My Experience Importing R32 GTR With GTR Garage

[JDM512]

Hi, everyone. My name is Anthony. I have seen a lot of great part reviews for GTR Garage but only a couple of car importing reviews. I thought I just share mine. I recently lost my 240 in a flood. So I started looking through forums for a Skyline. I came across some different dealers selling JDM vehicles. Just about everyone I emailed was above my budget or wasn't going to have stock in a while. It was only GTR Garage that had a Skyline available and under my budget. And the Skyline they've found was a May 1990 GTR. She's coming with a few goodies as well. There's been a couple of shipping delays but should get here mid October. You can track ships on marinetraffic.com. Below you can find details/pics and order of events.

1990 Nissan R32 GTR
150,652 Kilometers
ARC Intercooler
Full Exhaust
Nismo Clutch
Tein Coilovers
LED Tailights
Work Wheels
HKS EVC Boost Controller
Defi Gauges

March 25, 2015: I email GTR Garage about purchasing an R32.

March 28, 2015: Receive a response, with info. on a R32 that their working a deal on. I also place a deposit to hold the car.

April 14, 2015: Around this time a deal was reached with the private seller.

April 30, 2015: GTR arrives at their shop in Japan.

May 8, 2015: GTR Garage sends me under body shots of the R32. Everything looks clean. No rust or corrosion in sight.:) Also they swap out the corner lights for me for free(Came off a parts car they happened to have there). Not a of fan of the smoked corners.

May 11, 2015: Paid the remaining balance

May 12, 2015: Receive receipt.

May 20, 2015: Informed that they would book it for shipping next month.

June 12, 2015: GTR is at holding at port in Kobe.

July 2015: Awaiting shipping.

August 2015: Awaiting shipping.

Waiting game is a killer LOL

September 13, 2015: Ok, so according to the name of the vessel Richard @ GTR Garage told me it was on, it left Kobe.

October 9-11?, 2015: According to shippers website Freeport, TX is not listed as a stop but I've seen some ships make stops at places not listed on their schedule.

[BossHogg]

Just watch it. When I was watching my ship it said it was still in Mexico when it got delivered in Galveston TX. Are you sure it's not hoegh shipping lines. Mine was on the HOEGH KOBE. I had to use all caps on the website or it didn't seem to pick up the ship. I had to wait 9 months lol.

[blueshark123]

What is the final cost of importing one vs justbuying one that was legally imported already. A guy by me wants 19k for one

[turbo2nr]

Love the LED tail lights~!

[Agent S14]

Freeport, TX is a stop. My laurel and supra are there waiting for customs to clear it

[Hatemy7]

Nice Skyline by the way

[JDM512]

Just watch it. When I was watching my ship it said it was still in Mexico when it got delivered in Galveston TX. Are you sure it's not hoegh shipping lines. Mine was on the HOEGH KOBE. I had to use all caps on the website or it didn't seem to pick up the ship. I had to wait 9 months lol.

I remember tracking Hoegh Kobe. I thought that was the ship mine was on. But GTR Garage informed me their shipper put it on a WWL ship. Vessel name Aniara.

[JDM512]

What is the final cost of importing one vs justbuying one that was legally imported already. A guy by me wants 19k for one

I paid close to $17K. But I still need to register it. I don't know the cost on that yet. The prices have gone up since I bought mine. From what I seen, dealers want $22k+. I've seen prices like $19k from private sellers.

[JDM512]

Love the LED tail lights~!

Thanks! I can't wait to pick this up.

[JDM512]

Freeport, TX is a stop. My laurel and supra are there waiting for customs to clear it

Nice. Hopefully it'll clear soon.

[krampus]

That Panasonic battery is pretty neat.

[JDM512]

Nice Skyline by the way

Thank you. And 3 RX7s? WOW

[Hatemy7]

Thank you. And 3 RX7s? WOW



Not anymore buddy. Just 1 FD and Galant Vr4 ( evo )

[JDM512]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hello all, just thought I update this page. I haven't received my R32 GTR. I've been lied to for the 4th or 5th time? Not sure, would have to go and count in the emails. But ever since July, GTR Garage has told me that my R32 has shipped out. It's almost November and haven't been told anything. Customer service and communication is poor. I'm the one that has to ask for the updates. GTR Garage asked me back in March, "...how soon do you want a GTR to be in your driveway?" I told them that I would like to have it shipped out in June at the latest.

