| mr_sars |
So I decided that all of you should know about my current situation with ImportConcern right now. Now to start it off, they have brought in countless cars from overseas with excellent results but I guess that I'm just the odd one out with a twisted turn of events.
BTW This is a VERY LONG read so bear with me if you want to...
First, I deposited money with IC in order for them to search for a 180sx for me. The first deposit I had put down was June of 2005...one year ago. Soon after that deposit, I had found what I thought was to be a decent 180sx.
At the time I had been informed that:
The Turbo was not spooling.
There were holes in the dash from gauges.
The front bumper was misaligned.
The trunk had spoiler holes which were patched up and painted over.
That was the translation that I had received from Christian from this very Auction Sheet.
I had also asked for a picture of the engine, but for some reason I wasn't given one...I'll admit that this was my biggest(stupidest) mistake ever, but I guess I was just blinded by my excitement over finally being able to own a car that I've always dreamed about. Pictures of the car can be found at ImportConcern's Site.
Note that the Auction sheet states that it's a Grade 3 car, but also showed many imperfections on the car (It is a 15 year old car so you can't expect something to be perfect.). Now at this point, I thought I had known ALL of the problems on the car...Boy was I wrong...
Now the car was stored for an extended period of time...I had purchased the car sometime around Aug/Sept even though it was legal for import on March since it was a 1990 instead of a 1989. I didn't really have a problem with this since I was paying for the car all by myself and earning that much money when you're young is tough.
So let's skip ahead to March of 2005. The shipping of cars to Canada had been backed up tremendously causing the car to be delayed another 4 months until finally it had arrived in June. At this point, I was a bit irritated since I had already waited 6-7 months for the car, but I'm a firm believer in the saying that "Good things come to people that wait".
Now it's July of 2005 and my 180sx had arrived on the 24th of June. I had taken my first glimpse at my dream car on the 28th.
Now...A quick walk around and glance at the car, I was not surprised at all at the quality. Everything on the body was described just as the auction sheet had stated...scratches here, dents here, etc.
One thing I had found strange was that my right, rear quarter panel, bumper and right rear under moulding was smashed in. This was obviously a result of the shipping and should be handled by the shipping company.
Then I popped open the engine bay... and wow...just wow. My heart sank lower than hell right in that single second. I was never informed of such a serious structural problem...There was rust all over the strut towers(just as stated in my other thread).
I had thought that such extensive, serious structural damage would be mentioned on the Auction sheet...on a Grade 3 car as well... I have seen Auction Grade 3 cars before and I am impressed with their quality, but I felt that my 180sx didn't even deserve a Repaired grade let alone a Grade 3.
FYI, rust along the strut towers will NEVER pass out of province inspections just because the mechanic doesn't want to lose their job over it. Also, just about ALL bodyshops will never even attempt to repair such damage because it's just too dangerous. Restoration shops won't bother to touch the car since it's just not worth the time or money...lets say its cheaper to buy another car than to repair the damage...
So now I'm stuck in the most awkward and worst situation ever possible...I have a 180sx imported with extensive strut tower rust which I was never aware about. As a result, it will never be register or be driven on Canadian roads. Also, the car has shipping damages which should be covered by the shipping company's insurance...Why fix a parts car/write-off? Will they give me a cheque for the damages instead? Probably not...
Now, I'm not angry in any way, but just more disappointed in the fact that ImportConcern had never told me about the rust. I would've never even considered to purchase the car had I known about the structural rust. Sure, I should've pursued the pictures of the engine bay, but again, I was blinded by excitement and by the fact that an Auction Grade 3 car shouldn't be in such a poor condition.
Things To Ponder:
What is going to happen to the car(won't pass inspection)?
Will I still pay for it(REALLY REALLY EXPENSIVE PARTS CAR)?
What will the shipping company do about the damages to the car?
Will IC ever reply to my e-mails?
