Buying a car abroad - The Carmudgeon Show - Ep. 21
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- Опубліковано 6 вер 2024
- It sounds daunting, but buying a car abroad is not difficult. Long before they even knew each other, both Jason and Derek had each turned a summer European vacation into a car-buying extravaganza. Importing a 25-year-old car into the U.S. isn’t difficult at all, and duty isn’t expensive.
[NOTE: This episode was recorded in early March 2020 before the Coronavirus Social Distancing measures went into effect. We're glad to help stave off boredom while you #ShelterInPlace - anything to keep you home and keep you safe. Stay well, all of you. Love and distant kisses from all of us at ISSIMI.]
In discussing what cars are on their personal To Buy lists, Derek and Jason realized that most of the cars they want were never sold in the U.S. - things like the Honda Beat, Autozam AZ-1, Suzuki Cappuccino, Daihatsu Copen, and other Japanese-market Kei Cars. On the opposite end of the spectrum are Derek’s Mercedes 450 SEL 6.9 and Range Rover 2-door fetishes - and where the boys’ tastes overlap: at the Lotus Carlton.
Built as a special-edition Opel / Vauxhall Omega, the Carlton was a 177-mph family sedan that infuriated everyone at the time for being socially unconscionable. But with a turbocharged straight-six, rear-wheel drive, and a manual transmission, it’s right up the Radwood-era enthusiast’s alley.
The first-generation Honda Insight isn’t, even though Jason wants one. He also wants an original Honda S600 or S800 - but not an S2000. You’ll have to watch to find out why (hint: steering and gearing.)
And you’ll hear the outrageous story of the R107 380SL Jason shipped to his dad, which got destroyed by the DEA at the port, thinking it was filled with drugs. So even though shipping a car across the globe is relatively inexpensive, it’s not without its risks.
The Carmudgeon Show is a comedic, information-filled conversation with Jason Cammisa and Derek Tam-Scott, two car enthusiasts who are curmudgeonly beyond their years. Proving you don’t have to be old to be grumpy, they spend each episode talking about what’s wrong with various parts of the automotive universe. Despite their best efforts to keep it negative, they usually wind up laughing, happy, and extolling their love for cars. Which just makes them angrier and more bitter.
Jason Cammisa is an automotive journalist, social-media figure, and TV host with over 250 million views on UA-cam alone. Jason’s deeply technical understanding, made possible by a lifelong obsession with cars, allows him to fully digest what’s going on within an automobile - and then put it into simple terms for others to understand. Also, a Master’s Degree in Law trained him to be impossible to argue with.
Derek Tam-Scott still tries. He’s a young automotive expert with old-man taste in cars, and a Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering - which means he knows how to be civil to Jason. Or at least he tries. With a decade and a half’s experience buying, selling, driving and brokering classic and exotic cars, he’s experienced the world’s most iconic cars. And hated most of them.
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Another video request : opinion and deep dive on the rise of restomod culture with singer gunther werks Alfaholics and icon
If I remember correctly, old racecars were always right hand drive because the racetracks usually went clockwise, so most of the curves would be right ones and the steering wheel position enabled you to see and hit the apex better.
Ferrari apparently did this on it's early cars which is at least one italian high end manufacturer.
Cruise Very interesting
also L/R weight distribution
The same with Porsche racing cars.
Please post an instructional video on how to make that water dropping sound, I need this in my life!
6:46 - need it - now !
Watch Ferris Bueller's Day Off, that's how I learned...
You make the noise with your mouth and flick under your chin at the same time. It’s more of a whistle than a noise, you push air out of your mouth without using your lungs, using your tongue and clicking your jaw kinda.
The rider in the video you showed right at the beginning passed away as a result of their injuries from the hit. Personally, I don’t really care if you leave it up, but just a fyi as others may.
oof thanks for the info
Ok
That solves that mystery
Please don’t ever change gents. Love the freedom you guys have in these discussions!
I have a triumph tr6, it always seemed to fall on its face under acceleration from below 2k rpm. Today I found out the previous owner never installed seals in the intake manifold. Because of the current events I have resorted to using an applejacks box as paper gasket material. Felt like this was an appropriate place to post this.
Derek: This is why you hate French people.
Jason: *no denial whatsoever* No, it was US customs that did it.
Lmfao. I thought we were getting close to Jasons trauma with France 🤣
Lol
Great talk as always! Remember there was also the non-UK Lotus Carlton, the Lotus Omega, of course LHD. Since the base car was called Opel Omega everywhere else but in UK they put a Vauxhall badge on it.
