Importing from Japan - What is the secret to becoming a squid man?

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Automotive Insanity > Importing from Japan - What is the secret to becoming a squid man?

Deteriorata: Feb 6, 2005

KakerMix posted:

Those new ones weren't made until 1996 so are not legal to import under the 25 year rule. As for being based on the Pajero that should be a good thing, Pajero is really well-respected in Japan from what I can see, similarly to the likes of the Land Cruiser. I'd probably just get a Pajero instead rather than a sorta-Jeep version of one given the chance.

Having an older Mitsubishi Jeep would be cool as hell though, imagine all the times you'd have to explain that no, it isn't a kit car and yes, it really does say Mitsubishi on the front and Jeep on the back.

Mitsubishi Jeeps became a thing due to the Korean war. The Japanese auto industry was struggling during the post-WWII occupation, and Korea ended up being a godsend to them. Mitsubishi had an in with Willys and managed to win the contract to supply the UN forces during the war. Once the war was over, Mitsubishi continued making them for the general public.

Toyota designed the Land Cruiser as their candidate, and even though it didn't win they produced them anyway for public consumption since they thought it was the superior vehicle.

# ¿ Aug 5, 2017 21:13

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# ¿ May 11, 2024 09:42

Deteriorata: Feb 6, 2005

Applebees Appetizer posted:

Nope. I could pile them up in my driveway but I'm not gonna be that guy, also gently caress shuffling cars around.

I don't even have a garage, just one carport. The Lexus goes under the car port, and my xB goes next to that in front of the gate. Jeep will go behind gate.

You need to buy a bigger house, so you can park more cars around it.

# ¿ Mar 21, 2018 03:01

Deteriorata: Feb 6, 2005

KakerMix posted:

With the ignition in the on position, I tap the "off" button, then turn the ignition off, truck shuts off like it's supposed to. Turns off and on totally normally and drives exactly like it did before. Rest of the day was perfect. Like really I don't even know what a turbo timer does so I suppose I should look into that.

If you just shut off the engine with a hot turbo, the oil in it tends to coke up and clog the passages, shortening its life considerably. The turbo timer is there to keep the engine running at idle for a couple minutes to give the turbo a chance to cool down before shutting off.

My car has a separate pump that runs oil through the turbo for a couple minutes after shutting the engine off. There's often a faint whine from under the hood for a minute or so.

Edit: You can mitigate the need for a TT by just making sure you drive slowly (unboosted) for a couple minutes before shutting down.

Deteriorata fucked around with this message at 03:54 on May 22, 2018

# ¿ May 22, 2018 03:51

Deteriorata: Feb 6, 2005

KakerMix posted:

Well I'll be, thank you tons for this information and getting me less-ignorant. I'm totally down with using the TT, I'm in a hot area of the country and I want to at least attempt to meet the standards of the now mythical-to-me old lady previous owner.
Guessing that means the 1-5 buttons mean how many minutes it will keep running and the little box on the left is a countdown?

It's probably for you to do a quick assessment of how much cool-down you need and select accordingly. If you've been flogging it pretty hard, give it a 5. If you've been putzing around you may be able to leave it off.

# ¿ May 22, 2018 04:10

Deteriorata: Feb 6, 2005

KakerMix posted:

TURBO EPi

ELECTRONIC
PETROL
INJECTION

INTERCOOLER

Flaws:

I have no idea what the gently caress this big-rear end pile of wire is for.

1989 Suzuki Jimny ~TURBO~ in supremely excellent condition. Runs great, AC works as well as you can expect it to, and boy the cuteness is off the charts. The original owner (as I am the second, you see) had some sort of red seat covers on it the whole time as there is fine red fuzz on the seats in seams and around the piping. It would also match the red floor mats too for style. I did have to adjust the alternator and AC compressor position as the belts have gotten a bit loose causing them to howl if you turned the AC on. Going to go ahead and put in an order for all the belts as I can't figure out when they were last changed. 29000 original miles and fantastic graphics. Not a spec of rust anywhere on the thing BUT you might have noticed from the pictures the paint is covered in micro-scratches from what I assume is a brushed car wash that this was ran through regularly. The are very fine and cover every painted area. Stickers are great so I guess those hold up a lot better than the clear coat. Going to cut and polish it and assume that will take car of it. Wife has fallen in love, so we'll keep this one for a bit till we find ourselves infatuated with something else.
If anyone else is thinking about a Jimny do go with the 1990 and after JA11 657cc models as this JA71 version with the 543cc engine is geared lower, is slower, and doesn't have power steering. It's less powerful too but you can really feel it. Both are slow but I'd say the top speed of this blue Jimny at about 55 mph, where as the dark JA11 one we have can do 65mph+. Style wise though it's no contest, this blue Jimny wins on all fronts. the fog lights being in the front grill is superior to them being on the front bumper. The are also glass with the subtle 'Suzuki' name right in the center. The bubble top makes the inside a lot more pleasant than you'd think too. It isn't like the other one is uncomfortable but just like the performance difference, the inside of the bubble top makes it a nicer place to be.
This Jimny also has an after-market rear seat mount which allows you to slide it back and forward which is super handy. You can actually use the rear seats for real people with this adjuster!

