Where are all the R33 GTS's / JDM cars for sale???
Discussion
Hi all,
I'm looking to get a final JDM' car to see out my 20's before I get old and can no longer have such vehicles!
I have owned a few MR2's, a ST205 GT4, a classic Impreza wrx and now I'm on a Bugeye WRX but I get the feeling it isn't the car to ride out in style...
I've always hankered after a R33 GTR and my 'JDM' dream has been a FD RX7 but alas both those ships sailed a long time.
So I need to settle and I feel a R33 GTS would fill this void; I would also be happy with a S15 Silvia.
Maybe it's just me and where I am looking, but there really seems to be a lack of available, good quality JDM cars for sale. Most of the GTS are priced sky high which is fine for a nice example but the ones I see keep popping up have clearly been owned for a long time by a particular type of person and all of sudden they've realised its worth money so have dreamt up a silly price.
RX7's seem to be all over the shop too with some knocking on 20k and some at 4k.
I look on the Jap Import car websites but they just don't seem to have the right stock, lots of GTR's, Supras and Evo's with SOLD, SOLD written all over their website but nothing like a genuine old 1995/6 GTS that hasn't been butchered or hasn't been sold yet!
The Skyline owners club has had 2 posts on the sale section in the last century so that's no use either.
Is this JDM bubble going to burst at some point? has anyone who is currently selling a JDM car noticed a lack of interest? or is the market still going mental?
Apologies for my use of the word 'JDM' It frustrates me using it because of what the word has come to represent but its easier to say it!
Anyone feeling the same or is it just me!?
I'm looking to get a final JDM' car to see out my 20's before I get old and can no longer have such vehicles!
I have owned a few MR2's, a ST205 GT4, a classic Impreza wrx and now I'm on a Bugeye WRX but I get the feeling it isn't the car to ride out in style...
I've always hankered after a R33 GTR and my 'JDM' dream has been a FD RX7 but alas both those ships sailed a long time.
So I need to settle and I feel a R33 GTS would fill this void; I would also be happy with a S15 Silvia.
Maybe it's just me and where I am looking, but there really seems to be a lack of available, good quality JDM cars for sale. Most of the GTS are priced sky high which is fine for a nice example but the ones I see keep popping up have clearly been owned for a long time by a particular type of person and all of sudden they've realised its worth money so have dreamt up a silly price.
RX7's seem to be all over the shop too with some knocking on 20k and some at 4k.
I look on the Jap Import car websites but they just don't seem to have the right stock, lots of GTR's, Supras and Evo's with SOLD, SOLD written all over their website but nothing like a genuine old 1995/6 GTS that hasn't been butchered or hasn't been sold yet!
The Skyline owners club has had 2 posts on the sale section in the last century so that's no use either.
Is this JDM bubble going to burst at some point? has anyone who is currently selling a JDM car noticed a lack of interest? or is the market still going mental?
Apologies for my use of the word 'JDM' It frustrates me using it because of what the word has come to represent but its easier to say it!
Anyone feeling the same or is it just me!?
Edited by McGtfour on Thursday 27th July 11:26
They're only going to go up...at the moment any car that freshly slips under the 25 year old US import rule is going to rise.
You'll either have to be prepared to pay, or try and buy something on the bottom of the curve that's going to rise (350z is a good example of this), if you are looking for financial justification.
I bought a low mileage pre-facelift Integra DC5 in january for £9k... two years ago they could be had for £6-7k.
JDM stuff is very much in fashion as those of us who lusted over these cars in gran turismo 1 and 2, are finally old enough and financially able to buy the cars we always wanted. Couple that with US import rules raising prices on some models, and the value of the pound vs the yen...it all adds up to premium numbers.
ETA- I recently sold my rare JDM Mitsubishi Mirage Asti for £2k... it was tidy, but the paintwork needed tidying, and it had done 145k.
Thats £2k for a leggy 22 year old 1.6 coupe...pretty damn good going really.
