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everdave
Nov 14, 2005

BraveUlysses posted:

where da jdm e30s at

I see lots of alpinas come up, I have no idea what they go for, just not what I’m looking for. Plenty of LHD mercs too but not sure where you are.

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KakerMix
Apr 8, 2004

8.2 M.P.G.
:byetankie:

everdave posted:

A delica like that can go for that, but I have seen most go for a million. At least the ones I have bid on.

Surprised we got it for so little yeah, considering the condition/mileage/transmission. Note too that the sheet said corrosion, the inspector said surface rust only. AA houses grade hard and I wonder if they just always have 'rust and corrosion' as a single thing they right if any rust is there. So much so now that I kinda don't trust the sheet if it's at an AA house and it says 'rust' yet the sheet doesn't have it actually marked on the body. We'll see how it is in a couple months :v:



BraveUlysses posted:

where da jdm e30s at

Currently being exported to the USA and Canada and being re-exported out back to Germany. E30s and Lancias, though lots of Lancias are going back to Italy.

Somewhat Heroic
Oct 11, 2007

(Insert Mad Max related text)



Okay I have followed this thread from the beginning and I am in the infant stages of giving this a shot. Thanks KakerMix for posting this all and keeping the thread updated as well as you have. I have read the OP over and over a few times. I registered with Japan Car Direct and was approved for browsing the auction site, I just got the email from Yoshi and need to schedule the call. My plan is likely to look at placing a bid come January when the right one shows up, whatever that may be.

Your most recent Rugger has be absolutely jonesing, but I am sure that you likely paid a mint for that. I know you have a business to run, but realistically excluding shipping costs is it realistic to think that something like that could be won at auction for ~$3k? I am beginning to think there is no way those are going to that cheap at auction. Considering shipping time and when I want to try my hand at this first I think I want to start with a kei car, thinking a Cappuccino as my first choice, maybe a Beat otherwise. This is where I am looking for a little guidance.

Can some of the veterans here weigh in on what realistically something like these end up at?





I think with my first dip into this the thought of an "all in" (auction + $3k shipping cost) budget of around $4-5K. If I could get a Land Cruiser Prado with a manual or diesel Rugger like one of yours that you have gotten for a landed price like that I would be ready to do it. If I am way off base in my planning tell me and I will evaluate what I really want to do.

Riller
Jun 16, 2008

Somewhat Heroic posted:


Can some of the veterans here weigh in on what realistically something like these end up at?

I'm by no means a veteran as my first vehicle just got to the US yesterday, but I can tell you that the statistics page on the JCD website is very helpful. They only go back 3 months, so keep your own spreadsheet with sale prices and condition, screenshots, etc. That way you can really get a feel for what the price range is on a particular vehicle depending on mileage and condition. What I have noticed with all of them is that prices seem to have a "normal" range over, say 100k km on the odometer, but when mileage is under that, the price increases exponentially as the mileage drops. You just have to decide if you're willing to pay for more for close to mint or go with higher mileage for a more reasonable price. There are always exceptions and people (KakerMix) get lucky and score great vehicles for low prices from time to time.

KakerMix
Apr 8, 2004

8.2 M.P.G.
:byetankie:

Somewhat Heroic posted:

Okay I have followed this thread from the beginning and I am in the infant stages of giving this a shot. Thanks KakerMix for posting this all and keeping the thread updated as well as you have. I have read the OP over and over a few times. I registered with Japan Car Direct and was approved for browsing the auction site, I just got the email from Yoshi and need to schedule the call. My plan is likely to look at placing a bid come January when the right one shows up, whatever that may be.

Your most recent Rugger has be absolutely jonesing, but I am sure that you likely paid a mint for that. I know you have a business to run, but realistically excluding shipping costs is it realistic to think that something like that could be won at auction for ~$3k? I am beginning to think there is no way those are going to that cheap at auction. Considering shipping time and when I want to try my hand at this first I think I want to start with a kei car, thinking a Cappuccino as my first choice, maybe a Beat otherwise. This is where I am looking for a little guidance.

Can some of the veterans here weigh in on what realistically something like these end up at?





I think with my first dip into this the thought of an "all in" (auction + $3k shipping cost) budget of around $4-5K. If I could get a Land Cruiser Prado with a manual or diesel Rugger like one of yours that you have gotten for a landed price like that I would be ready to do it. If I am way off base in my planning tell me and I will evaluate what I really want to do.

