Importing a car

[lunchie]

Hey guys this is just a question, I don\'t have the money (at this time) to fund this project so please don\'t waste any work time on it guys if you are in the industry, this is just something I am trying to gather info on for a project in the next year or two

Does anyone here work for a yard that imports from Japan and that can source cars?

Basically I have always lusted after a few older cars and the one that seems the most feasible to get (money wise) is the 1987/1988 Mazda GTX hatchback 1.6 turbo AWD.

I Dunno why but I have always loved them and I would really like to know if a really good 4/5 star or better condition example could be found in Japan and how much it might cost to import one?

Basically my plan is that sometime over the next 3 years I would like to find one and then re engineer some of the more fragile parts such as the engine and gearbox, either through the original running gear or by replacing it with the running gear from a later model 1.8ltr GTR model. I THINK the running gear "should" swap over fairly easily as I believe the engine code is very similar in the same way that most ej20\'s can be swapped without a huge amount of changes needed.

This is the car I mean

http://www.modified.com/features/modp-1205-1988-mazda-323-gtx/

I think this has the USDM front bumper though, the JDM one looks better.

Anyway, anyone who has access to japan auction sheets I would love to know how roughly how much I might be in for.

[caspros]

The closest I can find are the 1993 BG8Z GTR with 39,000km which sold for $2031.00 NZD.

[Munkvy]

Why not just buy one in NZ? There is occasionally some that pop up, and understandably they often come up with broken boxes/engines, making them nice and cheap. Or just start with a FWD BFMP(?) and modify that over time?

There is a conversion you can do to Evo engine/drivetrain, which while not cheap is a good way to make the car substantially better. There is also a semi popular conversion to GT4 Celica box which is far, far stronger. There is a guy in Palmy who I know who does this conversion. Not overly cheap, but effective.

Ohh and that article is a bit BS, the GTX didn\'t have that many gearbox issues in the WRC, as it didn\'t run standard gearboxes (no one did in Group A). It was mainly the lack of power, being a 1.6L up against the Celica and the awesome Integrale that both had a well developed and powerful 2L motor.

[newsuba]

The early Group A/N 323 BF was 1.6 and started off with production 5-speed gearboxes, later they switched to X-trac 6-speeders.

The GTX was 1.8 (1839cc) with 5-speed or 6-speed X-trac.

http://www.tech-racingcars.eu/mazda-323-bf-4wd-turbo

Anyways, they are too old to import and not likely to qualify as a Special Interest Vehicle so best bet is to by one already in NZ.

[Munkvy]

 newsuba said:

The early Group A/N 323 BF was 1.6 and started off with production 5-speed gearboxes, later they switched to X-trac 6-speeders.

The GTX was 1.8 (1839cc) with 5-speed or 6-speed X-trac.

http://www.tech-racingcars.eu/mazda-323-bf-4wd-turbo

Anyways, they are too old to import and not likely to qualify as a Special Interest Vehicle so best bet is to by one already in NZ.

I don\'t see anywhere that says that\'s a production box. I had assumed they went dogbox in the factory housing, but don\'t know for sure.

As it\'s older than 20 years would be eligible to bring in just like an R32 GTR etc is.

Pretty depressing reading looking at the results section of that page! Pretty much a list of DNF\'s, rather than results!

[lachlan]

add on 1500 for shipping . also add on tax

[paulngui]

 Munkvy']

[quote name='newsuba said:

The early Group A/N 323 BF was 1.6 and started off with production 5-speed gearboxes, later they switched to X-trac 6-speeders.

The GTX was 1.8 (1839cc) with 5-speed or 6-speed X-trac.

url]http://www.tech-racingcars.eu/mazda-323-bf-4wd-turbo[/url]

Anyways, they are too old to import and not likely to qualify as a Special Interest Vehicle so best bet is to by one already in NZ.

I don\'t see anywhere that says that\'s a production box. I had assumed they went dogbox in the factory housing, but don\'t know for sure.

As it\'s older than 20 years would be eligible to bring in just like an R32 GTR etc is.

Pretty depressing reading looking at the results section of that page! Pretty much a list of DNF\'s, rather than results!

Unless the rules have changed in the last year it has to meet more criteria than just being older than 20 years old. Like being a coupe/2 door (I forget), production run less than so much, or being considered a classic/collectible (or something along those lines) by certain automotive publications. Think it needed to meet 3/4 or something like that.

[newsuba]

^ what he said.

NZTA new rules for importing cars that don\'t meet frontal impact and emissions rules

http://www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/factsheets/44b/special-interest-vehicles.html

Sure I read the early boxes were production based.

I didn\'t bookmark the website on old WRC cars

A quick Google only showed this, half way down there\'s a gerbox reference.

http://retrorides.proboards.com/thread/141948/group-specials-mazda-323-gtr?page=1&scrollTo=1703308

Yes, not a great result sheet.

More success as a road car than in competition.

:-\

[duddley]

By the time your finished importing and modifying an old "dohc turbz au" mazda you could probably have paid for that v9 of your dreams and the v9 will still be faster, more comfortable and more reliable.

[lunchie]

 duddley said:

By the time your finished importing and modifying an old "dohc turbz au" mazda you could probably have paid for that v9 of your dreams and the v9 will still be faster, more comfortable and more reliable.

Quite right, which is why the thread specifies that this is just an idea and not based on any capacity to pay for said car.

[lunchie]

I know it\'s a silly expensive idea but all of us have cars like these that are just dreams "if" we have a spare 10k or maybe more like 20k but stuff like this is what makes the world of cars great, there is something for everyone.

Also do nice versions of these really come up for sale in NZ? because I have searched TM half a dozen times over the past year and never found anything

[newsuba]

A mint GTX may show up but be prepared to wait years.

Meanwhile how about these rally heroes ?

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/specialist-cars/competition-cars/auction-684223253.htm

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/ford/auction-684223206.htm

[lunchie]

haha, not my thing and WAY too expensive

[Johnnynz]

OMG that Lancia is so freakin cool!

[DRFVDR]

We all have cars we would love I know I do

all of the subaru coupes for starters

[DRFVDR]

I know of a 1990 GT-x that could be up for sale if you are interested

looks ok has front mount and BOV and thats about all I know

[lunchie]

 We are borg said:

I know of a 1990 GT-x that could be up for sale if you are interested

looks ok has front mount and BOV and thats about all I know

what shape is that tho? old shape or the new 1.8ltr shape

[DRFVDR]

buggered if I know

it has a front bumper with big holes for fog lights

it has the same rims as the black one in the first post

it is 1990

it is a 1.8

[lunchie]

 We are borg said:

buggered if I know

it has a front bumper with big holes for fog lights

it has the same rims as the black one in the first post

it is 1990

it is a 1.8

ah, ok wrong model

[DRFVDR]

 lunchie']

[quote name='We are borg said:

buggered if I know

it has a front bumper with big holes for fog lights

it has the same rims as the black one in the first post

it is 1990

it is a 1.8

/quote]

ah, ok wrong model

oh well it is here if you change your mind it belongs to one of my employee\'s sons