Greetings from the Far East

[Markb881]

Hi All, I just proudly bought the cheapest Z3 in all of Japan, and while she's a bit of a beater, she's only got 90k km on the clock and runs OK.

Needs new seat covers, and top at some point but really I see the top as just rain cover anyway. Got a new MAF on order, hopefully that solves the slightly rough idle and some non-linear acceleration issues (and of course the P1140 code she's throwing). Looking forward to reading on on everything I can do DIY, and hopefully and some point being able to provide some information by contributing back. glad to be a part of the group!

 

[Uncle_Clanger]

Hi Mark & welcome to the forum, what are the regs on older cars in Japan now? I was always under the impression government made it awkward to own an older car and many are exported out?

Where abouts in Japan are you?

 

[Low Rider]

Hi Mark welcome to the forum.
Your Zed looks great (as they all do) is the Merc yours as well ?

 

[Markb881]

Hi Mark & welcome to the forum, what are the regs on older cars in Japan now? I was always under the impression government made it awkward to own an older car and many are exported out?

Where abouts in Japan are you?

Hi Clanger, thanks for the warm welcome. New cars need to be inspected after 3 years, and every 2 years thereafter. After 10 years old or 100,000km, they need to be inspected yearly. Annual vehicle (engine) tax goes up 10% after 10 years, and weight tax goes up at 13 years and 18 years. Because of this, there are very few old cars on the road, and sadly, even fewer classics (as they often get exported around or before the 10 year mark). And that Japanese don't drive very much, so, you can get extremely low mileage cars that are very old. I got this at 21 years old with 90k km, and two other cars, 18 years old (49k km), and 46 years old (44k km) on the clocks.

There are no emissions loopholes for older or 'antique' models either.

edit: forgot the last part - I am in Chiba, an eastern suburb of Tokyo.

 

[Markb881]

Hi Mark welcome to the forum.
Your Zed looks great (as they all do) is the Merc yours as well ?

Thanks, Low Rider! yeah, the w108 is mine too. I got an old CL500 as well, but it doesn't fit in my parking spots so it's in another lot

 

[TrevD66]

Hi and welcome from Australia

 

[andyglym]

to the forum from West Cumbria, England .

 

[Slam]

Hi and welcome from London, I couldn’t cope without old cars. New cars do nothing for me they are all the same and electronically to complicated.

 

[Markb881]

Hi and welcome from London, I couldn’t cope without old cars. New cars do nothing for me they are all the same and electronically to complicated.

I feel ya. That's what I love about my '72 280S Merc, if something's not working, trace the wire back. If the idle speed is not correct, turn a screw until it sounds about right. There are no absolute adjustments, just relative turns on the screw. If you turned the screw to the end and it's still not calibrated right, there's probably just a bigger screw you should be turning instead.

 

[Keet]

Hello and welcome from Mansfield, UK.

Nice cars and interesting post on how other countries deal with older cars.

 

[Jack Ratt]

Hello and welcome to the forum. I love the old Merc. I have a 1988 230ce

 

[Nodzed]

Hi & welcome

 

[Markb881]

Hello and welcome to the forum. I love the old Merc. I have a 1988 230ce

Thanks, Jack! My dad used to have a 300CE-24, and it was amazing. I still remember the mechanism that would hand you the seatbelt. Benz invented the car in 1885, everything else is a cheap knock-off (that is, until I discovered BMW!) I still think Benz is better for the big-bodies and BMW is better for the smaller cars. Loving it so far!

 

[PHILIP BAXTER]

Hi, and welcome from me in Cardiff.

 

[DavidM]

Welcome from Ireland!

 

[Tom Martin]

Hi and welcome from Oz !

 

[Shelly]

Hi and welcome to ZroadSter

 

[hard top]

Welcome on the forum from the Netherlands Markb881

 

[Bazza]

from me

 

[Shieldz]

Hi from North Somerset.