raikouS2K

Hello

My 05 Rio S2000 finally arrived today from the US. I am living in Northern Honshu. Just giving a shout out to all Northern Japan S2K owners if there are any on this forum. I still have to get the car through Yokohama for emissions testing, hopefully I will be on the road with it soon. Looking forward to hitting the new circuit in Aomori after I get it on the road. Hopefully there are some other S2k folks to meet here.

Swarley

Im assuming you're military? If so did you ship this through the military? I've always been told if you PCS to Japan you won't be able to take a US spec car over there.

raikouS2K

All military are authorized to ship vehicles newer than 1976...the government will pay to ship it however you have to cover the cost of the emissions test (2100 USD) and anything that would need to be changed to make it Japan legal. Thankfully the S2000 doesn't have many differences at all. I really haven't found any production differences other than minor things, headlight aim, road flare holder and flare...etc

Swarley

Hmm good to know, I will have to update my dream sheet!

Vtakanonymous

That is awesome, I have been trying to get stationed in japan for the past two years, still hoping for an assignment. Car looks awesome!

S2kAndTheAnt

Living the dream! I would love to take my personal s2k to any JDM tuner, Spoon, J's, ASM, M&M, Seeker, Arvou.....

SoREALemjay

wait a min... so you're driving a LHD s2000 in Japan? That's awesome

raikouS2K

USDM...yo!!!!! Yeah that's how it is. With the extremely high retail price of S2ks in Japan, I won't be surprised if someone is interested in it due to the fact it is probably one of the only LHD s2ks in country. I just don't know if I could ever sell it. She has been with me since new even in Alaska for 3 years.

mcbuff

Glad to hear she made it safe. I'm waiting for orders, most likely to Atsugi. I bought my '03 NFR about three months ago and can't stand the thought of it sitting storage in the states for 3+ years. I'll gladly pay the Shaken to be able to drive it over there. Did you arrange for the shipping, or did personal property (or the AF equivalent) take care of it. Finding out that I may PCS out there is a bit of a surprise to me and I'll probably have to leave within 7 days of getting orders so I'm trying to get as much info as possible. If you don't mind, I may PM you in the coming weeks about the whole thing.

raikouS2K

AF personal property shipped it. All I had to do was contact the property folks in Misawa and they sent me the required waiver to send through my chain of command. Which in turn I had to present to the people at American Auto Logistics (VPC) The waiver basically states that you are able to incur the additional costs of getting the car registered and that that the military isn't responsible for that.

Everyone will tell you it can't be done...but it can. When I showed the folks the paperwork at the VPC they damn near shit a brick that I actually had the waiver. I think they had only sent out 1 or 2 cars in the past 5-6 years to Japan. If you have a decent length tour and Love your S it is definitely worth it. You'll easily spend that money on a different car you most likely can't bring back anyway unless its 25 years old.

I currently have my S in storage. I am waiting till spring to send it through emissions in Yokohama. The reason I am doing this is, I am on a 4 year tour...but the car comes with a 3 year JCI after it goes through emissions in Tokyo. As you know the car will be a 2012 model in Japan on the new Shaken. New cars come with a 3 year JCI instead of the standard 2 of everything else. I am doing this to save up a little extra cash and to avoid re-JCIing the car the year before we leave...(but if it were truly up to me I would choose to stay!!!)

Good Luck!!! I hope you do ship it. Maybe there will be another active member in Japan in here! There are a lot of cool roads around here and lots of great scenery!