Hey Lexus guys and gals...

I had a quick question for you all. If I was to get continual reliable access to JDM parts for the next 2 years or so... would you all be interested in any parts? If so, what parts would you be looking for and what kind of prices would they go for? I am trying to compile a list of parts that people might be interested in getting and what prices they go for in the US. If I can get this list then I can research the overseas cost and shipping costs to see if there are some products I could offer on CL for reasonable prices while still making a bit of money. Anyways... this isnt an Official LeatherSeats.com question because it is more or less something that I am researching on my own so any comments or questions should be directed my way (jeremy@leatherseats.com).

Jeremy

 

this is how i see it

jdm parts people want:
1) wheels - this is a must. there are a lot of wheel importers already, but we can use more.
2) body kits - this is a very tough part. first of all it takes time to make, and second of all shipping is a HUGE problem due to its size and how fragile they are. you can see a lot of times people can get them in japan no problem, but no one dares to ship them and accept the liability

concerns:
1) overall cost of all. shipping is the key here. exchange rate could also affect somehow, especially with big ticket items
2) time involved, which goes hand in hand with cost. air ship is the fast, always on time and everything is predictable. however it costs substantially higher. wheels are still ok, but for body kits the cost pretty much kill the whole "deal". using cargo on boat is the cheapest method, however the wait time is often unbearable imho. first of all you need for the cargo to get full, which no one can even estimate. second, port custom is just as unpredictable, nothing like air frieght.

so many times already, i have seen stuff by boat arriving 3 to 4 months after order, whereas they would have come in 2 to 3 weeks by air. this INCLUDES the time to MAKE them. if it's something small and cheap like an air filter, i don't even worry. however when youget stuff from japan, most of the time we are talking about expensive stuff like wheels and kits, which runs for couple grands easy. with that much money spend, i want my stuff fast and clean.

this is how i see the whole jdm import thing

 

Thats a great start... you are right about all the shipping concerns and price issues, however the last freight company I worked with that had moved product for me via boat had been on time, everytime. (Usually a week or so.) My thought has always been that a lot of the import companies are smaller companies that only ship items 5-12 times a year from overseas because they pile up orders so that they can fill up one container. This is the problem with getting overseas bodykits in the US I am sure.

Anyways... this is great info and I really appreciate it. I would love to get some more input from all the Lexus owners and if possible. Try and mention specific products by name that you personally are looking for or would buy in the future if you could get your mitts on it. Also... list pricing for these items if you know what they generally go for.

Jeremy

 

I dont have anything more than what rominl already said

 

jeremy, i am serious, if you have a good source for shipping and everything could be here in a reasonable short time with no unpredicatable delay, you got yourself a jackpot man. i have done some research before, getitng stuff in japan isn't the biggest problem it's pretty simple (and you got your resource already) and price is ok. shipping has always been the "trouble maker". if you get a good company to get over a lot of the rare body kits, you bet i am on your customer list