On September 9th GTR Garage told me it's a couple weeks from Galveston. Then when I checked status on September 23rd, they told me it was going to Freeport instead. I even asked the name of the vessel(Aniara) and shipping documentation from the shipper. They never gave me any kind of documentation. And while I was tracking the vessel it was supposedly on, the vessel went from Panama Canal to Georgia. So lied to again. It's been over a month and they haven't updated me on anything. Dealing with this place has been a terrible experience! They're not even explaining to me what's going on. I'll be sure to keep this page updated.

[Reece]

Have they sent you your title yet?

If not, good luck

[ditchs14]

Have they sent you your title yet?

If not, good luck

you got your car just fine right? i know yours was already in the states

[GTR-Garage]

We are in the process of resolving this shipment and have informed the customer if his GT-R has still not departed Kobe and he no longer wants to wait we will issue him a full refund.

[Reece]

you got your car just fine right? i know yours was already in the states

That last comment of mine was pretty shitty.

My car was already in the states, and I will say, the car blew my mind and absolutely shattered my expectations when it arrived.

There were some communication issues on both our ends while getting the paperwork taken care of. But I love the car to death.

[GTR-Garage]

That last comment of mine was pretty shitty.

My car was already in the states, and I will say, the car blew my mind and absolutely shattered my expectations when it arrived.

There were some communication issues on both our ends while getting the paperwork taken care of. But I love the car to death.

We send "books" so to speak with all the customs paperwork, translations and original title. The original title wasn't included in Reece's book and we had to send it separately. We also had to send a signed original Bill of Sale. DMV requirements differ from state to state and even county to county so sometimes we have to send supplemental documentation.

Word on the street is Reece is viny wrapping his car hot pink...

[Reece]

We send "books" so to speak with all the customs paperwork, translations and original title. The original title wasn't included in Reece's book and we had to send it separately. We also had to send a signed original Bill of Sale. DMV requirements differ from state to state and even county to county so sometimes we have to send supplemental documentation.
It could have been that my DMV was a little pickier than most, for example I talked to a friend of mine who bought a skyline from GTR Garage in Illinois and his DMV experience was much different than mine.


Word on the street is Reece is viny wrapping his car hot pink...
Fuuuuck I wish. That would be sweet. I don't wanna copy Burstspeed Mike though.

[GTR-Garage]

It could have been that my DMV was a little pickier than most, for example I talked to a friend of mine who bought a skyline from GTR Garage in Illinois and his DMV experience was much different than mine.



Fuuuuck I wish. That would be sweet. I don't wanna copy Burstspeed Mike though.

Here I thought I was picking on you when in reality I was making fun of Burstspeed...

[Reece]

Here I thought I was picking on you when in reality I was making fun of Burstspeed...

Picking on me? I WISH I had the balls to wrap my car pink hahaha

We'll see what happens this winter once I bring it in to get painted :angel:

[Nota240]

Ive got to agree with Reece my experience importing my Silvia S13 thru GTR Garage was excellent! There was a little bit of delay due to some shipping issues but they were fully explained and I was stateside and the registration process for my was easy paperwork wise (AZ emissions gave me a bit of a challenge). Overall my GTR Garage experience was excellent and Id happily go to them to bring me over another car.

[JDM512]

UPDATE: Yesterday Richard from GTR Garage asked me for bank info to give me a full refund. I sent him my bank info later that night. Just a few minutes ago he tells me he's giving the shipper til Friday to provide proof it departed. If the shipper cannot provide proof then he'll give me my money back. He already asked me my bank info, so I told him just to send the refund like he said he would. He then tell's me he'll wire the funds back by the end of the week.

[turboshoebox]

Moral of the story...shoudla bought one from canada. lol

okay jk but disipte the hold up seems they are good on their word when stuff doesn't go well.

[JDM512]

Moral of the story...shoudla bought one from canada. lol

okay jk but disipte the hold up seems they are good on their word when stuff doesn't go well.

Buying from Canada was a thought in the beginning. Now I would recommend buyers to only buy JDM cars that are already registered and titled in the states. Sometimes private sells can go bad as well. You might get some bad surprises down the road after a purchase, so BE CAREFUL! It would be best to find a company that has multiple testimonials.

