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On the subject, obligatory braaaaaap video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-iV59F7E7s
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Aug 17, 2022 16:10
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I hate this thread so much. So there's a no reserve 1997 Century on BaT, but it's in Canada. Is that something that could be brought to the US? https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1997-toyota-century-3/
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Aug 17, 2022 16:33
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EVERYWHERE 
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meatpimp posted:I hate this thread so much.
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Aug 18, 2022 13:42
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Mr. Apollo posted:I think the rule in the US is 25 years to import a car that wasn't sold there so that Century might qualify. To the month of manufacture. When that Century was manufactured in 1997 matters.
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Aug 18, 2022 14:11
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KakerMix posted:To the month of manufacture. When that Century was manufactured in 1997 matters. Paperwork says it was first registered September 1, 1997, but I can't find a pic with the date sticker. How much different is bringing the car in from Canada from bringing something straight from Japan?
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Aug 18, 2022 15:10
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meatpimp posted:Paperwork says it was first registered September 1, 1997, but I can't find a pic with the date sticker. How much different is bringing the car in from Canada from bringing something straight from Japan? USUALLY the first registered date in Japan is a safe assumption that it was also made that month but not at all guaranteed. Is the VIN/chassis ID available? For importing I would imagine exactly the same as getting one from Japan since as far as I know the special Canada things are only for identical models sold both here and there. I'd also be curious how long it's been in Canada. With a Century it probably matters much less, but Canada is not Japan with how they treat their roads or cars.
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Aug 18, 2022 15:36
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MetaJew posted:I skimmed through the video. Aren't the japanese V12s fairly low reving? How does that sound so good? The $18K hand-built stainless headers. The tubes and collectors are arranged F1-style. BuckyDoneGun posted:Similarly, Harry Metcalfe's XJC V12 only revs to about 6k too and it also sounds pretty good. I'm not sure if I'm ready for Jaguar levels of frustration, but that sounds so good.
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Aug 18, 2022 17:14
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We imported the Fiat from Canada, used a freight forwarding company because it was peak covid, and it was very straight forward. Month matters as Kaker said but only for a few more months. We did get hit with a 9% state import fee a year and a half later which felt kind of bullshit so look into that for your state.
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Aug 18, 2022 20:58
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 Sold this one today. Limerence Motor Company itself, with a few strokes of a pen and a substantial wire transfer of funds. Originally the couple came to take a look at our Nissan Super Turbo, then after they drove it we were sitting in our dealership talking, asked what other stuff we have on the way, we informed them that we have nothing on the way and were planning on winding down our dealership as we are just done. We chatted a bit more, a very natural and easy sort of conversation. They asked about our dealership, importing, basic stuff lots of customers ask. Said they'd call us in a week when they got back from their vacation. Cool. A week later they call, and while I expected it would be about the little Nissan it was instead about the dealership itself. Turns out we didn't sell a Nissan, we had accidently sold the whole dealership. Whoops! Since early August we've been working back and forth getting everything squared away, culminating in the finale of this afternoon. The end of this month (October) is the end of our lease, and we will go through the procedure of giving up our dealer license, turning in our dealer plates, inform the DMV of our intent to close, dissolve the LLC and close the bank account. The new owners owns everything "Limerence" now and will be operating the dealership under the name, but under a new LLC and new dealer license of their own. There is a bit of loose ends to tie up as well but legally and financially, it's theirs. Our final vehicle sale was to ourselves, as we bought our own 1994 Land Cruiser Prado we've been using for a while now. Registered, insured and plated privately.  The other Japanese prize we bought ourselves is this:     A 2018 Toyota Land Cruiser J200 in blizzard white pearl with terra interior leather. Our first V8 and the last model Land Cruiser that's graced US shores. We are now a two Land Cruiser household. We also have the 1997 Caldina GT-T in Japan currently, will be bringing that in, but registering it privately. We are well and truly done importing vehicles from Japan. 85 total vehicles sold in this endeavor, and with the selling of Limerence itself we've ticked just over 7 (!!!) figures in total revenue since we started in 2018. Not bad at all for loving around and honestly not trying very hard.
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Oct 13, 2022 05:18
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Congratulations! While life circumstances haven't let me go through the auction purchase process myself I've been following the thread for years and vicariously enjoying all the updates (from you and the other posters). Thanks for sharing the journey with us.
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Oct 13, 2022 05:52
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While I'll likely not ever be in a chance to do this myself this thread was a detailed look at something I've been interested in for years. Thanks for bringing us along on the ride, and good luck on your next gig!
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Oct 13, 2022 11:55
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Tyro posted:Congratulations! While life circumstances haven't let me go through the auction purchase process myself I've been following the thread for years and vicariously enjoying all the updates (from you and the other posters). Thanks for sharing the journey with us.  Congrats! I assume from your post you didn’t incur any damage from Ian, so that’s great too, glad to hear it’s gone so well.