I'm in the 1993 Rugger for just under $8500, I paid 66,000 yen at action, close to 5800 USD. That's very high for a 'Daihatsu Rugger' but when you take into account the other aspects, one owner, F78 model, 000041 production number, 20k kms total, completely clean, unmodified and everything working I think it's worth it. I admit I went into it hard because I adored the 85 Rugger I had so my emotions got in the way. In comparison I paid 251,000 yen for that at auction, all in for about 5100 USD before I replaced the suspension and tires etc. but it was an older model. Ruggers are cars that people here in the USA don't know so they can't possibly care about them in the same way they would a Land Cruiser. If this 93 Rugger was a Prado it would have sold for 13,000 USD easily. Because of that I think they are pretty killer deals if you're into little turbo diesel SUVs. So yeah I think you could get a Rugger within your budget but you'd maybe have to settle for an older model and might be in for a long wait since they aren't up for auction that often. Plus you'll have to compete with me :getin:
The best deal for smaller turbo diesel SUVs would be Pajeros. You can get them in 2 door with manual transmissions often, and they never go for more than 3k at auction no matter the quality. Plus their USDM analog, the Montero, means there is some easier avenues for parts and support if needed.

For what you've posted though:

That Cappuccino you should be able to ask Yoshi what it sold for. They've since gotten 'in' with USS and can pull data easier than they used to in their auctions. My guess is it sold for above 5k. It's a USS auction (prices are a bit higher seemingly at their auctions), clean, low mileage, 3.5 with B grade interior. That one will be among the best Cappos you can get imho. I can't find that Beat though I found the beat, it's up for auction in (from this edit anyway) 45 minutes. Beats are significantly cheaper that Cappos. Don't know about that specific Beat as it has very low mileage, but there is a good chance will sell for around 3.5k USD, maybe less. If you go for high grades (both of these are 3.5) and low mileage (anything under 100k seems to have premiums attached) then you are going to be running against stronger competing bids.

I've said it spread out through the thread but here are some general tricks/info I've found, not hard rules mind, but just generally:
A USS auction of an identical car at another auction will always sell for more. USS is the largest auction group so tend to drive higher prices for cars as their reach is larger.
AA houses (there are like 6-7) grade harder than other houses. That is, if it's a 3 at an AA house then USS will grade it 3.5. If AA grades the interior a D then you can assume USS would grade it a B. This, plus the fact that they are a kind of alternative to USS means this is where I find the absolute best deals in terms of cost/condition. They will also seem to always say a car has corrosion on the sheets, but when you send an inspector out there it will only be surface rust.
JU houses grade lenient. That is, they are opposite of AA that I just mentioned. A grade 3 at JU might be a grade 2 at AA. If a JU sheet says there is corrosion it will be worse than the sheet says. Send out an inspector and see!

KakerMix fucked around with this message at 03:11 on Dec 8, 2018

Electric Pigeon
Aug 14, 2008

Somewhat Heroic posted:

Considering shipping time and when I want to try my hand at this first I think I want to start with a kei car, thinking a Cappuccino as my first choice, maybe a Beat otherwise. This is where I am looking for a little guidance.

Can some of the veterans here weigh in on what realistically something like these end up at?

I think with my first dip into this the thought of an "all in" (auction + $3k shipping cost) budget of around $4-5K.

I'm not sure how much profit can be made by reselling either of those guys stateside. If you want one for fun, though, either is great if you can land one for $5k all in. That Beat is really nice (stock as far as I can see, and fantastically preserved seats and top), so it might get pricey. I wouldn't be afraid of more miles on one, though. Mine is ratty with ~110k miles and runs great.

What Kaker said about Cappos being more expensive is true, although I haven't looked much in the last year. My experience was with a Japanese dealer, and I'd guess a good Beat goes for $5000-$5500ish shipped now if you take that path, with a Cappo being about $1000-$2000 more. Cappos are regarded as being easier to work on than Beats, but with less parts availability.

In any case, they're both pretty much distilled driving joy.

everdave
Nov 14, 2005
I have nearly 10 in my Prado, all in all fees titled and registered delivers to my driveway. I can’t imagine getting a good one all in for anywhere near 5-6. I have bid on LOTS of beats and cappos I think a beat could maybe go for 3-5k if you got the right one but I bid on low mile stuff and I’ve seen go for near a million and even got pitbid a Pajero a few months back that went for over 800! I added a bunch to a spreadsheet we were keeping but I haven’t bid on anything since August.