And it's only been a day since I've been contacted about a refund. Hopefully they can at least keep their word here because I'm tired of being lied to everywhere else. So I'll be sure to keep this forum updated along with others.

[turboshoebox]

I've seen a few good experiences for GTR garage but my guess is the shipper is giving them the run around and they are giving you the run around cause they rather not lose your business

[Lees_Garage]

That car looks great. I'm sure it can get frustrating, but if you are still in communication with GTR Garage, it might be worth holding out for. You've already been holding out for this long. Too long to quit and start the process over again, who's to say you won't go through the same thing again with another shipper.

[s13rhdhatch]

I hope you get your car,it would be awesome to have another skyline owner in tx. However you should have went to Rivsu imports.

[JDM512]

UPDATE: Last night I emailed Richard at GTR Garage with the following message. Hopefully I can get a full refund sooner than "by the end of the week".

Richard,


Is it possible to wire my refund tomorrow and not wait till the end of the week? I would really appreciate it very much. I'm just ready to put this whole experience to rest and be done. Thank you for understanding.

[TheRealSy90]

Man, after how long it's been and it's already there waiting to be shipped, I would just wait it out and get the car of your dreams that you already payed for. I mean, it's been this long already, you're almost there with it. I think it would be all worth it in the end when you go and pick up your GTR!


Unless you're having financial trouble and really need that money back, that's understandable.


But, GTR!

[Nota240]

I have to say my experience importing a Silvia S13 through GTR Garage was excellent. I did run into to delays with shipping of the vehicle but it was entirely the shippers fault. As well as all the paperwork they provided was more than enough to register my Silvia here in AZ (emission was an issue but thats nothing to do with GTR Garage). Overall I had a great experience dealing with them and for people reading this thread I wanted to make sure I put this out the to show that this particular situation looks more like the exception and not the rule.

[STR8 H8N]

7 MONTHS!!!

no one has a gtr for sale in the states ?

[Nota240]

I have to say my experience importing a Silvia S13 through GTR Garage was excellent. I did run into to delays with shipping of the vehicle but it was entirely the shippers fault. As well as all the paperwork they provided was more than enough to register my Silvia here in AZ (emission was an issue but thats nothing to do with GTR Garage). Overall I had a great experience dealing with them and for people reading this thread I wanted to make sure I put this out the to show that this particular situation looks more like the exception and not the rule.

[KAT-PWR]

i just saw an r33 for 12 i think it was the other day

[LoneStarSilvia]

Have you tried Rivsu Imports? They usually have a stock of 32's in Florida awaiting new suckers, I mean owners.

But really, Rivsu was great to work with when I was having a car shipped from mainland Japan down to Okinawa. My only advice to you is to due your research on 32 GT-R's and don't be blinded by the "OMFG SKYRINE" mentality that so many people have fallen into that aren't accustomed to being around them.

They are not reliable cars in the least bit, and this coming from a rotary guy. Yes a handful of 32's are very nice and trouble free, but the majority of them will suffer from rampant rust, ignition, oiling and turbo related issues, and botched rust repair jobs. Every GT-R owner I've known out here has had the car hard break at one point in their ownership. The common failures seem to be oil starvation in the high RPM's and/or while hard cornering, MAF's going bad, ignition coils crapping out, stock turbo's breaking (25 years of of heat!), uneducated previous owners, and RUST, RUST, RUST!!!

Not to talk you out of it if a GT-R is something you really want, I'm just asking that you do your research. If you have to "budget" just to buy a GT-R, then you might wish you hadn't when it comes time to source replacement parts.

[MADE]

Outside of Okinawa,Hokkaido and Northern Japan rust isn't that much of an issue. I owned several cars on mainland, one car 3 yrs in Japan no issues 3 mos after transferring to Oki boom nature begins.

Although I have no dog in this fight I would say if GT-R Garage can actually get your product, it will probably be cheaper and you don't have to worry about getting a OMFG I got a mad tight GT-E for 12K.

I'm unsure if this continues but the had reliable local speed shops overlook their cars.

[LoneStarSilvia]

Outside of Okinawa,Hokkaido and Northern Japan rust isn't that much of an issue. I owned several cars on mainland, one car 3 yrs in Japan no issues 3 mos after transferring to Oki boom nature begins.