BTW, I see Christian(mx73someday) logged onto the boards often, but I never understand why it takes so long to respond to one of my emails. On the side note, I've met Christian and Dominic before in person and they seemed like very genuine people. I guess this is just an isolated case where importing a car has gone horribly wrong. I'm just truly disappointed in the fact that my dream has turned into my worst nightmare.
edit> I had expected everything wrong with the car when I had taken a look at it the first time. They had informed me about everything else. The ONLY thing wrong was the rust on the front strut towers. |
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| Snowcrash |
RALLY CAR!!!
or race car after you re-enforce the strut towers. Then you don't need to worry about the inspection.
How good are your fabricating skills? |
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| Lococoin |
| that really sucks man. btw, its 2005 right now not 2006... |
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| mwdguy |
maybe they werent informed of it also?
i;m not sure how this importing thing works i.e. does import concern go over and inspect the cars or do they rely on photos etc |
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| ashy |
| ummm....wow i know a few ppl this has happened to, and i only say one thing...shoulda gone through DJ :P |
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| bigmack000 |
| i was just about to ask when did you figer out time travel cause i got some lotto tixs to buy lol |
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| toyota_guy |
| o... wow thats why im hesitant to import, because u have to take some guy in japans word for it and hes just trying to make the sale. i guess u should have tried to pressure for pictures more i see u tried but what can u do... so what are u going to do with the car now? |
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| mr_sars |
quote:
Originally posted by bigmack000
i was just about to ask when did you figer out time travel cause i got some lotto tixs to buy lol
lmao hahaha i think yesterday completely screwed up my internal calendar. |
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| dsl55 |
| dude I feel bad for you, too bad there is no way to go after import concern... |
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| qualthar |
quote:
Originally posted by mr_sars
Things To Ponder:
What is going to happen to the car(won't pass inspection)?
Will I still pay for it(REALLY REALLY EXPENSIVE PARTS CAR)?
What will the shipping company do about the damages to the car?
Will IC ever reply to my e-mails?
Unfortunately it won't pass the out of province inspection.
You can talk to the IC guys, I dealt with them in the past (not about this kind of thing though) and they're very professional, they might be able to work something out between you and the auctions :confused:
The shipping insurance will cover the damages, it may take a little time but it'll get done in the end.
The guys at IC are really busy all the time. It took them a while to respond to all my emails and stuff. Patience is the key, I'm sure you guys can work out something that's mutually agreeable in the end:blue: |
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| mike3 |
| That sucks man, hopefully you can get everything worked out! |
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| dc2696 |
| what did u pay for it? maybe part it out or sumthing? just ideas, shitty deal man i hate getting ripped off, especially when the car is ur dream car.....:mad: |
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| CanuckDave |
oh wow.. that sucks so much Andy. hell you've been talking about importing a 180 since a couple years ago (ah the good old days working as your boss at mcD's :p )
This is one of the reasons I decided not to go the import route, I've seen good examples of imported vehicles, but also some very dissapointing ones.
you must be really feeling pretty choked right now, I know I would be. hope you can get things worked out. |
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| dsl55 |
Let's just say all the rust was because the shipping company left a freight door open and all the sea water/air caused your rust damage.
Maybe if they are lazy they wont investigate your claims :fingersx: |
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| mr_sars |
:p Good old times at McDs...surprised I never ended up in jail for what I've done...I pwned them and now my s0x0rz h4v3 b33n r0x0r3d.
dc2696> Lets say that if I had parted every little piece of the car out at double the normal price, I still wouldn't come close to breaking even.
Right now, I'm just waiting to hear back from them and I do know that they're great people to deal with. Like I said, this is probably an isolated case of "When Everything Goes Wrong/To Hell". I just want to see what I can work out with IC and the shipping company and maybe I'll end up with something thats even remotely worth my patience and money. |
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| Sxn |
| that's the risk u take with rhd cars.. |
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| turbo_dave |
| well.. if you have the time/money why don't you get a dealer licence and then a dealer plate. If I am correct, you can drive anycar that you own on the D (or M) plate as long as its not registred. Of course your not supposed to use dealer plates on personal cars but everyone honestly does it, ive even seen a few jdm-mobiles being driven this way. I plan on getting one when i decide on something to import, then i can just switch the plate between multiple cars without the hassel of registrations/inspections. |
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| jegger |
| Ur kinda S O L that really suxx man, i would personally go down there and solve some problems for the ppl who said it waz fine, but im nothing to worry about im just a little guy:lol: :fingersx: if that happens when i get a car i will freak......well maybe not kinda ur fault for not getting a pic of the bay b4 u bought the car, another option is to part it out, motor tranny harness ecu is good for around 2neone wants to attempt an rhd conversion that is good foe about 1200-1500, wheels tires? windows? seats? tail lights? ? ? u should have no problem making all the money that u spent on the car from parting it out!!!!!! well good luck man |
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| mr_sars |
:p You usually wouldn't expect rust on the strut towers on a Grade 3 car and it's usually the last place to go on a car. Judging by the body it shouldn't have that kind of damage, but I guess by getting an engine shot, this would've been avoided.
