ARE JAPANESE IMPORT CARS WORTH IT?

[@G928...]

Since leaving the UK for Southern France, you come to realise just how disastrous the UK climate and salted roads are for cars. Even if the underbody structure isn't too bad, all the suspension parts are heavily corroded and seized. I'd take a rustfree car with some mechanical probs anyday over something thats already corroding.

[@ItaliaAutos]

Totally agreed

[@richardshaw1968]

Having just left the south of France (after a long weekend) you come to realise how disastrous the standard of French driving is for cars. Even if the underbody structure isn’t too bad, every car and I mean every car was dinted. They drive by touch. @@ItaliaAutos

[@trusttrust7174]

As a french guy living in the UK hope you will love the price when you will have to buy a car in France 👀

[@G928...]

@@trusttrust7174 We've lived here 10 years and bought and sold several. Yes they're more expensive to buy than in the UK but then you get more of that back when you sell it, probably not so different overall.

[@cirrus1964]

nonsense, Dutch climate hardly differs. And I live near the sea. My Alfa's never were rusted.

[@paulredhead8603]

Best and most informative Alfa Romeo channel I have ever come across. You, sir, are extremely knowledgable and professional. Thank you very much.

[@bttmfg7010]

Recently bought a Japanese market limited edition final 155 V6 production run - very well looked after. Love it, even if not as entertaining as my beloved 155 Q4 cloverleaf, that blew up on the motorway after sustained over enthusiastic driving 😅

[@gb9727]

The main problem with imported cars is import tax

[@clydethevizsla2470]

Substantial tax relief if over 30 years old, beginning to make it a bit more attractive. Early 90s had some good cars 😁

[@ArmySigs]

I've seen some rust buckets come from Japan, I think in the northern part of the country they also salt the roads as it snows a lot. The real question with this car is does it need painting again? If there is moisture trapped under the paint then that will cause issues down the track.

[@aslandama]

I imported my 166 from Japan, absolutely mint underneath as well for a 20 year old Alfa.

[@ItaliaAutos]

Yeah all good for rust over there

[@karenmurray3098]

what a neet little alfa neil. it's a shame we never got the 145 in australia my 25 year old 916 spider looks like that car underneath 😁 no snow in oz

[@xheniszela375]

ONE OF THE BEST ALFA ROMEO CHANNEL ON THE WORLD ❤

[@155stw]

“Let’s see how much rust it DOESN’T have” lol

[@ItaliaAutos]

rare that i can say that

[@autoazure]

My word, what a difference compared to all of my cars here in Scotland in regards to rust!

[@GeordiLaForgery]

I don't think the Japanese put salt on the roads unlike us?

[@skimmingstoness]

@@GeordiLaForgery That's a myth, they use Calcium chloride so still a salt solution

[@Markycarandbikestuff]

Even cars from England are better than Scotland, my 2010 159 1750 Tbi was sold in Newcastle then went to Portsmouth where it spent 10-11 years (it's now in Glasgow), not mint underneath but it's solid and far better than a life in Scotland would have been, i've Lanoguarded it and pressure wash it in the spring.

[@adrianbyrne3413]

I have a Japanese imported Prius. It’s spotless with no rust despite going on 14 years old. However, some Japanese imports that look identical to UK/Irish cars have differences in crash protection eg Japanese car uses polystyrene behind rear bumper instead of metal beam. Some Japanese cars may not have body trims like plastic underbody panels. This may be just a Prius thing but I added these to my Japanese imported Prius after taking them from a scrapped UK Prius. It’s not a deal breaker when you consider how clean and rust free the car is and how it was looked after. The Japanese radio fitted can be a pain since it’s frequencies differ to Ireland but it’s not a big deal, I still think the car is lovely and body work, suspension, inside them are spotless. The imported car came with the Japanese auction inspection report which gave further reassurance. I understand there is a data base for Japanese car history but I have not seen it. I think a car that is susceptible to rust like an Alfa is better sourced from warmer climates countries with right hand drive and strict road worthiness testing like Japan.

[@frankieepurr]

Despite the reduced safety I always see imported prius as taxis, I don't like it

[@tmac1001]

Was that a Uno turbo in the background ?

