Japanese car imports

glanma · Posted: Wed Oct 19, 2005 12:27 am Post subject:

That's great - keep us posted as to the arrival date! I'm down around Southampton reasonably frequently so I'll keep an eye out for you when it arrives.

glanma · Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2005 5:45 pm Post subject:

Grab a drink 'cos this might be a bit long!!!! Shocked

As ever this update is coming from the great unwashed as far as knowledge of the ESVA and model reports is concerned!! Embarassed

So apologies if all this seems a bit obvious to anyone but myself!

Well today saw the Estima finally have it's ESVA test, way later than I ever expected but that has been mainly down to my own circumstances and new information being uncovered at various times!

As you may have seen from my previous posts, I bought a 2.4 petrol auto Estima TA-ACR30W of March 2002 vintage, with a few additions, ie. bodykit, lowered suspension, sports exhaust, etc. Its age meant it needed an ESVA test, and my questions regarding this have returned lots of varying and conflicting info along the way, and I have found the only answer has been to do exhaustive research and only take any notice of things that you see in black and white on paper! The [b]bad[/b] news is that the car failed today, but the [i][b]good [/b][/i]news is that it only failed on having the wrong rear silencer (wrong only in that it is different from the one in the model report being large bore and twin pipes rather than std bore & sgl pipe) & the noise level from said silencer. So a quick change of that and a re-test should see the car with a pass certificate next wednesday! :D (and then the sports exhaust will go back on too Wink

)

As far as the model report goes, all i got sent was basically a form showing how much i paid for it and the report number, which goes on the ESVA application form before you send it off. They don't send any info on what might need doing to the car at all, so the only way to find out is to keep phoning the model reports people and ask questions. However, even this may not get you the info you need - I asked if the bodykit was ok and was told that it needs to be removed to pass the ESVA. Not true in this case, as the car tested to produce the model report had a bodykit on it too!(I managed to get the examiner to show me that bit on his version of the model report!) Different to mine - but it had one! So all the worry about finding secondhand stock bumpers was immaterial. (2003 on is different though as front and rear impact zones come into it.)

A question arose concerning my ECU as well. At first, the examiner told me that mine had the wrong ECU for its model type, which was a fail. But at the end of the test, he called DVLA and they said that some ECU's are allowed to be swopped over to different ones, and that mine was one of those! Phew! But again, something I wouldn't have had a clue about as I didn't have any info about this from the model report.

Not wishing to waffle on forever, if you import something modified which will need an ESVA test, my advice would be to look at a standard car first to try and establish any differences - not always easy, I know! Then ask the people you will get your model report from if the car they tested has any of the mods which yours has. If it hasn't then you will have to get your car to match theirs, period. Don't be surprised when the ESVA guys start measuring air filters, rev the nuts off your car or ask you to remove half your interior, 'cos it will happen! And the model report is THE BIBLE as far as an ESVA test goes, even though it's not much help to us and just seems like a very expensive bit of paper! Confused

If anyone is thinking of importing one of these Estimas and wants specific info then by all means drop me a line and I'll help out if at all possible. (I've now found one other person that's imported one recently - weyhey!) The japs love their MPVs and often modify them, so it may help you to know a few things first if you're afer one similar to mine.

Is that light I see at the end of the tunnel?! :D

Guest · 0.0 Cash Points

Never mind Glanma,

I'm sure you have it all sussed now and it wont be long before you are legal and lovin it out on the open road Laughing

I hope I dont have any trouble like that when mine comes Question

but with it being a 96 I only need a SVA so fingers crossed it should be ok Confused

The thing I am not liking at the moment (which I hope is the norm Question

) is I payed for the car 3 weeks ago and as yet have not got any info as to where the car is at the moment Confused

Advan said they would get me photo's before it was shipped and I have not got any yet and the shipping company said they have no news so I dont know if it is at the docks,being shipped,or none of the above Crying or Very sad

But never mind I'm going home on Friday with a bit of luck for 3 weeks (as long as the weather forecast is incorrect Crying or Very sad

) its not looking like helicopter flying weather and even if it is I have a 5hr drive to get home and the nice weather man is telling me to expect 6" of snow Crying or Very sad

so I wish I had me Legnum Sad

any way all the best with your test fingers crossed for ya that all will be fine, have to go start work at 5am

Cheers Hammer Cool

glanma · Posted: Thu Nov 24, 2005 1:00 am Post subject:

Hi Hammer

Thanks for the support, yeah it's all sorted bar the final pass certificate now! Have got the rear box being fitted on saturday and the earliest retest they can do is next Wednesday, so I'll be booking that day off work tomorrow as well! They actually take the reference number off the fail sheet so when you re-present the car they only have to check that the original failed items are sorted, so I should be in and out of there in about 15 mins - their words not mine! Then I'll be straight down to my local DVLA office for my reg number!

