Da Matser

Newbie here

I'm thinking of buying a 2005 STI JDM.

It ticks every box (inc cambelt change) except for it having no service history. The seller tells me it is normal for JDMs to have no stamp book but he has receipts for work done and a load of Japanese paperwork!?

Is he spinning a yarn or is this quite normal?

Apart from higher insurance, is there anything else I should watch out for with the JDM? What's this lack of burble all about? Will it still have the familiar rumble of an Impreza?

The clocks have been converted to mph but is there any way of knowing when? It has £35k on the clock, but this just might mean since the conversion!? Will a HPI check only show the mileage history since import? Oh, it's all a bit risky to me this JDM business

Please vote above.

Matt

Knotty_

iTrader: (5)

The receipts are probably more important than the stamps to be fair. I have no idea if it should have a book though.

The lack of burble (if you have been told it is missing it) is generally down to the manifold lengths, does this have a performance manifold that is equal length fitted?

I may be wrong, but I thought the clocks speed only was converted and the mileage was left in kilometres. This is how an import MR2 Turbo I had was done.

dibbleyuk

iTrader: (1)

Hi,

I have a JDM STi the speedo conversion is done when they are imported i was lucky mine was imported new so dont have too much worry about the millage.

I would check all the receipts and use them as history and not worry about the stamps in the book anyone can stamp a book and make up history.

As for the lack of burble they do not have it simple, this is due to the equal length manifold that is needed for the twinscroll turbo set up.

The JDM is a better all round car in my opinion it is more reliable has a stronger engine more power than a standard Type UK,

JDM STi's produce anything from 290bhp-320bhp standard a type uk is 260bhp.

Davey L

iTrader: (3)

It's normal for cars exported from japan to have no service book. Unless it was bought brand new and shipped straight over - as mine was. It was the same when i lived in Cyprus and guys were buying jap imports there... no service book and generally no history. If it's got a pile of receipts thats a bonus as long as you can read them of course they could be for anything! I know one guy who bough a Civic Type R in Cyprus and it had 'receipts' we took them down town to the Japanese resteraunt and one was for a sofa and one was for a service on a toyota... If you can check them out for what they are.
Don't worry about the burble twinscroll power makes up for it. Make sure the car has been mapped for UK fuel when i came in as the RON figures in Japan are higher than here so it should have been remapped for that. Should be fine as it would struggle to pass the emmisions test if it hadn't been i do believe.

Da Matser

Thanks all,

Yes, it has a Milltek system with equal length manifolds - so what does this mean? It sounds like a GX? I guess I'll just have to go and listen!

I'll have to look into whether the mileage is in km or M and if indeed Miles, when the instrument pack was changed. It's one owner, so probably imported as new (unless it's just been imported!) But if it was imported from new, then where's the book!?

I think it has been remapped as it has a dyno report for 353bhp! But again, was this in the UK or Japan, I wonder?

So it seems it's down to those all-important receipts - and what language they're in!

Thanks for making buying a JDM a bit less scary.

craigo

iTrader: (1)

Can you post up a link to where it is for sale. someone might know the car...

Terminator X

iTrader: (7)

JDM's may lack FSH for their time in Japan albeit I'd expect to see (as you would) FSH for the entire time that the car has been in the UK. I've had 2 JDM cars, the first was imported from new so had full UKSH, the second had just 8k miles on it so had nowt from its time in Japan but then had FSH from my time of ownership.

TX.

Edit - JDM cars howl (top of the rev range) rather than burble, a better sound imho

dibbleyuk

iTrader: (1)

And they sound nothing like a GX its a unique sound!

My mates take the **** and say it sounds like a honda lol

Jimbob

iTrader: (13)

I haven`t a service book with my Import but receipts for everything done, and a quick phone call to where the work was done and they can confirm everything.
Majority of the work I`ve done myself since having it, so again receipts again but no stamps.

daz1968

iTrader: (13)

I had a Japanese service book with mine, it is stamped but as I can't read it don't make a lot of difference, since import in the uk it has receipts from specialists for services and I have kept this up, only thing is it should have an oil change every six months between services so make sure it has receipts for this as well, although oil and filter receipts from an owner should more than suffice as I do my own fluid changes and keep receipts in the file I have kept for the car. As for insurance I found it no more than my old uk car and in fact if I had bought a uk ppp car it would have been more expensive.

Jimbob

iTrader: (13)

If its a home DIY oil change, ask them how they did it. As there is a particular way to do it, that if it isn`t makes it slightly more prone to premature engine death. You can usually tell the good competent DIY mechanic as they will be able to talk you through what you need to know, and a couple of questions will show up the bull $hitters from the knowledgeable.

huzzy1

iTrader: (1)

Bought my JDM from a dealer back in November at a good price, it was lacking all its paperwork from it's time in Japan. All it came with was it's service receipt from a week after it arrived in the UK.

This sort of set alarm bells ringing but as I was buying from a dealer I knew if there was anything wrong with it there was a warranty that covered me. I garaged it up for 3 weeks until I could get it to a reputable tuner where they had it for 3 days and went over every nut and bolt with a fine toothcomb. I had all belts changed, all oils changed, rolling roaded and a few tweaks. I wasn't too bothered what the bill was as long as it was 100% spot on I was happy. It came back like a new car.

It had 17000 on the clock and was imported on 11000 so by my calculations it covered 11000 kms, was then converted to miles and so had done 6000 miles in the year it was in the UK before I bought it.

A good JDM is a massive , a bad one I guess you'd just be unlucky.

Da Matser

Yeah Craigo it was here http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3515440.htm

Looks like I should have been more decisive!

Thanks for all the advice here. You've definitely made me more open to the JDM. I will post details of what I do end up buying!