Ah ok, good to know, I've been down here too long.

[STR8 H8N]

7 MONTHS!!!

no one has a gtr for sale in the states ?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Nissan-Other-Skyline-R32-GTR-GT-R-JDM-RHD-100-Legal-/321901259689?forcerrptr=true&hash=item4af2cf6ba9:g:Eq8AAOSwwbdWKnFk&item=321901259689

[Malik]

^ thats actually a decent price

[supersayianjim]

update????????

[fatduece]

Op is wack. Id give it more time. Dont take your money back just yet

[truckmtrS13]

I would never buy a heavily modified car sight unseen...

[Ilya]

Im not sure how long it takes to send a status email once a week to a client, especially if the car has not been delivered yet.

Can any one enlighten me on this email technology?

[Malik]

its kinda shitty this whole situation.

[turboshoebox]

I would never buy a heavily modified car sight unseen...

It's lightly modifed...

[burnsauto]

this reminds me of my sr engine buying experience about 10 years ago. I got it from a reputable shop, paid in full, and then had the hardest time getting a straight answer out of anyone until I finally drove to the shop and saw them in person. I hope this works out for the better, weather you get a refund or not. It would be a shame if this didn't go through in the end.

[JDM512]

update????????

They have informed me that they sent a refund. So I should see it my account Monday or Tuesday at the latest.

[Reece]

Damn man, should have just waited a bit longer...

Oh well, glad you got your money back. Hope you find another car soon.

[tricky_ab]

Nah I don't blame him for wanting to get his money back. I've imported before and it an really leave you sour when things go south. There's a lot of logistics that can make the experience either great or terrible. Missing the ship from Japan is one thing, but constantly wondering when and where the thing is another.

Good luck with the search OP.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Malik]

there's a skyline sitting in a container somewhere...

[feito]

there's a skyline sitting in a container somewhere...
with half of the paper work done

[Dboyizmlg]

Sorry to hear about your bad experience.
GTR-GARAGE is a legit company, and I'm 99% sure it is not their fault.

I believe that Skyline is lost inside a container some where. Or some one (shipping hands) liked it and came up.

But don't take it out on GTR-Garage

[JDM512]

I have received a full refund. It showed up when I checked my account last night and cleared this morning.

[gostrider]

why is there a GTR in my drive way..

[STR8 H8N]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Nissan-Other-Skyline-R32-GTR-GT-R-JDM-RHD-100-Legal-/321901259689?forcerrptr=true&hash=item4af2cf6ba9:g:Eq8AAOSwwbdWKnFk&item=321901259689

relisted

lowered it $100

[TougeSR20Kid]

They are not reliable cars in the least bit, and this coming from a rotary guy. Yes a handful of 32's are very nice and trouble free, but the majority of them will suffer from rampant rust, ignition, oiling and turbo related issues, and botched rust repair jobs. Every GT-R owner I've known out here has had the car hard break at one point in their ownership. The common failures seem to be oil starvation in the high RPM's and/or while hard cornering, MAF's going bad, ignition coils crapping out, stock turbo's breaking (25 years of of heat!), uneducated previous owners, and RUST, RUST, RUST!!!

Couple of things...

Oil starvation issue is easily fixed by this here thingamajiggy http://www.rawbrokerage.com/raw-brokerage-extended-crank-collar-rb20-rb25-rb26/

They will have issues. I mean really tho what do you expect from a 25yo car lol but yes I do agree RB's seem to have finnicky bs that happens a lot. It is easy to prevent though by upgrading key components of the ignition system and motor. Changing the ignitor to a z32, swapping coil packs to either new or proven aftermarket, and swapping and tuning your car for map from maf (MAF blows any which way you look at it). But you are correct sir the car will be an unruly bitch for a while till you give it some tlc. But you hit the nail on the head with the do your research part.

The final part about the previous owner(s) aint shit you can do there except pray that they weren't an idiot and took care of the car. My guess is given the few things this guy has done is that he was good to her. ARC intercoolers ain't cheap haha.

[derek king]

i just saw an r33 for 12 i think it was the other day

Nobody wants the worst skyline every made......

[TwoForDeh]

Nobody wants the worst skyline every made......

hahahahaha. ded.