Just purchased a Acty on the 8th of this month , truck is going on the Boat the 28th arriving in jax January 15th . This video has givin me the courage to give it a shot ! Currently spent 3500 on a absolute mint one by Diyata aswell . I will come back and reply to my own comment later in the stages to keep you guys updated on my little journey ! Love this community it brings
That's awesome great to hear it . Good luck! Yes please let us know how it went.. I'm in Japan right now, going to stop by some lots . See what they have!
this is the absolute best, most thorough, and easy to understand video on how to import a kei vehicle. i think i've watched this video like 20 times by now lol. waited patiently to comment until i got my kei truck physically at my address. legit so well documented to the point that i would pull this up and reference the video each time i hit each milestone/step you have outlined in the video. it made me feel so much more confident about customs as well as what to expect when showing up to the port and making me look much less like a dumbass than i would have otherwise!! many many thanks for the time and effort you put into this video. i doubt i would have a cute little 95 acty if it weren't for this upload!
Hey , Thanks so much for the kind words and pushing up that "views" counter! Glad I could help, yeah I don't like looking like a dumb ass either! Lol congrats on the acty, enjoy it
Im in the Philippines and have a custom Suzuki Every Wagon. I had to change out the suspension and added a 2" lift and 24" MT's since its a 4x4. It now has good clearance for some of the mountain roads here in the Philippines. Mine started life as a right hand drive and got changed to a left hand drive when it was imported to the Philippines. Great running van. And i love the turbo.
In the Philippines every thing coming in to the country has to be converted to left hand drive so all the JDM rigs have to be left hand drive to be licensed and driven. Looking at it you can't even tell it was cut apart.
Just a point to add. You can buy used vehicles through a dealer like you did, or through an agent at an auction. Both can do the inspections, translations, all the paperwork and arrange shipping. I would look at both routes as the auction maybe cheaper depending on the vehicle. Great video !!
Yes great point. (are you working for them?) LOL just kidding. Yeah it is probably a great way to save a few bucks i just haven't done it yet so i cant really speak to the process. I am considering it for a future purchase though.. I' also heading to Japan at the end of the year so I think I'm going to see if I can stop by some of the places and get a better look at how they operate.
I used japan car direct. My Kei is stuck in japan with the port strike that just ended here. I can update after it arrives. I will say they wanted me happy, and told me to pass on a few trucks for things I didn't even realize.
@chrissvideos8405 oh, no! That's crazy I didn't even know they were striking. That's great that they were transparent about issues. Fat chance an American used car dealer doing that! Well hopefully it all works out. I'm traveling to Japan in December. Maybe I can buy a car in person!
Great video. Very helpful. 👍 Not bad on price and cost. I was trying to see if I could get a Suzuki Every Wagon or Custom Surplus van fron the Philippines. They are mostly "refurbished " 2007-17. With the steering switch to left hand drive. Trying to see if one can even be imported to Florida. 🤔🌞👍 Or get a 1998 customized to look like a vw van.
@@livingworkingoutsideboxI imagine you can probably get it here. I just don't know if you could register it.. You could probably import it as like a farm vehicle or something. The problem is is when it does hit 25 years old. I don't think you'd be able to register it at that point. There's a lot of non-registered old ones floating around here that I think that happened to. I Do like the idea of a nice refurbished and refreshed one though. I'm not so sure about those VW clones. I think they got plenty of personality without the VW trim..😀 let me know if you get the Philippines one across the border
i also want to note for those people that dont have the courage to do all this, you can use a company like Japan Car Direct and they will take care of almost everything on the japan side. you can tell them what vehicle and specs you are looking for and your budget and they will do all the searching for you. once you decide on the vehicle, you pay them and they take care of getting it to port and on a ship. at that point you can reach out to a customs broker in the US and they will take care of everything on the US side (epa, dot, and customs forms).
This is a great point. its really easy to hand over the keys to someone who has more experience in it and not sweat the details.. I myself am a control freak and cheap :)
This has to be the best video I’ve seen on importing a vehicle. I’m not looking at a ban or truck, but I know this will be very valuable info for getting my ride someday. Thank you for sharing!
I'm going to go to Baltimore Marryland to pick up my kei trucks in couple weeks, luckily I found your channel my friend, your video is very informative in every steps, subscribed
Thanks for the great content and details. I would never have known that you were essentially forced to use an import agent if you imported more than one vehicle. I love all the forms mentioned and the difficulties you encountered. Unfortunately everyone should plan on a dead battery, thus bring a spare battery and jumper cables. Good work on diagnosing that fuel pump! 90% of the time electrical related issues, i.e. spark plugs, wires, coils, etc. This time you hit the lottery on the 10% fuel issue.
@@Heisenberg-Rules thanks for the kind words and taking the time to comment. Yeah a lot of surprises for me along the way. Especially with how easy the first one went. Leave it me me to pull the 10% problem 😜 thanks again.
@@inkandpistons Great work using the scientific method to diagnose the 10% issue. Enjoy your wonderful truck. we just need to eliminate ridiculous EPA rules so we can purchase economical vehicles. Not huge SUV'S. I like SUV'S , but not everyone should be forced to buy an SUV.
@@Heisenberg-Rules agreed. it so ridiculous. But not even the EPA rules I guarantee most of these would pass any smog tests you throw at them. It's just the big three knowing they would get their asses handed to them in sales. So they pushed for these stupid laws .. now with the EV push it's even worse.. that's why most Japanese manufacturers lean towards hybrids cause it makes a lot more sense.
@@inkandpistons Agree completely. They will definitely pass the Smog and help with CAFE standards. it is all the airbags, crumple tests etc. that prevent even domestic manufacturers from creating inexpensive fun vehicles. would be great to manufacture Kei Trucks, vans, and cars in the USA.
That's awesome. Yes there are so many trucks floating around and I think the US market is slightly soft with the recent few state revoking titles. Hopefully we can get this sorted out in all the states.
Hopefully these notes are accurate. I added some stuff from your comments too. Importing from Japan 1. Pick your car 2. Pay for it after you requested invoice - some comments suggest you may be able to negotiate the price slightly... - make them separate shipping from vehicle cost! for duties/registration/taxes reasons 3. Shipping assignment - they will send you a shipping vessel assignment - estimated departure, estimated arrival, ship name 4. File ISF after you get draft bill of lading (BL) - importer security filing (10+2) - records information and details of the shipments via cargo vessel - make sure of accurate details! - EasyISF can file for you. - need copy of BL, Invoice 5. Wait for it to arrive to the port 6. Receive final Bill of Lading should contain originals of - Invoice (hopefully properly separated s&h and car price!) - Bill of Sale (probably with odometer disclosure) - Bill of lading (a few originals) - insurance form for boat travel - original title (export certificate) - translated Title (export certificate) 7. May have to translate title officially certified in florida - scan the title so they can mail you a translated notorized copy of a translated title - sites like rapidtranslate.org can officially translate documents like that and send them back to you certified hardcopy notorized. 7a. Arrival Date notification - you may get notified of the arrival date and how to pay boat thing and store it till you get there 8. Pay the handling fee - They will send you an email with the amount to pay for unloading/etc - *** Must send them an original bill of lading to their office prior to trying to pick it up - Some exporters may send the BL to the vessel company, some don't... 9. Send the original Bill of lading to their office 10. Watch for ships arrival 11. Call port to check if cleared inspections - they check for seeds, agricultural stuff, foreign soil, contaminants. if so they will charge you for cleaning - they check for smuggled goods etc 12. Get forms ready - 3 forms you need to fill out - HS7 - national highway safetey form - check box 1 and fill out info at bottom of the page - CBP 7501 - entry summary form - use title information and fill in blanks - EPA 3520-1 - Fill in applicable information and check box E for 21 years or older - 6-7 that you need to bring with you. - translated title (or certified title you got from translation) - original title/japanese title (export certificate) - original Bill of lading - invoice - line item shippiong and vehicle cost - ISF 10+2 receipt and confirmation (just in case) - Check to pay duties 13. Drive to the port - DONT FORGET TO GET A HIGH VIS VEST before going into the port (harbor freight probably sells them/amazon/ebay/etc) Suggested items? - possibly winch on hand for the trailer - car battery charger - jumper cables 14. Go to customs - get turned down cause you're not a broker lol (if 2nd time importing?...) - if you've imported previously you have to go through customs broker. you get "one freebie" - jacksonville gets a lot of requests and does 1 for you but if you do more you need to use a broker 15. Get a TWIC escort - DONT FORGET TO GET A HIGH VIS VEST before going into the port - these people have clearance to be in the port etc and can escort you to your cargo - need to be escorted on and off the port by them - ~ $150 fee - 12 pm apparently the port closes for lunch.... 16. Locate car and load it up - Go to office and pay the fees and have them clear you to pick it up and put on trailer, or drive away etc.