Haha I guess I'm just frustrated and disappointed in the results. This isn't meant to bash their business, but just to inform people that are considering importing cars that there can be surprises... |
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| dsl55 |
| Perhaps make a post in user feedback, and anyone with future aspirations of importing from them will ask for engine bay shots. |
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| mr_sars |
Well the thing is now that their broker stock contains just about every kind of shot (front, sides, back, engine, interior) and shots of dings, scratches and rust on the car. Their description of the cars has drastically improved over time so now the buyer is provided with everything they need.
I bought mine from the Broker Stock, but it didn't have such that kind of a description at the time, whereas the Auction source is the real gamble for buyers. |
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| Shady_Pro |
| import concern = POOH |
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| socalsupra |
| i'd buy it from you |
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| MiniMan |
FYI, best that I know K-Line does *not* offer shipping insurance on used cars. Don't expect anything out of them.
The trick to buying a good quality car at auction/stock is to avoid getting the typical salesman. Get the type of guy who feels guilty if anything comes up wrong with the car. Get the type of guy whose honest, patient and doesn't need his export broker's fee to make a living. Get a broker that is much mechanic as he is the paperwork guy. Something like this would never get passed a mechanically inclined individual. Then make sure he knows he's morally responsible that the car is as described.
I spoke with around 15 brokers before hand picking mine. Great results so far, great fees, tonnes of pictures, great descriptions and he catches ALL little imperfections in the cars. At times I wish he was a mechanic instead of just mechanically inclined... but as I said, he's caught just about everything so far. Next time (if there is one) try and make sure your import broker knows the type of person he's dealing with on the other end. That's the reason why I never went, nor would I ever go through a larger exportation company...
In any case, sad story man. All the best of luck to you and the car!
Corey |
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| MiniMan |
Forgot to add this in...
FYI though, Import Concern is just an Import *broker*. If they did the paperwork as they should have it's all in your name with them as the broker, which pretty much means they're off the hook. Even if they purchased the car and then sold it they would have to lie to you about the condition of the car for you to legally get any sort of consolation out of them. Legally, they're probably off the hook... Morally... I'll leave that up to you to decide. If they do anything to remedy the situation the only reason why they're doing it is to uphold their name...
Corey |
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| sparkycivic |
| correct me if Im wrong, but isn't that rust on the liners, and not on the actual strut tower structure? my first hint was the sealant along the line between the rusted part, and the actual tower part. i think that the actual frame of the car is somewhere under the liners, so you can probably cut off the liner, and MIG in a niver piece of steel over it, and also get a better look at what's underneath. i wouldn't be afraid to drive that... |
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| DeathBy240 |
Have you tried to get it through an OOP? My 240sx passed an inspection with rust on the STs however not quite as bad.
Now I am on the hunt for some way to fix this. For the Plymouth Voyagers, who also had this problem, they made a kit to weld over the strut tower after you cut out the previous rusted metal piece.
Or you could go all out and do this:
http://www.240sxforums.com/forums/s...ead.php?t=39942 |
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| turbomike |
| thats nothing could be repaired no problem coat of tremclad and it will pass inspection depends on where you go! |
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| ChromeDragon |
| This is an extremely unfortunate situation, but I think you should have a talk with Christian before going any further with this. He's an honest guy and I'm sure he'll do whatever he can to make this right. |
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| dsl55 |
Now that you post up those pics, I feel that more investigation needs to be done on how deep that rust goes :dunno:
As was said before, that could all be cut out and new metal welded in. If no body shop wants to do it, talk privately with a body man and maybe pay for it to be done under the table. Anyone asks, say you did the work yourself. Who would know? And the body man doesn't lose his reputation or his job...