Oh I hope Jason's dad watches this.
So sorry to hear your friend Mike passed away Jason; sounds like a great friend 🥇
Like the old saying that a good friend will bail you out of jail, but a great friend is in the cell with you saying, "Damn that was fun."
If memory serves, in 2010 I shipped my LR 110 from Liverpool to Baltimore in a container for under $2000, including duty. I had a documented purchase price of GBP 2500, which was exactly what I paid for the 1984 reg vehicle on the V5. Fortunately, Land Rover parts are widely interchangeable, and in the UK plentiful and affordable, so before I left the UK I was able to remedy some of the faults of the vehicle, like no engine or transmission or interior or any body panels forward of the B pillars.
As the Prophet Red Green teaches, if the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy.
As someone who's imported a few cars from Japan I am familiar with the import process (I actually do all the import process myself, rather than paying a broker).
The one easy part from Japan is they have a booming export market, so it's really easy to find cars specifically for export.
With Europe this might be harder, so it would be nice to find some good exporters in Europe that will help secure and ship the car for you.
Also Jason: You should own a Honda Beat!
Never seen Derek smile that hard as he did at that dude getting beaned. Odd upload time but I'm into it
Haha ya that guy was pronounced dead an hour later. Kinda dark but funny
@@harrisonsiegel9536 "Tragedy is when I stub my toe. Comedy is when you fall into an open sewer, and die." - Mel Brooks
Dude it's 3:30am stop enabling my shitty sleep schedule 😂
I thought I was wrong once but it was a mistake... one of my dad's favorite lines.
Most of these wierd spec Benzes are Grandpa cars. They know they want an S-Class, they know they want the V8, but they also don't want electric windows or an automatic gearbox, because thats how it was in the olden days.
Also, if you want the Lotus Carlton but as you said don't like right-hand drive, you can always get the Lotus Omega, which is just the left-hand drive Opel version. Quick look on mobile.de revealed scary prices though.
A Mercedes with a V8 with a manual but without the electronics sounds like the PERFECT recipe for car guys....... Nothing "grandpa" about that spec.
Modern appliances (cars) with all the driver aids for imbeciles are ideal 'grandpas cars'.
The prices are scary everywhere. In the UK at the time there was a public outcry about them because they could outrun cop cars and the media did not like that at all (apparently it's immoral to have a family car that's faster than a contemporary Ferrari...).
They were also as a result the no. 1 target of car thieves at the time...
But end result together with a downturn in the economy was that GM caved and didn't make that many. A pity...
Two things:
17:30 I read in book published back in the 1980s (have to look for it to confirm name/publisher) that RHD cars were sold in some LHD European countries because it allowed the driver to quickly hop out and open the back door for the persons they were chauffeuring, all safely on the curb side, so no need to walk around the car had it been LHD. If this be correct, it was brilliant in its simplicity of solution
19:44 GM isn't done with RHD. I live in the Caribbean (Trinidad & Tobago) where we use RHD cars. There's a Chevy dealership here selling brand new RHD models: Spark 1.2 LS/LT, Sonic 1.6 sedan and hatch LS/LT, Cruze sedan 1.5T LT/LTZ, Trax 1.5T LTZ, Equinox 1.5T LT/LTZ, Colorado crew-cab pickup 2.8TD LTZ/Z71. I'm not certain where any of these models are built though
My wife’s VW in japan was RHD but the turn signal was on the left side as it would be in most LHD cars. It always takes me a minute to get used to the stalks being switched in normal Japanese cars. I’m not sure if this is the reason but for me it makes sense to have the turn signal on the side next to the driver door because if it’s a manual transmission you can both change gears and simultaneously signal while leaving one hand on the wheel; provided you drive with your hands at 9 and 3.
My Dad had a Carlton Estate that was the same shape/age as that Lotus Carlton. We all loved it. I have fond memories of him sliding it around hairpin bends in French mountains with all 5 of us in it. Not a Lotus variant (it was a 2.0L I4), but still a lot of fun...
Had one and enjoyed it a lot. Have great memories with it, despite it was only 115 ps. On snow and gravel was fun pure, and could deliver 5 people at comfort at speed of 200kmh 😂
What do you call a man with no arms or legs in a pile of leaves?
Russell.
