1978 Nissan Fairlady Z S31 coupe

We see lots of old cars for sale in Japan and they usually look nice and shiny in the auction pictures but what are they actually like when you get up close and take a good look ?

Well, condition varies from pristine museum pieces to absolute pieces of… umm rust and abuse. And generally you get what you pay for. So unless you like an expensive project, do yourself a favour and allow a reasonable budget to buy one in nice condition, bearing in mind that ALL old cars regardless of how well cared for, will always still need some form of attention — that’s the nature of old cars. Inspection is critical so you know what you’re bidding on.

This 1978 Nissan Fairlady Z S31 coupe was inspected for a client on 11 September 2015 at LAA Okayama and was in poor condition. Even for an old car, it was pretty rough. There was significant rust (with holes) in the floor pans, side members, kick panels and in the engine bay. It also looked like the engine has been overheated a few times. The condition was so disappointing that we didn’t bother taking additional pictures. Significant restoration would have been required.

It passed in for 1,924,000 YEN FOB equivalent. So the owner wanted more than $28,100 landed in Australia at that time, plus $1,000 to $1,200 compliance allowance, plus tyres (if required for roadworthy) and ORC’s (calculated at a rate of 85 yen to the dollar).

We only source the best vehicles with clean and tidy interiors, and only vehicles we would be pleased to own ourselves. This is why we are constantly told by clients that the vehicles we source are well above the condition of most others on the local market.

The pictures are typical of the information we provide prior to auction for each vehicle of interest, with any faults shown so you can clearly see the condition before we discuss whether to bid, and your budget.

Whether you’d like to import a 1978 Nissan Fairlady Z S31 coupe like this one, or another year, make or model, we can find it for you in nice condition.

It is vital when sourcing your vehicle to use an agent that takes the time to physically check each vehicle and looks beyond the auction pictures and report to confirm condition. Some vehicles may have an unpleasant smoke or other odour, rust underneath, or other faults which are impossible to know without inspection.

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