Throw on a strut tower bar to make it look even more modified. :fingersx: |
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| Complexity |
This story really scares me. I looked at the pictures of the car @ IC and the car looked perfectly fine. :S Myabe if I am looking at an import I will have to take a little trip down to Japan..
:drama: |
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| dsl55 |
| Or as previously stated, get a car that the importer has personally seen and inspected. If I was part of this RHD craze, I would fork the extra few thousand for a car already landed, and inspect it my self, that way you know EXACTLY what you are getting. |
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| mr_sars |
:p The reason I went for a 180sx instead of a 240sx was that, ironically, I wanted a solid frame with a ca18det already inside raher than swapping it my self. Simply owning a RHD isn't really practical in Canada, but it is still drivable; just requires some experience.
Now aside from the rust in the engine bay, I'm in another situation regarding, from what i believe, damages from shipping. These three links should provide you with what you're going to have to look at in order to respond.
Car In Japan
Auction Sheet
Landed
Ok, so taken from an e-mail that I had just received
"For the rear bumper, although hard to see in the pictures, it was on the auction sheet. It is labelled as B2 and shows the scratches on car picture." - IC
B2 on an auction sheet refers to a bump and the scratches on the sheet obviously represent scratch marks.
Note: There is a bump and scratch(Quite long actually, about 1/2 a foot) above the rear wheel well on the quarter panel that can not be seen in my picture.
ImportConcern's Scenario:
From their e-mail, I'm getting the impression that the car was like that with the damage before it had left Japan. They believe, the car was properly marked on the Auction sheet and properly represented by their broker. This begins to raise a few questions for me:
1. Why is the right rear under moulding complete in the pictures from Japan, but nearly falling off in my photo?
2. Is it a coincedence that my moulding was destroyed right under an "existing" scratch and bump in the rear quarter panel?
3. What about the scratch above my wheel well? (I think this is what was represented on the auction sheet)
4. Was pictures of the car deliberately taken in the rain to conceal the scratches?
5. Was the rear moulding (If already cracked and falling off) propped up to appear to be mounted properly and in good condition to sell the car?
Statement: If the car was already damaged when in Japan, then obviously, time was taken to conceal the damage in the pictures, but not on the auction sheet. What else is the Japanese broker hiding from me besides the rust and the damage? This gets me very worried.
My Scenario:
The scratch and bump above my wheel well were relevant to the Auction sheet. The new bump and cracked moulding was a result of the shipping company. I personally think that the photos are proof enough that the quality of the rear wasn't as bad as it is now, after shipping.
Theoretically, both scenarios can be true since no one has ever seen the car in Japan. But I'm posting this just to get some actual opnions on this situation. I'd just like to know what you guys think of my situation, especially the more established 780tuner members reading this.
Referring to the OOP, I work at a dealership where the mechanics I know are qualified to do OOPs. Usually, rust around and along the strut towers is the last thing to happen on a car. If there is rust there, it may mean that the quality of the car isn't as good as it seems. Repair is costly and possible, but if it rusted once, it can rust again. If not repaired, the car would become totally unsafe to drive within a few years. |
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| dsl55 |
| Have you checked if that rust is deeper on the strut towers? And assuming you can fix it up a little, and get it through inspection, sell it man, and import a newy :D |
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| REFLUX |
Have you continued trying to get a hold of Import Concern?
Phone, registered mail, email, pm, make a post in their forum?
btw, registered mail = they have to sign it when they receive it, it is a legal document showing it was received and they know about it. |
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| mr_sars |
quote:
Originally posted by REFLUX
Have you continued trying to get a hold of Import Concern?
Yeah we've always been in contact through e-mails, but I'm usually only talking to Dominic rather than both himself and Christian.
Ah well, I guess this thread is more of a rant than anything else, but I also wanted a bit of advice from some of the more educated people on the boards. |
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| Bad Egg |
| What export broker was it through? I have noticed some Hasnihon cars to be a little rough around the edges just from the photos on their site. |
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