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I'm just thinking of vehicles for my girlfriend, and a kei car fits the bill perfectly. Does anyone have any experience of importing a vehicle? Any good importers? What about insurance, how much of a hike is there for a grey import? Some kei for your trouble - 15 valve 3 cylinder! Cheers J
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You don't see many Kei imports. It'll cost the same in shipping etc. to import any car, so it's usually only the higher value cars (at this end) that people bother with.
It's well worth doing to get something tiny and turbocharged - but it's not going to be any cheaper than importing a 'proper' car.
The Daihatsu Cuore Avanzato TRXX was officially imported a few years back - but I don't think it would be easy to find one now.
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See them Cuore Avanzato occasionally on pistonheads, wasa one on ebay not long back. They are also known as Mira IIRC
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Mk1 TT
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My mate has one.Its absolutely fantastic fun!!And makes people smile
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Hirst
Posted a lot
This avatar is inaccurate, I've never shaved that closely
Posts: 3,930
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As the owner of two of these daft things, might as well share everything relevant I know. The top two I own myself, the rest is just info I know secondhand, so if any of it is wrong, TOUGH LUCK. Daihatsu Mira Classic Turbo 4WDEngine: EF-RL 3 Cylinder DOHC 12V Turbo Layout: Front engine, Fulltime 4WD Rarity: One on eBay/Autotrader every few months. Notes: 50 official UK imports, usually smart condition. Standard spec includes leather seats, aircon and a wooden Momo wheel. Very quick off the mark, but not quite as fast as a TR-XX once up to speed. Very fruity engine note though! Stock suspension way too high, lots of bodyroll. Stock wheels/tyres too narrow. No real rust protection, but if looked after shouldn't be a problem. Heatshield can rot out and this leads to the leading edge of the bonnet rusting up (presumably due to heat). Mods: Quite a lot of stuff available thanks to the engine being used in the popular Move SR-XX, you will have to import pretty much everything though. Engine can be modified well, a safe 100hp is fairly cheap. Uprated engine internals exist, you could get one of these to about 150hp or so if you are willing to spend a few grand. Daihatsu Cuore/Mira TR-XX Avanzato R4Engine: JB-JL 4 Cylinder DOHC 16V Turbo Layout: Front engine, Fulltime 4WD Rarity: Usually one or two on Autotrader/eBay in the space of a month. Notes: Something around 88 official UK cars, R4 is the top spec road car (R meaning 4 cylinder, 4 meaning 4WD) so be wary of imports as they tend to be the more common front-wheel drive "R". Some have normal Cuore bumpers on, some later imports have the proper Japanese ones, this was something to do with SVA. Not as quick off the mark as the 3 cyl Miras, but catch back up once wound up to speed, faster overall. Gearboxes can blow, thought to be down to poor quality gearbox oil, not changing the oil often enough, thrashing from cold, etc. Engine is extensively engineered and heavily restricted in standard form with rubbish exhaust/airbox combo (to keep power within Kei limits). Again, 100hp isn't difficult. Uprated internals exist and involve changing the engine to 713cc (Storia X4 spec) and you can get a little over 200hp that way. Suzuki CappuccinoEngine: F6A/K6A 3 Cylinder DOHC 12V Turbo (UK cars are F6A, later Japanese cars have K6A which was lighter and a bit more torque) Layout: Front engine, RWD Rarity: Usually at least half a dozen on eBay/Autotrader at once. Notes: Over a thousand sold in the UK, mostly official UK cars. Can have severe hidden rot problems even if looked after, be very wary! Most of them very pampered and permanently garaged though. Engines can be modified well, lots of stuff available, 150hp not impossible but I assume it would make it extremely difficult to drive! Mazda Autozam AZ-1/Suzuki CaraEngine: F6A 3 Cylinder DOHC 12V Turbo Layout: Mid-engine, RWD Rarity: Pretty rare, can go for months and months without seeing one for sale here! Notes: Not officially imported here, but some exist. Easily the most advanced body of any Kei-cars, a steel frame with bolt-on FRP panels! The idea was that they would sell different panels so owners could change the look of their car completely if they wanted, but it never happened. Engine is the early Cappuccino one and can be modded as such. Keiichi Tsuchiya drove one modified with about 100hp and felt it was very "on the limit", but enjoyed it! Hope that satisfies, but any further details on request I suppose. If you want to experience a turbocharged Kei-car, drop me a PM and I'll give you a run out in the TR-XX!
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Cheers Hirst,
for the trouble, have some kei drift action -
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Sooky Wagon (YA)RR?