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Oct 13, 2022 11:56
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Strange how this feeling is about equal to watching the last episode of a TV series you really liked. 'Twas a fascinating thing to see. Best of luck with all new things Kaker!
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Oct 13, 2022 12:05
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The real imports were the friends we made along the way. I hope you make many happy memories in your future rice fields of pleasure. Seriously though this has been one of the coolest threads produced by AI. Without it I would have never ticked off one of my life goals to import a car and learn the process. You were too kind in sharing your knowledge and I really appreciate the help. While I have sold my two imports, they will definitely not be my last I bring over.  that shorty green Prado looks so good.
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Oct 13, 2022 16:50
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Congratulations! Was it difficult to put a value on the business? Considering there's very little in assets I'm curious what you came up with. Not the actual values of course, I don't care and you probably want to maintain the privacy. That 2018 Land Cruiser looks brand new both in cleanliness and design to me. Great car!
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Oct 13, 2022 17:06
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Congrats! I think you timed your exit pretty much perfectly.
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Oct 13, 2022 17:32
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End of an era, I'll have to stop recommending Limerence as an importer given I won't know how detailed the new owners are going to be when choosing and prepping cars for sale, hope they end up being one of the few honest dealers.
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Oct 13, 2022 19:05
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Good on you getting to go out on your terms.
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Oct 13, 2022 21:54
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Fantastic arc, Kaker. Thanks for taking us on the ride with you.
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Oct 13, 2022 22:18
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Cacafuego posted:
     The warehouse and our dealership were 100% completely fine and ok, zero issues at all. We ended up swapping our Volvo with the Hilux in the completely packed warehouse, and it along with our Prado weathered the storm outside. Hilux was already 'weathered' itself so whatever, the Prado was tucked between our reinforced fence and our home so was fine as well, if dirty and with a bit of water that worked its way in through places it wouldn't normally come in on account of the wind. As you can see from the pictures though, our home didn't do as well. The house (concrete block with metal roof) was A-ok, no leaks, no rips or tears, no damage of any kind. Our largest tree, a 125~ year old live oak (completely healthy too  ) lost its grip on the ground and tumbled over giving our gazebo a sick 5 foot corner lift, giving our shed (and our water system as we are on well) a little tap, yanking our electrical out of our roof of our house and meter, knocking down the power pole it was attached to (apologies to our neighbors and their power going out as well), and doing a number on various points in our fence. We were without power and water for just a tick over 8 solid days, but it wasn't too bad as our neighborhood had a few generators and large portable batteries going, with extension cords looped over everyone's yards. Thankfully my wife's father being higher up in a large construction firm here in town we were able to immediately take care of the tree, our electrical at our house (even though we had to wait for the power company to reset the pole), demolition of the no longer useful structures and our well guy to come out and reattach various pipes, before a vast majority of the people around us were able to even just clear their trees. Extremely, fabulously fortunate. Finally this weekend our insurance adjuster is actually showing up. Good thing we took lots of pictures and have a full set of invoices and are able to absorb the financial cost even without insurance.We are still without internet. StormDrain posted:Congratulations! Was it difficult to put a value on the business? Considering there's very little in assets I'm curious what you came up with. Not the actual values of course, I don't care and you probably want to maintain the privacy. Considering we were just going to sell our inventory and quietly close down we are quite pleased. Not only did we not have to put any work toward selling the remaining cars, but we also get a fat bonus for not doing it. There is a lot of work that goes into selling the enterprise but that's novel work. Our inventory at cost, plus some more for 'goodwill' which includes material goods of the dealership itself, stuff like desks and fans, tools, along with information, contacts, instructions, guidance in how to do it all, that sort of stuff. The buyers clearly felt it was worth more than we were asking, but we're just happy to walk way with a good bit of money and be done with it. Once you get the idea that you want to be done it feels really good to follow through and exit gracefully. We love this goofy Toyota. It's one single downside is the fuel economy, otherwise it's exactly the sort of vehicle I've always wanted. Quiet, inconspicuous, comfortable and reliable. It's big, but because it's designed well it's easier to pilot even in narrow areas than our Volvo was. I already know the size and shape of the thing better than I ever did in the Volvo. I wish I didn't like a boring giant Toyota SUV with wild capability I will never ever even think about needing as much as I do but I can't help myself, it's just really, really good.
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Oct 14, 2022 04:16
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I got one of those back in 2017 as a rental car despite requesting a much smaller SUV. I was grateful it had the 360 camera setup when parking it in the garage of my hotel. What a behemoth.
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Oct 14, 2022 04:54
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KakerMix posted:
I retract my statement, but I’m still glad you’re safe and didn’t sustain catastrophic damage!
