Engin

Okay, I have more information. I visited a guy who deals with Japanese imports, and he said I don't need an IVA since the car is well over 10 years old. And I have more good news: he said there is a change in duty. If you are importing a Japanese-manufactured Japanese car, you only pay 3.5% duty instead of 10%. I confirmed this with the freight forwarder as well. It sounded like the forwarder said 2.5% instead of 3.5%, but I didn't bother to ask further. I will see when they send the bill. I will also let the guy handle all the conversion and registration, but I need to buy an HKS Speed Limit Defencer myself; he will install it. Do you guys have any recommendations on where to buy one? I wonder if there are any knock-offs, as I don't want to connect something unreliable to my car. He will collect the car from the port, prepare it for the MOT, do the odometer, MOT, DVLA registration, 6 months road tax, number plates, and install the HKS. He charges £825 for this service. How does that sound? It seems a little high to me, but considering it will be a hassle-free operation for me and I won't have to deal with anything, driving the car straight from the garage, I feel like I can live with that.

Hi Payco, There is a 10% duty and 20% tax, but it still comes out cheaper than one I would buy here. It will be coming directly to Southampton, which I consider very lucky. I live about 10 minutes from the docks. Did you do the SVA/IVA for yours? I am really confused about that.

Hi ShortPaul, thank you very much. It is like gambling when you buy a car from an auction, let’s hope for the best 🥲

I am using a foreign company, Japonic Trade. I thought we didn’t need special approval for cars over 10 years old. I checked again and it looks like I missed the part about “importing” a vehicle on gov.uk Thank you very much for the valuable information. I bought the car today, and I believe it will take at least 2-3 months for it to arrive.

Hello everyone, This is my first post here and I’m excited to join the community. I’ve always dreamed of owning a 350z since it first came out, and I’ve finally taken the plunge and bought one from a Japanese auction. My previous cars were economy models like the Hyundai i20 and Skoda Fabia, so this is a significant step up for me. Here are the details of my new pride and joy: 35,000 km on the clock Blue Looks clean Automatic Spec T (I believe this is similar to the GT without cruise control) However, I have almost no experience with maintaining a car myself, no experience with sports cars, and none with importing a car. I’m wondering if this might be a midlife crisis decision, but here I am, and I’m eager to learn. I’d appreciate any advice or opinions on the following matters: Initial Maintenance: I’ve read that it’s wise to change all rubbers and liquids before driving an older car with low mileage. I plan to service the car afterwards, but should I get the MOT done before or after these changes, considering it’s an import? Fog Lights: Some friends mentioned that the car might pass as advisory if it doesn’t have rear fog lights from the factory. Is this true? If so, why do so many people install those square fog lights? Maintenance Resources: Can you recommend any good resources for learning more about maintaining a 350z? I plan to keep an eye on the oil and change it every 3,000 miles or sooner, but my knowledge is quite limited, and I want to learn more. Rust Proofing: I’m considering getting an underbody coating for rust proofing. However, I’ve read and seen that arches tend to rust easily on UK cars due to how the sheets are smashed together. Is there any way to prevent this? Import Costs: I’ve covered the Japan-side costs and am in touch with freight forwarders for the UK side, but it feels like I might be missing something. Here are the costs I’m aware of: Customs clearance (including terminal handling, documentation, and import clearance levy) VAT and duty Servicing, changing oils, MOT Insurance Additional Advice: Are there any other areas I need to be aware of? Any specific topics I should look into? There’s so much information out there, and I feel a bit lost on where to start. To provide more context, I am attaching auction sheet of my car. Thank you all in advance for your help. I’m looking forward to becoming a part of this community and learning from those who know these cars best.