[@ItaliaAutos]

yep

[@tmac1001]

@@ItaliaAutos are you doin a video on it 🤞

[@bassoumsamsoum]

Really happy to see you use that little heat gun thing and show its benefits! I was on the sidelines to buying one or not and now I’m totally convinced I need one!

[@ItaliaAutos]

Yeah I've wanted one for years. Finally got one.

[@johnmoruzzi7236]

What about the phone heat camera attachment you showed recently ? Be interesting to compare....

[@ItaliaAutos]

£200vs £400. The hand held one is better.

[@georgebettiol8338]

The underbody condition of 1990s and 2000s Australian delivered cars (where I reside) are similar to the featured Japanese Alfa. I lived in the UK for a couple of years during the mid 1990s and could not believe the amount of rust present in daily driven UK cars. The wet weather and winter salty roads certainly have a serious impact on the condition of the car's underbody and the various fixtures/fasteners which normally receive a 'paint dusting', if at all, when the vehicle is manufactured.

[@TommyRogic18]

Hope the customer has invested in a full waxoyl treatment, lovely car

[@ItaliaAutos]

Not yet

[@zzhughesd]

Engine bay much cleaner than a UK car !!!!!!!!!! Low mileage but still. Very clean. oh my gosh three quarter into video. I’ve been sold. JP one go with. What an epic underside. As you said. Stupidly rust free underneath !!!!

[@ItaliaAutos]

lovely car.

[@JT_experience96]

Yes, the one on the left is definitely a gorgeous Uno Turbo…

[@philtowle4683]

A great number of cars were bought or restored as investments in japan but didnt turn out to be a good investment, so they got sold on for reasonable prices

[@gajiraanorimaki]

ALL -- Twin Sparks engines are really GREAT -- and like revs !

[@gajiraanorimaki]

(only bigger 2.0 old "lampredi" projesct base shown some weakness sometime..) you know

[@josephmifsud8261]

It seems that it does make sense if you want a rust free car. I've heard that the Japanese don't use salt on their roads. And particularly if it's a rare car

[@cmarko964]

Phase 2 Uno Turbo in the background, somethings cooking :)

[@ItaliaAutos]

yeah need to make a video on it later today hopefully.

[@McGrumpyMan]

That looks really good given its age, I'd have an import

[@ItaliaAutos]

Cool

[@David_S1985]

Word of warning. Not all of Japan is a haven for rust free cars. Salt is used on some roads where snow and ice is a problem.

[@ds1868]

Only in the north. Tokyo isnt a problem.

[@Redsquirrel007]

Usually the 145 QV and the 146 Ti have the red lines on the tacho and rpm counter, and the seats are different. Are you sure this is a real QV, and not a 1.8 with some extra parts or a limited edition like the old 33 Imola?

[@simonhodgetts6530]

That’s a beauty! Love the colour and the aftermarket front splitter, and the additional colour coding to the bumpers. Lovely, lovely cars! Still one of the most entertaining cars I’ve owned!

[@simonhodgetts6530]

Is the mystery car an Uno Turbo Abarth?

[@ItaliaAutos]

It is an uno turbo

[@zzhughesd]

Neil. Great video convo starter. Thanks. Paintwork very bright. Bar the bubbling. Total lottery JP vs UK. Sight unseen. Guessing mechanicals better JP mind

[@ItaliaAutos]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@Jay-B1750]

Gorgeous motor! Id be happy to own that 😍

[@ItaliaAutos]

Good stuff.

[@proooooost]

Exceptionally low milage car, rust free makes all the difference, not to mention eazyer to work on.I'll buy a import GT in this condition any day.

[@ItaliaAutos]

good stuff.

[@mrdavid-t3w]

vu les suspensions améliorer et l'anneau restant sur la fixation de la ceinture,la voiture a du faire du circuit !

[@martyns9194]

Impressed by the japanese import.

[@ItaliaAutos]

good stuff.

[@Zeghetank]

You were saying that others crush the sills when lifting the car but I saw you didn't care about the side skirts beeing crushed badly. Look at 8:29.

[@ItaliaAutos]

Think your dreaming on that one. Yes close but not

[@Markycarandbikestuff]

Crushing is done with trolley jacks with bare metal cups where all the weight of the car is on that point (or the weight of a whole corner if you are going to be pedantic), wheel free ramps have rubber caps on the cups (which you will clearly see), and the weight of the car is evenly spread over four arms so damaged sills is avoided.