Ethics_Gradient
May 5, 2015

Common misconception that; that fun is relaxing. If it is, you're not doing it right.
I'd like to add that if your concerned about resale then low mileage is the way to go, but I have seen plenty of these things (Delicas, Prados, etc) here in Australia with piles of k's on them and still going strong.

Also, a heads up to you auctioneers, but Australia is likely going to get its import laws amended to be a rolling 25 years like the US (currently a hard 1989 cutoff, with seemingly random exceptions), so I'd expect price trends to nudge upwards then. I doubt it'll happen before late 2019 at the very earliest though.

KakerMix
Apr 8, 2004

8.2 M.P.G.
:byetankie:
Who wants some tiny potato pictures of a cool van?????






















Found why the auction house said there was corrosion, there is, but it's just on the side steps, you can see it in those under pictures, it's just the center support bars too. Otherwise it looks pristine, pinch welds are spotless as is the whole transmission just hanging out underneath. OEM stereo which is cool but uncool because I see now aux in. Curious as to what the seats look like underneath those covers as the front seats have TWO installed. And why red:confused: And what's up with those two end tables in the center :confused::confused:

EDIT
Upgraded with HIRES pix

KakerMix fucked around with this message at 03:41 on Dec 10, 2018

Deteriorata
Feb 6, 2005

KakerMix posted:

Who wants some tiny potato pictures of a cool van?????

Found why the auction house said there was corrosion, there is, but it's just on the side steps, you can see it in those under pictures, it's just the center support bars too. Otherwise it looks pristine, pinch welds are spotless as is the whole transmission just hanging out underneath. OEM stereo which is cool but uncool because I see now aux in. Curious as to what the seats look like underneath those covers as the front seats have TWO installed. And why red:confused: And what's up with those two end tables in the center :confused::confused:

Lack of aux input is no big deal. You can get an adapter for the cassette that has an aux jack. Sweet car.

KakerMix
Apr 8, 2004

8.2 M.P.G.
:byetankie:

Deteriorata posted:

Lack of aux input is no big deal. You can get an adapter for the cassette that has an aux jack. Sweet car.

Oh I know that, it's just that the Pajeros of this generation have OEM AUX inputs, though it's labeled 'cd'


This is in the 1989 Pajero we have. The Delica and the Pajero share a lot of stuff between the two so I kinda took for granted the stereo would be one of them, or at least the headunit. Nope!!

Tape adapter doesn't help in the Rugger's case either because as far as I can tell the tape player itself is busted.

MrOnBicycle
Jan 18, 2008
Wait wat?
I can't help to absolutely love this style of head units. Looks cool as hell, and no menus to spend way too long time going through just to change the equalizer or something. Also AUX in 1989? Manufacturers still haven't got that part nailed down.

johnnyonetime
Apr 2, 2010
Finally got the van registered and licensed. Also put a new set of much needed tires on the thing. I had a hard time finding 12" tires so I punted and put 13" tires on it with some steelies. The offset is different and the tires stick out about an inch from the sides of the vehicle but I feel like it gives the van more stability.



I get honks and waves everywhere I drive the van, it's fun! I made the mistake of taking this thing through an automatic car wash and got STUCK halfway through the tunnel. Thankfully the car wash guys thought the van was cool and didn't bust my balls too bad about having to shut down the car wash while I get the tires back on the track and scooted out the end.

everdave
Nov 14, 2005
Kaker - the Delica looks like an awesome buy!

jonny - good looking little van!

Somewhat Heroic
Oct 11, 2007

(Insert Mad Max related text)



Riller, Kaker et al; thank you for being so frank and open. That really puts a lot into perspective for me. I will need to adjust my budget a bit here, but a tiny truck/SUV seems to be more calling my name. I really like the Ruggers that Kaker has posted, the buckets and interior is just really nicely laid out. They would likely be more "practical" too compared to a Cappo or Beat.

In addition to adjusting my budget I am going to be more open to higher mileage/lower grades; anything I would consider bidding on will have an inspection done anyhow so maybe I can find a decent car that would maybe go unnoticed. Last Friday I had a chance to talk with Yoshi on the phone on my way home from work. He is way chill and cool. I will watch the process from a close distance for a month or so but come the new year I want to bid on something.

johnny; I am in Salt Lake and see you are in Denver. What port did you choose to ship into? What did you use to transport from port to your home? Tacoma and Long Beach seem about the same distance (Long Beach probably a little closer). Yoshi said it is about the same to either port, about $1950.

dubzee
Oct 23, 2008



Kaker, you can do an antenna bypass with something like this

Also that Delica owns!

johnnyonetime
Apr 2, 2010

Somewhat Heroic posted:

johnny; I am in Salt Lake and see you are in Denver. What port did you choose to ship into? What did you use to transport from port to your home? Tacoma and Long Beach seem about the same distance (Long Beach probably a little closer). Yoshi said it is about the same to either port, about $1950.

