Although this breaking news is somewhat old now and should have been posted two weeks ago it's better late than never! JiJi is finally registered on Australian roads! The cost for 12 months registration, roadworthy certificate, insurance and compliance was somewhere around $1500, I think (I lost count) but it didn't matter in the end. My happiness was overwhelming when I climbed behind the wheel and fired the engine up before setting off for home. The long process was finally complete.
I always seem to have a silly grin on my face whenever I take him for a spin now and bystanders often look and point with giggles or comments, such as "cute" or "what is it?".
The modifications have continued. I've had the padding in the front seats redone and a cigarette burn fixed so they're just like new ($160) and the rear seats removed altogether due to the lack of seatbelts.
Next up, the paint.
Showing posts with label JiJi Kuruma. Show all posts
Showing posts with label JiJi Kuruma. Show all posts
Well, it's been a little while since I've had a chance to update my blog. My computer equipment is still coming over from Japan so I don't have much access at the moment. The good news is everything passed through Japanese customs, was packed into the container and is halfway to Australia now.
The bill? So far it's 155,561yen for the Japanese side. I'll still have to pay more customs clearance fees etc on the Australian end plus a few other costs.
If you've ever wondered what it looks like when a container is packed then wonder no more. Enjoy the photos.
The bill? So far it's 155,561yen for the Japanese side. I'll still have to pay more customs clearance fees etc on the Australian end plus a few other costs.
If you've ever wondered what it looks like when a container is packed then wonder no more. Enjoy the photos.
Suspension Part 1
As part of JiJi's modifications he has to get faster, lower and wider. So far, I've managed to get him faster with the fitment of a custom exhaust. The next step was to make him lower. This has been about three or four months in the planning. The biggest hurtle was finding appropriate hardware to replace the original suspension with. The biggest issue was the original front struts are already very short, despite the 170mm ride height. This is because of the van's layout. The front seats are positioned directly above the front suspension and there isn't a lot of room for something smaller.
The answer came in the form of some base adjustable coilovers from an S13 180sx. For this job I called in a friend who is quite the suspension guru... that would be Shane. After a quick look and a few measurements he new what he needed, it was just a matter finding the right parts for the right price. Being a parts exporter, he was able to source the set of S13 coilovers without too much trouble, thanks mate.
Then came the time for modifying. That was to be very straight forward and mostly was except for one thing, time. We'd set a day aside for the work. I would drive for nearly 3 hours each way from my place to the workshop so that meant a long day but it was all the other stuff Shane had to do that day that made the day a stressful one. In the end we only had an afternoon to dismantle, modify, fit and align the new suspension. The job got done but there was never a dull moment. Unfortunately, the job hasn't completely finished. To have the front of the car sitting as low as the rear of the car (also modified) the front coils need to be changed with something about 50mm shorter (150mm length) and desirably no more than about 5kg/mm with an I/D of 65mm. That hasn't been an easy coil spring to find.
I'll upload more photos once we get the height and camber adjusted to a point that we're happy with it.
The answer came in the form of some base adjustable coilovers from an S13 180sx. For this job I called in a friend who is quite the suspension guru... that would be Shane. After a quick look and a few measurements he new what he needed, it was just a matter finding the right parts for the right price. Being a parts exporter, he was able to source the set of S13 coilovers without too much trouble, thanks mate.
Then came the time for modifying. That was to be very straight forward and mostly was except for one thing, time. We'd set a day aside for the work. I would drive for nearly 3 hours each way from my place to the workshop so that meant a long day but it was all the other stuff Shane had to do that day that made the day a stressful one. In the end we only had an afternoon to dismantle, modify, fit and align the new suspension. The job got done but there was never a dull moment. Unfortunately, the job hasn't completely finished. To have the front of the car sitting as low as the rear of the car (also modified) the front coils need to be changed with something about 50mm shorter (150mm length) and desirably no more than about 5kg/mm with an I/D of 65mm. That hasn't been an easy coil spring to find.
I'll upload more photos once we get the height and camber adjusted to a point that we're happy with it.
Import Approved!
I received a phone call today from DOTARS and the application for JiJi to be imported to Australia has finally been approved! What a relief!
On a different note; I've started collecting parts for my stereo. I've got a Nakamichi 10" subwoofer to go in, along with an MTX Blue Thunder Pro1502 amp. The Nakamichi was purchased at UpGarage for 3,000yen and really does look in as new condition. The amp was donated by my mate.
On a different note; I've started collecting parts for my stereo. I've got a Nakamichi 10" subwoofer to go in, along with an MTX Blue Thunder Pro1502 amp. The Nakamichi was purchased at UpGarage for 3,000yen and really does look in as new condition. The amp was donated by my mate.
JiJi Kuruma Modifications
The list of modifications is getting longer for my little van. First of all was the 15 inch wheels (up from 13 inches). They're as big as will fit. Then came the conversion from 4WD to RWD. The LSD rear diff has a crazy 6.6:1 final drive ratio! I'm searching for a taller diff ratio and have a few options. Then came the new exhaust; this is made from a mix of Jaguar V12 and Yamaha R1 carbon fibre mufflers and piping. The latest installment is a boost gauge.
Coming soon are some base adjustable coilovers, some flared rear guards and some new paint.
More pics (and videos) to come.
Coming soon are some base adjustable coilovers, some flared rear guards and some new paint.
More pics (and videos) to come.
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| JiJi Modifications |
The Personal Import Process
Going through the process of personally importing a vehicle from Japan to Australia should be a fairly straightforward and painless affair however, 'straightforward' and 'painless' aren't words usually associated with dealing with the Australian government. A few headaches have popped up already regarding the paperwork and today I just resubmitted my paperwork, this time translated into English. At the moment, my main concern is not having an official parking permit. Micro class cars don't require a parking permit where I live so the paperwork doesn't exist. I've explained this to the government three times now but they just keep asking for a parking permit. I've had my landlord write one up which I had translated and sent today. Hopefully that will be enough for approval.
'JiJi' Micro Van
During my time in Japan I've owned a lot of cars but there's one car that's so unique, so useful and so sloooooooooow! He's my 'JiJi Kuruma', or 'old bastard car'.
The car is a Mitsubishi Bravo Super Aero Roof GT Turbo. The name is as long as the car. It's a micro class car, meaning it's restricted in length, width, engine capacity and power output. However, this only adds to its appeal. So much so that I've decided to bring it back to Australia with me this year.
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