Oh yeah, it sold within 2 weeks of putting it on sale, to the first person who viewed it.
You'll either have to be prepared to pay, or try and buy something on the bottom of the curve that's going to rise (350z is a good example of this), if you are looking for financial justification.
I bought a low mileage pre-facelift Integra DC5 in january for £9k... two years ago they could be had for £6-7k.
JDM stuff is very much in fashion as those of us who lusted over these cars in gran turismo 1 and 2, are finally old enough and financially able to buy the cars we always wanted. Couple that with US import rules raising prices on some models, and the value of the pound vs the yen...it all adds up to premium numbers.
ETA- I recently sold my rare JDM Mitsubishi Mirage Asti for £2k... it was tidy, but the paintwork needed tidying, and it had done 145k.
Thats £2k for a leggy 22 year old 1.6 coupe...pretty damn good going really.
Oh yeah, it sold within 2 weeks of putting it on sale, to the first person who viewed it.
Edited by designforlife on Thursday 27th July 11:49
I'm 40 and have 2 JDM Imprezas. What's age got to do with it? 
The poor exchange rate over the last couple of years, combined with the rise in prices in Japan has really killed the market here for the more run of the mill JDM stuff. Most cars coming over here are usually more exotic and already allocated to a purchaser, with not much taken in as stock.
Added to that, a lot of buyers are using them as second cars now so will hold on to them far longer. I had intended using one of mine as a daily driver, but it's quite special and I'd just kill it's value, so I'm just going to use it in better weather now.
The poor exchange rate over the last couple of years, combined with the rise in prices in Japan has really killed the market here for the more run of the mill JDM stuff. Most cars coming over here are usually more exotic and already allocated to a purchaser, with not much taken in as stock.
Added to that, a lot of buyers are using them as second cars now so will hold on to them far longer. I had intended using one of mine as a daily driver, but it's quite special and I'd just kill it's value, so I'm just going to use it in better weather now.
I used to own an R33 GTST (assume you are after the turbo version?) - sold it 3 years ago for £6k kinda think it would be worth a bit more now! They were always destined to go up in price, the R34 is now ridiculously overpriced, R32s reaching up to £20k for a good example so invariably the perceived runt of the litter was going to follow suit when R34s and R32s went out of peoples price range.
Have you driven one before? I am in an ST205 now and have to say much prefer it to the R33, the R33 is a heavy beast, lugs the fuel down but of course that straight 6 turbo is a beauty. It was fun owning it, but as I say much prefer my more nimble all wheel drive ST205.
In terms of importing, you will need to go find one and get some bids in. JMImports have a live auction watch section on their website I believe and the £ has recovered against the Yen since it took a battering post brexit vote. Worth going back for a look?
Have you driven one before? I am in an ST205 now and have to say much prefer it to the R33, the R33 is a heavy beast, lugs the fuel down but of course that straight 6 turbo is a beauty. It was fun owning it, but as I say much prefer my more nimble all wheel drive ST205.
In terms of importing, you will need to go find one and get some bids in. JMImports have a live auction watch section on their website I believe and the £ has recovered against the Yen since it took a battering post brexit vote. Worth going back for a look?
Thanks for all the replies chaps!
Age is merely a number I know but all the fun prohibiting stuff (i.e babies) seems to start at 30!
Anyway, on the subject of cars...it is interesting to hear the R33 GTS doesn't seem to come all that well regarded? Was it not an engaging drive?
I loved my GT4 very much and found it such a special car to own but it made way for a house so I can't complain. I would potentially look at getting another but I can't justify paying the prices for them when I let mine go 4 years ago for peanuts.
My MR2's were also great, great fun but after two I don't want to go back.
I've had a classic Impreza and didn't find it all that special (I am a bit of a petrol station snob and like that 'cool' factor) and the same goes for my new Bugeye WRX, its quick and a very capable car but just doesn't shout enough for me!
I have an on/off love affair with Evo's sometimes I am desperate for one, other times I can pass them.