As I was about to return to the United States back in 2009, I was soul crushed when I found out that in order to import my 2002 mazda 626 diesel station wagon with a manual transmission and my 2004 mazda6 diesel station wagon with a manual, each car would cost me $100,000 to modify to comply with the EPA tier II bin 5 (both were Euro III emissions compliant), and this can only be done at eight authorized companies in the United States; not more, not less: EIGHT. I started calling. Reached only one, had to back out at those prices. I ended up selling the 626 (and regretting it, as they are impossible to find in that configuration even in Europe), but I was not going to part with my mazda6, come hell or high water. In the end I ended up going through hell on Earth importing it into another European country where it spent six years parked at my family's garage. I'm back in Europe now and I still have that mazda6, and I still lovingly take care of it.
Me: This video doesn't look that interesting.
Me 28 minutes into the video: Oh fuck they did it again
I love how the episode started with someone basically dying. Keeping it classy as always :^)
In a right-hand drive car having the indicators on the right stalk actually makes a ton of sense to me, I prefer it. When you're changing down for a junction you can indicate with the fingertips of your right hand and change down with your left. If the indicator stalk is on the left you have to either signal really early or really late because you're so busy changing cogs.
Edit: Jesus Jason, that story about your 190 was heartbreaking - I remember the video where you compared it to the E30 M3 and then announced you bought it. I can't imagine how you felt seeing it with the interior all slashed up. I hope the FDA gave you some compensation for that.
Jason as a Brit about the whole configuration of a vehicle by a dealer, it’s definitely true here, at least for new cars currently. Looking at the bmw m4 or m3 there are like barely any cars at all in a manual. As for colours in 2019 the most popular colours on new cars were black, grey, silver, white, red and blue. Every single other colour was less than 1% of sales
"No, keep trying" - Oh, a man of culture if there ever was one!
Carlton, Carlton, Carlton. Do it. Don’t even be scared.
So... loved the this episode! I actually have a LOTUS Omega that I bought 3 years ago in Germany. It is stored outside of Munich. Less than 85K KM on the car - overall good condition. Steering is the weakest point of the car, in my opinion. That being said, it is still better than E34 M5 steering. I have had mine up to 280kph on A91 too. Let me know if you guys are interested in reviewing the car or whatever else.
Tim Tursonoff VERY interested! Near the top of the list of the cars I’ve never driven but desperately want to.
Derek Tam-Scott Tursonoff@yahoo.com is my personal email address. Drop me a note. Would to make this happen once things are back to normal.
As a brit I can confirm that Japanese right hand drive cars have backwards indicators/wipers. I had a Vauxhall and I sometimes borrowed a Suzuki and it was annoying AF going between them.
Gentlemen, Regarding the comments of expensive Italian cars previously commonly having the steering on the right, I believe the reason more expensive Italian cars used to commonly have right hand drive was so those with cars commonly driven longer distances between municipalities, unlike plebeians who only drove in town, felt more comfortable being better able to place their auto properly when at the precipice of a cliff which was still an issue on many rural Italian roads until well after WWII... hence an actual practical marketing reason ..
Can’t wait to see the Carlton episode!!!
Not sure if it is still the case with BMW but in 2010, when I custom ordered my 128i manual, some options and colors were reserved for custom orders and off limits for dealer lot cars. For instance the terra cotta brown interior (which I chose) was limited to custom order.
My favorite limbless dude joke - in a pile of leaves?…..
…Russell 😂😂😂
Vauxhall went with Opel to PSA but Vauxhall hasn't had a major presence in the UK since the 1980s because that's before they moved the entire design center to their Opel division and most of the manufacturing moved to Europe in the 1990s / 2000s.
Cat. converters became mandatory in Germany in 1989, reason in horsepower output vs US cars, was the low quality US petrol...
Lancisti always say that the wheel is on the left so that you can see where the road ends up in the mountains, back before guardrails. I really want a RHD Lancia.
My odd Japanese car that I would love to import is an Isuzu Bellett GT-R. And, it has to be orange and black.
So crazy watching this now knowing Jason got his Beat and Hyphen got his purple dogleg wagon.
Jason finally stumbled upon Derick's musical genre.
You guys are great, thanks for the videos. I've really enjoyed all of them. You're quickly becoming my favorite car channel.
3Cylinder bikes sound amazing, but a cp4 is also good
Italian cars were originally LHD but drove on the left. It was because northern Italy, the wealthy part was prone to dense fog in winter and the roads often have deep ditches at the side so it was deemed safer to drive nearest to the kerb. Lancia were the last to continue this as they appealed more to older, conservative clients
Like a proper comedian, Jason can push the envelope, *just enough*, to make it tense, but still very funny lol
Jason, I'm a GRANDFATHER who remembers all of those "Bob" jokes from when I was a kid i n the 1950's. They are still funny, to a certain politically incorrect segment of society. Like us.
