In this insane car market and Canadian economy, is importing madness, or mad genius?
I'd like to start this off by saying the more things change, the more things stay the same, but that's not true. The truth of the matter is, the more things change, the more things get expensive. But maybe I'm just talking about times. And that's important because the times dictate what is economical and what is possible.
One of my personal shots from the 2022 Drive Festival at Mosport Park
For Americans, 2024 is a big year. The Nissan Skyline R34 has finally become available for import for them, but that was 2014 for us in Canada (well, most of Canada. Sorry, Quebec, your laws suck; it's still 25 years for you). Importing now versus importing as far back as early 2019 has really changed the economics of import and the economics of buying cars.
You can't afford an R34, but a minivan may be in your future!
Back in 2022, CBC aired an episode of their podcast “The Cost of Living” talking about importing JDM cars into Canada: How the hot used car market is pushing some Canadians to shop overseas. Not Skylines or Supras, but Honda Odysseys and Suzuki Everys.
Now let's be honest. CBC is not the media organization we expect to produce the most ‘exciting’ JDM news, but it was actually news worth hearing. The story talked about a young mother in Calgary who ended up picking up a Honda Odyssey minivan with under 60,000 km, importing it from Japan and across the border to Vancouver for under $6,000 Canadian. And that was during the supply chain crisis! And to be honest, car prices haven't gotten much better (though they have a little).
I was on my own journey to import at that point in time.
I managed to land a 1999 Mazda RX7 S-Type with under 60,000 km for under $25,000. And after importing it, I was only looking at about $6,000 worth of fees for transport and registration. Yes, she has required about another 5K in fixing up, but still, she's entirely rust-free and in probably better condition mechanically than most equivalent Canadian models.
Oh, and by the way, there are no equivalent Canadian models. The RX7 stopped production in North America around 1995 but continued in Japan up until 2001. So really, it's 5 years younger than any equivalent North American FDR X7. That was JDM Project 1.0
Oh, and by the way, there are no equivalent Canadian models. the RX7 stopped production in North America around 1995 but continued in Japan up until 2001. So really it's 5 years younger than any equivalent North American FDR X7.
Project 2.0
But Project 1.0 was then, and this is now. Inflation is going insane. Carbon taxes are making people with regular cars reconsider engine size and look at hybrids. For your average Canadian, we can't shell out money for a Tesla, but a used Prius is something we could theoretically get. So look around, see if you can find yourself a Prius. You might find that you can’t. Or if you can, with over 120,000km of wear and tear plus battery life, you might not want to pick it up.
Getting a hybrid from Japan might not seem like a bad idea. You're still going to have to obey the 15-year rule for importing. However, because it's a 15-year-old car, parts will be easier to come by. Supply chain and chip shortage issues largely don't affect cars that old. Yes, you're going to have to deal with issues of battery age, vehicle disuse, and storage, but you're not going to be dealing with temperature extremes or the insane amount of corrosion most Canadian cars get from driving around in the winter. So does that make this a viable alternative?
NOTE: I would be very hesitant to import plug-in electric vehicles from Japan. While most older vehicles will still use the Type 1 connector (J1772) and will feature the CHAdeMO connector for DC fast charging, compatibility with modern charging stations may be more limited as they favor the current CCS standard. So future support for older EVs is difficult. For Japanese EVs using CHAdeMO, using an adapter for CCS is not always feasible due to the different communication protocols and electrical specifications used by each standard.
Enter JDM Project 2.0: an attempt to see if importing hybrid cars from Japan is a worthwhile endeavor. It also allows you to take a look at the landscape of importing right now and how it's changed for Canadians – and it has!
The Crown and the Compact
Project 2.0 is more ambitious and more practical at the same time: we're going to be importing two cars, but they're both hybrid cars designed to be daily drives.
Contestant number one: 2008 Toyota Crown hybrid!
Auction grade 4.0 57,000 kms Minor scratches No rust or corrosion | Purchased for $4,500 Canadian |
Contestant number two: 2009 Toyota Prius
Auction grade 4.0 21,000 km Minor scratches, 1 minor dent rear bumper No rust or corrosion | Purchased for $2,500 Canadian |
Why these two cars? Simple: We need another car in the household (and no, the RX7 doesn't count).
I need a daily drive for work
My wife needs a daily drive for work
Our old compact is rusting and has over 100,000kms
We need one car that can sub in as a family car as we have a little addition in our household that requires a baby seat
And, the carbon tax makes hybrids VERY attractive!
Also, parts compatibility!
While the Toyota Crown is a true JDM creature, never having been released or rebadged in North America as anything else, it runs a Camry Hybrid engine - the same as the one they have in North America. So while body panels might be an issue to replace, most of the internal components are not. Also Toyotas are prebably THE most reliable cars on Earth, so that recommends itself as well
And a Prius is a Prius. Ubiquitous, universal, all parts essentially being the same with the exception of the internal dashboard being right-hand drive. And let's be honest, if I'm ever in an accident that takes out the internal dash, I have bigger problems to worry about.
NB: If I manage to make this channel profitable, I'm going to be adding a few more body panels to this car ^_^
So, will this be successful?
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I'm hoping so, And even if it's not, it's going to be one hell of a story! And I'm inviting you to stick along and hear about all the bumps that happen along the way.
We'll be doing some future articles and videos talking about just that. We'll be running some numbers and comparisons with Canadian equivalents, giving you a $-by-$ breakdown of the bills
Maybe that'll inform you about your next purchase.
-Dream
What car are you dreaming of? Are you looking for sport, or something economical for the family? Comment below and share your story! I'll reply with advice.
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