man, that looks pretty accurate.. thanks for putting that all together! some other stuff when it comes to registration and title but thats about everything to get the car in your hands
@@inkandpistons Awesome! Your video was very detailed and great thank you for making this. I may actually end up doing this at some point. Idk why I want one but they're so cute and it looks fun! Would love to drift one hahaha.
I'm thinking about doing this. Freeport TX is an hour away, but all the forms and song and dance about picking it up at the port makes me so nervous. Videos like this are gold though, so helpful! I want a Sambar so bad.
sorry, i thought i replied to this... those sambars are awsesome.. its really not too bad you just have to have all your shit together and follow the timelines..
I received my 97 honda acty from Mitsui. The journey took 4 months and I used Sharon from the beginning she is very good and made the process seemless. Once my truck arrived in Galveston Texas I used a company called auto dreamer transport and had it shipped to my house in New Orleans Louisiana again process was seamlessly and fast. My total was 4500$ these vehicles are awesome
@@Eddie_freeflow504 so far no problem. In Florida you have to get a vin verification at the DMV. Then just submit all the paper work I'm sure it varies state by state
Thanks, hopefully it helps some people save some cash . I think one of the importers kicked me from the Suzuki owners group on Facebook because of it.. LOL
Definitely useful information I’ll use in the future to buy a similar van or truck. Thank you! Just wish there was a dealership that can simply charge about $4-5k flat and sell these so they do all the necessary import paperwork and permits so on my end just buying it like a regular vehicle and all I have to do is take the title to the DMV, get insurance and be issued a tag. I’m sure such dealerships exist but I’m worried about them charging me an arm and a leg(upwards of $9-$16k for a K-car when it only cost them about $5k all in. Ha!
Anytime. Thanks for watching! 6eah I guess everyone has a to make a little off the top 🤔 on hae a few in my area that are usually under 10 k usually between 5 and 8
You’re going to pay for convenience, the time, research, and traveling spent to get the car instead of just walking in the dealer and leaving with a car in a few hours is a huge difference and may be worth the money to some.
A warning to anyone importing those subaru sambar's that have the vw front end conversion kits, you might have a problem importing it to the usa. I personally have not tried it myself but heard from us military people in okinawa that they had problems with theirs. It makes sense since the original jdm bumper is taken off. Its better to do the conversion after its shipped
I've just imported a Kei Suzuki Carry into Australia. It was such a smooth easy process. I got a 2020 model that's automatic and only 47 000 kms. I did have to change the tyres, get the air con re-gased to Aus standards and install an FM radio as the Japanese AM didnt work here. but that was it. Seeing as in Japan they use kms not miles and drive right hand wheel like we do, I was super lucky with everything. I'm now excited to start building my micro camper on the back. Next step welding the frame 😊
That's awesome. Yes the rules in Australia make it a little easier. Although I hear you have to be careful on really old cars if they have any asbestos in any parts it's a big problem . That's gonna make a sick little camper!
@@inkandpistons That's why I wanted a newish model and not an older version. Parts also seem to be easily available which is why I choose the Carry. I can't wait to film the build. My biggest issue is weight restrictions to 350kg. I have a lot planned that I want inside, like fridge, toilet, oven in the kitchen etc, so will see how I go! The frame itself I'm using aluminum so fingers crossed I can weld! Thanks for your video :-)
@@CosyCottageCamper you can probably cheat on the 350kg by a little bit. maybe upgrade the springs and shocks and make sure you have decent tires on it. Good luck!
@@inkandpistons I looked for springs and couldn't find any that fit the carry model. I will do more research on it as I'm sure they are out there. Thanks 🙂 Have a great day!
I'm VERY interested in purchasing one of these when my element dies, i can fit paddleboards bikes, kakas, skis, doesn't matter, the truck version is cool too
You'll get a little bit of a return, maybe 1-3k . for what they cost the percentage is quite high, all things considered that's probably what your average used car sale makes in profit. It's just a harder sell to your average normy...but they are Absolutely worth it!
Found K truck is booming in US, EU, AUS etc. More and more demand down the road ? Personally wish to export mini truck outside Japan !! My first name is actually KEI. LOL.
I really want to get a kei truck but this all seems terrifying especially with the fact that I’m not the sharpest tool in the shed and i have to deal with CA which Im looking into and apparently they’re illegal but people still have them
Yeah I'm really not sure about California. Best advice move out of the state lol. Have you checked with oiwa.co They are a broker in California for these trucks. Maybe they have an idea of what you're supposed to do. Good luck!
sorry just saw this comment.. i kind of mention it in my first video on importing but you need the van inspected by the DMV in FL, then all the port documents.. a "certified" title translation and proof of insurance.
@@inkandpistons It looks like the reply I left disappeared…..I imported a Suzuki Every last December and currently is a project “on hold.” It’s on my channel, if interested. By the way, how far do those wheels measure beyond the fenders and do the sliding doors clear when opening? Thank you 🙏
Such a great video! I live in Florida as well so this is very relevant. I've been wanting one of those trucks real bad and some others they're so cool! Hopefully soon!
Just purchased a 1998 every van turbo. This video is great and gave me the confidence to get one myself. Just as a fyi you can negotiate a little with them I managed to get them down 100 bucks 😂. You also inspired me to try and negotiate. I would love some info on the wheel and tire setup you have as well as where you are getting your parts from.
Hey thanks really appreciate it. Yeah I'm getting ready to help a buddy get one and going to see what kind of pricing we can get. I was in Japan last week and visited a dealer there I will be working with. Going forward. I have a few hiccups with parts but really I've been getting most of them from Amazon and eBay and a couple of things direct from Japan.. I'll have some more details on parts and fixes in the next vid.. I have 15x9 rims, I know in 1996 they changed the lug on the van to 4x100 like a Honda. They stick out a bit but look good on it and don't rub.. I can't recall the offset but I think it's in my previous video on "10 pros and cons about owning a kei truck" I believe the tires are 195.45.15 toyos.. good luck!
Sure. I have most of my cars insured with Safeco. But they would not insure my Japanese cars because they are right hand drive. So State farm does those
Yes I'm planning on doing an update after driving it a few months. I am also going to do an update process. I'm in Japan right now working with a dealer directly
that sounds great except the paper work would drive me crazy. i would rather pay double the price then deal with the paper work. paper work has always been my worst nightmare.
