I have been a reader of the Japanese car magazines Option, Option2 and Drift Tengoku for a long time now. I never really paid attention to the ads until tonight. Tonight I sat down with a magazine and a online currency converter and just about fell over. Almost every ad in the magazine features the fiberglass RE Amemiya front spoiler. (Or a copy)
http://www.rx7.com/pics/fc-amemiya-front2.jpg
This is the kit that sells for $1925.00 (no lights) over at rx7.com.
In the magazine I see about 10 different ads showing the nose and the price range is 37,500 yen to 39,500yen. So I enter in the the price using a online currency calculator and I get GASP!!! $312.75- $329.18 US. Excuse me? At first I think this a mistake. So I go and look at other body kits from other high end manufactures...every front spoiler cost 25,000-58,000 yen tops. That is $208-$483 US Dollars. The US company Autoimaging.com carries the GP Sports kit for the RX7. They charge...
Front bumper-$700
Side skirts-$575
Rear bumper-$615
I see an ad from GP Sports listing their prices. (This is GP Sports own ad so I think its the manufactured suggested retail price....a shop may get it lower)
Front bumper-58,000yen=483.29
Side Skirts-48,000yen=399.97
Rear Bumper-52,000yen=433.29
So in Japan it cost $1316.55 compared to the $1890.00 US
Autoimaging also offers a package price of 1795.00, which includes all 3 pieces. The ad in Japan also offers the 3 piece deal for...138,000 which comes to $1149.90 US. That is $700 less then the US price.
How can US companies justify these outrageous prices? Here is a URLs of one of the many companies that sell that RE Amemiya style front nose.
Just click no when it ask you to install the language packet.
http://www.aeroking.jp (On the front page, click on the far left purple button on bottom of screen.)
Here is a direct link for the FC3S section.
http://www.aeroking.jp/aero_gt/ag_fc3s/fc3s.html
Even if it is a fake...who cares! Its going to get dinged up anyway.

So why don't we get these prices? Why do we have to pay so much more for kits? It can't possibly be that expensive to rent a standard cargo container on a ship and bring a 100 or so of the pieces over. These prices are all from ads or from the manufacturer. I am sure a person that bought huge amounts can even get a better deal.
Sorry for ranting. I just wanted to give everyone a heads up on how bad we are getting bent over with US shops. I would also like to hear from the people in Japan and maybe find out if parts do indeed cost so little over there.

 

well shipping is HUGE to over here!! thats why.. a CF hood i think ppl priced out is $1000 to ship over or something.. sad i know

 

That doesn't make any sense at all. My friend and I have bought a few very large items from Hong Kong and it cost us $50-75 with express mail. (I live in Seattle) We did this many different times and all packages came within a week. They would of been there sooner but they got held up in customs. (The HK express shipping company was "Speedpost.")

We were told it would cost us $30 to ship it by sea. (Take 2-3 weeks)
These packages were 15-20lbs and measured 6' X 2' X 2'. They were maybe a little bit smaller then what a front spoiler could fit. But I doubt that a package that is maybe 1 foot wider is going to cost that much more.

 

Well for starters, you pay for shipping from Japan to US which is huge. On top of that it has to go through customs and there's duty to pay. The shops that are selling kits here unless run by the Japan shop, sells a lot of duplicates. There's a HUGE difference is quality and fit. For some reason, US shops CANNOT make a decent quality duplicate. There's a LOT of trimming that you need to do to make it fit right.
If you want a Japan made kit from the US, you will pay a LOT. If you speak Japanese, you can call them but most won't ship anything out of Japan. They won't go through the trouble over 1 kit or 1 part.

 

why are Ford parts so much cheaper than mazda parts????

domestic vs. import

Justin

 

Hmm well also those prices you see are before taxes, and Japanes shipping is real expensive. I bought my Bumper from a company in Saitama which is about a 45min drive from my house and it cost me 50 dollars to ship it!! go figure. also the tarrifs and such.


Also Japanes Aero kits, including Amemiya and such don't fit as well as you might think especially bumpers. Most kits require cutting and putty and **** its normal.

 

****,

Don't tell me the RE FC2000 bumper does not fit right. Thats why I paid the money. I was told fits right on no problems.

Ian Skacel
88 10th AE

Thats is if I ever get it. Paid and waiting 14 weeks for it.

 

If you buy from a company in Japan they have to pay tariffs to ship it to the U.S. plus the shipping. You still pay the lower price but if you add the cost to ship, tariffs and the person trying to make a buck over here you get the U.S. price.

 

that's why they call it shipping & 'Handling'. The 'handling' part is what cost you sooooo much more. Race shop here don't just get by with making a buck-they make tons on every sell.

 

It's called "Mark-up". It's so much more expensive because they can. That is the only reason why. They expect you to pay it because it's "the price". They don't expect us to be anything more than sheep who will take what they are given without questioning it.... Bend over, here it comes again!!!

 

i avoid all that nonsense all together and just have the good ol' Air Force ship it over here. (perks of the job) this spring comes the Knightsports front end and rear bumper along with a paint job. by the way i would like to thank all the hard working tax payers out there.

 

I am in the Navy, and I am trying to get my buddies in Okinawa to hook me up with parts from Japan... Shipping should be very cheap.

 

hehe i do like the prices on those