NA6: Import vs Aus delivered

[emily_mx5]

Hi everyone, after being well and truly abused via text message about how my car is a worthless import (apparently?) I would like to start this thread with a couple of questions. Relating to NA6 cars, as there aren't many NA8 jdm imports.

Lets take condition to be the same between the 2 examples.

Are there any main huge reasons to avoid the import?

Are the imports worth less as a whole?

Why would you expressly only what an Aus delivered car?

I am just trying to understand why someone would have such an aggressive opinion, as the only correlation i have seen with cheaper mx5 is that they are in rough condition, it doesnt seem to matter if "eunos roadster" or "mazda mx5"

Thanks everyone

[NitroDann]

I wont give you the response here I would give in person but basically clueless (insert politically incorrect term for people who are slow here).

There are a few things.

People claim the speedos are wound back. (Who cares about the KM's its a 25 year old car, condition only matters)

People claim that insurance is impossible to get. (It isnt, there is zero difference)

Thats all I can think of, basically if you vocalise that a Eunos is worth less than an aus delivered in your opinion, you are telling the whole world that you have no idea what you are doing.

Dann

[Jeo]

It's basically to do with the known history of the car. On a 5yr old car you would expect a know history which an import can't provide. On a 25yr old car, you're not going to get an accurate history anyway so who cares?

Apparently still some people. Thus the car is potentially worth less than an Australian delivered equivalent.

Would make very little difference to me if we're talking about an NA but to others it's a deal breaker, therefore the car is harder to sell. You'll cope.

[emily_mx5]

Thanks Dann, thats what i was thinking aswell.

He is clearly a massive idiot:
"A Eunos Roadster is as much a Mazda MX5 as a Toyota Lexcen is a Holden Commodore but at least the Lexcen was sold in Australia."

[NitroDann]

Id have told him to get bent, I suggest you do the same.

Also, the sort of person who cares if his commodore has a lexen badge normally wouldnt be into cars that require taste... interdasting..?

Dann

[Aussie Stig]

Practically speaking there is no difference, some option specs would be slightly different but no more expected than year to year changes in model. Change the badge and you have a Eunos/Miata/MX-5

To be fair, if I was a non-mx-5/owner/afficionado I think Eunos badges would put people off. I mean WTF is Eunos? Not many people know it was a Mazda experimental sales branding. Stupid JDM name.

Also "import from Japan" lumbers you in with the Silvia/GTR brigade which is not nice.

Don't let it get you down, sales of older cars are slow all round.

[Okibi]

With an import you have to check if there's damage from salted roads in Japan or forklift marks on the chassis rails but these are easy to check for, any 2nd hand car you'd be checking for accident or flood damage anyway.

Apart from damage caused in Australia my Eunos is in great condition and has been faultless for many years.

I didn't have any dramas insuring it.

[NitroDann]

Since my last post here I have read his replies to her, he is a total knob.

He is probably very socially challenged.

Dann

[little decks]

I guess someone might get that general impression from the import seen for other cars, I know I would be very reluctant to buy an import FD3S RX7 for example... most of the time the engines let go not long after running around in AUS and the turbos are worn out, however when it comes to a small naturally aspirated car like the MX5 you get pretty even numbers of crap imports and good ones just as you would in the domestic market.... I think the kms is a bit of an issue with the damage a lot of japanese cars get from the salted roads... I know we got a 2000 model in a few years back just because it was a straight shell, being an auto 1.6 the running gear wasn't much use and the car had "27, xxx" kms on it but there was a lot of rust and corrosion under the car.

[marty085]

LOL analogy fail on his part.. The Eunos was actually Mazda's own "luxury" arm in Japan (there was another one too at the same time that I forget the name of) whereas obviously Toyota was not an arm of Holden. A person living in Japan in the early 90s may not even have heard of an MX-5.

[marty085]

PS I didn't think they salted roads in Japan? A discussion about it here:
http://www.skylinesaustralia.com/forums ... -in-japan/

[gussy]

Actually, anyone know why the Aussie NA MX5 had a much lower redline compared to the JDM version?

[hejira]

[93_Clubman]

Lets take condition to be the same between the 2 examples.

Are there any main huge reasons to avoid the import? Not really, but like any car you've got to do the research to identify potential specifics, ie import docs, ADR compliance, registration.

Are the imports worth less as a whole? Not really.

Why would you expressly only want an Aus delivered car? If you were a PUR157.

I am just trying to understand why someone would have such an aggressive opinion, as the only correlation i have seen with cheaper mx5 is that they are in rough condition, it doesnt seem to matter if "eunos roadster" or "mazda mx5".
Enquirer is just trying to white ant you - rightly or wrongly, in the past there was a perception that the Eunos Roadster was worth slightly less. But these days for a good example of a 20 or more years old NA6, probably little or no difference as good low km examples are becoming harder to find.

[Apu]

Emily,

As you well know anytime you try to sell something, you'll get all sorts of tyre kickers - ones that will ask a thousand questions only to finish with, "it wasn't what I was looking for anyway" through to those that will give you all sorts of silly reasons / create issues so they can beat your price down. They'll bait you, troll you, lead you on.

Best way is just ignore those guys and move (them) on - "You want an AUDM one, this isn't, let's not waste one another's time". You'll get someone else who will come along and beat you down on price because your car isn't white/red/whatever...and expect that you lower your price for that reason. Just cut them off and tell them to look on carsales, and walk away.

Bryan