Im pleased to see kie trucks gaining popularity in the US. While here in the philipines millions of kie trucks are imported from japan although its righthand drive its converted to d left cause its illegal here, New units such as suzuki carry Da64, 65& 70 are more advanced already efi.turbo,lifted 4x4 minivans trucks its cheap here reliable cute fuel efficient check youtube filipino surplus kie trucks multicab
Yes they are awesome little trucks.. I have heard they must be converted to LHD, I think that would help adoption here. But I prefer RHD 😁 thanks for watching
Yes.. but it turned out there was a couple other things wrong so I was going to wait to have it all sorted but still working out some kinks.. I may do the fuel pump separately as it did fix this particular non running issue.
really nice video! Frustrating that they basically mandate you to use a broker, increasing the cost of these by 5-10%, and also "customs thinks this is commercial therefore 25% tax" ?!?! wonder if there is a way around that as well. Did it feel like the broker besides using her contacts for the various reasons stated was even necessary since you had all your other ducks in a row? or what exactly would they do in the situation where you've done everything correctly up until the go to customs office step.
Yeah bit if a scam.. I'm not 100% sure but I guess the broker is bonded against errors. So if there is a mistake in what duties were charged. The government has some fall back. I don't know if that means coming after you or them. The 25% comes down to what's written on the title from Japan. There's certain classifications that immediately flag as commercial. So if on the title it's listed as a "passenger van" may not be pop the 25% I think mine just says "van" but the broker has a list of classifications = fees so they have to put what that says. This relates back to that bonding. If I had all my ducks in a row, all the charges and what they do is basically the same. But She would have clicked a few buttons and been done. Once we got the clearance form sent to hoegh, it only took a few minutes for her to digitally clear the vehicle through customs since their system ties right into customs. The company that filed my ISF form also would have cleared customs for $80 or 90 instead of what I was charged by having to do it last minute. But they are based in Texas. Not that big of a deal unless there was some issue when I got to port. I'm sure they digitally clear it as well. I guess it's just how customs wants to deal with all of their paperwork. I can't fault them for that. And whoever has access directly into their system has to be bonded and licensed. I'm looking into the process of getting the brokerage license myself. It's not overly complicated but I don't know that I have any more room for information in my brain since I think I have to learn all importing rules, not just for cars, lol. Thanks for watching
Just bought a 1994 Suzuki carry! Love those wheels and tire combo, what’s your total diameter of rims and tires together. Mine has a 2 1/2 inch lift on it, and try to picture how those wheels/ tires would look.
Dude that screen name brings back memories.. checking the email! I think it's about 22 inches give or take might be a lot of open space under the arch with the lift you can probably go bigger. Mine are only 195.45.15s
i dont know if anyone has addressed this, but negotiating really isnt a thing in japan and if you try to haggle any price you will most likely get ignored or asked to leave. its shown as a disrespectful act there
@@wowsod who did you buy it from? Car from Japan is just the main site when I bought from Diyata took a look time with mine too. At least a month maybe 6weeks Mitsui scheduled it within a week. I think it just depends on the seller.. and how filled the boat is.. they may be all sold out of space. I have another car coming right now going on 3 weeks waiting for scheduling
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA THAT WAS LITERALLY THE EVERY I WANTED TO GET I HAD TALKED TO KENJI I LITERALLY HAD IT SELECTED I AM SCREAMING AND CRYING NOW AND ITS YOUR FAULT I DIDNT GET MY MONEY UP FAST ENOUGH
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA I KEPT WATCHING AND IT WAS KENJI AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA HE TOLD ME HE WOULD HOLD IT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I WAS OWED MONEY THAT GOT PAID AFTER IT SOLDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
@@green-vm2xk awe man that sucks. Well if it's any consolation watch the last video I posted on it and you'll see what a pain in the ass it was getting parts for it and troubleshooting all the gremlins. 😜 Thanks for watching
Well on average around here I can find one imported in similar condition between 6k and 10k. Just depends on who is getting it for you... But the best part about that is it's probably already in the country and you can go see it 8n person.. check out your local Facebook marketplace, you'll probably find a few
Seems like it is worth it to just buy a vehicle already here in the states, somehwere that will do all the paper work and repairs to make it a solid vehicle before you even pick it up. You have an incredible attitude ❤ i wouldve been so disappointed and probably pissed 😂 great price though. All in to get it road worthy what is your cost?
Yes it can be totally worth it to buy one here. Between all the experts bringing them in. You can find one at a decent price. I won't lie I was more than a little bummed. So all in then cost of the fuel pump was only 40 or 80 bucks. So all in somewhere still around 4500. But another issue popped up that I'm still working on I'll have an update video on that and the cost to repair it when it finished that is more about the difficulty of sourcing parts 😵
@@inkandpistonsI had a feeling the parts would be rough but I'm planning a pretty basic build but parts were a concern of mine. I am a Acura Toyota and bmw certified career auto technician with a Subaru passion deep in my soul. I live in Texas but we still have emissions testing in my area. These are old enough but there on the border of legality here depending who you ask. It seems a lot of people are not happy about them for some stupid reason. From what I can tell. I can still own and register a street legal one down here. For now 🤠
@@theccwdad so I'm not sure the parts thing is universal it may just be a Suzuki or specifically this Suzuki... apparently it has a pretty unique distributor in this one particular spec. I am by no means a mechanic just mechanically inclined and a problem solver.. and very cheap.... So I can usually get stuff done on the thrifty.. having the background you have should be no worries. If they do state giving me shit on legality I'm going to register it as a street legal golf cart! Lol which is a thing here in Florida.
I don't think they have to witness it in person i'm not sure though. The the company I use is a package deal. After translating the document, I believe the "certified" translator is just stating that they are legally qualified to do the translation from Japanese. The notary is just to notarize that statement from the translator, so that's between the translator and their notary how they confirm it. If you are using another translator company i couldn't say. rapid translate is who i used.
Is there anyway you know of to pay duties online? Trying to save the trip to the CBP office and picking up the vehicle next week. It'd be very hard for me to take a weekday off work to do it & I seen the cbp offices are closed on weekends
The only thing I think you can do is if you used an intermediary broker you could send them payment and then they can send the payment electronically to the CBP. Past that I don't know.
I don't think you would need the escort then may have to contact port to be sure... The broker would come in when the vehicle gets to port. Probably best to contact them before it arrives though.
Yeah you can email me. Go to my inkandpistons.com website.. My email address is there I just don't want to print it in these CZcams comments.. just go to artists and click Jr
I find the lack of info, or incorrect info on listings to be annoying. Your turbo is the perfect example. I actually want a turbo or supercharger van, but it's often not clear on the listings. That, and poor quality photos, as you mentioned. I asked for more photos, and they flat out refused. They're selling the vehicles for at least double what they are worth, sometimes more, and they won't even put in the effort to take a few photos. It's not a good experience.
I 100% agree and .. and the funny thing is is that there are check boxes for just about every option you can think of... sometimes I'll narrow my search down by automatic and get 10 cars .. but when I remove the automatic I'll get 30 cars, 15 of which are automatic so five of them just weren't listed as that option. overall I would say I'm definitely way more happy with the listing from Mitsui from my last purchase. This turbo van has kind of been a bit of a pain.. I'm going to have an updated video on why I haven't driven it in about a month or two. Womp womp.. nothing major is wrong with it. Just a very hard to find part
@@inkandpistons Not being able to source parts is probably the biggest downside. there are sites like amayama that can certainly help. I have found that most of the exporters are Foreigners working in Japan, and most exports go to other Asia/South Asia/India/Nepal these kind of regions. I think that explains a lot of the mess. It's not your typical Japanese customer service (though that comes with headaches of its own) I've thought about going over there, but my Japanese is only conversational and my car mechanical knowledge is even less. haha. Though I do enjoy JDMs. I guess it's time to focus and level up! Looking forward to your next video. Showing the pains is a big help! otherwise people might believe it's all sunshine and rainbows.
