Fresh Import or Tried and Tested??

[tonyfazer]

Just wanted to get an idea of as many people as possible with VR4's of which way is the best to go, Fresh Import or Tried & Tested example??


Importers say Fresh Import but what do you guy's think??

Cheers Tony

[miller]

Always budget in near £1000 extra on service and maintenance for a fresh import as generally they will have little or no history. Whereas a car thats been in the country and especially owned by a member has the chance of all the big work alread done. Like cambelt, gearbox flush etc etc

[Nick Mann]

Swings and roundabouts. There are good and bad imports and good and bad examples on here. For me, wanting a very clean facelift with a moonroof and a manual box means importing. I am being too specific to find one in the UK. I'm also not worried about service history, I'd do it all myself anyway.

The massive advantage with a club car is that you can be sure the owner knows what this club tends to recommend. The service history and type of owner can often be read on here publicly too. Now you are on this site, you will know that a service history provided by someone recognised on here is potentially worth far more than a couple of dealer stamps and infinitely more than badly translated sketchy Japanese history. Equally, an importer is going to at best drain a couple of fluids and put cheap stuff back in, to say he has serviced the car. What's he put in? I can bet a lot of money it isn't an expensive high quality fully synthetic!

[TAR]

I don't think either is 'better'.

Any car can be a pup, it pays to do your homework wherever you decide to buy.

Good luck with your search and if you want any advice on a specific car just post up and someone will undoubtedly offer to look at it with you.

[Rambaud]

For me, I would prefer to go for a Club car with known history etc.

[statham234]

yes club car then oils & belts would have been changed

[Nutter_John]

I tend to agree with Tar , eyes wide open regardless

[tonyfazer]

Thnaks for the info guys....just gonna keep scanning the web and this site and go look at some cars soon

Tony

[andyleaves]

I tend to agree with Tar , eyes wide open regardless

[andrew38]

To get a good import you are going to be paying big bucks at the moment due to the exchange rate, cars already here will be a lot cheaper I paid Yen 500000 for mine three and half years ago for a mint 28k mile 97, which was £2040 inc shipping and auction fees and £2600 all taxes paid. Same car now your looking at £3700 shipped ex taxes. Even club owned cars are worth nothing like that unfortunately, can't see it getting any better anytime soon.

[bradc]

Most of the ones that have been in the UK for more than about 5 minutes seem to have been ruined by rust unless they have been protected by heavy underseal.

For that reason alone I would stay away from just about all cars in the UK.

[chris g]

Most of the ones that have been in the UK for more than about 5 minutes seem to have been ruined by rust unless they have been protected by heavy underseal.

For that reason alone I would stay away from just about all cars in the UK.

Rather a broad generalisation and I don't recall members or others who have viewed UK cars commenting on the ruination of UK cars by rust...

Or a UK generalisation that I have heard is that imports are dodgy as they have been tuned up the ying-yang as jap owners play the BHP game...

[bradc]

Pretty much every car sale that I see here makes some mention of rust in the arches, or if they post up pictures of the underside there is quite a lot of rust all over the place.

[kinkyafro]

I got mine as a fresh import but if I were buying another right now I'd be looking at owners club cars. As it stands the way I see it...

Owners club
Usually in a better state of known service
Better value for money then importers

Import
Generally lower milage
Not exposed to uk weather/salted roads often garaged less likely to rust

Edit:
Oops the rust argument broke out while I was typing this (Ducks)

[chris g]

Rust in places maybe, ruined...?

Trying to put people off buying UK cars...?

Buying Members cars...?


Not a useful generalisation at all...

Like saying autos are always breaking...

[Nick Mann]

A looked after car or a recent import wiht one UK owner should mean the rust issue is not a major issue.

I looked at a car on saturday that was a fresh import and it was rustier than some UK from new cars I have seen. It all depends on how they have been looked after.

It is probably fair to say that on average UK cars are rustier than fresh imports, but it's a trend, NOT a rule.

[bradc]

I did say "most", not all and why would I be trying to ruin the sales of UK cars Chris?

Don't make me go through the posts in the FS threads and look for cars with rust in them, because that will upset people!

[Pugme]

rofl, i do love the UK vs Aus banter on here

to stick my 2 pence worht in, i did buy a car from here but it was from a guy who had pretty much signed up to sell his car, it had been in the uk since Oct 09 (i bought it a month ago) it has been undersealed and no obvious rust was visible (it'll be up on a ramp soon for a decat so ill find out for sure) the previous owner had no idea what oils were in it and seemed unsure about service records for cambelt etc etc, so i bought everything required except the umm whats that £100 tensioner? and my mate who knows what he is doing is doing the full service for £200, shame the materials cost £530!! but thats for all amsoil oils water pump, belts etc etc.

hope that helps.

[Wodjno]

Pretty much every car sale that I see here makes some mention of rust in the arches, or if they post up pictures of the underside there is quite a lot of rust all over the place.

rofl, i do love the UK vs Aus banter on here

I agree Bloody Aussies

[Pugme]

couldnt resist!!