I shipped to Tacoma and used Josh at ZipAutoShip to get my car delivered to me. Super nice guy, I would call him again in a second.

KakerMix
Apr 8, 2004

8.2 M.P.G.
:byetankie:

johnnyonetime posted:

Finally got the van registered and licensed. Also put a new set of much needed tires on the thing. I had a hard time finding 12" tires so I punted and put 13" tires on it with some steelies. The offset is different and the tires stick out about an inch from the sides of the vehicle but I feel like it gives the van more stability.



I get honks and waves everywhere I drive the van, it's fun! I made the mistake of taking this thing through an automatic car wash and got STUCK halfway through the tunnel. Thankfully the car wash guys thought the van was cool and didn't bust my balls too bad about having to shut down the car wash while I get the tires back on the track and scooted out the end.

Amazon is where I have good luck getting 12" tires. The ones I got for my Acty a couple years ago were around 30 bucks a pop, and they matched the factory size perfectly. Those steelies look good though, where are the rest of the pics????

dubzee posted:

Kaker, you can do an antenna bypass with something like this

Also that Delica owns!



This is what I'm trying to keep. I'm going to take a shot at that FM bypass thing you linked, though I wonder how it will work with the weirdo-Japan FM frequency difference. Thanks for the recommendation!



Today I tackled replacing the tires on the Rugger with white letter KO2s because they are fantastic looking and are also just good tires. While I had the wheels off I took the time to check the brakes as there was a small shudder coming from the rear right, a very quick shudder and only happened at higher speeds while lightly pressing the brake pedal.





:eyepop:
So freakin' clean. Re-lubed the pins and hardware-moving bits as the lube that was there had long ago decided that 'putty' was a better lifestyle it wanted and did some crud-removal. Used the Bongo to take the wheels to a local place that will switch out wheels plus balance them for $60 bucks.



Result?



I don't know of a situation where KO2s aren't the best looking tire. The brakes operate much better than before, I guess the sticky slides were really hanging it all up. No more shudder either. :toot:

Lord of Garbagemen
Jan 28, 2014

Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!

Somewhat Heroic posted:

Riller, Kaker et al; thank you for being so frank and open. That really puts a lot into perspective for me. I will need to adjust my budget a bit here, but a tiny truck/SUV seems to be more calling my name. I really like the Ruggers that Kaker has posted, the buckets and interior is just really nicely laid out. They would likely be more "practical" too compared to a Cappo or Beat.

In addition to adjusting my budget I am going to be more open to higher mileage/lower grades; anything I would consider bidding on will have an inspection done anyhow so maybe I can find a decent car that would maybe go unnoticed. Last Friday I had a chance to talk with Yoshi on the phone on my way home from work. He is way chill and cool. I will watch the process from a close distance for a month or so but come the new year I want to bid on something.

johnny; I am in Salt Lake and see you are in Denver. What port did you choose to ship into? What did you use to transport from port to your home? Tacoma and Long Beach seem about the same distance (Long Beach probably a little closer). Yoshi said it is about the same to either port, about $1950.

I am in Vancouver WA, I can always store it at my place if you want to fly out and drive it back. I can pick them up at Port as well.

Ethics_Gradient
May 5, 2015

Common misconception that; that fun is relaxing. If it is, you're not doing it right.

johnnyonetime posted:

Finally got the van registered and licensed. Also put a new set of much needed tires on the thing. I had a hard time finding 12" tires so I punted and put 13" tires on it with some steelies. The offset is different and the tires stick out about an inch from the sides of the vehicle but I feel like it gives the van more stability.



I get honks and waves everywhere I drive the van, it's fun! I made the mistake of taking this thing through an automatic car wash and got STUCK halfway through the tunnel. Thankfully the car wash guys thought the van was cool and didn't bust my balls too bad about having to shut down the car wash while I get the tires back on the track and scooted out the end.