I legitimately checked the channel just incase my notification failed me to make sure i see it as soon as it uploaded... Keep up the good work lads!
Gonna have to call up for a Mark II Escort with a Millington.
GM also pulled out of South Africa, where all cars are RHD and we drive on the left. Funny thing, though, Chevrolet is still sold in Britain, and the Corvette will be available in RHD for the likes of the UK
Get a Lotus Omega instead of a Carlton, better choice in mainland Europe, cheaper and probably less damp
Get the Lotus Omega. Same car, LHD and they made about twice the amount of them.
I like how I immediately recognized what Nat King Cole song he was singing only because it's also in Fallout 4
I believe Italian Luxury cars had the driver's seat on the right because then the driver can get in and out on the side of the kerb instead of having to deal with crazy italian traffic rushing past.
The world is an interesting place. My man has a car collection and feels it’s complete with all his dream cars. Now for the first time in my I can’t even afford a car. And yes I work a full time job.
Guys, the Vauxhall Carlton is a tank. But I'll admit the Lotus Carlton is a beast, many were written off by the motorway police. I don't know the numbers that are left here though, I barely see any at shows/events especially Goodwood events, Bicester Heritage, etc......you should get to Bicester Heritage if you pop over to the UK.
I see several theories on why the Italian cars had their steering wheel on the wrong side, I'll add another. I seems recall reading somewhere that I had to do with mountain roads and seeing how close you were to the edge as many of them had no guard rails.
If you ever get the chance, you should drive a first gen crx si. Its sub 2000 pounds, 91hp/93lb-ft, super slick 5 speed with a factory 4.44 final drive. Also sounds great with an exhaust leak or muffler delete...
I thought of All star during that intro video lol. "You should own a Honda" ONLY if it's an S2000 or an RSX. My best friend just got an RSX and I was amazed at how well a stock high mileage (190k miles) handled on the back roads. He threw me the keys and said to have at it and I just chucked it into every corner and it just cornered incredibly flat and with minimal under steer
Please more of proper care and feeding of cars!!!
They're coming!
I wondered how long it'd be before Jason sang a song I knew from a Fallout soundtrack. Just didn't expect DTHS to join in 😳
Interesting note about the turn signals, I rented a Toyota Forunner and the signals were opposite to where they are in an American market car...totally effed with me the entire trip. I rented a Suzuki in Bali and the turn signals were in the same place as they are in an American LHD car.
I'm guessing switching signal stalk from left to right is so the hand you use for the wheel is the same hand to use turning signals. So the other one is free to use for shifting. Also, I believe the yellow stripe plates mean no TUV, which si not great. IIRC, you need red stripe plates, which mean both TUV and insurance. (TUV is german for technical inspection)
"maybe next summer" little did they know
Is this a refrence to the pandemic
Now I need a dogleg 320E... I recognize 24 valve versions by checking the 8000 rpm tach.
Jason, you're correct about the Japanese and English turn signal stalks. My ex-father in law is from Mozambique, which is left hand traffic, I assume due to their proximity to South Africa. His two vehicles are a Land Rover Discovery which has the turn signals on the expected side, and a JDM Toyota Corolla variant which has them on the opposite side. Apparently the Japanese make their cars with the signal stalks on the opposite side for the British, leading to some silly market specialization even among right hand drive cars.
Cappuccino is really the best driving Kei.
Bruh, he definitely knew that song from fallout. Man was fully embarrassed
Jason you definitely have a point, shifting with your left hand in theory would feel nicer (removing social conditioning) to the majority of the populace who is right handed. Off hand shifting with dominant hand always on the wheel. But yes indicator(turn signal) on the left as it should be. However that all could be complete bias as I’m British so honestly I guess variation in the industry is good as then there’s something for everyone
That's strange that GM pulled out of Australia... I thought they are going to sell the C8 Corvette in the UK. If so, won't they have to be right hand drive?
Victor Alley don’t have to be. Plenty of LHD cars on the roads in the UK.
GM is making the C8 right-hand drive just for the Australian market.
I like shifting with my left hand...I raced a mini for 25+ yrs with RHD...also drove a RHD sports racer with right hand shift...