@@rokko_fable yeah that's what I was thinking too about the exporters. My Japanese is pretty basic too.. but i'd love to just go and help and be like take some better Pictures!!. I'm actually going to be in japan next week and i'm going to visit Mitsui where the truck came from while im there. maybe buy a car in person :) we'll see!
@inkandpistons you did it in person in advance before car came or you did it at the same day as you went for a pick up? Excuse me for bothering, my car coming on 3/20 and I'm worried
@@yungosu5786 in person on the day I went to go pick it up. You just have to make sure that it has already cleared agricultural when the car comes in. So if the car gets in on the 20th you probably won't be able to pick it up until the 22nd or 23rd
@@yungosu5786 If you contact customs and borders a few days before the car comes in, they'll give you a total of what you will owe in taxes on it. And then there is a agricultural hole to make sure there's no foreign soil on the car. I usually takes 24 hours then you are able to pick up your car
They are the same on both the van and truck 15x8 I can't recall the offset. Here is the video where I install them I think I say the the size in the first couple minutes...czcams.com/video/zQfvcp0PJgQ/video.html
So when you went through your broker, i saw you didn’t go back to the customs office, did you ever get a form 3461 from them? I bought a 1997 honda Stepwgn and used Easy ISF to do my paperwork for me, but im not sure if i have everything i need or not.
@@inkandpistonsyeah they never really sent me like, copies of completed forms per say. I do have copies with everything filled out minus things like their own signatures or anything filled out on customs end, but i would hope if i show up at the customs office in jacksonville and show my release documents they should have anything else on file.
@@BeeBee514 sometimes your broker can have it released to a different lot after they clear it from customs. So you don't even have to go to the port or anything.
@@inkandpistonsat the moment my current pickup location is on the port, but luckily i have a twic card so ill just have to check in with customs to make sure I am good to go.
Is there any way that once my truck arrives at the port, I could have it cleared and shipped to my location without me being there? Or do I have to go in person for it to be cleared? I was just wondering because I am 13 hours from the closest port.
Yeah, I think you can have another person pick it up. I believe Sharon Dixon has a guy that can do that, her info is in the description. Hit her up and see if she can do that.. she may want to handle the brokerage part too for that.. .
So how do these guys import the newer kei trucks into the US to be used as a UTV? I've found used ones in the 2014-2020 range for farm use...Oh no, we can't do that....but can I sell you a new one for $25,000? Grrrrrrrr......
Hey I would love to get in contact with you I live in central florida and just bought a kei truck from car from japan but would love some extra tips if you wouldn’t mind. I bought it for upgrading my Scion xB pizza box into a pizza truck .
@@herbertsungahid that would be awesome. it's getting pretty close to 25 years on those.. there may be some other loopholes but you get something newer in. They are pretty cool little mini 'utes!
Hello, my name is Aki I'm from Japan. I am thinking of starting an export business of cars and trucks in Japan, but I don't know how to find export partners. I would like to know how I can find a sales partner outside of Japan. so I want advice🙏 I would be happy to work with you if you are interest haha
I've taken it up to about 65mph.. maybe 70mph around 110km 115km Depends on how accurate the speedo is it's in KM and I have to convert inml my head.. I haven't used a secondary gps like my phone.
Yeah. I did look it up on gov site and it seems somewhat legit I think it's because of the bonding. Like if you messed up on the value of the cargo it's insured... But I agree horse shit
Just purchased a Acty on the 8th of this month , truck is going on the Boat the 28th arriving in jax January 15th . This video has givin me the courage to give it a shot ! Currently spent 3500 on a absolute mint one by Diyata aswell . I will come back and reply to my own comment later in the stages to keep you guys updated on my little journey ! Love this community it brings
That's awesome great to hear it . Good luck! Yes please let us know how it went.. I'm in Japan right now, going to stop by some lots . See what they have!
@@inkandpistons I'd love to get a KEI van also ,,, BTW did you know kiki was Filipino for clitoris?
Would be better if you made a youtube videos talking about it tho
@scorpiomelancholia1559 that's the plan. I have one coming next about some fixes to the van. Then the one about visiting the lots in Japan directly...
@@inkandpistons lol I meant OP but yeah can go for u too
this is the absolute best, most thorough, and easy to understand video on how to import a kei vehicle. i think i've watched this video like 20 times by now lol. waited patiently to comment until i got my kei truck physically at my address.
legit so well documented to the point that i would pull this up and reference the video each time i hit each milestone/step you have outlined in the video. it made me feel so much more confident about customs as well as what to expect when showing up to the port and making me look much less like a dumbass than i would have otherwise!!
many many thanks for the time and effort you put into this video. i doubt i would have a cute little 95 acty if it weren't for this upload!
Hey , Thanks so much for the kind words and pushing up that "views" counter! Glad I could help, yeah I don't like looking like a dumb ass either! Lol congrats on the acty, enjoy it
Awesome vid and confirms my decision to buy one already in the states even though I'm less than an hour away from the Port of Baltimore.
@@SSS-mp8th ha! Fair enough. At least you have all the info 😀
Im in the Philippines and have a custom Suzuki Every Wagon. I had to change out the suspension and added a 2" lift and 24" MT's since its a 4x4. It now has good clearance for some of the mountain roads here in the Philippines. Mine started life as a right hand drive and got changed to a left hand drive when it was imported to the Philippines. Great running van. And i love the turbo.
That's awesome. Did the government make you convert it to Left Hand Drive? Or do you prefer it?
In the Philippines every thing coming in to the country has to be converted to left hand drive so all the JDM rigs have to be left hand drive to be licensed and driven. Looking at it you can't even tell it was cut apart.
@@brianmccallister2981 nice, it's awesome that they are that flexible
Just a point to add. You can buy used vehicles through a dealer like you did, or through an agent at an auction. Both can do the inspections, translations, all the paperwork and arrange shipping. I would look at both routes as the auction maybe cheaper depending on the vehicle. Great video !!
Yes great point. (are you working for them?) LOL just kidding. Yeah it is probably a great way to save a few bucks i just haven't done it yet so i cant really speak to the process. I am considering it for a future purchase though.. I' also heading to Japan at the end of the year so I think I'm going to see if I can stop by some of the places and get a better look at how they operate.
I used japan car direct. My Kei is stuck in japan with the port strike that just ended here. I can update after it arrives. I will say they wanted me happy, and told me to pass on a few trucks for things I didn't even realize.
@chrissvideos8405 oh, no! That's crazy I didn't even know they were striking. That's great that they were transparent about issues. Fat chance an American used car dealer doing that! Well hopefully it all works out. I'm traveling to Japan in December. Maybe I can buy a car in person!
Great video. Very helpful. 👍 Not bad on price and cost.
I was trying to see if I could get a Suzuki Every Wagon or Custom Surplus van fron the Philippines.
They are mostly "refurbished " 2007-17. With the steering switch to left hand drive.
Trying to see if one can even be imported to Florida. 🤔🌞👍
Or get a 1998 customized to look like a vw van.