That's great news :toot: Would you mind posting more of a write-up on the process? Considering bringing a vehicle back to Denver with me in a couple of years when I move back, I'm from FL originally where pretty much anything goes so a state with a functioning bureaucracy is a novelty to me.

johnnyonetime posted:

The killer for me was the $1000 it cost to get it transported by truck from Tacoma to Denver. I've already decided on my next one I'll have it sent to a local shop from the port to get new tires/fluid changed, book a one way flight and roadtrip that bitch back home.

Having driven it now, curious if you'd still want to do this? My experience driving keis (in Japan, with piddly arse speed limits and pretty chill drivers) is that I wouldn't want to take one on a long highway drive in the US, and it's 20 hours from Tacoma to Denver according to Maps. OTOH you could take the scenic route and the back is probably long enough for you to lay out in, although you might need to sleep on a diagonal.

johnnyonetime
Apr 2, 2010

Kakermix posted:

Amazon is where I have good luck getting 12" tires. The ones I got for my Acty a couple years ago were around 30 bucks a pop, and they matched the factory size perfectly. Those steelies look good though, where are the rest of the pics????

I'll take more pics this weekend and post them!

Ethics_Gradient posted:

That's great news :toot: Would you mind posting more of a write-up on the process? Considering bringing a vehicle back to Denver with me in a couple of years when I move back, I'm from FL originally where pretty much anything goes so a state with a functioning bureaucracy is a novelty to me.

Sure, this worked for me in Colorado:

1. Call your insurance provider and get insurance on the vehicle. Either via local broker or through one of the big guys like Progressive.
2. Go to your local DMV with your Export Certificate and Insurance card and pay $7.80 for temporary tags. They gave me a 10 day tag.
3. Go to car dealership or police station in your JDM and get a VIN Verification. It costs $20 and they give you a form afterwards.
4. Go back to your local DMV with the following:
  1. Application for Title and/or Registration (https://www.dmv.org/co-colorado/car-registration.php)
  2. VIN Verification (Verification of Vehicle Identification Number)
  3. Export Certificate
  4. English Translation of Export Certificate
  5. U.S. Customers and Border Protection Entry Summary Form
  6. Commercial Invoice from Japanese import company (make sure to sign it!)
  7. United States EPA Declaration Form (they tried to get me to do an emissions test but vehicles 21 years and older are exempt entirely)
  8. Printout of the wikipedia page of the model you imported so they know what the hell you are trying to even register. "Awww that's an adorable van!"
5. When you are called up to the desk, smile at the nice DMV lady and apologize profusely before you even begin.
6. Politely make small talk with the nice DMV lady, pay your fees in cash to avoid the credit card processing fee.
7. Run out of the building with your registration and plates before the office manager changes their mind and requires more paperwork.

Ethics_Gradient posted:

Having driven it now, curious if you'd still want to do this? My experience driving keis (in Japan, with piddly arse speed limits and pretty chill drivers) is that I wouldn't want to take one on a long highway drive in the US, and it's 20 hours from Tacoma to Denver according to Maps. OTOH you could take the scenic route and the back is probably long enough for you to lay out in, although you might need to sleep on a diagonal.

After driving it a week I would definitely, absolutely NOT recommend drive a kei vehicle across the country. It's top speed is probably 65 miles an hour with teeth gritted and white knuckles on the steering wheel. I've decided it's a toot around town kind of vehicle, not to be used on the highway. See exhibit A from Clueless:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lW2JBJSaXUI

I'm almost considering marketing it to a trademan who doesn't want to pay $$$ for a Sprinter/Transit van, or to someone that wants a unique Subaru to take their kids to school. Perfect for getting around town and awesome gas mileage. Great for squeezing into tight parking spaces plus lots of utility. I hate the thought of selling it so soon after I bought it but after seeing the Ruggers, Delicas and Bongos it makes me want to start looking for the next one!

johnnyonetime fucked around with this message at 17:34 on Dec 11, 2018

everdave
Nov 14, 2005

Ethics_Gradient posted:


Having driven it now, curious if you'd still want to do this? My experience driving keis (in Japan, with piddly arse speed limits and pretty chill drivers) is that I wouldn't want to take one on a long highway drive in the US, and it's 20 hours from Tacoma to Denver according to Maps. OTOH you could take the scenic route and the back is probably long enough for you to lay out in, although you might need to sleep on a diagonal.

Transport is nowhere near what most people think it costs. I doubt you would do much more than break even in costs if you just shipped it.

Ethics_Gradient
May 5, 2015

Common misconception that; that fun is relaxing. If it is, you're not doing it right.

johnnyonetime posted:

I'll take more pics this weekend and post them!

