Suzuki Carry -- Process

How I got my hands on a Japanese 1993 Suzuki Carry:

1. Find a export broker

-- I used Japan Car Direct -- https://japancardirect.com/
-- There are many others, and I can't recommend one over the other.

-- Once you register with the Broker, you'll be granted access to an auction site -- many thousands of vehicles there, good filtering tools, etc. Find the vehicle you want, place a bid, and you'll hear back once the auction closes (I waited just a few days). If you win your bid, you pay only $100 over the 2 nd place bid. So if you bid $1000 and win, and the 2nd place bid was only $500, then you pay only $600.

-- Note: Japan requires JCI inspections every two years -- testing for emissions, illegal modifications, tires and other safety-related conditions. They require the vehicle owner to make the specified repairs, and then have the vehicle re-inspected to verify the repairs before the vehicle can be licensed for another two years. The outcome of this is that used cars are generally in much better shape in Japan than in the U.S.; cars tend to be newer in Japan, as JCI requirements become increasingly expensive there as the car ages, so owners are motivated to sell sooner, in better condition, and at much lower mileage, than what we might expect of used-car sales in the U.S. That's not to say there's no risk of ending-up with a hoopty -- just for context.

-- Note on licensing requirements: you can get a new / <25yr-old vehicle, but it can only be licensed in the U.S. if the make/model has gone through all of the testing done here -- crash tests, what have you, *or* if it is designated as a farm vehicle (technical restrictions involved with that -- I'm not sure specifically). The alternative is to get a vehicle that is >=25yrs-old -- for which none of these restrictions apply. In my case, I filtered my search in the auction site for vehicles 25 & older.

-- Note: my van travels comfortably at 35mph and lower. I have taken it up to 60mph once -- it's not made for that / would by no means be up for freeway commuting; but it is perfect for traveling neighborhood and county roads. Japan roads (expressways notwithstanding) tend to be slower than in the U.S., and U.S. cars tend to be made for high-speed; so good to check your assumptions / requirements on this consideration.

-- When you win your vehicle, it will be inspected, and you'll receive a post-bid condition report. (there is also a pre-bid condition report in the auction site that you can read -- a bit minimal, but still helpful).

-- Note: my broker wanted to fix things that were not on the condition report. Broken headlight. Leaky oil pan. Etc. Do as you will here -- my initial response was that I got the light fixed ($160). After that, they contacted me again to say there was an oil leak, and did I want them to fix that too? I became suspicious at that point, and told them so, asking why the headlight and oil leak hadn't shown-up on the condition report. They stopped asking me if I wanted them to perform repairs on the van after that. (And when I finally received the van -- there was no oil leak, etc.). Another note: you can get parts and repairs here in the U.S. for this van. I'm sure there are unique challenges with different vehicles, but anyway...I've had no major worries on this front.

-- Costs paid to the export broker: $2370
Breakdown:
*Broker Fees: $880
*Inland transport (from seller's location to Tokyo port): $240
*Vehicle Purchase Price: $410. How it works: if you win your bid, you pay the amount of the 2nd-place bid + roughly $100 (10k yen).
*Freight & Marine insurance: $840

-- Be sure to get an officially translated copy of the Title from the export broker. The export broker insisted this wasn't necessary. But the DoL insisted that it was, and refused to register the van until I had that. In the end, the broker used his han (personal signature) stamp on the title -- and since the DoL could not provide me with a definition of 'official translation' (nor could they cite the legal requirement for it), that's what I used -- and the DoL accepted it without question. Kanji is magic.

Note: generally speaking, the export broker knows a lot about U.S. rules & regs. Not everything, especially some state-level idiosyncrasies, but generally -- they're a great resource for this info.

1. Find an customs broker to import the vehicle.

You can do this DIY and eliminate most of the cost involved. I paid roughly $161.75, and they handled everything -- such a relief. DIY consideration: tracking down the rules, dealing with US Customs, EPA, etc. requirements make it real bit of work if you're inexperienced.

-- Transport the vehicle from the port. You can DIY this. I hired someone to do it for $400.

-- Bribe the union guy to unlock the gate at the port. I paid $60. Not a joke -- he wants cash in his pocket before he'll lift a finger. I did contemplate the cost/benefit of refusing to pay it / filing a complaint with the Port and U.S. Customs -- and maybe with a few months' patience as I track the right officials down, extended storage fees, another $400 to send the transport guy down a second time, and some number of hours of work and frustration, I could have won that battle. Meh -- buy a nice bottle of wine for your unfortunate wife, you scoundrel -- on me.

1. Licence / Registration / Title

Any DoL-authorized office can do this. I paid $237 in total.

Summary:

All-told, I paid $2817 for all of the services & fees, plus the purchase-price of the van which was just a fraction of that at $410. Would I have paid over $3000 for that van if I found it for sale here in the U.S.? -- probably, yes. It's a ton of fun to drive, it's novel; makes a perfect trash-hauler and in-town commuter / errand-running vehicle. It's simple -- something I miss -- no automatic anything in it, no GPS, has manual door locks and roll-down windows, etc. There were other options, of course -- but this one was good for me, and I'm still glad I bought it. Cops have never harassed me about it -- I wondered if they would, with the right-hand drive, but no issues at all. Annual registration / tabs are the same for it, as with a U.S.-origin car. Insurance is slightly higher for it -- I think I pay roughly $600/yr. This is weighted by variables including age, good driving record and all that, of course -- teen-aged drivers would certainly pay more -- though on the upside, a vehicle that only goes 35mph would have certainly offered my parents some much-needed peace of mind when I was 16. :-)