psi240

wondering if any one on this site has picked up a jdm 3rd gen Fd from the guys at tigerjap..
Im looking at getting a FD possibly this summer and would rather pay $10 k for a jdm fd than $25k for a usdm spec

thanks

misterstyx69

iTrader: (142)

Caveat Emptor dude..search Tiger japanese..I know there are guys that have bought there ,that are NOt happy,..that is engines,but I would hate to see a guy Buy a whole car and it is Crap..there are some other JDM FD dealers out there that actually Look at what they are buying.Some guys Out West..I can't remember the name,but if you Sift the CDN Section in Previous threads,you should find some info..Good Luck to ya.STYX.

rx-freak

If you get a j-spec fd expect to have to rebuild the motor. If you get a good one that`s great; however, most of the one`s I have seen need rebuilds. The cars are usually in fairly bad shape because of the shipping, and the abuse they take in Japan.

psi240

How much would a rebuild on a fd rotary run ?

Terrh

iTrader: (7)

if you don't want to do any of the work yourself, figure on $4000-$6000 for a rebuild in toronto. Used engines are available in the $2500-$3500 range.

I bought a car from tiger japanese auto parts, it ran for 11 hours before it blew up. I'm now $5000 (parts alone!) into a rebuild. After I pay for labour (just machine work, balancing, etc I'll probably be into the car for $8000 more than I wanted to be. Nearly double.

in conclusion, cars from tiger are never a deal, unless you only have $7000 to spend today and have another $7000 to spend tomorrow.

also, canadian/US FD's can be had in similar shape to tiger's cars for $10-$15,000.

psi240

i read about ur car ..My friend bought his r32 gtr skyline from tiger as well last yr, and 3 months later he spun a rod bearing , and after he bought another rb26 the oil pump failed. ( tiger gave him a refund for the motor) so hes getting the orinal rebuilt

Thats one of the Reasons i decided against the r32 gtr .. Just too many ******* problems. However .. thats a known problem with the gtr's ( weak oil pump , over heating , Shitty turbos)

Are Fd engines also prone to certain failures?

2Fierce

iTrader: (7)

LMAO! YES! just lurk around the 3rd gen section, read the faq, go into the single turbo section, follow it up, you'll see.

All of the good ones are probably standalone single, probably rebuilt/streetported, probably full of mods. I suggest buying Football's FD. He wants 14k and it comes with a new engine! Search Canadian FS section.

Cheap, fast and reliable isn't gonna happen. I suggest buying a car that is stockish and that is in good running order, no mysterious oil leaks or electrical issues.

Redshft

iTrader: (1)

You think that Skyline's have too many problems, so you decided to look into an FD instead?

BENMAN

wel....it's not that bad if you alreayd decided to mod and rebuild the motor. but the right hand drive can b pretty annoyin.

Terrh

iTrader: (7)

RHD bothered me for about the first 2 hours, then it was super easy, no more difficult 99% of the time. And right turns now are super easy. :P

FYI, GTR > FD in terms of reliability.

not saying GTR's are good, just read the 3rd gen forum..

1991Cosmo

The GTR oilpump issue on the R32's dosn't usually become an issue until the car has over 100,000km and has had the snot kicked out of it. I have never had an issue with any of mine.
Same issue with almost all JDM fd's blowing their engines.

The problems aren't really the cars themselves.. both are actually quite solid well built and designed cars, its just that the ones coming in are bottom of the barrel heaps that people bring over.

FD's are definetly more quirky than the GTR but that is expected.
Price out an engine rebuild on a GTR and an FD then all of a sudden the FD dosn't really seem like all that bad of a car at all.

My advice is to look at lots of JDM cars that are already here (not from tiger) once you find one that passes your personal inspection .. arrange to have the car taken to a specialist for a extensive inspection. There is waaaaay too much junk out there for you not to cover all your bases.
Also never let price alone be a factor.

ie -
8,000 high mileage crappy JDM FD
5,000 engine rebuild
13,000 = you still have a high mileage car that has god know what else wrong with it, and you had to deal with the hassle of havign the thing fixed.

13,000 will get you a decent JDM FD if you are willing to look for it. Be careful because there are lots of cars that should be $8000 that people are selling for more.

