Ship my Mustang to Japan for month long vacation?

[diegoaccord]

I'm considering doing this. I'll be in Japan for most of June, and it's been since 2019, for obvious reasons. I think I want to ship the car over there to drive while I'm there, already sent for a Carnet Passages en Douane so I get the process started.

What I did previously was rent a normal car for the trip, then I rented a "JDM" for some fun. I would much rather have my own car there, and then I can still rent like a Skyline or something.

The main concern is rust, and how the trips will affect the car. Coating everything in oil is a possibility, I gues? But I dont want the car to be aged prematurely to the point that I need to get rid of it once I'm back. I have an Evo but those are already there, and I don't trust that car to just drive around .

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[K4fxd]

The manufacturers pack them in cosmoline.

Spray the car before it gets loaded and again when you send it back.

I would think it is easier and cheaper to just rent a mustang while in Japan, but I could be wrong.

 

[Skye]

For the money and effort, how much to rent another performance-oriented car while there? I love my car, but the opportunity to drive another, completely different performance car in a foreign country, could be a blast. And I'd do it knowing my car was home, safe and sound.

 

[Nightmonkey]

Once the logistics are sorted out, what about insurance?
It's obviously a serious thing over there.

From my motor club, it is unclear for me how far this also applies to cars from the US.

In principle, the Carnet de Passages is required for the temporary import of a vehicle into Japan.
However, due to the signing of different conventions on road traffic, the Japanese authorities do not recognize a vehicle registration from Germany. Therefore, it is quite possible that you will not be allowed to enter Japan despite presenting a Carnet de Passages.
Please contact JAF before your planned entry (https://english.jaf.or.jp/use-jaf-more/bringin/carnet) to have, among other things, the Carnet de Passages verified at the Japanese Automobile Club JAF. After the verification you have to go through the Japanese inspection (shaken) with the vehicle and then receive guest license plates.

 

[Onewolf]

Left hand drive vs right hand drive?

 

[Nightmonkey]

Thats not an issue, we'll be driving to Scotland soon too.
The headlights can be masked properly, so that the asymmetrical light beam is not blinding.
Overtaking becomes a bit more difficult without a co-driver.

 

[tobaccokid]

If you are concerned about rust, following is a possibility. It all depends on the car's shipping duration across the pond. I keep my cars in completely sealed bags, which I have used for decades, with as much desiccant (moisture absorbant) as I choose.It has worked out perfectly as I live in the Northeast. If the car is going to be shipped in its own container, it's a possibility for you. The bag/desiccant is not expensive, and has been used for decades to prevent rust during long international shipments.

 

[TW Merema]

Having driven and owned a couple JDM cars in the US, it is quite a hassle driving a car with the wheel on the wrong side. Things you don’t even consider have to be carefully thought out. Drive thru windows, toll booths, parking garages, sight lines for intersections, the list goes on. I definitely see it as being more cost effective and less headache to rent something there. Plus it is an opportunity to drive something we can’t get here yet until the 25 year rule goes into effect.

 

[Onewolf]

I can't see how this could be remotely cost effective as opposed to renting a car for the period you are in Japan. It just seems like a colossally bad idea.

 

[Michael_vroomvroom]

Sounds really cool. Cost effective? I'm sure it's not.

Sometimes I see what I presume are rich arabs driving their expensive foreign plated cars here in the summer, presumably imported for the week or however long they're staying. When seeing that I have sometimes thought it'd be nice if I could take my Mustang with me when holidaying in Thailand next summer, but with the cost, time, risk of something bad happening, and the headache of arranging everything, insurance included, I'm not even considering it.

If I were a rich guy with a couple of assistants to take care of everything ... yeah, it'd be cool if, when I land in my private jet, one of my 10 cars is there waiting for me, all tanked up.

 

[KeyLime]

For practice vacation in St Croix. Left hand drive, left side of the road.

 

[JBlock]

Based on my recent experience shipping a car from Japan to the US:

It's impractically expensive, unless you're the kind of person who really needs your daily driver Bugatti with you.

It's a major pain in the ass to prep for shipment and passing through customs.

The shipping company will likely damage something in the two months between pickup and delivery.

If you have to pass Shaken like Nightmonkey's post above says, the GT in your sig is guaranteed to fail.

 

[Dave2013M3]

I'm considering doing this. I'll be in Japan for most of June, and it's been since 2019, for obvious reasons. I think I want to ship the car over there to drive while I'm there, already sent for a Carnet Passages en Douane so I get the process started.

What I did previously was rent a normal car for the trip, then I rented a "JDM" for some fun. I would much rather have my own car there, and then I can still rent like a Skyline or something.

The main concern is rust, and how the trips will affect the car. Coating everything in oil is a possibility, I gues? But I dont want the car to be aged prematurely to the point that I need to get rid of it once I'm back. I have an Evo but those are already there, and I don't trust that car to just drive around .

As someone who considers Japan a second home (my wifes is from Japan). You may want to rethink it. From my understanding the inspection is brutal and it can keep the car in customs for weeks. They have S550 Mustangs in Japan, I saw a few of them. Although Ford pulled out of Japan I believe in 2016.

 

[Skye]

I tried to find a video clip of it, but I thought Wheeler Dealers years ago had an episode of Japan and the market there. The car has to be in near perfect (like new) condition.

https://groups.oist.jp/resource-center/shaken

 

[AZlb5.0]

I wouldn’t do it. The inspection process in Japan is arduous. Even as a senior NCO E-7 and above which allot for you to bring a vehicle, your car can be kept in the inspection yards for weeks on end. This is after the inspection process in the US. Then you have the folks shipping and if something gets broken/stolen again another day of filling forms to get what ever got broke/stolen replaced and that can take another small lifetime.
I would seriously rethink this whole thing especially if you’re not military. The headaches alone you will save in this venture, if you don’t ship your car, will be enough to add 10 yrs to your life.

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