@@livingworkingoutsideboxI imagine you can probably get it here. I just don't know if you could register it.. You could probably import it as like a farm vehicle or something. The problem is is when it does hit 25 years old. I don't think you'd be able to register it at that point. There's a lot of non-registered old ones floating around here that I think that happened to. I Do like the idea of a nice refurbished and refreshed one though. I'm not so sure about those VW clones. I think they got plenty of personality without the VW trim..😀 let me know if you get the Philippines one across the border
i also want to note for those people that dont have the courage to do all this, you can use a company like Japan Car Direct and they will take care of almost everything on the japan side. you can tell them what vehicle and specs you are looking for and your budget and they will do all the searching for you. once you decide on the vehicle, you pay them and they take care of getting it to port and on a ship. at that point you can reach out to a customs broker in the US and they will take care of everything on the US side (epa, dot, and customs forms).
This is a great point. its really easy to hand over the keys to someone who has more experience in it and not sweat the details.. I myself am a control freak and cheap :)
This has to be the best video I’ve seen on importing a vehicle. I’m not looking at a ban or truck, but I know this will be very valuable info for getting my ride someday. Thank you for sharing!
Thanks so much. Glad to be of help! Good luck with yours when you get on it!
I'm going to go to Baltimore Marryland to pick up my kei trucks in couple weeks, luckily I found your channel my friend, your video is very informative in every steps, subscribed
I appreciate it. Good luck with the pickup Hope it goes smoothly for you. Thanks 👍
great video and very informative. perfect video for someone looking to do it all themselves!!!!
@@adamfifield5044 Thanks for the feedback. I enjoy making these vids
Thanks for the great content and details.
I would never have known that you were essentially forced to use an import agent if you imported more than one vehicle.
I love all the forms mentioned and the difficulties you encountered.
Unfortunately everyone should plan on a dead battery, thus bring a spare battery and jumper cables.
Good work on diagnosing that fuel pump! 90% of the time electrical related issues, i.e. spark plugs, wires, coils, etc. This time you hit the lottery on the 10% fuel issue.
@@Heisenberg-Rules thanks for the kind words and taking the time to comment. Yeah a lot of surprises for me along the way. Especially with how easy the first one went. Leave it me me to pull the 10% problem 😜 thanks again.
@@inkandpistons Great work using the scientific method to diagnose the 10% issue. Enjoy your wonderful truck. we just need to eliminate ridiculous EPA rules so we can purchase economical vehicles. Not huge SUV'S. I like SUV'S , but not everyone should be forced to buy an SUV.
@@Heisenberg-Rules agreed. it so ridiculous. But not even the EPA rules I guarantee most of these would pass any smog tests you throw at them. It's just the big three knowing they would get their asses handed to them in sales. So they pushed for these stupid laws .. now with the EV push it's even worse.. that's why most Japanese manufacturers lean towards hybrids cause it makes a lot more sense.
@@inkandpistons Agree completely. They will definitely pass the Smog and help with CAFE standards. it is all the airbags, crumple tests etc. that prevent even domestic manufacturers from creating inexpensive fun vehicles.
would be great to manufacture Kei Trucks, vans, and cars in the USA.
I negotiated a price at 3200 for 3000 flat and they went for it- realize they have high supply especially of trucks.
That's awesome. Yes there are so many trucks floating around and I think the US market is slightly soft with the recent few state revoking titles. Hopefully we can get this sorted out in all the states.
Hopefully these notes are accurate. I added some stuff from your comments too.
Importing from Japan
1. Pick your car
2. Pay for it after you requested invoice
- some comments suggest you may be able to negotiate the price slightly...
- make them separate shipping from vehicle cost! for duties/registration/taxes reasons
3. Shipping assignment
- they will send you a shipping vessel assignment - estimated departure, estimated arrival, ship name
4. File ISF after you get draft bill of lading (BL)
- importer security filing (10+2) - records information and details of the shipments via cargo vessel - make sure of accurate details!
- EasyISF can file for you.
- need copy of BL, Invoice
5. Wait for it to arrive to the port
6. Receive final Bill of Lading
should contain originals of
- Invoice (hopefully properly separated s&h and car price!)
- Bill of Sale (probably with odometer disclosure)
- Bill of lading (a few originals)
- insurance form for boat travel
- original title (export certificate)
- translated Title (export certificate)
7. May have to translate title officially certified in florida
- scan the title so they can mail you a translated notorized copy of a translated title
- sites like rapidtranslate.org can officially translate documents like that and send them back to you certified hardcopy notorized.
7a. Arrival Date notification
- you may get notified of the arrival date and how to pay boat thing and store it till you get there
8. Pay the handling fee
- They will send you an email with the amount to pay for unloading/etc
- *** Must send them an original bill of lading to their office prior to trying to pick it up
- Some exporters may send the BL to the vessel company, some don't...
9. Send the original Bill of lading to their office
10. Watch for ships arrival
11. Call port to check if cleared inspections
- they check for seeds, agricultural stuff, foreign soil, contaminants. if so they will charge you for cleaning
- they check for smuggled goods etc
12. Get forms ready
- 3 forms you need to fill out
- HS7 - national highway safetey form - check box 1 and fill out info at bottom of the page
- CBP 7501 - entry summary form - use title information and fill in blanks
- EPA 3520-1 - Fill in applicable information and check box E for 21 years or older
- 6-7 that you need to bring with you.
- translated title (or certified title you got from translation)
- original title/japanese title (export certificate)
- original Bill of lading
- invoice - line item shippiong and vehicle cost
- ISF 10+2 receipt and confirmation (just in case)
- Check to pay duties
13. Drive to the port
- DONT FORGET TO GET A HIGH VIS VEST before going into the port (harbor freight probably sells them/amazon/ebay/etc)
Suggested items?
- possibly winch on hand for the trailer
- car battery charger
- jumper cables
14. Go to customs
- get turned down cause you're not a broker lol (if 2nd time importing?...)
- if you've imported previously you have to go through customs broker. you get "one freebie"
- jacksonville gets a lot of requests and does 1 for you but if you do more you need to use a broker
15. Get a TWIC escort
- DONT FORGET TO GET A HIGH VIS VEST before going into the port
- these people have clearance to be in the port etc and can escort you to your cargo
- need to be escorted on and off the port by them
- ~ $150 fee
- 12 pm apparently the port closes for lunch....
16. Locate car and load it up
- Go to office and pay the fees and have them clear you to pick it up and put on trailer, or drive away etc.
man, that looks pretty accurate.. thanks for putting that all together! some other stuff when it comes to registration and title but thats about everything to get the car in your hands
@@inkandpistons Awesome! Your video was very detailed and great thank you for making this.
I may actually end up doing this at some point. Idk why I want one but they're so cute and it looks fun! Would love to drift one hahaha.
@@lupusk9productions nice, they would make some awesome drifters!
I'm thinking about doing this. Freeport TX is an hour away, but all the forms and song and dance about picking it up at the port makes me so nervous. Videos like this are gold though, so helpful! I want a Sambar so bad.
sorry, i thought i replied to this... those sambars are awsesome.. its really not too bad you just have to have all your shit together and follow the timelines..
I received my 97 honda acty from Mitsui. The journey took 4 months and I used Sharon from the beginning she is very good and made the process seemless. Once my truck arrived in Galveston Texas I used a company called auto dreamer transport and had it shipped to my house in New Orleans Louisiana again process was seamlessly and fast. My total was 4500$ these vehicles are awesome
@Eddie_freeflow504 that's awesome to hear, congratulations! Enjoy the acty! Glad everyone did you right and the process went smoothly!
@inkandpistons it did, and I'm more confident about getting the van now
How hard was it to register your kei cars?
@@Eddie_freeflow504 so far no problem. In Florida you have to get a vin verification at the DMV. Then just submit all the paper work I'm sure it varies state by state
@inkandpistons okay, I didn't go to the DMV I went to a local notary but they were confused.
You really did do a thorough job of laying out waht to do... respect for that. Thanks buddy.