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Oct 14, 2022 12:20
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Holy smokes, Kaker, glad you and fam are all right after Ian. Congrats on ending the business on a high note, and an even unexpected bonus there.
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Oct 14, 2022 15:26
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KakerMix posted:
Man this thing is flippin' all my switches. Super sharp. That green construction crew Hilux is still the best tho  Thank you for sharing the journey!
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Oct 15, 2022 14:50
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congratulations, Kaker! it was great following along for the ride!
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Oct 18, 2022 01:30
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All-timer of a thread. Congrats, Kaker. Thanks for all the information and beautiful pics!
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Oct 18, 2022 02:00
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buy the new owners a forums account
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Oct 19, 2022 23:19
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Rhyno posted:Give the new owners your forums account
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Oct 20, 2022 01:40
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KakerMix posted:The other Japanese prize we bought ourselves is this: I've been meaning to say Congratulations! for several weeks now and I'm just now getting around to it. Thank you so much for taking us on the journey, I myself have enjoyed the hell out of watching you importing vehicles and later jumping into the game myself. It still continues to be a big part of my life and I don't plan on stopping anytime soon! I've been sitting on a 1996 Land Cruiser Prado for most of the year and I finally fixed a final few things and listed it for sale. A really nice guy called me up, I showed him the car and I had cash in hand 4 hours later. That was my last vehicle of this year:  I saw this '98 100 series Limited Edition with leather pop up and pulled the trigger. Considering it's got less than 100k miles that classifies it as a unicorn here in Colorado.     I already took a buyer deposit the day I got pictures in from port. I am planning on replacing the driver seat since it's a little beat up. I've already got a replacement leather drivers seat cover on order. I'll update the thread when I fly out in March to receive this chonker.
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Dec 19, 2022 05:50
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Well done Kaker!
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Dec 19, 2022 17:40
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I am sad I found this thread 'too late', but lots to read up on... I'm now in a position to live some dreams of chasing after JDM cars! I'll be in Japan in March and my ideal scenario would be getting as close to hand-picking a few vehicles as possible + writing a check to someone in the US reputable to help facilitate the actual import (i.e., I don't want to end-run an importer, I just want to pick what gets imported... if that is a thing). 3/1/1998 is the magic date!
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Jan 23, 2023 23:17
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Here's the inspection report for one of the Sambars I'm looking at:quote:Inspection Report 1992 Subaru Sambar Preliminary searching finds some evidence of videos / tips on replacing the entire axle and/or the boots. They are asking $9500 for this right now, 42K miles.
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Feb 1, 2023 18:16
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Is this a Sambar truck or van? Year and miles. No to $9200 unless this is an extreme example of a Sambar van No I just passed on a 4 rated Sambar 4wd truck with ac. A friend on IG bought it. It will be in their driveway for probably $6-7 KAKERMIX wrote the Bible on importing in this here thread. Just follow it and get something better and cheaper at auction Edit: I see you had miles 42k miles I consider extremely high for a fine Sambar truck or van, not that it’s an issue, they are just too plentiful. It would be ridiculous to pay $9200 plus shipping for that unless it’s the most perfect JDM awesome graphics pop top Sambar van on earth everdave fucked around with this message at 18:50 on Feb 1, 2023 |
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Feb 1, 2023 18:45
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everdave posted:Is this a Sambar truck or van? Year and miles. No to $9200 unless this is an extreme example of a Sambar van 1992 (I like the round headlights) Sambar truck, 42K miles, currently located at a dealer here in Seattle (so already been imported / titled / everything), and I test drove it + confirmed a lot of the visual / lack of serious rust / etc condition myself. Last Shaken in 2022. I'd call it a 4. They have one priced $1000 less that has a lot more poo poo wrong with it (including a mis-matched rear tailgate) that I could also try to drive down even lower. I'm not going to pay near $9K for this but not sure how much lower to offer. Still trying to figure out how to 'register' for JCD (the reg form doesn't seem to work?) but going directly to auc.japancardirect.com shows ~21 Sambars on auction (that I can see without a login) but I can't see what the condition scores are.
