Importing a JDM car in 2024? Here's what to expect

Here's what we learned from our recent experience importing a car from Japan. What did we miss? Let us know in the comments!

0:00 Intro
0:22 Parts?
0:47 Our new import
1:00 Japanese Yen
1:18 What's the Problem?
1:30 Parts Shortage
1:48 Disposable Income
2:05 Backlogged Orders
2:26 Problematic Cycle
3:09 Old JDM cars
3:26 Damaged cars
3:50 Is this a bad time?
4:09 Our advice
4:18 Alternatives
4:38 In a hurry? Buy Local

Music: Antihero (prod. chais)

Tags: JDM cars, importing JDM, Japanese imports, Japanese Domestic Market

[noahbeaton]

Fantastic video. First and only video I have been able to find on importing JDM to Canada. Not only was it great and informative, it’s always amazing to find blossoming channels that are making good content from the start. You officially have a new loyal subscriber! keep up the good work you guys!

[st]

You have the 15 year rule. You've had access to Evo 7s and 171 Crowns for the past 10 years. You have nothing to complain about

[olihamz]

Crack me up, you saying the Yen peaked at the time of making this video? 6 months later its at its most lowest its been in 40 years

[bruhmoment]

yeah im from Poland. Not alot of pepole round here are even interesed in such cars, therefore there arent even that many import firms (a good majority of import cars are either from the states, germany or france). I recently looked online for the prices of skylines, and an automatic R34 GTR with mods (wich werent all shown on the pictures, so cant confirm quality) is over 42 grand. And i mean, sure its a skyline, but not to mention its litterally on the other side of the country. Yeah im not getting a JDM car here anytime soon lol

[bcatz]

thats a clean 1jz-gte piece you got with the 4.5 grade. Waiting on a 1jz blit myself right now, and heard Vancouver port fee increased to $385.

[waqarkhalid]

Well done guys / so good to see / very informative

[ChristopherSmith-mt]

For me living in Japan til prolly 2026/2027 I can only have one car here what would you recommend buying and importing when coming back to the states to resell it after importing it to maximize returns.

[crown]

I do want to mention that shipping times can vary greatly depending on when and what company you go through. Ive imported 3 cars so far this year: first was bought in march and arrived in june, second was bought in august and arrived november, third was bought in late november and just arrived at port. And none of these cars sat for long enough to accumulate any sun damage or other damage. Best to do your research and choose a good exporter/importer

[mikhilmuhuthan]

Don't forget about the reccent earthquake and impending tsunami that's happening atm in Japan. That's def gonna put a BIG halt on importing for a while. Not just cars but also car parts.

[impulsefox]

Bought my chaser back in October, still waiting for a boat to ship it.

[rileysfooty]

looking into importing an s2k to the us even if USDM versions are readily available, hoping it’s not too bad of a process but I’ll be pulling the trigger soon

[lilremesses]

What’s the white Acuras model name looks so cool

[xs]

Only thing im scared of is sending money and getting scammed.

[MrMarCars]

I like the crown. Probably the best luxury car built from Japan. Crazy how they put both a 1jz and 2jz in a luxury car but I am guessing it was built for hundreds of thousands of miles, that's why they put the engine there.

[mavaearnest]

Sure bro I wanna ask about the whole process of importing, especially the auctions how do you get to that, brokers and websites included

[Whateva]

I was looking at buying a Honda odyssey awd van because they look so different than the ones here in Canada but I changed my mind because of parts availability. I live in British Columbia but work in northern Alberta a lot and broken windshields are a thing, getting one for a JDM Odyssey would be, well, an odyssey in itself. 😊

[FracturedGoblin]

I too imported a GTE Crown (Estate) this year, purchased it mid Feb 2023 and it got to BC second week of June. May have just been unfortunate circumstances for your long wait. Though thankfully it came over in even better shape than I anticipated (sheet showed 2 small dents and 2 small scratches which I cannot find for the life of me) except for a broken grill which is common for Crowns due to where you lift them from if you pull too hard. Probably was a port worker, grill looked fine in auction photos. 4.0 B grade, definitely 4.5 worthy if it had less KM's (113k) and interior looks brand new except a little wear on the steering wheel. I push everybody I know to import instead of buying junk Canadian cars with rust and high KM's!

[no_sleep_yx]

shipping was my biggest hurdle. my DC5 type s was ordered in october. it’s only now supposed to leave japan at the end of this month and arrive in vancouver sometime in april. which means 6-7-8 months will have gone by before i drive the car. but as long as it shows up when all the snow melts, i’ll be a happy camper

[theSWBFman]

Looking to import a Toyota Century one day. Did you guys import through a company/broker, or do all the paperwork yourselves?