Hybrid G

iTrader: (4)

I bought a couple motors from tiger japanese. they were good

but looking at the FDs and FCs they are beat to ****

too beat up from me and for that kinda money NO THANKS!!

hybrid

Sizzlenut

There is a debate saying that the different oil formulas across the oceans are wreaking havoc on engine bearings. I'm not sure if it's just advertising for Amsoil, but it seems to make sense. Anyone importing a JDM vehicle should read Amsoil's research.

psi240

Was considering either the (r32 gtr , fd rx7 , jdm mk4) because they are all in the 15k range

thanks .. ill do more research on the fd

gkarmadi

iTrader: (20)

but for that $14000 ($7k and $7k) that you spent...you'll get a monstrous fd. Better than $10-15k stockish cnd/usd stockish fd.

money

iTrader: (2)

for 15k, u can get a ok/good FD in the US. and take ur time to look around to see which one u want. if u dont want to deal with the issue/problem then go for the mk4, they last pretty long.

jave 93rx7

You'll be spending closer to $10,000-$12,000 just for a engine and parts to make it monstrous, never mind the labor and tuning.
Look in the states you can get a well modded FD with new engines or low mileage for $14,000-$18,000 and then you don't have to worry about the single lane highway death passing, thats if you don't have a passenger with you.

1991Cosmo

The FD is a small enough car that lane placement, passing on a one lane road, etc. really dosn't matter if you are on the right side or left side of the car.
You learn to drive RHD really quick regardless but the FD in the FD it isn't even an issue.

psi240

was at tiger today and saw them unloading a SICK fd from the trailer.. Did all jspec Fd's come with headlights in the bumper in addition to the pop up headlights?

rx7racerca

iTrader: (1)

Headlights? I'm guessing you saw a S8 (1999+) front cap, like the car in this thread:
https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.php?t=727835
Revised openings for better cooling and intercooling, and revised turn signals/driving lights. That or an aftermarket kit.

Ryan8

Tiger jap...... jeez, where do i start?

Dude honestly, i wouldn't bother with their crap. it may be dirt cheap, but you'll be getting a shitty car. I've dealt with them when i was on the hunt for a FC, and those guys are real shady... not the type of ppl i would trust at all.

Avoid them like the black plague my friend. By from someone here for 10-15k.

the only thing i would get from them is probably the body... if the frame and underbody are ok, and that's if im going to do a rebuild on the entire car, engine and all.

but if you buy from them, dont expect that car to last long. i would get a number for a towing company if i could.

GL man, dont trust them...

Terrh

iTrader: (7)

yeah, the bottom line with tiger is you get what you pay for, except worse, because they lie to your face and say you're getting something nice.

Chris_72

When I was looking for a JDM vehicle, I went to Tiger to check out the cars they had... it was a joke. I saw a “mint” (read: body had less then $2000 damage) dark blue FD so I asked to look inside and to start it...
When he opened it, I found it was covered in thick mold all over the carpet and seats, and it stank! I started the car, but the motor couldn't idle and smoked like a bastard. It smoked hard core for 20 min – until they shut it off.
To top that off before I asked to turn it on the guy there told me the car was in perfect mechanical condition and should pass the e-test with no problems!!!
When I told him the motor was blown, he offered to drop the price by $200!!!
I told him that a rebuild is $2500 on average, and he said that I was lying to him. He said he could get one rebuilt for $600. He wanted $7400 for an FD with a blown engine, I offered him $5,500 but he said it’s worth double my offer. The car has not moved. It is still there, more then 8 months have passed…

I just want to say Tiger is an OK place to go, but you have to know the cars, know the problems that the cars have, and know that you have the cash to fix it all. IMHO any car on that lot will need about $2000 - $5000 to make it safe, reliable, e-tested, and looking good.

Good luck!

elementFD

i went through DJAUto, go to djauto.ca best place i have seen i went to alot of places and checked out alot, they have a mechanic in japan who inspects vehicles b4 he even thinks about importing.
But in the end importing is kind of a simple process, if the car is heavily modded chances are it was drivin hard just like any car really...look for a stock car and try to get as many pictures of the car b4 u commit to buying it, common sense really. and any pics of engine bays are always the best to get.....
Goodluck man and make sure the company u go through can get the inspection dun, get your coolants and oil all flushed as soon as u get it and yeah.. learn japanese haha. goodluck. pm if u have more questions.

pfsantos

iTrader: (1)

My buddy just bought a JDM FD from them. Called me up to tell me he bought a car. I asked where. I thought I had more time to research ****, but he bought sooner than I expected.

The car has some shipping damage on the roof (a few dents) and scuffs here and there. Bought it for around $7500. Needs painting. Only has 44,400km. Underneath is perfect.

The car pulls hard, and everything seems mechanically sound, as far as we can tell by driving, except for a rear wheel bearing. No blue smoke when driving hard, passed emmissions test like a brand new car. Changed the oil 2 times in one week, and new plugs just before the emmissions test.

He's only had the car for a week, but things look good so far. I'm hoping he's one of the lucky ones.

Either way I'll keep the list updated.