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Feb 1, 2023 21:32
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movax posted:1992 (I like the round headlights) Sambar truck, 42K miles, currently located at a dealer here in Seattle (so already been imported / titled / everything), and I test drove it + confirmed a lot of the visual / lack of serious rust / etc condition myself. Last Shaken in 2022. I'd call it a 4. They have one priced $1000 less that has a lot more poo poo wrong with it (including a mis-matched rear tailgate) that I could also try to drive down even lower. I'm not going to pay near $9K for this but not sure how much lower to offer. Please link it. No one here wants to sell you anything, but I think you’d be better off registering with Jed and getting advice here. Ok you like the round headlights why not get a newer one with less miles. AC is very scarce in a Sambar if this has it then that is a plus. If it needs ANY work you are laying the world for one. The Suzuki carry has a few years of round headlights but hard to find. The Sambar is the biggest cab of all (besides Daihatsu jumbos) and the only 4 cylinder kei truck. I’d just slow your roll and see what comes up. Register with h d. We can’t tell you what will be up tomorrow or next week. A very nice Sambar with ac could take quite a while. One rare bird as I said just sold but I’m just not In The kei market right now. This one up just as an example, no ac again I find sambars the hardest find with ac. 25k ish mikes. It will sell for under $2500 and let’s say it would be in your driveway under 7. If it goes cheap it could be under 6. This is just an example I’m not saying get this one one fact I wouldn’t. If the Sambar has ac the dealer isn’t ripping you off. They are making a couple thousand bucks it’s a business. But why not do it yourself and get a better one? https://auc.japancardirect.com/aj-3nkbJxsXgj31YTL.htm everdave fucked around with this message at 21:51 on Feb 1, 2023 |
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Feb 1, 2023 21:42
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everdave posted:Please link it. No one here wants to sell you anything, but I think you’d be better off registering with Jed and getting advice here. There are the two: * https://www.jdmcarandmotorcycle.com/details/used-1992-subaru-sambar-truck/89345574 ($9950, I typo'd... and lol, it is listed as Grade 3+) * https://www.jdmcarandmotorcycle.com/details/used-1992-subaru-sambar-truck/89787136 (this one is the mis-matched tailgate cover... this is priced too high relative to the one above it). Sambar is appealing because yeah, 4 cylinder + rear mount engine. AC isn't a must have for me, supercharger could be nice if only to not have a carb. Definitely want 5MT, no early 90s eCVT. Bed condition meh as I intend to put some kind of liner or similar on it (I think, I've never had a truck before, but it seems smart to do so?). e: Also, the round headlights while looking cool... it's also hard to argue the headlights are a reason to give up on getting a newer, lower mileage vehicle... but buying a kei truck is irrational anyways. movax fucked around with this message at 22:01 on Feb 1, 2023 |
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Feb 1, 2023 21:55
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movax posted:There are the two: I glanced at the listings, but if you could do without round headlights I’m confident you could find a Sambar with very low miles in excellent co diction in your driveway for 7. And I’m talking fantastic condition. The seat in the first one makes me cringe. Again, this dealer is not ripping you off I just think you can do better. This is SA AI. We’d be glad to help. I’d even be glad to give you a heads up if I see one but I have no interest in taking over getting one for anyone anymore. BUT, it’s all laid out here. It’s just made easy now. JCD uses my customs broker now anyways. Long story short to me, the trucks you linked would be $5 in my driveway trucks but I personally wouldn’t pick these.
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Feb 1, 2023 22:18
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everdave posted:I glanced at the listings, but if you could do without round headlights I’m confident you could find a Sambar with very low miles in excellent co diction in your driveway for 7. And I’m talking fantastic condition. The seat in the first one makes me cringe. Again, this dealer is not ripping you off I just think you can do better. This is SA AI. We’d be glad to help. I’d even be glad to give you a heads up if I see one but I have no interest in taking over getting one for anyone anymore. BUT, it’s all laid out here. It’s just made easy now. JCD uses my customs broker now anyways. No problem, appreciate the input! I expect in 2-3 months time I'm going to be needing a storage location for vehicles as my neighbors kill me. Recent liquidity has opened my brain to new options! It looks like my JCD registration went through this time, so I'll wait to hear from them. I'm actually not too worried about the customs brokerage side of things... started a company a few years back and got forced into crash course learning about bonds, HTSes, etc etc until we could hire up a real logistics team. Definitely interested in any personal recommendations for those operating in the Seattle area -- I assume most of the autoliners call at Tacoma, not Seattle?
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Feb 1, 2023 22:22
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movax posted:No problem, appreciate the input! I expect in 2-3 months time I'm going to be needing a storage location for vehicles as my neighbors kill me. Recent liquidity has opened my brain to new options! There is just nothing to worry about if you buy through them. Pay the fees stay on top of a few things it’s done. Basically make sure they do their part that’s it. Hardest part will be paying port their fees and picking it up or getting it delivered.
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Feb 1, 2023 22:26
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Now that the thread’s a little active again, a q: has anyone done this or know anything about doing it with scooters/bikes? Interested in some older Super Cubs that never came here to my knowledge (or at least that I’ve never seen in used market). I assume the 25 year rule is the same(?). JCD doesn’t have related options in its search tools but I was considering just shooting them an email unless someone knows the drill or had a bike-specific rec for a similar service.
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Feb 2, 2023 15:29
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