Thanks, hopefully it helps some people save some cash . I think one of the importers kicked me from the Suzuki owners group on Facebook because of it.. LOL
Definitely useful information I’ll use in the future to buy a similar van or truck. Thank you! Just wish there was a dealership that can simply charge about $4-5k flat and sell these so they do all the necessary import paperwork and permits so on my end just buying it like a regular vehicle and all I have to do is take the title to the DMV, get insurance and be issued a tag. I’m sure such dealerships exist but I’m worried about them charging me an arm and a leg(upwards of $9-$16k for a K-car when it only cost them about $5k all in. Ha!
Anytime. Thanks for watching! 6eah I guess everyone has a to make a little off the top 🤔 on hae a few in my area that are usually under 10 k usually between 5 and 8
You’re going to pay for convenience, the time, research, and traveling spent to get the car instead of just walking in the dealer and leaving with a car in a few hours is a huge difference and may be worth the money to some.
A warning to anyone importing those subaru sambar's that have the vw front end conversion kits, you might have a problem importing it to the usa. I personally have not tried it myself but heard from us military people in okinawa that they had problems with theirs. It makes sense since the original jdm bumper is taken off. Its better to do the conversion after its shipped
@@gregh7457 good to know. I wonder why they would care. there shouldn't be anything that different. Other than the look
Very nice little van, congrats 👏
Thanks!
I've just imported a Kei Suzuki Carry into Australia. It was such a smooth easy process. I got a 2020 model that's automatic and only 47 000 kms.
I did have to change the tyres, get the air con re-gased to Aus standards and install an FM radio as the Japanese AM didnt work here. but that was it. Seeing as in Japan they use kms not miles and drive right hand wheel like we do, I was super lucky with everything. I'm now excited to start building my micro camper on the back. Next step welding the frame 😊
That's awesome. Yes the rules in Australia make it a little easier. Although I hear you have to be careful on really old cars if they have any asbestos in any parts it's a big problem . That's gonna make a sick little camper!
@@inkandpistons That's why I wanted a newish model and not an older version. Parts also seem to be easily available which is why I choose the Carry. I can't wait to film the build. My biggest issue is weight restrictions to 350kg. I have a lot planned that I want inside, like fridge, toilet, oven in the kitchen etc, so will see how I go! The frame itself I'm using aluminum so fingers crossed I can weld! Thanks for your video :-)
@@CosyCottageCamper you can probably cheat on the 350kg by a little bit. maybe upgrade the springs and shocks and make sure you have decent tires on it. Good luck!
@@inkandpistons I looked for springs and couldn't find any that fit the carry model. I will do more research on it as I'm sure they are out there. Thanks 🙂 Have a great day!
Congrats on getting Kiki. Thanks for the advice and information. Great vid. Oh and the Kiki song was the best part.
Thanks! Glad to help.
I'm VERY interested in purchasing one of these when my element dies, i can fit paddleboards bikes, kakas, skis, doesn't matter, the truck version is cool too
@@mattlocascio4949 I have in mine they are extremely useful. Might take a to while for the Honda to die, those elements are pretty bullet proof, no?
I get that you can't buy these trucks thinking that you can get an ROI on them, but they're pretty cool!
You'll get a little bit of a return, maybe 1-3k . for what they cost the percentage is quite high, all things considered that's probably what your average used car sale makes in profit. It's just a harder sell to your average normy...but they are Absolutely worth it!
Found K truck is booming in US, EU, AUS etc. More and more demand down the road ? Personally wish to export mini truck outside Japan !! My first name is actually KEI. LOL.
yeah, we shall see there are a lot of regulations in certain states. so if they don't tighten the clamps i think so!
Thanks for the detailed really well done video
@@danv1336 thank you. Hope it helps everyone.
I really want to get a kei truck but this all seems terrifying especially with the fact that I’m not the sharpest tool in the shed and i have to deal with CA which Im looking into and apparently they’re illegal but people still have them
Yeah I'm really not sure about California. Best advice move out of the state lol. Have you checked with oiwa.co They are a broker in California for these trucks. Maybe they have an idea of what you're supposed to do. Good luck!
Do you have a video on what is needed to register the van in Florida?
sorry just saw this comment.. i kind of mention it in my first video on importing but you need the van inspected by the DMV in FL, then all the port documents.. a "certified" title translation and proof of insurance.
Great informative video and pleasure to have found your channel. Subscribed👍
Appreciate it . Thanks for watching. Are you going to get one? 😁
@@inkandpistons It looks like the reply I left disappeared…..I imported a Suzuki Every last December and currently is a project “on hold.” It’s on my channel, if interested. By the way, how far do those wheels measure beyond the fenders and do the sliding doors clear when opening? Thank you 🙏
@@florida__jackthere is actually plenty of clearance. About 1-2 inches to inner door panel. They stick out about 1.5 inches give or take
@@florida__jack I'll check out the video!
Such a great video! I live in Florida as well so this is very relevant. I've been wanting one of those trucks real bad and some others they're so cool! Hopefully soon!
Thanks. I appreciate it. I'm actually in Japan right now car shopping🤪
Awesome and thorough job.
Greatly appreciated.
Merriest of Christmas' for you and yours.
Thanks so much. Merry Christmas back at you!
Just purchased a 1998 every van turbo. This video is great and gave me the confidence to get one myself. Just as a fyi you can negotiate a little with them I managed to get them down 100 bucks 😂. You also inspired me to try and negotiate. I would love some info on the wheel and tire setup you have as well as where you are getting your parts from.
Hey thanks really appreciate it. Yeah I'm getting ready to help a buddy get one and going to see what kind of pricing we can get. I was in Japan last week and visited a dealer there I will be working with. Going forward.
I have a few hiccups with parts but really I've been getting most of them from Amazon and eBay and a couple of things direct from Japan.. I'll have some more details on parts and fixes in the next vid.. I have 15x9 rims, I know in 1996 they changed the lug on the van to 4x100 like a Honda. They stick out a bit but look good on it and don't rub.. I can't recall the offset but I think it's in my previous video on "10 pros and cons about owning a kei truck" I believe the tires are 195.45.15 toyos.. good luck!
Do you happen to remember the back spacing by chance
@@cheyennebrookfield2446 I believe they are +20
@@inkandpistons thanks brother sorry I missed that. We are going to order another car today lol found a deal on a move sr-xx I couldn't pass up!
@@cheyennebrookfield2446 sweet! i'm shopping for a van for my buddy right now too :)
Great video best one yet!
Thanks, I appreciate you watching and talking time to comment!
May I ask which insurance company in Florida you found that would insure a antique car?
Sure. I have most of my cars insured with Safeco. But they would not insure my Japanese cars because they are right hand drive. So State farm does those
love them jdm wheels, can you put a link on where you got them?
@@everettichiwa I just got them off eBay they are. Vors tr9 mine are 15x8 +20 offset
Аawesome van...it was very informative...thanks for sharing...👍😎🤘🇺🇸
Thanks, it's a fun little guy. Thanks for watching
Car from Japan will accept an offer.
i have heard that but i haven't tried yet. that is a great point also!
thanks!
Are you going to do a pros and cons list for the van as well I'm trying to decide on which to get as a gas saver commuter
Yes I'm planning on doing an update after driving it a few months. I am also going to do an update process. I'm in Japan right now working with a dealer directly
Best video! thanks for sharing. Question, do i need to bring trailer to pickup the car from the port?
Thanks! Yeah I don't think you can drive it off port since the car won't be road legal till it registered in the state.
Thank you very much!
Thanks for watching!
that sounds great except the paper work would drive me crazy. i would rather pay double the price then deal with the paper work. paper work has always been my worst nightmare.