Sure, this worked for me in Colorado:

1. Call your insurance provider and get insurance on the vehicle. Either via local broker or through one of the big guys like Progressive.
2. Go to your local DMV with your Export Certificate and Insurance card and pay $7.80 for temporary tags. They gave me a 10 day tag.
3. Go to car dealership or police station in your JDM and get a VIN Verification. It costs $20 and they give you a form afterwards.
4. Go back to your local DMV with the following:
  1. Application for Title and/or Registration (https://www.dmv.org/co-colorado/car-registration.php)
  2. VIN Verification (Verification of Vehicle Identification Number)
  3. Export Certificate
  4. English Translation of Export Certificate
  5. U.S. Customers and Border Protection Entry Summary Form
  6. Commercial Invoice from Japanese import company (make sure to sign it!)
  7. United States EPA Declaration Form (they tried to get me to do an emissions test but vehicles 21 years and older are exempt entirely)
  8. Printout of the wikipedia page of the model you imported so they know what the hell you are trying to even register. "Awww that's an adorable van!"
5. When you are called up to the desk, smile at the nice DMV lady and apologize profusely before you even begin.
6. Politely make small talk with the nice DMV lady, pay your fees in cash to avoid the credit card processing fee.
7. Run out of the building with your registration and plates before the office manager changes their mind and requires more paperwork.


After driving it a week I would definitely, absolutely NOT recommend drive a kei vehicle across the country. It's top speed is probably 65 miles an hour with teeth gritted and white knuckles on the steering wheel. I've decided it's a toot around town kind of vehicle, not to be used on the highway. See exhibit A from Clueless:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lW2JBJSaXUI

You are amazing, thank you! Saving this in Evernote.

If you wanted to drop me an email at the address below so I had it on file in case I had questions down the line that'd be much appreciated -- if nothing else, love to buy you a beer next time I'm in town visiting the in-laws.

redacted

quote:

I'm almost considering marketing it to a trademan who doesn't want to pay $$$ for a Sprinter/Transit van, or to someone that wants a unique Subaru to take their kids to school. Perfect for getting around town and awesome gas mileage. Great for squeezing into tight parking spaces plus lots of utility. I hate the thought of selling it so soon after I bought it but after seeing the Ruggers, Delicas and Bongos it makes me want to start looking for the next one!

I reckon it'd really appeal to a small business owner who wanted something unique to help them stand out. Keis have pretty poor crash ratings (a major reason why they aren't exported in significant numbers) so may not appeal as much to parents. OTOH, Colorado is ground zero for Subaru fandom, so you've definitely picked the right make for your market :v:

Delicas - The early 90s ones you guys have been posting are kinda the ugly stepchild generation IMO. On the other hand, it is a drat near impossible to find the later style in manual, and the earlier ones may or may not have power steering and are 30+ years old at this point, so they're pretty appealing from a features standpoint. I'd have to make peace with having an auto box, but there's a '95 Charmonix near me with 180,000 on the clock for a very reasonable AU$5400 that I am itching to buy... but can't justify tying up the funds until I secure a contract for next year.

Kaker's Bongo is a thing of glory.

Speaking of weird JDM names that come to mind, there's the Nissan Homy (a van), and if you live in an area with a Spanish speaking population, the Mitsubishi Pajero (wanker) and Mazda Laputa (literally: the whore) will get some laughs. The Honda Life Dunk is a turbo kei car but IIRC they were only sold as automatics, and won't be legal until 2025.

Ethics_Gradient fucked around with this message at 22:40 on Dec 11, 2018

KakerMix
Apr 8, 2004

8.2 M.P.G.
:byetankie:

Ethics_Gradient posted:


Delicas - The early 90s ones you guys have been posting are kinda the ugly stepchild generation IMO. On the other hand, it is a drat near impossible to find the later style in manual, and the earlier ones may or may not have power steering and are 30+ years old at this point, so they're pretty appealing from a features standpoint. I'd have to make peace with having an auto box, but there's a '95 Charmonix near me with 180,000 on the clock for a very reasonable AU$5400 that I am itching to buy... but can't justify tying up the funds until I secure a contract for next year.


I think the L300s are a lot cooler than the L400s, and the 400s are cool too but not in a world with L300s. 400s kinda remind me of a hopped-up 3rd gen Dodge Caravan.



DirkDonkeyroot
Feb 25, 2007

KakerMix posted:

Amazon is where I have good luck getting 12" tires. The ones I got for my Acty a couple years ago were around 30 bucks a pop, and they matched the factory size perfectly. Those steelies look good though, where are the rest of the pics????