EDIT
This hasn't been cleaned at all yet either, this is how it came off the boat. Same with the AZ-1 I posted earlier, that was fresh off the boat too but with me swapping the wheels.

Hey, does that have a turbo in it?

# ¿ Aug 22, 2018 03:08

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 And what's up with those two end tables in the center

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

# ¿ Dec 10, 2018 00:38

Deteriorata: Feb 6, 2005

Applebees Appetizer posted:

I can see the plates in there but they are not glowing whatsoever.....Has a faint dryer sheet type smell, is that what it's supposed to smell like?

Ozone has a very sharp, unmistakable odor. It wouldn't be faint.

If it was working, you'd know it.

# ¿ Aug 18, 2019 22:55

Deteriorata: Feb 6, 2005

taqueso posted:

What's the ABC era? All I could find was https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ABC_(1906_automobile)

https://oppositelock.kinja.com/which-japanese-went-craziest-in-the-80-90s-bubble-econo-1689073200

quote:

Japanese motoring enthusiasts called them "ABC", which denotes Mazda AZ-1, Honda Beat and Suzuki Cappucino.

# ¿ Dec 28, 2019 20:52

Deteriorata: Feb 6, 2005

Big Taint posted:

I�m curious if anybody has experience registering an import in Montana? I know that it�s a thing to do to avoid sales tax, but what if I want to avoid the CA DMV and CARB? It seems nice from a resale point of view, register the car to LLC and just transfer ownership of that for $20 when sold.

https://jalopnik.com/the-pitfalls-of-the-montana-license-plate-scam-1711216059

# ¿ Dec 31, 2019 18:33

Deteriorata: Feb 6, 2005

You know, I bet there's a huge market in Japan for 25-year-old LHD Chevrolets and Chryslers. Hang on, let me get some paper and work this out.

# ¿ Jan 4, 2020 03:05

Deteriorata: Feb 6, 2005

Fermented Tinal posted:

There is probably someone importing them already.

GM actually had a marketing agreement in the 90s to sell Chevy Cavaliers made in Ohio as the Toyota Cavalier. Special Japanese model, RHD and different lights and slight body mods to fit Japanese regulations.

The Japanese are a clever lot and did not believe for a second that those lovely Toyota Cavaliers were made by Toyota.

It would be hilarious to find a few of the very few that were sold, and bring them back to the US as exotic imports.

# ¿ Jan 4, 2020 06:14

Deteriorata: Feb 6, 2005

hot cocoa on the couch posted:

It certainly is strange, the market for these vehicles is vanishingly small and not really competing with domestic cars (or even classic American cars), and I don't think there have been any "high-profile" safety incidents with these, has there? Seems even odder that they're specifically singling out Delicas. Maybe someone at the Maine BMV has an axe to grind.

According to Autoblog: https://www.autoblog.com/2021/07/09/maine-deregistering-mitsubishi-delicas/?guccounter=1

quote:

OK. Next question. What does Maine consider to be an �off-road vehicle?� And how does the Delica qualify? Here�s where a brand-new modification (LD 1433 Sections 1-8) to Title 29-A comes into play. The Secretary of State�s office informed us that Maine passed a law on June 15, 2021, that clarified this question. The definition of an �off-road vehicle� in Maine is as follows:

��Off-road vehicle� means a motor vehicle that, because of the vehicle's design and, configuration, original manufacture or original intended use, does not meet the inspection standards of chapter 15, the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, the United States Environmental Protection Agency's pollutant requirements or the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration's crash testing standards and that is not a moped or motorcycle.�

So it's legal to import it regardless of crash safety standards, but in Maine's opinion it does not meet current crash standards so it can't be driven on Maine's roads.

Seems a bit overzealous, but it's how the bureaucrats have interpreted the new law. It reads like other vehicles will be banned too, as they come to the BMV's attention.

# ¿ Jul 10, 2021 16:03

Deteriorata: Feb 6, 2005

Applebees Appetizer posted:

Going by their logic then they should ban all 90's cars because none of them meet current safety standards, like not even close.

I don't think they thought through the consequences of that law very well. It will probably be modified eventually.

# ¿ Jul 10, 2021 16:45

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# ¿ May 11, 2024 09:42

Deteriorata: Feb 6, 2005

Snowy posted:

Maybe dumb question but why didn�t they just sit in the driver�s seat?

Can't reach the mailboxes from the driver's seat.

# ¿ Oct 22, 2023 19:35

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Automotive Insanity > Importing from Japan - What is the secret to becoming a squid man?