UK imports

freedomaira320, Nov 26, 11:29am
Seeing quite a few of these lately. Lateish model European and Japanese cars. No doubt because of the current favourable exchange rate. Just wondering what people think of them compared to the usual Jap imports. Any issues that come up! I know checking out possible corrosion problems due to their use of salt on the roads is something to watch out for, but anything else! Good or bad experiences from anyone!
intrade, Nov 26, 11:32am
i got 2 uk cars my self no problems just wotch for rust issues they usually rot out from below . as where nz new ones rot from the top.
the salt on roads in winter is what nukes the undrside of cars in europe
intrade, Nov 26, 11:33am
ps i have the full service documentsfrom uk and nz for my car . this is what you would want if possibile.
esprit, Nov 26, 11:37am
Yeah, if buying a new or nearly new car from the UK there's no issue, but beware, the amount of corrosion on even a 2 or 3 year old car from the UK can be pretty shocking.

In the UK, people consider a 6 year old car "old", whereas in NZ, you're still seen as a flash git with a "new" car. This is because by that age, UK cars tend to be getting harder and harder to keep on the road without regular maintenance because they're busy dissolving away.

Very much dependant on use though. Daily drivers suffer, but cars that are only used during the summer months suffer no worse than their NZ counterparts really.
kcf, Nov 26, 12:19pm
Having seen some video footage of the underside of a ~5 year old Merc, it made my remaining hairs stand on end.I wouldn't even consider one unless I personally knew what it looked like in operation in the UK, before it was tidied up for compliance.
rsr72, Nov 26, 1:23pm
The salt corrosion badly affects pipe lines and pipe unions for cooling, air cond, power steering, etc., etc.
A complicated and expensive job replacing these on modern cars.
chebry, Nov 26, 1:27pm
Salt corrosion is why cars get galvanised now days
iseeyou1, Nov 26, 1:33pm
I had a 2000 Opel Vita, the cam belt went - and totally wrecked the engine - I took it back to the place who put it in, it was in there for 13 weeks, at the end of thaose 13 weeks they were unable to source a motor or the parts to repair the original motor and ended up writing off and paying out insurance to me - due to the fact the parts of this German motor and year were near impossible to source in NZ - something to think about when looking at Euro cars - the accessibility of parts. I ended buying a Jap import only a week ago because of this.
phillip.weston, Nov 26, 2:37pm
I think you are mis-informed.

The Vita is only called the Vita in Japan. In the UK it's called the Vauxhall Corsa or an Opel Corsa throughout the rest of Europe. We of course know the car better as a Holden Barina as it is sold in Australia and New Zealand.

Unless your Vita was some kind of strange Japanese only model with a specific engine combo not available in either the Barina or Corsa, you should have been able to find replacement parts from within NZ easily or the UK at the very worst.

I think your mechanic perhaps was just too lazy in sourcing parts and not realising that the Vita is just a Barina with a different name.
00quattro00, Nov 26, 2:40pm
I own a mk3 golf that spent its first 3yrs in the uk and its in fine condtion, no rust at all.
the-lada-dude, Nov 26, 3:25pm
surely the manufacturers have to combat the corrosion factor, or there'd be shit loads of dead cars and people strewn from arsehole to breakfast plate
chebry, Nov 26, 4:12pm
You had a Holden Barina parts are everywhere for them take it to a MECHANIC next time
franc123, Nov 26, 4:49pm
Pity that not all parts are interchangeable between Jap import Vita and NZ new Barina, they aren't identical cars by any means. There are differences in the steering, suspension and brake parts at least. But its doubtful that there would be issues finding cylinder head or cam timing parts for them.