This is what I'm trying to keep. I'm going to take a shot at that FM bypass thing you linked, though I wonder how it will work with the weirdo-Japan FM frequency difference. Thanks for the recommendation!



Today I tackled replacing the tires on the Rugger with white letter KO2s because they are fantastic looking and are also just good tires. While I had the wheels off I took the time to check the brakes as there was a small shudder coming from the rear right, a very quick shudder and only happened at higher speeds while lightly pressing the brake pedal.





:eyepop:
So freakin' clean. Re-lubed the pins and hardware-moving bits as the lube that was there had long ago decided that 'putty' was a better lifestyle it wanted and did some crud-removal. Used the Bongo to take the wheels to a local place that will switch out wheels plus balance them for $60 bucks.



Result?



I don't know of a situation where KO2s aren't the best looking tire. The brakes operate much better than before, I guess the sticky slides were really hanging it all up. No more shudder either. :toot:

For the aux input we do this with the rare first gen rx7 that still has its factory radio. Open up the deck and find the input board for the tape and solder in an aux input then trip whatever mechanism that actually sees that there is actually a cassette in the deck. This should give you the aux input whenever you switch to the tape function. Wish I could help you more but I'm not familiar with the inside of that particular device.

Ethics_Gradient
May 5, 2015

Common misconception that; that fun is relaxing. If it is, you're not doing it right.

DirkDonkeyroot posted:

For the aux input we do this with the rare first gen rx7 that still has its factory radio. Open up the deck and find the input board for the tape and solder in an aux input then trip whatever mechanism that actually sees that there is actually a cassette in the deck. This should give you the aux input whenever you switch to the tape function. Wish I could help you more but I'm not familiar with the inside of that particular device.

That is really clever! I think on some decks with a factory CD changer inputs you can buy adapters on eBay to create an aux jack too.

KakerMix posted:

I think the L300s are a lot cooler than the L400s, and the 400s are cool too but not in a world with L300s. 400s kinda remind me of a hopped-up 3rd gen Dodge Caravan.





Taste is definitely subjective... for me the 400 is a 'so bad and 90's it's good' situation, whereas the early 90s ones just look kinda blandly ugly. The earlier 80s ones (also called L300s) are boxy and objectively rad.

This one is being sold local to me by an optimist with a tenuous grasp of English phonetics:





quote:

1984 mitsubishi van drives well rego good tyers new rad elic fan bull bars good serspenchion runing gear .has a spear alt and dis new rad 5 speed gear box mattres clean inside good for camping 2000 cc engin raido


:psyduck:

Tiger-print seat covers aside I like it, but $3500 for a van manufactured during Reagan's first term that's pushing 430k is just straight up dumb. Needless to say he's been reposting it for like the last year, clearly he 'knows what he got'.

Meanwhile there's a free one (not running, but body and interior look to be in decent shape) up in regional NSW.

KakerMix
Apr 8, 2004

8.2 M.P.G.
:byetankie:

DirkDonkeyroot posted:

For the aux input we do this with the rare first gen rx7 that still has its factory radio. Open up the deck and find the input board for the tape and solder in an aux input then trip whatever mechanism that actually sees that there is actually a cassette in the deck. This should give you the aux input whenever you switch to the tape function. Wish I could help you more but I'm not familiar with the inside of that particular device.
Yeah I gotta dig into the unit to see. The issue with the tape though is there is no button to put it "in" to tape mode, presumably it goes to that when a tape has been inserted though it doesn't trigger atm.


There have been one or two first-gen Delica vans like that since I've been doing this. Now I'm getting to where I could realistically buy one, maybe I'll snatch up the next one I see :getin:



This tow truck is rad as gently caress, it is a Japan Automotive Federation truck with the big ol' logo slapped right on the side. No actual use for it but dang it's cool.



I think I like this.

DJ Commie
Feb 29, 2004

Stupid drivers always breaking car, Gronk fix car...

KakerMix posted:

Yeah I gotta dig into the unit to see. The issue with the tape though is there is no button to put it "in" to tape mode, presumably it goes to that when a tape has been inserted though it doesn't trigger atm.

I'd love to lend a hand if you need, I reverse engineered a combo of 1988 626 factory stereo, 323 tape deck, and RX7 EQ module to make something that automatically switches to the aux input when I plug something into the port. I was going to do Bluetooth but the hardware development kits are kinda expensive for a one off using a 30 year old amp design and make a 90dB SNR even worse.

