Seeking advice!

[Slinz]

G'day,
I am currently a pretender on these forums - don't own a VR4 yet, but it's a work-in-progress! Anyhow, I am in contact with J-Spec and have paid the deposit etc. so the wait is on.

So today I have received information from my gent in Japan on a particular Legnum that's up from a wholesale supplier. It appears that the plus side here is the car is cheap (straight from the source) but the negative is that it's impossible to attain any further details on the car. Anyway, they haven't provided any information up-front about whether or not the car has received it's major service at 90-100k km's (currently has done 125k) but as far as I'm aware it's pretty rare for a car in Japan to miss services or be under-maintained. Is this so?

Details from the wholesaler as follows:

2000 Mitsubishi Legnum VR-4 Type S
Series 3 model
125,000km
One owner
Pearl white
Tiptronic auto
Aircon
Power steering
Power windows
ABS brakes
Dual airbags
Active Yaw Control
Keyless entry
CD player
One owner vehicle
Grade 3.5 condition with C interior
Front bumper minor scratches
Right front and rear doors have pin dent and minor scratches
Left fender accent mold is coming off
Left front door small dent
Left rear quarter and rear bumper repaint mark
Left fog lamp lens a little faded

My J-Spec contact has insisted that these inspections and reports often sound quite harsh because they are super-picky. I have no previous experience with the Japanese industry so I'll trust him on that one. Basically I'm trying to weigh up the odds of copping a dud from wholesale, considering that if J-Spec receive the car and its condition is different to that mentioned they can make a claim on it. The worrying part is that they haven't provided mechanical details (which I suppose takes them off the hook for mechanical discrepancies once the car has arrived at the importer) although I'm sure that some of you here have some insight on this.

Also forgive me for asking something I'm sure has an answer somewhere on this site but what has changed from Series 2 to Series 3 other than interior?

Sorry for the text-wall, any advice or thoughts are appreciated. Here are the pictures that the wholesale supplier has posted:

(I have no idea of the details of this diagram, only that it represents the exterior condition info, so feel free to point out anything)

 

[bradc]

In May 2000 they changed the seats and dash, minor upgrade at best, I wouldn't call them a series 3, more like series 2.1

 

[qball]

How much is it??As a point of reference my 99 Legnum with 100k sunroof, recaros, bilstein suspension, Apexi exhaust $10 000 so it'd want to be heaps cheaper than that

 

[Slinz]

How much is it??As a point of reference my 99 Legnum with 100k sunroof, recaros, bilstein suspension, Apexi exhaust $10 000 so it'd want to be heaps cheaper than that

Yes, it would wouldn't it. 280,000 yen fob so that would make it about $9,500 landed and complied? Yours makes that price tag look far too hefty

 

[pu-11-me]

For $8k landed i'd do it.... 3.5C with 125k km's isn't great and all service history is sketchy lol

 

[qball]

Mine was from a dealer too, i think it was 320,000 FOB

 

[Slinz]

For $8k landed i'd do it.... 3.5C with 125k km's isn't great and all service history is sketchy lol

Yeah, I'm thinking that it may be a little pricey for what it is, which is odd considering its meant to be cheaper from a wholesale supplier. The lack of service history or at least comments regarding the mechanical side of the car is a little disturbing...

 

[qball]

Regarding price this one would be 280,000ish FOB from a dealerhttp://www.goo-net.com/cgi-bin/goojp/used_eng/spread_n_w.cgi?goo_car_id=700020176420090308001&areacd=15&maker_cd=1040&car_cd=10402014&car_grade_cd=10402014|86&baitai=goo&car_cd_list=10402014&grade_cd_list=10402014|86&search_type=maker_search. The drivers seat is a bit munted though. Lees kms and has leather. I'm not vouching for this car just showing what the price can buy

 

[Macca]

If your sus on it dont go for it. It dosn't seem like a rare car im sure you could find another one like it.

 

[pu-11-me]

Keep looking IMO. You'll come across the right car eventually

 

[Slinz]

True. Probably worth holding out past this particular offering from J-Spec it would appear, unless there's some turn of events. Remain open to opinion and comments re my original post though! Gotta learn some time.

 

[snickells]

Don't just grab the first one you see, and, remember, you get what you pay for. If it's cheap, its for a reason.

Keep hunting!

 

[Slinz]

Don't just grab the first one you see, and, remember, you get what you pay for. If it's cheap, its for a reason.

Keep hunting!

Yeah this is about the third that's come through from J-Spec but nothing outstanding, and I am on a pretty tight budget. Fingers crossed something comes up soon!

 

[Tom]

All the best for your search

 

[Guest]

Mate this car is not a 3.5 at all.
Its a 150,000 to 170-000 yen car at most and no resserve might even go for closer to 120,000.
Spend an extra $500 in japan and you will get a nice car and dont cheap out.
Get a sunroof model as well as its worth it.
Was 2 or 3 nice cars at auction last week for about the same money and much nicer cars and this one in the pics is as common as can be and nothing rare about it.

 

[Slinz]

Mate this car is not a 3.5 at all.
Its a 150,000 to 170-000 yen car at most and no resserve might even go for closer to 120,000.
Spend an extra $500 in japan and you will get a nice car and dont cheap out.
Get a sunroof model as well as its worth it.
Was 2 or 3 nice cars at auction last week for about the same money and much nicer cars and this one in the pics is as common as can be and nothing rare about it.

Haha howcome you know about these cars but not the importers? Surely if there were much better cars for lower or similar prices at auction all the time they would have put one or two through to me by now :[

I am in the process of selling some collectable wines, so if they find buyers and disappear I will have some extra cash to throw into the operation. For the moment I don't have any particular interest in extras like sunroof or leather but would be nice.