Japanese auction import......what do you think.

Wed 26 Oct 11 12:38

Japanese auction import......what do you think.

I posted this as a reply in another thread which seems to have been buried by newer ones. I think that it is such an interesting subject of use to those wanting to buy at auction that I am posting it as a new thread .

Well I have now done quite a bit more diggnig around to try and find some more history. I had previously noticed but paid scant attention to a sticker on the screen from a New Zealand based company called Truespeedo.

A Google search on the company website brings up another company caled ATL Ltd. with offices in Auckland and Tokyo and which has been carrying out pre-purchase mileage verification in Japan for over 20 years.

Now this seems to me like part of the work which takes place before a car can be entered for a Japanese auction. So I checked my car's paperwork and noted that my seller had bought the C4 from trader in Bristol in 2008 who also appears to have first registered it with the DVLA. The plot thickens.

I called the dealer and was passed to a man who remembered the car which was one of a batch he had commisioned to be bought at auction in Tokyo. Beyond that, he had no information and I have come up against a brick wall .

Now don't get me wrong, the car is a peach and in really immaculate condition both body and interior (as it should be at 34,000 miles only) and with an immaculately presented engine bay still carrying all of the original stickers.

But, and it is a big but, prior to buying this car, I had been to see a slightly older coupe at Claremont Corvette with higher mileage and at a 25% premium over my eventual purchase. I spoke with Tom Falconer about yet another C4 coupe that I had just inspected which had been imported from Japan and Tom was pretty scathing about such imports.

He says that the reason that so many Japanese cars find their way over to Europe from auction is that the Japanese equivalent of our MOT is so rigorous and demanding (only factory original parts to be used for example), that most Japanese car owners scrimp on maintenance or do other unspeakable things. I can't say I completely followed the logic but he is the guru of Corvette knowledge in the UK so there has to be some truth in the statement.

So I am left in a quandary .

At the advice of other forumites, I ran the car over to Autopics in Littlehampton to invite Dave to have a quick crawl around and he seemed to think that it was in top condition generally and with a super clean engine compartment. That brought some comfort I have to say but it was just a very quick visual check. Still, what are your considered views about Tom Falconer's opinion of Japanese auction 'Vettes?

Here are some shots of my new auction-sourced 'toy':

Wed 26 Oct 11 17:47

Re: Japanese auction import......what do you think.

Ive bought cars ( mainly 4x4's ) from Japan and the one good thing about them is the auction report. You generally know right from the outset what you are getting.
Each car has to be logged and even the smallest of scratches are noted. They will also pick up on bigger items such as if the car has been damaged and repaired etc.

Looks like you got exactly what you wanted and she sure looks great.
If she runs right, looks good then enjoy it. Im sure had that car found its way to a dealer straight from Japan the price mark up would have been quite large.

Most of the cars I have looked at have always been very well maintained and I wouldnt hesitate from buying from the land of the rising sun! lol

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Wed 26 Oct 11 18:24

Re: Japanese auction import......what do you think.

Firstly, You will not find anyone more knowlegable than Tom about all aspects of Corvette sourced from anywhere. If you check out the forums both here and worldwide you will see that the Japs do send a lot of their vehicles abroard for the very reasons he mentions ie draconian testing regulations and a lot of higher milage cars. ( which are few ) Having said all that. The pics you posted show a manufactured 94? is that right?.
Well, I am a great beliver in, judge what you have in front of you. NOT what you "might have" sitting there.!

Looks like a very tidy LT1 auto to me . Sitting on decent Khumos with good sawtooth alloys. Looks like it may also have the stock exhaust still. nothing looks untoward under the hood. You might check if it has had the modified Optispark unit. If,its a 95 ? it should already have it.
Lights at the rear have been done I assume back in 2008. The general internals look 34K which is good for a 17 yr car.
Providing it starts well, runs and rides nice ( except for choopyness over the bumps, especially with the softop ( manhole dodger). That is a feature of the model.
Make your own mind up if it has been "binned" at any stage in its life
? ie Does it crab and are all the shut lines reasonably parallel.
I would get in it and start enjoying it... My 94 C4 coupe was great.

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If you are apt to get a "stiffy" looking at a hybrid. You are probably on the wrong website

Wed 26 Oct 11 18:49

Re: Japanese auction import......what do you think.

It is actually a '95 model manufactured in December '94 so has the Optispark uppdate, the bigger brakes and the improved tranny (......er, I think ). Your comment about choppiness over bumps and avoiding manholes is spot-on .

As to everything else, well there is a slight moaning from the back axle (there was some play reported in the rear hubs at the last MOT) but I don't think that is worth worrying about unless it gets worse. Otherwise, all fits well and shut lines are spot on and she drives straight and true. Dave at Autopics alsom thought the exhaust was the original - don't they salt the roads in Japan?

The first owner paid the importer a serious bit of wodge in my view, has only put 2,000 miles on it in 3 years - plus new tyres 1,000 miles ago and a serpentine belt change and full service. The only downside were the wheels which really were not nice (they all do that Sir) so I sent them off to Lepsons in Kent for a complete stripdown and refurbish - brilliant work and collected and delivered for £250 the set.

So I guess that I will just go and play and live with whatever turns up. When it stops raining of course .

Wed 26 Oct 11 20:16

You can also reassure yourself by checking the RPO labels against the 'physical reality' of what's on the car. The Service label (itemising the RPO codes) should be on the inside of the center console cubby lid. I have quite a few reference books on C4 (I had a '92 LT1 prior to my current 'vette) so don't hesitate to ask if you want some help. The best 'primer' is Antonick's 'Black Book' but the
ultimate source of info is 'Corvette Specs 1984 -1996' by the same author.
J.C. (1911)
P.S. Your convertible looks pretty darn good in the pix.....