MustangWorks.com : Ford Forums - View Single Post - Buy a U.S 1994 V8 5L GT Mustang in Australia (Imported from Japan)?

PKRWUD · 09-09-2002, 07:37 AM

Greetings,

I lived in Perth for a while in 1985, so i'm well aware of what you're talking about. Back then the hot ticket was anything built in the USA in the 1960's. I saw a junky 68 Camaro , that couldn't have gotten $1800 here, sell for $20k US, in a week there. Corvettes were $50k to start.

Anyway, the '94 is fine. Considering your situation, it's perfect.

As far as cars coming from japan, this is where you may have problems. The Japanese are notoriously evil to their vehicles. They know when they buy them that they must get rid of them after only a few years (law), so they rarely ever maintain them. Why waste the money? Because of the laws in Japan, there are tons of cars there that are being parted out and sent everywhere else. There are ships full of "used" Japanese engines, with 5 years or less, and rarely more than 50k miles on them, coming to our shores every day, and 90% of them are junk. I have not yet found one that was good, right off the bat. The oil has never been changed, and with the low speed, stop and go driving they are stuck with there, it turns the oil into a hardening gell. I even saw one one time where we pulled the oil pan off, and there looked to be another, underneath it. It was in fact hardened oil, not a pan. This is murder on the entire engine/bearings/oil starved galleries, etc.

My recommendation is to drain and inspect the oil before you do anything, and pull a valve cover too. Check the plugs, and especially the radiator. It will tell you what kind of shape the inside of the engine looks like, too. Just check all the areas that probably seem silly to you, because you normally take care of them.

Eitherway, good luck!

BTW, what's the asking price?

Take care,
~Chris

09-09-2002, 07:37 AM	#5
PKRWUD Junior Member Join Date: Mar 1999 Location: Ventura, California Posts: 8,981	Greetings, I lived in Perth for a while in 1985, so i'm well aware of what you're talking about. Back then the hot ticket was anything built in the USA in the 1960's. I saw a junky 68 Camaro , that couldn't have gotten $1800 here, sell for $20k US, in a week there. Corvettes were $50k to start. Anyway, the '94 is fine. Considering your situation, it's perfect. As far as cars coming from japan, this is where you may have problems. The Japanese are notoriously evil to their vehicles. They know when they buy them that they must get rid of them after only a few years (law), so they rarely ever maintain them. Why waste the money? Because of the laws in Japan, there are tons of cars there that are being parted out and sent everywhere else. There are ships full of "used" Japanese engines, with 5 years or less, and rarely more than 50k miles on them, coming to our shores every day, and 90% of them are junk. I have not yet found one that was good, right off the bat. The oil has never been changed, and with the low speed, stop and go driving they are stuck with there, it turns the oil into a hardening gell. I even saw one one time where we pulled the oil pan off, and there looked to be another, underneath it. It was in fact hardened oil, not a pan. This is murder on the entire engine/bearings/oil starved galleries, etc. My recommendation is to drain and inspect the oil before you do anything, and pull a valve cover too. Check the plugs, and especially the radiator. It will tell you what kind of shape the inside of the engine looks like, too. Just check all the areas that probably seem silly to you, because you normally take care of them. Eitherway, good luck! BTW, what's the asking price? Take care, ~Chris __________________ Webmaster: Rice Haters Club Jim Porter Racing Peckerwoods Pit Stop Support Your Local RED & WHITE!