Hello From A Toyota 3s Nut.

Abaddon · January 26, 2009

Hello all,

I've just purchased a white RS200 manual... planning on taking back to Australia in a year which is incidently the only way to get an altezza into the country :) It will go quite nicely next to my modified JDM SW20 MR2 turbo which I imported just before they changed the regulations!

I've owned quite a few nice yotas over the years an AE86 Levin, AW11 MR2 and RA65 Celica... I suppose you could call me a toyota enthusiest!

I'm loving the altezza it's very balanced... very much the drivers car.... not loving parking it in London already someone has butcherd the rear bumper on the first day its been parked... sigh.

Nathan

aido · January 26, 2009

Welcome to LOC mate if I've not said that elsewhere already :)

In what way have they changed the regs mate? I keep hearing whispers that similar things that they do in Europe are going to be heading here to the UK soon :(

Sounds like some nice cars you've had there though, I do like those AE86s!

What happened with the bumper then? I'd hate to be down that way as it's chaos on the streets parking, much easier up in the quiet North :D

Abaddon · January 26, 2009

Welcome to LOC mate if I've not said that elsewhere already :)
In what way have they changed the regs mate? I keep hearing whispers that similar things that they do in Europe are going to be heading here to the UK soon :(

Sounds like some nice cars you've had there though, I do like those AE86s!

What happened with the bumper then? I'd hate to be down that way as it's chaos on the streets parking, much easier up in the quiet North :D

The import regs in aus are really strict... if a car wasnt sold in aus and is a sports model i.e. 2 doors V8 or Turbo you can bring (called SEVS) it in but its pricey and plenty of red tape... They used to have a 15 year rule where if it was 15yo you could bring anything in but in 1989 there were loads of awesome cars (MR2 turbo, GTR slowline, 300Z etc) so in 2004 the import volume jumped so much they panicked made it a 30 years rule or pre- '89. I got the MR2 in *just* before they changed the rules.

Since the IS200 was sold there (and is still worth 2-3x what they are worth in UK) then the altezza isnt eligible for import under SEVS then the only way is to own it for a year overseas. Still have to pay over 20% import duty on it.

I don't think it will get like this over here because there is no car industry to protect and seconhand cars don't last as long due to the salt (and neglect)

The AE86 I had was sweet... put the supercharged 4A-GZE engine from the AW11 into her was very fast but used to eat diffs and gearboxes :). I read somewhere the IS200/Altezza was designed by the same guy as the '86.