I have put a deposit on a JDM import V5 sti, I have heard that they dont underseal cars in Japan, I obviously want to keep it in tip top condition.

Could I underseal the car myself if I have access to a ramp, if so what do I need to buy to underseal it and what is involved in undersealing it, ie do any parts need to be removed prior to undersealing it? TBH I don't even know what underseal is, do you spray it on or what?

Also I have been told that the car will come with 12 months most but won't have a kmh to mph conversion, I thought this was a legal requirement?

If I want to convert it does a V5 sti need the manual converter that goes on the speedo cable or an electronic converter, if it an electronic converter can it be converted as part of a remap?

Final question is how many cats would it have as standard? I assume 1 in the downpipe and 1 in the centre section? Would it pass an mot with just the downpipe cat? How do you full decat guys get ur car mot'd? I can't really just ask the mot centre if they are prepared to "bend" the rules as even if they are they ain't going to admit it to a random who wanders in haha

 

Is it a company here you are using to import it? I have also just put a deposit down on a 2006 JDM STI but the company I'm using will underseal it for me, I've bought many japanese cars off them in the past and they underseal them all. Have you double checked to see if the company underseal it anyway?

As far as I'm aware the car needs to have a mph conversion before it can be MOT'd. A decat will also fail an MOT and most of the time people either know an MOT tester (illegal) or put a cat back on just for the MOT (also illegal).

 

A speedo converter that wires into the loom on top of gearbox will change to mph and ajust mileage, about £35 off eBay and a doddle to fit

 

I will check if they underseal it, if they don't, what is involved in undersealing a car?
Can I do it myself if I get it up on a ramp?
Do you need to remove any parts before u underseal it?

 

You can use waxoyl or tetrashutz to underseal. Depends how far you want to take it. You can do just the sills / inner arch's and not remove any parts or you can take of skirts / exhaust etc..
Also I always think its better to see the underbody before it has been undersealed and then get it undersealed afterwards. There are snowy areas in Japan and you get rusty cars there also!

 

There are far better underseals than Waxoyl, Hammerite or Schutz basically paraffin wax with a solvent in it.

I use Bilt Hamber or Dinitrol waxes, rust inhibitors and sealants as they are a few generations ahead of the old school stuff. If you do it yourself apply a rust inhibitor after giving the underside a good scrub down.