DC5 - My Import Diary

[Usget]

I got promoted in the summer. Hardly a cause for cake and balloons, since I'd been working at that level for a good number of months, just without the paypacket. But it did mean that, as a Managing Consultant (tm), I was considered mature and responsible enough for a nice sensible company vehicle. I think they were thinking of a resale grey A3, something like that.

Work told me they would either give me a company car or an allowance. When you factor in tax, I would be looking at a net cost of £200 pcm for anything I'd vaguely want... so I figured that taking the cash allowance (which nets out to around £170 pcm) gives me appox £370pcm to spend on anything I want.

Man Maths at work. Although obviously that £370 has to include purchase cost, insurance, routine maintenance and everything like that, so once finance was arranged I was looking at a purchase price of around £10k.

So I started to get together a shortlist which included: 130i LE, FN2 (Champ White or a very late GT with the LSD), Focus ST, Audi S4 Avant, Porsche Cayenne. (My boundaries are: Must have a boot for the dog, must be fun, must not be powered by The Devil's Fuel, which as you can see, led to a motley crew of possibles. None of which are an A3 in Resale Grey). But the Focus is a bit chavvy, the 130i is a bit rare, and the Cayenne and Audi scare the st out me (being honest, I really can't afford a £2k bill on a daily driver). Which left the FN2, which fit all of the parameters but was somehow a bit... normal.

Then a suggestion from Eddh (of this parish) made me consider something a bit different - a DC5. I've had a UKDM 98 DC2 before and absolutely loved it, so theoretically this could be an ideal solution for my needs.

The only trouble is, I would require an unmodified minter, and it needed to be blue/blue. A quick perusal of the classifieds revealed nothing of the sort. However, it did reveal a company called Status Moto in Southampton who, when they're not busy importing Pajero Evos (check their website), bring over the odd DC5 to order. They had previously sold a 2005 blue/blue with the C pack that looked ideal for my needs. So I called them up and grilled the owner extensively, and (to end this very long intro...)

I'm going to import my own DC5.

So this thread is going to be my diary of the entire process, from the minute I tell them to start looking on Monday to the point where it starts daily driver duties.

[Drogo]

Will watch with interest. Hope you get a good one and don't forget to post pics when you can.

[dobly]

Does this one float your boat?

http://kuruma-ex.jp/usedcar/detail/gn7000707381301...

Edited by dobly on Tuesday 3rd November 01:18

[stedaley]

Exactly my thought process currently.

DC5 really takes my fancy, but been swayed towards a STI forester and FD2 Civic too. Think it will be between them really depends on pricing.

[Usget]

I like the wheels, but that wing is fking atrocious.

The process has begun today - I've transferred a £250 holding deposit to Status Moto to start looking for my car. The parameters I've given them are:

<70k miles, <60k if possible
Blue on blue (unless they can turn up a fantastic yellow/red example, which will doubtless be fuelled by unicorn tears and dirty with rocking-horse ste)
C-Pack
As close to bog standard if possible
Must have been owned by a nun, or a Buddhist monk at a push.

For the budget I've given them, they think that most if not all of these requirements should be met. Perhaps not the last one so much.

Very excited, it's like pre-ordering Christmas. Let's see what they can come back with.

Edited by Usget on Tuesday 3rd November 11:52

[Usget]

stedaley said:

Exactly my thought process currently.

DC5 really takes my fancy, but been swayed towards a STI forester and FD2 Civic too. Think it will be between them really depends on pricing.

Don't look on the Status Moto site whatever you do, then, they've got a lovely STI Forester on there...

[integra1799]

Good luck with the hunt for a DC5. If you haven't already, then it's worth signing up to the owners website. It will have the answers to any questions you may have. Also there is a private and trade section with cars for sale. You might find what you're looking for on there.

[stedaley]

Usget said:

Don't look on the Status Moto site whatever you do, then, they've got a lovely STI Forester on there...

Damn i already had a look too :/

How much was your budget? I dont know if i can afford an import is the thing.
Id be looking for Blue/Black Blue/Blue Black/Red Black/Blue i think... gives me abit of variation to look at i guess.

[dobly]

^^^^^ you can always take the offending wing off and replace it with the standard one....

My point was that this is the best low mileage blue DC5 on the market at the moment that I could find.

[HayesDC2]

Have a look here -> http://jmimports.mine.nu/

User name = JMImports, PW = Japan

You can browse the cars at auction, a very good boredom buster

[Butter Face]

Blue/Blue is a nice combo, a chap I know has a facelift but I prefer pre-facelift (as I do with pretty much every Honda model)

I've never seen a yellow DC5, off to do some googling, I do worry that yellow wouldn't look 'right'

Milano looks nice though, with red inside. Mmmm

[Usget]

Cheers for the auctions link - nothing much on there at the moment, but I'll keep checking it.

Meanwhile Adam has come back with a lovely looking CW/red one. 2002, C pack, 60k miles, no visible mods, what he describes as 4B condition (which I think is parlance for "squeaky clean"). I'm really torn as to whether to go with it or to wait for a blue one to turn up.

In other news, I've sold my stopgap car today, and 560 miles per week in the MX5 is going to make the want for a new car rather urgent!

[Butter Face]

CW/Red is the classic choice and is the one for ease of resale, everyone will have a CW/Red.

Depends on how long you're planning on keeping it for. I'd stick to my guns.

[Usget]

ir2 by Russell Gowers, on Flickr

ir1 by Russell Gowers, on Flickr

It does look rather nice I must say.

[Butter Face]

Oh yes, a very good looking car.

Buy it

[Nersha]

Looks clean. But for a CW with red interior. You'll surely be able to find something suitable over here already? That would be my choice because a roughly 4 month start to end process would be too much waiting, especially if you've sold your stop gap car already.

[Usget]

Nersha said:

Looks clean. But for a CW with red interior. You'll surely be able to find something suitable over here already? That would be my choice because a roughly 4 month start to end process would be too much waiting, especially if you've sold your stop gap car already.

That's a fair point, whereas blue ones over here are hens teeth, as previously discussed.

And as my girlfriend pointed out, the point of commissioning an import is to get exactly what I want.

It also seems a little bit pricey - £10k for an 02 plate one would mean it would need to be mintier than Aquafresh.

I reckon I'll pass on this one.

[aka_kerrly]

Great plan, very much a fan of the DC5!

Have you tried TorqueGT, http://torque-gt.co.uk/showroom/ they have a few DC5s in at the moment.

I know three people who have imported JDM cars via them (2x CL7 Euro R, 1xDC5) and they are all very good examples.

[Usget]

aka_kerrly said:

Great plan, very much a fan of the DC5!

Have you tried TorqueGT, http://torque-gt.co.uk/showroom/ they have a few DC5s in at the moment.

I know three people who have imported JDM cars via them (2x CL7 Euro R, 1xDC5) and they are all very good examples.

Thanks a lot for the recommendation. No, I hadn't heard of them. A lovely stock list (perhaps a little pricier than Status) but the main drawback is that they're sodding miles away from me.

If I can't get any joy from Status in the next week or so I might give them a call.

[Nersha]

Usget said:

That's a fair point, whereas blue ones over here are hens teeth, as previously discussed.

And as my girlfriend pointed out, the point of commissioning an import is to get exactly what I want.

It also seems a little bit pricey - £10k for an 02 plate one would mean it would need to be mintier than Aquafresh.

I reckon I'll pass on this one.

Milano red are the hens teeth. Here's my old one http://imgur.com/a/XbVwd (was resprayed in VW Tornado Red)