Ha, yeah I feel you on that. Something to be said for having someone else do it. I like the struggle 😁
Im pleased to see kie trucks gaining popularity in the US. While here in the philipines millions of kie trucks are imported from japan although its righthand drive its converted to d left cause its illegal here, New units such as suzuki carry Da64, 65& 70 are more advanced already efi.turbo,lifted 4x4 minivans trucks its cheap here reliable cute fuel efficient check youtube filipino surplus kie trucks multicab
Yes they are awesome little trucks.. I have heard they must be converted to LHD, I think that would help adoption here. But I prefer RHD 😁 thanks for watching
love the idea of doing it myself but ill pay someone to do it i am not sure i have your patience to do this process lol
ha yeah after this one i might do that next time LOL
Beware of importing if you are not a naturally energetic person, who is also a mechanic, like this guy is, or if you live far from a port.
Haha yup.. also appropriate... 😂
Are you going to do a video on the fuel pump
Yes.. but it turned out there was a couple other things wrong so I was going to wait to have it all sorted but still working out some kinks.. I may do the fuel pump separately as it did fix this particular non running issue.
really nice video!
Frustrating that they basically mandate you to use a broker, increasing the cost of these by 5-10%, and also "customs thinks this is commercial therefore 25% tax" ?!?! wonder if there is a way around that as well.
Did it feel like the broker besides using her contacts for the various reasons stated was even necessary since you had all your other ducks in a row? or what exactly would they do in the situation where you've done everything correctly up until the go to customs office step.
Yeah bit if a scam.. I'm not 100% sure but I guess the broker is bonded against errors. So if there is a mistake in what duties were charged. The government has some fall back. I don't know if that means coming after you or them.
The 25% comes down to what's written on the title from Japan. There's certain classifications that immediately flag as commercial. So if on the title it's listed as a "passenger van" may not be pop the 25% I think mine just says "van" but the broker has a list of classifications = fees so they have to put what that says. This relates back to that bonding.
If I had all my ducks in a row, all the charges and what they do is basically the same. But She would have clicked a few buttons and been done. Once we got the clearance form sent to hoegh, it only took a few minutes for her to digitally clear the vehicle through customs since their system ties right into customs.
The company that filed my ISF form also would have cleared customs for $80 or 90 instead of what I was charged by having to do it last minute. But they are based in Texas. Not that big of a deal unless there was some issue when I got to port.
I'm sure they digitally clear it as well. I guess it's just how customs wants to deal with all of their paperwork. I can't fault them for that. And whoever has access directly into their system has to be bonded and licensed.
I'm looking into the process of getting the brokerage license myself. It's not overly complicated but I don't know that I have any more room for information in my brain since I think I have to learn all importing rules, not just for cars, lol.
Thanks for watching
Thanks for the info. The only question, where did you get the fuel pump and how much $$$
I got this one off Amazon. It's for a Suzuki Hayabusa wasn't bad like 40 bucks or 80 bucks. I can't remember
Just bought a 1994 Suzuki carry! Love those wheels and tire combo, what’s your total diameter of rims and tires together. Mine has a 2 1/2 inch lift on it, and try to picture how those wheels/ tires would look.
Dude that screen name brings back memories.. checking the email! I think it's about 22 inches give or take might be a lot of open space under the arch with the lift you can probably go bigger. Mine are only 195.45.15s
Yeah, trogdor is old school. lol
Thanks for the dimensions, I’ll measure it out and see what i can fit. Appreciate it!
@@Trogdortheburninator22 anytime good luck...
i dont know if anyone has addressed this, but negotiating really isnt a thing in japan and if you try to haggle any price you will most likely get ignored or asked to leave. its shown as a disrespectful act there
yeah i dont really like doing it anywhere but japan it feels extra skeezy :)
I’ve been waiting nearly 2 months for them to schedule shipping. Is this normal? If I want to get cars faster in the future is there a better way?
@@wowsod who did you buy it from? Car from Japan is just the main site when I bought from Diyata took a look time with mine too. At least a month maybe 6weeks Mitsui scheduled it within a week. I think it just depends on the seller.. and how filled the boat is.. they may be all sold out of space. I have another car coming right now going on 3 weeks waiting for scheduling
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA THAT WAS LITERALLY THE EVERY I WANTED TO GET I HAD TALKED TO KENJI I LITERALLY HAD IT SELECTED I AM SCREAMING AND CRYING NOW AND ITS YOUR FAULT I DIDNT GET MY MONEY UP FAST ENOUGH
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA I KEPT WATCHING AND IT WAS KENJI AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA HE TOLD ME HE WOULD HOLD IT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I WAS OWED MONEY THAT GOT PAID AFTER IT SOLDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
@@green-vm2xk awe man that sucks. Well if it's any consolation watch the last video I posted on it and you'll see what a pain in the ass it was getting parts for it and troubleshooting all the gremlins. 😜 Thanks for watching
Ok,at this price,this is with you doing all the paperwork .. if I don't want to mess with all that,how much extra would it be added to this cost?
Well on average around here I can find one imported in similar condition between 6k and 10k. Just depends on who is getting it for you... But the best part about that is it's probably already in the country and you can go see it 8n person.. check out your local Facebook marketplace, you'll probably find a few
Seems like it is worth it to just buy a vehicle already here in the states, somehwere that will do all the paper work and repairs to make it a solid vehicle before you even pick it up. You have an incredible attitude ❤ i wouldve been so disappointed and probably pissed 😂 great price though. All in to get it road worthy what is your cost?
Yes it can be totally worth it to buy one here. Between all the experts bringing them in. You can find one at a decent price. I won't lie I was more than a little bummed. So all in then cost of the fuel pump was only 40 or 80 bucks. So all in somewhere still around 4500. But another issue popped up that I'm still working on I'll have an update video on that and the cost to repair it when it finished that is more about the difficulty of sourcing parts 😵
@@inkandpistonsI had a feeling the parts would be rough but I'm planning a pretty basic build but parts were a concern of mine. I am a Acura Toyota and bmw certified career auto technician with a Subaru passion deep in my soul. I live in Texas but we still have emissions testing in my area. These are old enough but there on the border of legality here depending who you ask. It seems a lot of people are not happy about them for some stupid reason. From what I can tell. I can still own and register a street legal one down here. For now 🤠
@@theccwdad so I'm not sure the parts thing is universal it may just be a Suzuki or specifically this Suzuki... apparently it has a pretty unique distributor in this one particular spec. I am by no means a mechanic just mechanically inclined and a problem solver.. and very cheap.... So I can usually get stuff done on the thrifty.. having the background you have should be no worries. If they do state giving me shit on legality I'm going to register it as a street legal golf cart! Lol which is a thing here in Florida.
Hey, did the translation have a notarized signature stating that the notary witnessed in person, or was it a remote notary?
I don't think they have to witness it in person i'm not sure though.
The the company I use is a package deal. After translating the document, I believe the "certified" translator is just stating that they are legally qualified to do the translation from Japanese. The notary is just to notarize that statement from the translator, so that's between the translator and their notary how they confirm it. If you are using another translator company i couldn't say. rapid translate is who i used.
Is there anyway you know of to pay duties online? Trying to save the trip to the CBP office and picking up the vehicle next week. It'd be very hard for me to take a weekday off work to do it & I seen the cbp offices are closed on weekends
The only thing I think you can do is if you used an intermediary broker you could send them payment and then they can send the payment electronically to the CBP. Past that I don't know.
1)If you hold a current TWIC card, do you still need a TWIC Escort????
2)At what point do you bring in the customs broker?
