Looking for a Bellett in Japan

[Glenn]

experience so far:-

shipping, Japan port costs, de-reg, customs, GST etc etc, seem to run about $6000 for an average car. Thats roll on roll off. Car must be mobile and have brakes !

Yahoo auctions,
nice GT with 2000c DOHC/5spd, seller constantly pulling car off auction early, then returns a week later with a higher starting price (much higher)

nice 4 door sport, after many promising emails, seller says car is sold. (?)

nice 2 door sport, Communication ok at first, eventually find car has blown head gasket (can't be shipped except in container at extra cost)

Nice honest looking 1800 GT... eventually find car is not running (container needed) and won't supply more info.

Lovely GT, seller pulls as he does not want car to leave Japan.

Nice late GT. Good communication with seller initially, then simply no longer responds.

Great looking car, going to a trade auction late Saturday (28th Apr), was told only hours before about car but got heaps of pictures from my guy. Car FULL of bog.

Found a GTR ! ! .... seller does not respond .

There are a few GTR's about, but mostly sky high prices as we know.

Kamikaze web site. A few Belletts. Responses take upto 3 weeks !

My guy here and in Japan is good, but there is a big problem with getting info from sellers, Private and dealers. Private sales are pretty rare though, it seems. Apprently most people in Japan tend to deal with a local delaer only, for life.

Perhaps Used car salesmen are the same the world over LOL

anyway, press on..........

glenn

[degruch]

Have you tried Takeey's Glenn? They're a little expensive, but from what I've heard, don't tend to pedal crap or mind where the car goes...allegedly. I've never purchased from them myself, but seem to be a genuine classic car seller.

Japan's still not quite worth the hassle IMO, but at least there's always cars there...sort of.

[Glenn]

yes, i have seen a car (GT) from there. Mid range price. Needs a lot of work though. Car has a lot of rust visible in other pictures.
I don't expect the 'perfect' car but best to find the best available for the price as you would do here.

Not tried to talk to them as yet.

[Glenn]

By the way, does anybody know the difference between a GTN and GT Bellett ????

best i can find is that the GTN has lower power engine.

[gt orphanage]

Glenn timing is bad but if you spend $6000 freight and in the teens for purchase? would the feeguard gt be a option you could have in a week and know what you got.
There was a 1500 gt i read here once pr80 i recall

[Glenn]

Don't know anything about that? What and where is the car ? Any pictures, details etc

A run of the mill GT ex japan is about $15-17k landed.

The GTN is a 1800 SOHC. less HP I think from web gleaning.

glenn

[gt orphanage]

Go to belletts for sale (gt for sale adelaide hills) i dont think anyone paid what was asking but if you were in the high teens with one landed here maybe a little negotiation might make it viable.
WARNING (vale Heather Freegard) in the last weeks thred is why i mentioned timing

[Glenn]

Can't find any phn number etc for it. Its gone off gumtree i think.

24k is over the top i think at present although it looks nice in the picture.

glenn

[gt orphanage]

p.m degruch i think he has been in contact, or someone here will know a contact number. I think it's top dollar myself but if it's what it is and you can reduce the price a bit and know there are no suprises or spend $17000 to find you need to spend a little to bring it up to aust rego/your standard or fly to japan to confirm the deal.
food for thought is it really to expensive my gt's cost me that to build to my standard and they don't reach others standards.

[Glenn]

If the car doesn't need much done, then it might well be worth it.
But i doubt there are many prospective buyers who would pay that at present.
I know how easy it is to spend money re-building a car........ it gets away pretty quickly.

glenn

[gt orphanage]

That's why it's still there waiting for the market to catch up and it's not to far away. Which is a good thing for the little cars as it makes it justifible to spend a bit on them. A bugger if you want one.

[degruch]

Hmmm, I still think there could be a few surprises with the Freegard GT, it hasn't been used regularly for a long time and has never had any work on the mechanicals...last time I looked the $24k didn't include replacing the leaking brake cylinders! I still think it would be a reasonable buy in the low-mid teens, which would have given me room financially to deal with a mechanical rebuild, but Heather wouldn't budge.

I'm out of the picture (again!) with a GT purchase as I'm about to be made redundant at work, but I'd be hesitant to chase Keith about it this soon personally, especially as it was actually Heather's car. Having said that, I only met the Freegards a couple times (and they were quite lovely people, just had a REALLY expensive car!) and 'bemboka...' may know the situation better than me. Keith may not even want to sell the car now, I guess you don't know if you don't ask. A tough time, as Greg's noted, and sad news.

[PR91]

Glenn...
N suffix on a GT signified a GT "saloon". had a model designation of PR95N, and was built between Oct 71 and March 73 when all the GT models ended.
was an 1800GT body with a low compression (8.7:1) 1800SOHC, a less sporty camshaft, and believe it or not.... a single carb.
also had factory fitted air con that was mounted under the dash infront of the passenger (very similar to the aftermarket kits we saw in the 70's and 80's) which would have added to the "saloon" status.
hope this helps.

[Glenn]

Interesting

BUT how do you know if you have one ?
ie how do you ID it?

I have seen one advertised but it had twin SU style carbs which may have been added later. They appear to be about 100hp. Not ~117hp of the 'normal' GT models.

glenn

[gt orphanage]

maybe pr91N-XXXXX instead of pr91W-xxxxxxxx but we won't go there .

[PR91]

here we go.................. deep breath.................
anyway, would be PR95N, not PR91N!

seriously, a much lower engine HP output is a major sign, as is the air con under the dash.
when they were new, a 1600 GT-R had 120hp, a 1800 GT had 115hp, and the GT-N was 100hp....
the rest of the car was all 'normal' GT anyway, so some engine work would make it 'normal' too.

[gt orphanage]

it's not the numbers it's the letters the numbers will look after themselves

[PR91]

hahahahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaa!!
let's make that Bellett law #1.

[65bellett]

Glenn I think you are going to have to take a trip to Japan and while you are there you do some parts shopping for the rest of us Have you tryed Iron Chef I think Dave had a good experience with them?

[Glenn]

would love to go !

I don't think its' the importer that's the issue. Its the responses or lack of them in Japan.

The GT with no brakes:- vendor is now considering fixing them. BUT like here, getting parts is not easy either. (fronts)

glenn