Boaz MacPhereson
Jul 11, 2006

Day 12045 Ht10hands 180lbs
No Name
No lumps No Bumps Full life Clean
Two good eyes No Busted Limbs
Piss OK Genitals intact
Multiple scars Heals fast
O NEGATIVE HI OCTANE
UNIVERSAL DONOR
Lone Road Warrior Rundown
on the Powder Lakes V8
No guzzoline No supplies
ISOLATE PSYCHOTIC
Keep muzzled...

KakerMix posted:



This tow truck is rad as gently caress, it is a Japan Automotive Federation truck with the big ol' logo slapped right on the side. No actual use for it but dang it's cool.

Dealership repos :getin:

hitze
Aug 28, 2007
Give me a dollar. No, the twenty. This is gonna blow your mind...

need that tow truck

cakesmith handyman
Jul 22, 2007

Pip-Pip old chap! Last one in is a rotten egg what what.

FJ56 towtruck is rad but are we just skipping over the shooting brake skyline?

wargames
Mar 16, 2008

official yospos cat censor

cakesmith handyman posted:

FJ56 towtruck is rad but are we just skipping over the shooting brake skyline?

Needs to be more weird, plus this thread doesn't have a huge hard on for skylines.

SlowBloke
Aug 14, 2017

Ethics_Gradient posted:

That is really clever! I think on some decks with a factory CD changer inputs you can buy adapters on eBay to create an aux jack too.

My Suzuki Swift OEM deck doesn't have aux in so I used a Dension Gateway Lite BT(https://www.dension.com/automotive/products/car-multimedia-solutions/gateway-lite-bt), which is what Suzuki itself sells in the OEM accessories catalog(the wired only variant) so it was pretty much a plug and play deal. The manual required me to remove the head unit but some gymnastics over the pedals to get right behind the head unit was all that it took to connect the cd changer cable.

SlowBloke fucked around with this message at 15:39 on Dec 12, 2018

everdave
Nov 14, 2005

cakesmith handyman posted:

FJ56 towtruck is rad but are we just skipping over the shooting brake skyline?

Thank god it’s a 95 bc that is everything I could ever want right there and I can not buy more cars for a while

KakerMix
Apr 8, 2004

8.2 M.P.G.
:byetankie:

DJ Commie posted:

I'd love to lend a hand if you need, I reverse engineered a combo of 1988 626 factory stereo, 323 tape deck, and RX7 EQ module to make something that automatically switches to the aux input when I plug something into the port. I was going to do Bluetooth but the hardware development kits are kinda expensive for a one off using a 30 year old amp design and make a 90dB SNR even worse.

I do appreciate it. Going to try that antenna hijack box via Amazon first and see what that's like as I can get exactly one station in anyway on FM with the frequency difference between Japan and the US. My soldering skills are zero anyway so I'd have to learn from the ground up in order to start poking and proding.



everdave posted:

Thank god it’s a 95 bc that is everything I could ever want right there and I can not buy more cars for a while

Yeah it is a 95 so off-limits to us but I saw it anyway. Which reminds me:
Be sure to include 1994 in your searches as we are moving into that legality. The search function does not sort by month, only year, so it's possible for the last 1994 vehicle (if you search by year) to be a January, while the first 1994 you might see could be December. Only way to be sure is to look at the sheet itself OR use JCD's new lookup table for month of manufacture they now have.
That's why I saw it because the list ran out of 1994 and started to show 1995s.


I have sold my AZ-1 for full asking price to a guy in Louisiana. :toot:




:eyepop:

KakerMix fucked around with this message at 05:00 on Dec 13, 2018

slothrop
Dec 7, 2006

Santa Alpha, Fox One... Gifts Incoming ~~~>===|>

Soiled Meat
Daaaammmmnnnnn. Lookit that interior!

KakerMix
Apr 8, 2004

8.2 M.P.G.
:byetankie:


:eyepop::eyepop:

The Meat Dimension
Mar 29, 2010

Gravy Boat 2k
I was about to post that, :eyepop: indeed

cakesmith handyman
Jul 22, 2007

Pip-Pip old chap! Last one in is a rotten egg what what.

Park two ruggers in the back to save on shipping

E: wait, does it have a rear deck?

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The Meat Dimension
Mar 29, 2010

Gravy Boat 2k
Yep :getin:

Too bad it’s sold, but the sheet on this one is speaking to me.



5-speed manual!!
20 passengers!!
DIESEL!!

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