I don't think you would need the escort then may have to contact port to be sure... The broker would come in when the vehicle gets to port. Probably best to contact them before it arrives though.
@@inkandpistons great video... was looking for that info!
@@robmack151 thanks. Good luck 🍀
Good afternoon sir is there a private way for us to talk about help with getting one of my own internet dumb.
Yeah you can email me. Go to my inkandpistons.com website.. My email address is there I just don't want to print it in these CZcams comments.. just go to artists and click Jr
when you registered your Acty’s at the dmv. do they need the bill of sale ?
Yes. And a translated title.
If some say, the car breaks down and needs parts, is it easy to find its parts?
Yes and no. It can be a bit of a pain to get some stuff others are super easy. I have a whole video coming out Sunday further explaining the issues..
I find the lack of info, or incorrect info on listings to be annoying.
Your turbo is the perfect example. I actually want a turbo or supercharger van, but it's often not clear on the listings.
That, and poor quality photos, as you mentioned. I asked for more photos, and they flat out refused.
They're selling the vehicles for at least double what they are worth, sometimes more, and they won't even put in the effort to take a few photos. It's not a good experience.
I 100% agree and .. and the funny thing is is that there are check boxes for just about every option you can think of... sometimes I'll narrow my search down by automatic and get 10 cars .. but when I remove the automatic I'll get 30 cars, 15 of which are automatic so five of them just weren't listed as that option. overall I would say I'm definitely way more happy with the listing from Mitsui from my last purchase. This turbo van has kind of been a bit of a pain.. I'm going to have an updated video on why I haven't driven it in about a month or two. Womp womp.. nothing major is wrong with it. Just a very hard to find part
@@inkandpistons Not being able to source parts is probably the biggest downside. there are sites like amayama that can certainly help.
I have found that most of the exporters are Foreigners working in Japan, and most exports go to other Asia/South Asia/India/Nepal these kind of regions. I think that explains a lot of the mess. It's not your typical Japanese customer service (though that comes with headaches of its own)
I've thought about going over there, but my Japanese is only conversational and my car mechanical knowledge is even less. haha. Though I do enjoy JDMs. I guess it's time to focus and level up!
Looking forward to your next video. Showing the pains is a big help! otherwise people might believe it's all sunshine and rainbows.
@@rokko_fable yeah that's what I was thinking too about the exporters. My Japanese is pretty basic too.. but i'd love to just go and help and be like take some better Pictures!!. I'm actually going to be in japan next week and i'm going to visit Mitsui where the truck came from while im there. maybe buy a car in person :) we'll see!
Who you gave the forms to? No broker ? I don't understand
United States Customs and border protection. Takes the forms typically
@inkandpistons you did it in person in advance before car came or you did it at the same day as you went for a pick up? Excuse me for bothering, my car coming on 3/20 and I'm worried
@@yungosu5786 in person on the day I went to go pick it up. You just have to make sure that it has already cleared agricultural when the car comes in. So if the car gets in on the 20th you probably won't be able to pick it up until the 22nd or 23rd
@@yungosu5786 If you contact customs and borders a few days before the car comes in, they'll give you a total of what you will owe in taxes on it. And then there is a agricultural hole to make sure there's no foreign soil on the car. I usually takes 24 hours then you are able to pick up your car
@@inkandpistons thank you so much for your help!
Is it hard to drive a car with a steering wheel on the right
Oddly no, pretty Intuitive.. you get used to it pretty quick. :)
hey man! just wondering what size of the rims do you use on your white kei truck?
They are the same on both the van and truck 15x8 I can't recall the offset. Here is the video where I install them I think I say the the size in the first couple minutes...czcams.com/video/zQfvcp0PJgQ/video.html
awesome! thanks for the info@@inkandpistons
What are the rims and tires you put on the van?
Same as on the mini truck. 15x8 vors. Tr9s +20 with a 195 45 15 toyo
So when you went through your broker, i saw you didn’t go back to the customs office, did you ever get a form 3461 from them?
I bought a 1997 honda Stepwgn and used Easy ISF to do my paperwork for me, but im not sure if i have everything i need or not.
I think easy ISF also has an option to clear the customs for you and then maybe they'll send you that form ahead of time
@@inkandpistonsyeah they never really sent me like, copies of completed forms per say. I do have copies with everything filled out minus things like their own signatures or anything filled out on customs end, but i would hope if i show up at the customs office in jacksonville and show my release documents they should have anything else on file.
@@BeeBee514 sometimes your broker can have it released to a different lot after they clear it from customs. So you don't even have to go to the port or anything.
@@inkandpistonsat the moment my current pickup location is on the port, but luckily i have a twic card so ill just have to check in with customs to make sure I am good to go.
@@inkandpistonsI also wanted to ask, how hard was it for you to get your van titled and registered?
How did you find Jays Twic escort?
He was awesome. He came out on very short notice and was very professional and reasonably priced
Is there any way that once my truck arrives at the port, I could have it cleared and shipped to my location without me being there? Or do I have to go in person for it to be cleared? I was just wondering because I am 13 hours from the closest port.
Yeah, I think you can have another person pick it up. I believe Sharon Dixon has a guy that can do that, her info is in the description. Hit her up and see if she can do that.. she may want to handle the brokerage part too for that.. .
@@inkandpistons I appreciate it man, and thank you for the quick reply!
@@natedog-yo no problem, good luck
So how do these guys import the newer kei trucks into the US to be used as a UTV? I've found used ones in the 2014-2020 range for farm use...Oh no, we can't do that....but can I sell you a new one for $25,000? Grrrrrrrr......
I'm not sure how they're getting away with it but I suspect they may be getting them in from Canada perhaps.. yeah the prices are insane for a utv.
Hey I would love to get in contact with you I live in central florida and just bought a kei truck from car from japan but would love some extra tips if you wouldn’t mind. I bought it for upgrading my Scion xB pizza box into a pizza truck .
Sure you can hit me up via email or Instagram.. email is on my website. Inkandpistons.com. Instagram is @inkandpistons
I love my 2006 scion xB. I would love to import a genuine toyota bB which is RHD or the bB OpenDeck.
@@herbertsungahid that would be awesome. it's getting pretty close to 25 years on those.. there may be some other loopholes but you get something newer in. They are pretty cool little mini 'utes!
Hello, my name is Aki I'm from Japan.
I am thinking of starting an export business of cars and trucks in Japan, but I don't know how to find export partners.
I would like to know how I can find a sales partner outside of Japan.
so I want advice🙏
I would be happy to work with you if you are interest haha
Hey Aki, shoot me an email and we can talk some more. Maybe we can figure something out. Thanks! Jr@inkandpistons.com
How fast does this go?
I've taken it up to about 65mph.. maybe 70mph around 110km 115km Depends on how accurate the speedo is it's in KM and I have to convert inml my head.. I haven't used a secondary gps like my phone.
How much did you have to pay your broker?
I don't remember if the to if my head. I do a price breakdown near the end of the video with all the exact numbers.
@@inkandpistons didn’t catch that part, thank you! You’re videos have been really helpful with my research
And that’s why I’ve never imported a vehicle!
Hahah.. it's really not that bad you just have to stay on top of everything! I guess I got a little lax since I did it once already..
wow, seems like a real pain in the ass...
I won't lie, it kind of is. But, worth it.. plus saves me about 3-4k on the price.
And you can sell it for 2x your investment in less than 5 years.
Yes, they do pretty well on resale
The "needing a broker to help you" is a fucking scam and they should all be fired. Really needs to be investigated.
Yeah. I did look it up on gov site and it seems somewhat legit I think it's because of the bonding. Like if you messed up on the value of the cargo it's insured... But I agree horse shit