I noticed a thread asking about importing an AE86 from Japan. So to help anyone else out who might be thinking of this I thought I'd do a write up on the whole process from start to finish while I'm going through the compliance of my own car now. I'll cover the time frame, costs and what's involved (and what's not) to give people a clear idea on what to expect. I'll continue to update the thread as more information comes in.
The beginning.
Firstly, you need to find a car. This can be done several ways. There are plenty of brokers and importers to help you out here. In my case, I lived in Japan for many years and have friends in the import industry so I flew to Japan and sort out a car for myself. This way I could be sure of getting exactly what I wanted (plus I got to enjoy a trip to Japan). It's a win/win solution if you're wanting to buy a car and take a holiday at the same time.
Patience my Precious.
Importing your own car isn't something to do if you want to be driving it next week. I bought my car in January and it landed in my driveway in late June. That's longer than what it would normally take as I had my car rebuilt over in Japan. However, it still comes down to when the car gets onto the boat or when the container leaves. There's a lot of paperwork and waiting before and after the car loaded onto the boat. My car went into a container. Expect to wait 3 to 4 months before you can touch your car. During this time you'll have to apply for your Import Approval. It took my paperwork about 3 weeks to get processed. My paperwork didn't get sent until about 2 weeks from when the container was due to arrive in Australia so car had actually arrived before I'd received my paperwork so my car was stuck in storage in Australia for about a week.
Compliance.
This is something that can cost you a lot if you're not careful. I shopped around and found most people were quoting $800+ just for the plate. Then add the cost of parts and labour onto that. I've found one guy here in Brisbane who quoted somewhere between $500-$800 over the phone and went with him because he actually came to my place to do the initial inspection and will come back in a few days to fit the plate once the work is done. This saved me on extra towing costs. The initial inspection was yesterday and here is a list of what needs to be done for my car to be complied:
New seatbelts front and rear.
Child restraint anchor points.
Rewiring of my front indicator lights and clear parker lenses.
Fit a tyre placard.
Replace blown bulb in number plate surround.
That's it!
Because my car is a 1985 model it's pre-emissions and doesn't need side intrusion bars. So I saved money in those areas. It also helps that my car is a very clean example and I'd already had all the fluids changed before the inspection. My brakes had been rebuilt in Japan and the old brake lines had been replaced with the ADR approved ones. These maybe an extra cost on other cars though. The compliance process started on Monday and I hope to be driving my car on Friday.
The costs:
Import Approval Application fee: $50
FOB (freight on board) costs: $530
Shipping fees: $1200
Taxes: $720
Towing from customs storage to my house: $60
Compliance plate fee: $726
Safety Certificate: $66
Seatbelts: $480.60 (that's new front and rear belts plus child restraint anchors and all other fittings)
The cost before registration and insurance: $3832.60 plus the cost of the car.
Registration: $434.15 (6 months, including $69 in stamp duty)
Insurance: $649.37 (comprehensive insurance with Shannons)
The beginning.
Firstly, you need to find a car. This can be done several ways. There are plenty of brokers and importers to help you out here. In my case, I lived in Japan for many years and have friends in the import industry so I flew to Japan and sort out a car for myself. This way I could be sure of getting exactly what I wanted (plus I got to enjoy a trip to Japan). It's a win/win solution if you're wanting to buy a car and take a holiday at the same time.
Patience my Precious.
Importing your own car isn't something to do if you want to be driving it next week. I bought my car in January and it landed in my driveway in late June. That's longer than what it would normally take as I had my car rebuilt over in Japan. However, it still comes down to when the car gets onto the boat or when the container leaves. There's a lot of paperwork and waiting before and after the car loaded onto the boat. My car went into a container. Expect to wait 3 to 4 months before you can touch your car. During this time you'll have to apply for your Import Approval. It took my paperwork about 3 weeks to get processed. My paperwork didn't get sent until about 2 weeks from when the container was due to arrive in Australia so car had actually arrived before I'd received my paperwork so my car was stuck in storage in Australia for about a week.
Compliance.
This is something that can cost you a lot if you're not careful. I shopped around and found most people were quoting $800+ just for the plate. Then add the cost of parts and labour onto that. I've found one guy here in Brisbane who quoted somewhere between $500-$800 over the phone and went with him because he actually came to my place to do the initial inspection and will come back in a few days to fit the plate once the work is done. This saved me on extra towing costs. The initial inspection was yesterday and here is a list of what needs to be done for my car to be complied:
New seatbelts front and rear.
Child restraint anchor points.
Rewiring of my front indicator lights and clear parker lenses.
Fit a tyre placard.
Replace blown bulb in number plate surround.
That's it!
Because my car is a 1985 model it's pre-emissions and doesn't need side intrusion bars. So I saved money in those areas. It also helps that my car is a very clean example and I'd already had all the fluids changed before the inspection. My brakes had been rebuilt in Japan and the old brake lines had been replaced with the ADR approved ones. These maybe an extra cost on other cars though. The compliance process started on Monday and I hope to be driving my car on Friday.
The costs:
Import Approval Application fee: $50
FOB (freight on board) costs: $530
Shipping fees: $1200
Taxes: $720
Towing from customs storage to my house: $60
Compliance plate fee: $726
Safety Certificate: $66
Seatbelts: $480.60 (that's new front and rear belts plus child restraint anchors and all other fittings)
The cost before registration and insurance: $3832.60 plus the cost of the car.
Registration: $434.15 (6 months, including $69 in stamp duty)
Insurance: $649.37 (comprehensive insurance with Shannons)