I doubt you'll have too many probs when yours arrives as you won't have the mysteries of a model report to worry about. Are you doing the SVA work yourself or handing it to a specialist to do? I'm sure you'll get some news soon - they are occasionally a bit slow with replies but that's about the only criticism that I could level at these guys. I would think they are trying to secure a slot on a ship at the moment, mine was on its way only about 2 weeks after winning the bid,so I guess I just got lucky with the timing! Wouldn't hurt to send them a reminder e-mail about the photos though.

Hope the weather holds out for you to get home - I'm guessing you must be working on an oil rig somewhere in the North Sea? Personally I am hoping for about 6 foot of snow, never mind 6 inches! Only in my area of course - wouldn't wish it on you! If it does snow down here me and the kids will be out playing for sure! Might have to 'test' the Estima in it too (off the public highway of course!)

Once the Esty is registered I'll probably post a list of the work and costs in detail, so watch out for that.

All the best, Glenn.

masong · Posted: Thu Nov 24, 2005 9:52 am Post subject:

Hi Glenn,
Can you take the reg papers to the DVLA office and receive the new reg on the same day? It would make things so much easier! Thats what I was hoping as they arent open on the weekends and that leaves either Maidstone or Wimbledon and both arent exactly in easy reach during the lunch hour!

Cheers masong

msdunn · Posted: Thu Nov 24, 2005 3:36 pm Post subject:

you take the douments to the dvla office, and they have to send it away. Crying or Very sad

it will take 3 to 4 days.
goes without saying - check your documents over and over.

you can collect in person or have them posted.
if the v55/5 looks a bit daunting - don't worry - fill in a few bits to look like you are trying, and the guy behind the counter will do the rest. Wink

glanma · Posted: Fri Nov 25, 2005 12:05 am Post subject:

[quote="msdunn"]you take the douments to the dvla office, and they have to send it away. Crying or Very sad

it will take 3 to 4 days.
goes without saying - check your documents over and over.

[/quote]

Shot me down in flames, msdunn! Crying or Very sad

I was hoping that if I went to Wimbledon with all the necessaries I might get sorted the same day! (Can you tell I'm getting desperate to hit the road now?) Oh well, what's a few more days! Laughing

Out of interest, is it any different if you are holding a number on retention?

msdunn · Posted: Fri Nov 25, 2005 9:15 am Post subject:

never done it mate - but looked into briefly it for someone once.

apparantly you can put it straight onto a private plate - but will then have to register it again when you sell as the car won't have a plate to revert to.

but then i don't imagine you will be selling that any time soon :D

anyway - if all the dvla offices are the same, there are booths for cherished numbers alongside the registration desks.

if you are not in too much of a hurry (i know you will be)
a nice finishing touch is to get plates from a show plate manufacturer.
like

http://www.ezplates.co.uk/car_plates/step2.html

very very nice, i have used them and the border makes the car
be warned - these can take a week or so to get back

these guys get them to you day after usually

http://www.importedvehicles.co.uk/number_plates.htm

but are plain.

reason for getting them from these places is the japanese rear plate is an odd size/shape.
don't put a 4x4 plate or a motorcycle plate on as they don't look right.
i usually put a normal uk spec front plate on though in a border

like these - but you can get them at halfords - or maccess if you have a card

http://www.folkdirect.com/specialplates.com/payment/accessories/platesurrounds.htm

hope it helps - its the finishing touches that make them Wink

ver · Posted: Fri Nov 25, 2005 9:16 am Post subject:

i used www.fancyplates.com as they have an online plate builder and you can see the result as it looks... plus you can put all sorts of fancy borders and sizes to fit.

i know alot of the civic owerns and scooby owners use them. Grrat service but they can take their time Rolling Eyes

glanma · Posted: Fri Nov 25, 2005 10:40 am Post subject:

Cheers fellas - I'll have a look at those plate makers when i get the reg number. The front one can be a standard size as the aftermarket air dam has no recess, just a couple of drilled brackets. The rear one is a big recess though so that will need filling with something suitable. Nearly there now!!! Laughing

glanma · Posted: Thu Dec 01, 2005 1:17 am Post subject:

At l-o-o-o-n-n-n-g-g-g last ........ the Estima has it's ESVA pass certificate! And is registered with DVLA, just awaiting the reg number to be advised now. As the ESVA test centre promised. I was in and out of there today in about 15 mins including waiting for the certificate to be printed up!

Here's an interesting story relating to today too. Had a conversation with the boys in blue on the way home (or rather plain clothes bods from none other than the motor fraud investigation unit!). As the DVLA office is about 2 miles from the ESVA centre and on my route home, I had driven there in the Estima. I had taken just about every last piece of paperwork I have on the car, from start to finish, with me - just in case. Sure enough I got a tug by the police who "noticed the car has no number plates"! Surprised

