BUYING A imported EK9 from JApan, need help!

[Jeeman]

Hello there, noobie on EK9's, am looking to get one soon imported from Japan, but worried whether if the mileage is genuine or not.

How would you check or tell if the mileage has been clocked back or not, some people say can tell by looking at the paint on the engine block, but that can be re-painted easily and some people say check how worn out the seats are.

I know that Japanese import cars, mileage is usually low but still would to have some sort of security in spending the money.

Its a 97 model with 74,000 KMs = around 46K miles

Hope someone can give me some pointers, thanks

 

[rvm]

Hello, welcome to the forum...

I'll give you a tip a Japanese Exporter told me, when a gauge cluster is altered, the first 4 numbers in the Mileage; you will that they're not perfectly aligned, that's one way to see it. In general condition is almost impossible to notice, since you can see 100,000 km + in perfect condition

Check out my gauge cluster, you can see the first 4 numbers are perfectly aligned. Check out the red box. Thats the numbers I'm referring to.

Also, you can ask for the de-registration papers from Japan, every importer should have it! I think this one is the best way to know the original mileage of the car when it was exported from Japan.

Good luck!

 

[BomBoi]

yeah , after i tryed to alter mine with an Si cluster to match my miles with my car , its never the same , still slightly off =/

 

[type-r-dunk]

Just like to say the Japanese are a very honest nation. This sort of thing is vary rare out there. Also every 3 years they have a big kind of MOT, if the mileage doesn't tie up this would be recorded and show up on the auction sheet as "mileage not known / mileage altered".
Just look for a good totally original grade 4 car and you will be fine
Good luck Dunx

 

[SpoonCTR]

thanks for the tip rvm.