Official imports so less hassle buying AND insuring.
Plus, they rule...And I got my one on Gran Turismo 4 up to 180mph.
*n
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Top grammar tips! Bought = purchased. Brought = relocated Lose = misplace/opposite of win. Loose = your mum
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tigran
Club Retro Rides Member
In rust we trust. Amen.
Posts: 6,444
Club RR Member Number: 142
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I will squeeze myself into a cappo somehow someday. Slammed 66 on here had a really fugging nice one for a bit. Thats about as useful as i get on the subject i'm afraid.
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1964 Rover P5 i6 1987 BMW 525e - The Rusty Streak 1992 Micra K10 2001 BMW E46 316i 2002 BMW E46 330Ci 2013 BMW F31 320d 2018 BMW G31 530d
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Cheers for the input chaps, Ill talk her later and see what she thinks!
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I had improper thoughts of getting a kei car a few weeks ago. Then i looked at the price of cappuccino's and decided against the idea. Would still love to get one though, they look great fun.
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There was an AZ1 in a local scrapyard a while ago when i was trawling it with my dad.
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miaspa
Part of things
Posts: 829
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Jul 31, 2008 21:31:58 GMT
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Seeing the pictures from the common and the Autozam AZ-1 got me thinking about an article I read in the early 90's and the le mans replica based on its underpinnings. Half an hour of googling later to find out its an Autozam AZ 1 type C, then searched for an image and I end up back here. Aint life odd.
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Found my flashing Pao again.
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ezzysi
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,189
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Jul 31, 2008 21:56:34 GMT
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Small world! Did a google search for a "Daihatsu Cuore Avanzato TRXX" then after scrolling further down this page I find the 3rd google image result is a retro rider's ride;D
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1991 Mk2 Golf Gti 8v 2005 Passat tdi (daily) 1971 Mk1 Escort 2004 Touran (her's)
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horney™
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 1,289
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^^^^^^ I want ALL of those.
Nick
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importing = all the same hassles as importing any car from Japan. Sorry, dunno much about that.
insuring = specialist broker only really. You may find it cheaper than you think if you go through a specialist like Sureterm, Adrian Flux, Footman James, etc. rather than the usual mainstream insurers who will say "its a what now?"
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1941 Wolseley Not Rod - 1956 Humber Hawk - 1957 Daimler Conquest - 1966 Buick LeSabre - 1968 Plymouth Sport Fury - 1968 Ford Galaxie - 1969 Ford Country Squire - 1969 Mercury Marquis - 1970 Morris Minor - 1970 Buick Skylark - 1970 Ford Galaxie - 1971 Ford Galaxie - 1976 Continental Mark IV - 1976 Ford Capri - 1994 Ford Fiesta
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stealthstylz
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 14,926
Club RR Member Number: 174
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After having a ride in Hirst's Cuore buy one for sure, they're brilliant fun.
Matt
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tado
Part of things
Posts: 22
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hi guys long time lurker, first time poster here. just saw this topic and thought i might as well get registered - I'm a huge kei-fan.
theres actually a kei car meeting coming up in september - kei kars in the park (http://keikarsinthepark.co.uk/) - its organised by one of the UKHBC members so should be a good chance to check out a few kei's if you're interested. have you considered a honda beat as well - we've had one for a few years and they're terrific fun. very cheap to buy at the mo as well - theres quite a few nice ones for sale. subaru vivio, diahatsu esse, soozy alto-works, honda today, and the afore-mentioned avanzatos are amazing as well (theres a nice avanzato for sale on the ukhbc at the mo and a couple on carandclassic). would be lovely to see another mazda az1 over here too!
as far as importers go, we've used 200bhpcars.com for ours and recently brought over an integra dc5 through them - theyve got a brilliant reputation on the honda boards. insurence is pretty easy through the normal people like flux, lifesure, etc. the beat costs about 500 per year, but thats with rollcage and a lot of other stuff... HTH! mike
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What's the option on performance mods, like coilovers or exhausts?
I'm guessing their are no UK experts in this field, so its back to finding contacts in Japan?
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tado
Part of things
Posts: 22
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theres plenty stuff available - it just all has to be imported or come through japhoo. vtecdirect caters for beats and I'm pretty sure they can get bits for other honda models too like the life's, life-dunks, vamos etc. japaneazi.co.uk does copen and other diahatsu stuff, and cappuccino sport does plenty for the cappos. my car was totally standard when i got it, and now has a lot of mugen, feels and cozy-lights bits attached to it. it can be pricey and you have to be patient, but no more so than any other slightly obscure car.
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