Originally Posted by
djDEVILISHrd
I would like to give some praise to the Japanese Export Company that I have dealt with in importing my first JDM.
I discovered japan partner about 2 years ago when I 1st started considering importing a RHD vehicle. I did the typical google search for Japanese Car Exporters and filtered through a bunch of sites that had poor english translations and terrible pictures and hard to understand ordering procedures. I felt that bringing in a car would be a real gamble. I knew that I could just buy a car that was already here, already imported but I knew that I would be paying more for a vehicle because of the extra people involved. Everyone needs their cut. I figured I could save money if I did everything myself. I knew that if I did buy one here that it would be ready to drive, and legal, etc. But I just could not at the time afford to buy one that had already been imported.
I kept looking on the net, doing some research, figuring out what kind of car I wanted to buy.
Then I stumbled upon
I signed up and started receiving thier free updates via Email.
I notice right away that they didn't try to make a car look better then it realy was. I also noticed that they weren't an auction service. They were more like a car lot. They provided a good description of the cars they have and also provided alot of pictures. Usualy at least 10-12. They also take pictures of the problem areas, they don't try and hide them. I thought this was really good.
Finally in November of 2007 I was on holidays and decided to check my emails. I found the latest update from Japan-Partner and I noticed that they had 3 Soarers just purchased from Auction. I emailed the only email address I could find on their website, just a typical info@... type email address. I asked them to email me more pictures of the Soarers they had just purchased once they had them on their lot.
The next morning I received a phone call on my cell phone:
"Hi This is Dean Cadre from Japan-Partner, you emailed me about the Soarers we have?" (the call was from a Canadian, who spoke perfect english)
I responded," Yes I did, I thought you guys were located in Japan".
The respnose, "I am in Japan, but I am actually from Alberta, I moved to Japan a few years ago"
We chit chatted a bit. And then I asked about the soarers.
He said that they were nice cars but ranged in km's and options.
He sent me all of the pics in about two days and I chose the 1991 Green with only 66,000+/- kms.
The car was bone stock, was a GTT 1jZGTE but didn't have a spoiler or a sunroof. It did have the TEMS and the GT trim. It also had the rare, very light weight BBS rims that were available as a Factory Option. (I kept the rims but they aren't my style, their the kind of rim my Dad would like)
I used Japan-Partners check out system.
I then received an email with payment instructions and the status of my car on their website changed from "Available" to "SOLD BPNC (But Payment Not Confirmed).
Then I went to my Bank with Japan-Partners payment instructions.
Then the next day I received confirmation from Japan Partner that they had received my payment and the car would be shipped out as soon as possible.
One week later I received a call that there was no longer RORO (Roll On Roll Off) service available and would have to wait until it was available.
This freaked me out as I had heard that some people have waited over 10 months for RORO service. I emailed Dean at Japan - Partner. Dean told me not to worry and that two other cars had just sold to Canada as well. Once he received the payment for those, he would put all three cars in a container and ship them to Canada that way. Myself and the two other owners would split the shipping cost.
My the 1st week in decemebr I received a call that my car was loaded into the container at at the port in Japan. By the 1st week in January 2008 I received notice that my car had landed in Vancouver.
I received a call from ABc customs brokers on the 2nd week in January that my car had been received, they were doing the paper work and destuffing and would call me when I could pick up the car. I phone EVT Transport and notified them that I had a car to be picked up in Brunaby BC. I then got a call in two days taht my car was ready to be picked up. I called EVT and they picked up my car the next day. 24 hours later EVT dropped of the car to me about 5 minutes from my house.
Once I received the car their were some minor issues taht needed immediate attention. The 1st one was that the battery was dead (froze on the boat ride) and it was out of gas. I got the battery changed 1st, and then got gas.
I then got the oil changed and all the fluids.
Had a good look at the car in the shop. Noticed a couple of paint touchups that were too small to notice in the photos. There were 5 touch up spots on the dash board (sign of previously mounted cup holders), a tear on the drivers side front windshied pillar leather and on the passenger floor board a bad tear under the floor mat. In the trunk their is a couple of spots on the steel on the inside that show minor corrosion. I took a rag with CLR and rubbed it right off and then sprayed with rust repelent. It looks like someone had either had salt, sand with salt or a battery in the trunk that spilled because the corrosion was surface and cleaned right off. Nothing to worry about.
On the outside I noticed on one fender a door scrape type rub on a fender that was touched up. This touch up is peeling so I'm going to a chip repair guy to fix that one spot.
The car other wise is flawless. And for a car that is 17 years old is in excellent running condition.
I'm fixing up the minor interior issues this summer.
I am very happy with the car and it passed the OOP with very minor issues.
I get compliments on the car all the time and from total strangers too.
There are also 3 other Soarers I have noticed so far in my City so I'm not getting as much attention as I was when I 1st got it. This is good because you can only explain the whole process so many times. I thought it was interesting though, I received NO negative comments or remarks so far, especially nothing about it being an RHD.
I highly recommend Japan-Partner and I will buy from them again.
They also now offer an Auction service and can also do RHD to LHD conversions on some cars.
If any of you have any more qustions please PM me.