20:40 GM pulled out of India too ( which again is a right hand drive market)
I like the old Honda City hatch backs that have the motocompo motorcycle in the back. I do not think that I would actually park it and ride the bike but I was always fascinated with the idea.
City Turbo 2 was awesome as well
Great topic, I would love to have a euro W124 with manual A/C, seats, etc.
And we europeans crave for the US versions with "fully loaded" option cards haha
I too like my cars to have seats :p
@@STRGHTSXBNZ Dream spec W124 for me is 1990-1992 M103 3.0L w/ manual A/C, manual seats, MBTex or cloth, no sunroof.
You're not wrong, here in the UK we have indicators on the same side stalk as US market cars. Jdm are different
Ye
The signal is on right hand drive is for the Caribbean , Asian , Australia and new Zealand market ........England and some African countries who is right hand drive has the turn signal on the left
Jason you're right about indicators/wipers in the UK. I have a 2012 A6 Allroad and a 2006 Alfa 159, with indicators on the left in both. RHD Japanese cars here are the opposite.
Ryan Boocock mx5 has indicators on the left.
Derek, you should buy a Lancia Thesis 2.0 20v 6 Speed Manual, shares a lot with that QP V. Do et
That was even rare in europe... due to the looks. (My neighbour had or has one, haven't seen him in a while) Have seen as many of them on the road as i have seen Maybachs... (2)
OK ...... the reason why expensive Italian cars in particular Lancia were RHD was apparently so the chauffeur could more readily let the owner in and out of the cars. l have read the few times in the past........ and l am such an Italian car nerd.
Loving the show
I'd like to see you talk about a Vauxhall Cavalier GSI 2000 or a Cavalier 4x4 Turbo.
Looking forward to part 2, 'buying a broad a car'. ROTHFL
this show is sick!
Bags the s2000 because slower than piss under 6k rpm, then spends the next 5 minutes salivating over a honda beat with 60hp.
ISSIMI video comes out in the morning, time to get my coffee!
I have a V8 Audi S5 and I think the guy who bought it new actually went to the dealer to buy a diesel A5 but got talked into the S5 by the salesman because he obviously couldn’t afford any options. He ticked no boxes at all.
Jason is right, that was my understanding japanese cars are mirror image of lets say US market, UK has the same turn signal stocks orientation on streering just on the other side of the car.
21:03 Yeah, it feels a bit like someone else's hand when you switch to the left hand...
I spotted at 42:11 that the car has a WN region code plate. Would love to know where exactly you got the car from, because I live in that county right outside Stuttgart. Great show as always.
Can we have a video talking about the differences between European (German) emissionsstandards and US standards.
Looking at what is allowed to drive in the US and what is legal in Germany, I couldn't understand how the US has stricter rules...
Only one problem with buying a Lotus Carlton in the UK unless you’re looking at Garage queens they’re probably going to be a little rusty
5:29 What do you call a one legged women up against the wall? Eileen. ROFLOL
Jesus!! DEA can destroy property with no evidence, no warrants, no justification and when they find absolutely nothing it is a simple matter of 🤷🏻♂️ and “sucks for you”?!
Thank you for this.
The cappuccino, I think, is the only non JDM kei car. It was officially sold in the UK.
Came to vid coz that lotus omega (Charlton) but you talked about 1 minute about it from 50.😢
49:42 never felt so short. Nice chat.
I have done it. Its a nightmare and takes way longer then you expect. Unless you have money to spend.
Or unless you use ISSIMI! ;)
I would love to know more that audi 200 behind Jason
Andres Eduardo Zuleta Flamenco bringatrailer.com/listing/1991-audi-200-7/
Hi Jason (if you're out there),
First, thanks for these episodes! Second: question regarding Hondas and manual steering. I have a 4th gen Civic Si, and feel that it has significantly better feedback than my dad's 90 Miata with power steering. If you have experience with 4th gen Civics, could help me understand where it stacks up compared to some of the other cars you mentioned in this episode?
I'm here because I love cars and because I'm a huge Adam Sandler fan
"As an added bonus, SHOW TUNE DUETS!!!"
Where did you two meet ? Cars & Coffee in L.A. is my guess
While on the subject of wierd rules and what side the steering wheel is on. Sweden had basically no speed limit outside cities and drove on the left side of the road like the UK etc up to 1968, but no right hand drive cars... Made for interesting overtakes I guess.
The sign placed on swedish borders tells a different story... it says 70 km/h for outside of settlements: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_limits_in_Sweden#/media/File:Swedish_road_sign_J1_1.svg