The official sites, checks and tools we actually use when buying, importing and keeping a JDM classic in Australia. Government sites change their page addresses often, so we link to the front door and tell you what to look for.
Before you buy
- Japanese auction grades explained: what the grade on the sheet does and does not tell you about a 30-year-old car.
- Odometer fraud in Japanese used cars: the documents you can check yourself.
- CarVX: Japanese vehicle history reports by chassis number (affiliate link, see disclosure).
- The R32/R33 Skyline series: buyer’s introduction, pre-purchase checklist, common faults and running costs.
Importing into Australia
- ROVER (Department of Infrastructure): where vehicle import approvals under the Road Vehicle Standards Act are applied for, including the 25-year older-vehicle pathway.
- Australian Border Force: customs duty, GST and luxury car tax on imported vehicles.
- Department of Agriculture (biosecurity): cleanliness inspection on arrival. Mud, seeds and soil are the usual reasons a car is held at the wharf.
Registration
- Registering a JDM import in South Australia: our step-by-step guide.
- State road authorities: South Australia (sa.gov.au), Service NSW, VicRoads and Queensland TMR. Rules on inspections and modifications differ by state.
- PPSR: if you buy an import that is already registered in Australia, check that no finance is owing and it is not recorded as written off or stolen.
After the car is home
- YOU SHOULD, SHA. Parts: our sister site. Find parts by Japanese chassis code across eBay Australia, the US, the UK and Germany.
- Japanese model code lookup: paste the code from your export certificate and see what it means.
- Model-by-model parts guides, and sourcing parts for a JDM import on this site.
Some links on this page are affiliate links. Links to government sites are not. See our affiliate disclosure.