(Very attentive I thought, seeing as it's not far short of being a wheeled version of Moby Dick!!!) They then proceeded to check every last detail on the car, from engine numbers to window markings, along with every bit of paperwork! They seemed to accept what I told them about why it was being driven, if a little reluctantly, but more interestingly wanted to know about it's history in Japan!!! They said the window numbers in the rear didn't match the front. Of course I could tell them nothing about that apart from what we get from Advan/Japanese Auctions and the de-reg and auction sheets, and suggested that maybe it was because it had been souped up a bit in Japan!!!! Eventually they let me continue home, with the advice that I shouldn't be using it on the road until it has licence plates and they would be checking on my insurance and registration in due course - bit of a cheap parting shot I thought. So (maybe unwisely) I then pointed out the back of the ESVA sheet which stated that it was perfectly legal to drive to/from the ESVA centre or place where work was to be carried out for the test, without plates, and the insurers are happy to insure on chassis number alone until the reg number is obtained. I was then told that that maybe the case, but as police officers they were warning me against it. (ie. they don't care what the official DVLA document says?!!!)
Anyway, it turns out that the few days gap between applying for your registration and receiving it is due to DVLA doing checks with Interpol to see if a car has been stolen before coming over here, which is why they were concerned as they couldn't check the cars foreign history. So I guess an ESVA pass may not necessarily always be the end of things!!!! Shocked

( Really don't think I have anything to worry about though!) :) Interesting, eh?

Full run down on the work done to get the car up to this point will appear soon - oh and btw, I really don't have any problems with the police generally, just the cocky ones who think scare tactics work on everyone! Wink

masong · Posted: Thu Dec 01, 2005 1:42 pm Post subject:

Hoorar! The long road 'almost' comes to an end!
What a waste of time. The fraud chaps i mean - one look at all the documents you have (i can sympathise with the reems i've collected) and they should have left you to it (i havent seen the back of the ESVA sheet but they are obviously wrong or need re-training! Trying to catch you out no doubt).
Jealously is a terrible thing! Wink

Congrats on the pass Glenn

I might have passed three coppers whilst maybe driving back from the docks with no plates and even stalled on a crossroad (and needed a jump). It seems its one rule for some...

glanma · Posted: Thu Dec 01, 2005 7:58 pm Post subject:

Hi masong

Yeah they were a pain in the butt, but to be honest I wasn't worried that they were going over it all with a fine toothcomb as I know its all above board and legit! Actually it felt quite good telling them all the details as I seemed to know more than they did!!!

Got the car parked up for the last few days now until my reg number arrives - then i think we'll be having a run in it down to Eastbourne to stretch it's legs a bit! Then the planning begins ......

How r you getting on with yours now - are you on the road yet? I'll look forward to seeing it in the flesh at some point - probably as you come flying past me I bet!!!! Laughing

masong · Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2006 1:57 pm Post subject:

Nice avatar update glanma! :D

glanma · Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2006 2:21 pm Post subject:

Cheers mate - thought it might prompt others (no names mentioned here masong!!! Wink

) to get theirs updated too!

Hammer · Posted: Sun Jan 29, 2006 10:22 pm Post subject: Nice avatar

Glamma,

How do you get the avatar on Confused

is it the same way I go the pics of me car on Question

this could take a while Embarassed

I'm just off out of me office to try the link you gave me for parts as me office computer only lets me on some things on the net and that an't one of them Mad

I was going to try the link masong left me for the pics but can not find it Question

but will have another look before I go to me pit tonight.

Cheers Hammer Cool

glanma · Posted: Mon Jan 30, 2006 12:28 am Post subject:

Hi Hammer

Well I did it something like this;

Go to this site -
http://upload.enetation.co.uk/index.php
Register for free then upload a couple of your fave pics (must be .jpg files) to their site (there are plenty of others but this one worked easily for me!). Once that's done it will give you 3 options boxes. Copy the 2nd line [b]only [/b]from the first box (ctrl + c) and delete everything after the '.jpg' bit, then go to the bit on the Advan forum here where you can edit your profile. Then paste (ctrl + v) the URL into the space that says "Link to off-site Avatar:"
You should now have your pic showing as your avatar!

But if not - one of us has obviously cocked it up somehow!! Rolling Eyes

I'll watch for your next post to see how it goes!!

Good luck!

msdunn · Posted: Mon Jan 30, 2006 11:28 am Post subject:

or you can go to 'profile' at the top - and at 'Upload Avatar from your machine' - browse to the photo you want.

remember the file size limits though - you might want to crop or resize in photoshop

glanma · Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 10:05 pm Post subject: Updated pics

Hi all

Thought it was about time I posted a few updated shots of the Estima. As you can probably see from the pics when I first got it, a few changes have been made since then! Full details are in the garage section, but here's a couple I took today - making the most of the weather!!!

[img]http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/8532/img0017ng3.jpg[/img]

[img]http://img107.imageshack.us/img107/1162/img0007ci4.jpg[/img]

[img]http://img107.imageshack.us/img107/3431/img0002ri1.jpg[/img]

[img]http://img363.imageshack.us/img363/6979/ssa50461fs3.jpg[/img]

[img]http://img57.imageshack.us/img57/3486/ssa50309qn4.jpg[/img]

MidNite-D · Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 11:41 pm Post subject:

Looking good Mr G, looking good!!! Got to say Glenn that is one of the nicest and coolest MPV's I've ever seen. Very Happy

MidNite