Does anyone have experience importing a JDM vehicle?

Like the title says, my better half and I are thinking about doing something silly. 

I've imported two cars from Japan, though the most recent was about 5 years ago. It was pretty easy and I did all the paperwork myself. My cars (a Honda Beat and a Honda Acty) were both cheap enough that they fell under informal entry rules so that simplified some things. What kind of car are you thinking of importing?

I just imported a Honda Acty. What do you want to know? 

You're getting that quadraport Skyline aren't you?

It's not hard as long as you are patient. Honestly, The hardest part for me was the DMV in Nebraska. More because they weren't 100% sure on what to do so their were a few phone calls needed.

Couple of things to think about is emissions testing if your local needs one. They will not pass in most cases. No EGR on that era and no ODB2 port. States are also clamping down on Kei cars. So check that out too. Plan 4-6 months to get it state side and customs cleared. 

Appleseed said:

You're getting that quadraport Skyline aren't you?

I want a Skyline, the better half wants a Kei car.

Side note, those of you that have imported a car, has getting insurance been difficult/problem?

In reply to z31maniac :

I have my Skyline on agreed value with State Farm, zero issues. They had it done in 5 minutes over the phone. 1/3 the price of H*****y. Disclosure: I have 4 other cars and my house through State Farm so that plays into the price I'm sure. 

Patrick said:

In reply to z31maniac :

I have my Skyline on agreed value with State Farm, zero issues. They had it done in 5 minutes over the phone. 1/3 the price of H*****y. Disclosure: I have 4 other cars and my house through State Farm so that plays into the price I'm sure. 

That's good to know! I recently just moved everything back to State Farm. Being a claim rep for them was my first job out of college. 

In reply to z31maniac :

Here's the guide that I used to import both the Honda Acty and the kei truck. I pretty much followed this to the letter and everything was pretty much as he said it. It's an older guide now, but as far as I know nothing has changed.

https://wittymelon.wordpress.com/portfolio/importing-vehicles-into-the-u-s/

I used a company called Japan Car Direct to export the cars from Japan, their staff is very helpful and they are native English speakers so communication is not a problem. Most kei vehicles can fall into the $2500 category so you should be able to do the paperwork for yourself no problem. I imported the cars to the port of Savannah, so the specifics of each port may be different, but if you have the means I would definitely suggest going to the port yourself and trailering your car home, it's a really cool experience.

z31maniac said:

Appleseed said:

You're getting that quadraport Skyline aren't you?

I want a Skyline, the better half wants a Kei car.

Side note, those of you that have imported a car, has getting insurance been difficult/problem?

The interesting thing is that 4 door Skylines seem to be worthless.  I was looking at a manual trans four door GTS-T (I think) with a GT30 on the RB25, at $18,5.  

Still kicking myself for not biting.  One ride in a certain black R32 made me a believer.

Not to derail the thread, but how did you guys source the cars?

Let's say you want to find a Honda Acty or a Honda Beat, how would you search for one?

In reply to Slippery :

Most exporters have a portal that allows you to view the online wholesale auction inventory. Finding cars for sale at dealerships and the like is a little trickier, but a good exporter will look at those sources for you too.

Japan Car Direct's is here:

https://auc.japancardirect.com/st?classic

I've spent a lot of time drooling over some of the cars crossing the auction blocks. You have to register your email to browse, but it's free.

In reply to z31maniac :

Hagerty and it took 10 minutes and no restrictions. $400 for the year approximately per car. 

In reply to Slippery :

I bought mine in Japan when I was there for work but Beforward is a good one. Goo-net as well. You can also go through a US based importer and have them buy it for you. 

You can also see past auctions to help you better understand the market as well (the "sales statistics" section). I can see that Honda beats are still selling decently cheap. This one is a condition 4 and sold on July 19th of this year for $2,380. Condition 4 is pretty good for its age -- you generally don't want to go below a 3.5, though sometimes car will recieve an "R" grade (for repair) because of mods, so sometimes good cars can be found in that category.

That Honda Beat is exactly what my better half wants. 

Watching this whole shenanigans with interest. A couple of grail wagons are set to age in soon and I'm feeling saucy. 

I used CarfromJapan.  

It was very easy to get it to Freeport, Texas.

I couldn't get Customs to move, so I engaged a broker;

All Ways International Customs House Brokerage (CHB)

CTPAT Certified

6610 Tributary St, Suite 102

Baltimore, MD 21224

Office: (410) 631-1860

2 days later I was picking it up.

That is another story though.

Funny how this thread came up today as I was looking to possibly buy a JDM imported car from a reputable importer. Posted to be subscribed.