Thanks for the info on the JM import auction thingy, that is a dangerous website! Just wasted a good couple of hours drooling over lots of kit!
Out of interest, is £10k a realistic sum to get something imported? At that price am I looking at a £6k car and £4k fees or does it get you a bit more?
Age is merely a number I know but all the fun prohibiting stuff (i.e babies) seems to start at 30!
Anyway, on the subject of cars...it is interesting to hear the R33 GTS doesn't seem to come all that well regarded? Was it not an engaging drive?
I loved my GT4 very much and found it such a special car to own but it made way for a house so I can't complain. I would potentially look at getting another but I can't justify paying the prices for them when I let mine go 4 years ago for peanuts.
My MR2's were also great, great fun but after two I don't want to go back.
I've had a classic Impreza and didn't find it all that special (I am a bit of a petrol station snob and like that 'cool' factor) and the same goes for my new Bugeye WRX, its quick and a very capable car but just doesn't shout enough for me!
I have an on/off love affair with Evo's sometimes I am desperate for one, other times I can pass them.
Thanks for the info on the JM import auction thingy, that is a dangerous website! Just wasted a good couple of hours drooling over lots of kit!
Out of interest, is £10k a realistic sum to get something imported? At that price am I looking at a £6k car and £4k fees or does it get you a bit more?
The other thing you have to take into account is that all the reasonably priced GTS-Ts were bought up to be drifted years ago. That leaves a lot of GTRs and the few, now expensive, GTSTs that slipped through the net. The S15 always floated around the 10k+ mark but has started to creep up.
Havent looked at importing for a few years but from memory the major fee is the 30% import tax. If you go via one of the import companies they take all the hassle out for you getting it on the road etc. and you have the right to reject the car if its not up to standard when you go to pick it up so there are safeguards there, but obviously you pay for those using the import companies.
The R33 was I think unfairly labelled the runt as it was heavier than both the R32 and R34 (the bonnet itself weighs an absolute tonne when you open it especially compared to the ally GT4 one!), you can feel this when driving one, but its a brutal car when you put your foot down. I live in zone 3 in London, so getting it parked out on the street was a nightmare as its a fairly long car, heavy etc.
Anyway to keep the excitement there...heres mine from back in the day ;-)
The R33 was I think unfairly labelled the runt as it was heavier than both the R32 and R34 (the bonnet itself weighs an absolute tonne when you open it especially compared to the ally GT4 one!), you can feel this when driving one, but its a brutal car when you put your foot down. I live in zone 3 in London, so getting it parked out on the street was a nightmare as its a fairly long car, heavy etc.
Anyway to keep the excitement there...heres mine from back in the day ;-)
Importing yourself or through an agent can be great fun, you choose the car for you and itll be a fair bit cheaper than buying one from an importer here. Of course, you have to take the car you've chosen though.
There are a few threads on importing which have all the costs outlined, VAT and shipping generally being the major costs on top of the purchase costs, but as said above you can get cars for a good price. Just be sure to use a good agent.
The other benefit of it is you can source many models people don't know about here that cost much much less than the normal import choices such as the Skyline, Evo, RX7 etc. The prices of those are high-ish and some are rising but there are many relatively unwanted models that can be cheap.
Finding a good R33 GTST is still not that easy in Japan but you can get decent non GTR R34's for decent money at the moment. Silvia's are ok priced for now as well in my opinion, not cheap but ok.
There are a few threads on importing which have all the costs outlined, VAT and shipping generally being the major costs on top of the purchase costs, but as said above you can get cars for a good price. Just be sure to use a good agent.
The other benefit of it is you can source many models people don't know about here that cost much much less than the normal import choices such as the Skyline, Evo, RX7 etc. The prices of those are high-ish and some are rising but there are many relatively unwanted models that can be cheap.
Finding a good R33 GTST is still not that easy in Japan but you can get decent non GTR R34's for decent money at the moment. Silvia's are ok priced for now as well in my opinion, not cheap but ok.
Edited by Axeboy on Sunday 30th July 12:51
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