Larry

Well Guys, here's the answer from my Japanese buddy on the wheel conversion kit for our SC's. Below is the exact message I got concerning them.

RATS !!

Sorry


"Larry,

A bad news.
I have just received the final answer from one of my former subordinates from Japan.
He went to TOYOTA PARTS TOKYO SALES company and found that he can not buy them:
they can sell those parts ONLY for those cars which were bought in abroad and brought
back to Japan. If it is for individual use, Registration in Japan is also required to buy them.

I guess there are two reasons behind it:

1) Security: Car Inspection in Japan is extremely tight. Every two years your car has to pass
the test. Usually it costs at least $1,500. With non standard wheelcaps, it is very difficult to
clear the test. In addition,in case the wheelcaps which are designed for other vehicle are used and
caused an accident, and if it was TOYOTA who had provided the parts, it is TOYOTA who has to take
the responsibility. They do not want that happen.

2) Trade Agreement: I totally forgot about it.. There are restrictions about import/export
for certain merchandise between the U.S. and Japan. Car parts are one of them. It is against
the Agreement what we were trying to do . Helmets for motorcycles are also prohibited to
be imported to the U.S - I had problems because of that .

Sorry !

If you dare to pursuit another way, be careful about 2) . I warned you !

YJN"

Well, you can't say I didn't try folks. I guess we'll just have to wait until Feb. This is weird since the capa rea manufactures in China.

ceboyd

they make it sound like the wheel caps cause accidents or something.. geez... all this concern over wheel covers?

oh well...

thanks for trying...

Larry

CE,

You can't even begin to imagine the restrictions they have in Japan when it comes to cars.........where to park, how big the parking spot is, options, horsepower, driving lights, OEM add ons, etc. The irony is they place is so crowded, you can't drive over 40 mph !

ceboyd

So your better off with a motorcycle that you can put in your apartment.....


...and here I thought we had it tough with stupid emissions tests... I guess it's a joke compared to what they go through..


I have heard that you have to prove you have a valid parking spot big enough for a car BEFORE you are even allowed to buy a car... I thought that sounded a bit extreme but maybe it isn't considering......

Larry

There almost as many restrictions with motorcycles as there are with cars..i.e. special license if your bike is in excess of 750cc's.

Yes, it's true about the parking spaces. You must show proof of a parking space BEFORE you can buy a car. People usually secure a spot first and then measure it. Then they go car shopping to buy something that will fit in the spot. Also, you're parking spot CANNOT be more than one kilometer from your residence.

On top of that, when you purchase a new car, the police will actually check out the intended parking spot prior to delivery. If the spot does not fit the criteria of the car, they stop the transaction !

I am not kidding guys, this is the absolute truth.

The traffic laws are the most strict in the world. For example, if you're in a car and hit a pedestrian, you might face a very heavy fine, license revocation and maybe even jail time.