

Marky is spot on with his description of auction grades and the 'system', the paperwork and the checks.

If you import your own surf you will find that when you go to your local DVLA to get your UK registration, together with the authority to get number plates made, that they make you wait 3 days.

They now check all of the paperwork with stolen car lists, so there is at least this much to re-assure you.

I can also add that there are now some quite reputable Japanese agents about who can source a vehicle to your specification. I could name the people that I bought mine through, but I hate giving people free advertising!

Buying privately sounds daunting but it is remarkably easy, and you save a few quid too. The paperwork is a piece of cake too.

If you want to know a bit more go to www.HitEnter.co.uk and follow the motoring link. Then select the animated racing car.

I hope that this helps.

Cheers

Rob G