import toyota vrs english models

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Thu 24 Jun 2004 21:13
import toyota vrs english models - pienmash
im looking to buy a jap mpv import(townace or similar) but was told not too as it can cost a fortune in parts as they use diff parts and these have to be imported ....is this true,any advice welcome on jap imports.as ive seen one for 3995 and i like the look of it but alot of people are puuting me off.
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Thu 24 Jun 2004 21:30
import toyota vrs english models - carl_a
Some models may look identical but they are different in quite a few ways. I was talking to someone who has a Previa import from Japan (forgot what they call them now) and getting a windscreen replacement was difficult, they do have them in the UK but they are not common in stock items.
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Thu 24 Jun 2004 21:57
import toyota vrs english models - pienmash
i thought as much about parts n stuff as with all thing nowadays,ordering from japan is no big deal(or is it??????),i assume that a import may be more to insure tho
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Fri 25 Jun 2004 00:00
import toyota vrs english models - Marc4Six
I have a jap import (Celica GT Four) and parts have been no problem, nearly all parts are the same as UK models. Insurance is more of an issue, although insurance companies are starting to wise up.
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Fri 25 Jun 2004 00:32
import toyota vrs english models - Kuang
Not sure if this is generally true, but a lot of tyre compounds are harder in japan to cope with their more abrasive road surfaces, so you often need to budget for a new set. You might also find that more powerful cars have been detuned to get around some import issues.
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Fri 25 Jun 2004 11:42
import toyota vrs english models - Thommo
One very useful tip is that some Toyota autoboxes are Borg Warner designs made under licence.

Example Supra gearbox is a Borg Warner T3 as fitted to Volvos.

So when the gearbox went on my Supra it was £6,000 for a new Toyota box shipped from Japan or £1,000 for the identical Borg Warner model.
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Fri 25 Jun 2004 13:17
import toyota vrs english models - Algernon
So when the gearbox went on my Supra it was £6,000 for a new Toyota box shipped from Japan or £1,000 for the identical Borg Warner model."

Hopefully I shall not need to know, but was this a MK IV?

On the qestion of power, I understand that it is Japanese market cars which tend to be limited to 280 bhp. A Superchip works very effectively on a MK IV in remedying this, and the torque particularly is considerably improved.

Normal service and spares are no problem locally to me, thanks to Struan Toyota, bless 'em.
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Fri 25 Jun 2004 13:23
import toyota vrs english models - Collos25
A colleague has a 4 wheel drive Previa type 2.2 diesel import and he thinks the turbo has gone or some other top end problem.
To try and locate parts is apparentlly proving to be a nightmare.The market seems to be flooded with these imports from GTO'S to motorbikes.
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