[@alexdebono4087]

Can i ask which site you used to purchase the car?

[@ItaliaAutos]

Not mine.

[@alexdebono4087]

@ItaliaAutos It'd be interesting to know from your customer if could share here 😁 Greetings from Italy btw

[@grotesmurf1]

Fiat Uno Mk 2, very clear even might be a Turbo.... how do I know, I got a E reg one 😉

[@TomRxtroWav397]

It’s might be worth it because Japanese car inspection centre aka shogun that what they call, it’s apparently it’s very strict.

[@ItaliaAutos]

I'm still learning about importing them

[@ds1868]

​@@ItaliaAutosi think its worth doing.

[@josephmifsud8261]

I guess it's how desperate you want a certain car. In this case the customer got very lucky indeed. The paintwork is a beautiful colour but not the best but there is virtually no rust which would have been more expensive to put right

[@pete3897]

Why does the dash say MPH in big red letters underneath the odometer when the speedometer above it says km/hr?

[@ItaliaAutos]

just an extra visual aid.

[@johnsheehan9766]

😅

[@enjoy-the-road]

What is the temp of the engine head, near the plugs? I mean the temperature of the metal / aluminum NOT the coolant temp ? Thanks

[@ItaliaAutos]

It's just the hottest part

[@enjoy-the-road]

Was it 194 degrees Celsius? The reason I ask conclusions is because I also have an air cooled motorcycle. I measured a temperature of 170 degrees Celsius and I don't know if an aluminum head works at this temperature.@@ItaliaAutos

[@Markycarandbikestuff]

0:05 Fiat Uno Turbo.

[@Gixer_Zg]

I think it's uno turbo?

[@uodvrhw]

Abarth Uno ?

[@merikblackmore]

fyi I get this message when trying to load your website "There has been a critical error on this website."

[@ItaliaAutos]

Yeah it's been hacked so I've taken it down.

[@merikblackmore]

@@ItaliaAutos what is the link for the heat camera?

[@ItaliaAutos]

www.amazon.co.uk/Infrared-Handheld-Sensitivity-Resolution-Lightweight/dp/B089GHDK49/ref=sr_1_4_sspa?crid=7WEU7YZW7350&keywords=Topdon&qid=1695967189&sprefix=topdon%2Caps%2C70&sr=8-4-spons&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.cc223b57-2b86-485c-a85e-6431c1f06c86&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1

[@jonathanperry4189]

Remarkable the difference using urea instead of salt on the roads. Well done Japan

[@Codzilla71]

Did you say how much it was? And shipping and taxes?

[@ItaliaAutos]

that i dont know im afraid. thats why i didnt go into that side of things but i will when i get a car with the full details

[@markpirateuk]

I bought a 25 year old MX5 (Eunos roadster) Japanese import, far better spec than a UK model & just as clean & rust free as the Alfa 😁

[@ItaliaAutos]

Nice

[@poosnip]

the issues with Japanese import are sun related. Blisteringly hot summers. Paint and Headliner delaimnation. Small issues really as Japanese really do look after their things. Tis doesn't mean you don't do your due diligence ....

[@2008tourer]

Does it have iluminated light and wiper stalks?

[@ItaliaAutos]

no idea

[@staxalot8587]

Fiat uno?

[@a11csc]

very nice

[@ItaliaAutos]

Sure is

[@ChrisPatrick-q6k]

They rot along the sill to floorpan, shame.

[@ItaliaAutos]

they do and cant get panels

[@PaulDouglas-i5m]

​@@ItaliaAutos Decent Panel Beater can Make Repair Sections........

[@martinclapton2724]

My only reservation on buying an import car, no matter the manufacture, is the integrity of the service history, as a relative found out with a Japanese Imported Jaguar, let’s say NOT to his advantage. The condition of this car looks better than some UK cars

[@ItaliaAutos]

i think thats a risk some are willing to take as they generally look after there cars in JP

[@nickh2458]

Club racer car .........

[@psychogobetween]

❤

[@mattsuotoko9443]

Fiat uno turbo