Anyone looked at any of the HDJ81's listed on the autotrader site and being offered in B.C. for around 14K? I notice the mileage is higher and the grades are lower than more premium trucks, but wondered if the drop in price is explained once the trucks are examined. I'm just curious.
HDJ81 asking prices dropping
- Thread starter Martin White
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curious, can you explain this a bit more?
do you mean that once you see the truck you understand why they are priced as such or...what?
of course as the market gets flooded the price usually goes down
or
if a guy thought he could flip a unit quickly then realises trucks don't move as fast as expected he now has to unload or...???
do you mean that once you see the truck you understand why they are priced as such or...what?
of course as the market gets flooded the price usually goes down
or
if a guy thought he could flip a unit quickly then realises trucks don't move as fast as expected he now has to unload or...???
- Thread starter
- #4
I'm meaning a bit of both - that once the truck has been looked at, the low price is understandable - ie quality not up to the average JDM truck. And a bit of your second point - that flippers may have trouble unloading so drop the price. I was wondering which it is, or both. I've never seen HDJ81 prices that low, and more or less was wondering why.
i hate to say this but some of the hdj81 that are showing up on the auto trader were sold at auction for less than 600000yen and a couple lower than 500000yen
it's buyer beware you get what you pay for
it's one of the biggest jokes at the auctions the canadians are buying what Africa doesn't want
it's buyer beware you get what you pay for
it's one of the biggest jokes at the auctions the canadians are buying what Africa doesn't want
- Thread starter
- #8
Bruzer - that makes sense. It is no surprise - if you want quality you will pay for it, one way or another. But if Canuck buyers end up buying units not wanted in Africa, wow, there are going to be some miserable campers here. That's too bad - because this is going to negatively effect the rep of the 80, for those who aren't willing to look a bit deeper. Mind you, from my experience with L/C buyers, most are not purchased by everyday people anyhow. The other thought I had was that if people get continually ripped off, that may possibly precipitate some kind of "big brother" intervention.
It's supply and demand of course.
I got fed up with missing out on auction vehicles because other importers kept paying big dollars to have 'nicer' vehicles.
At one time I was bidding $18000 CDN C.I.F. for some HDJ81's and missing out. Only to see them appear the next day on Outback Import's site.
It was frustrating trying to find a good HDJ81 at a reasonable price. I finally managed to bring a 3.5 with 153000km on it. It had the lockers, cooler, rear heat, aluminum bull bar with factory winch, roof rack, 36" tires and 6" lift, cruise, tilt, rear wiper, working a/c, Momo wheel and shift knob, off road lights. camping kit. It was a VX Limited.
I figure each mod that it came with was worth a certain amount to me. Winch and bumper = $1000. Lift $1500. Rack $500. You get the picture.
Mine has some cowl and front roof clear clouding. The dash has a small crack in it. It's not perfect but not everyone needs a 4.0 with 50000km. So why pay for it?
I would have lifted mine, put bigger tire, winch, etc..
I think I might have $12000-13000 into mine with all costs including flight, hotel, fuel to get it back home to Calgary.
Is it no different than buying a new vehicle and having it depreciate after you drive off the lot?
Of course I want mine to be worth the most when I sell it. Sure I would like $20000 for it but those days are over. With anything there is only so many people that want to spend that much on a 15 year old vehicle. We all buy them because it's what suits our needs. As more come in you find less people willing to spend the big dollars on the 'best' ones if they can find lower priced alternatives.
Did the people who first bought their HDJ81 for $20000+ get ripped off? Hard to say.
No matter what you buy if you are happy with it that is all that matters.
I do see the price staying a thousand or two higher than what they can actually be imported for.
That's all my ramblings for now. I'll let some others chime in. I enjoy my Cruiser and for the price I paid I don't think any other vehicle could match it. It suited all my needs at a price I was happy with.
I got fed up with missing out on auction vehicles because other importers kept paying big dollars to have 'nicer' vehicles.
At one time I was bidding $18000 CDN C.I.F. for some HDJ81's and missing out. Only to see them appear the next day on Outback Import's site.
It was frustrating trying to find a good HDJ81 at a reasonable price. I finally managed to bring a 3.5 with 153000km on it. It had the lockers, cooler, rear heat, aluminum bull bar with factory winch, roof rack, 36" tires and 6" lift, cruise, tilt, rear wiper, working a/c, Momo wheel and shift knob, off road lights. camping kit. It was a VX Limited.
I figure each mod that it came with was worth a certain amount to me. Winch and bumper = $1000. Lift $1500. Rack $500. You get the picture.
Mine has some cowl and front roof clear clouding. The dash has a small crack in it. It's not perfect but not everyone needs a 4.0 with 50000km. So why pay for it?
I would have lifted mine, put bigger tire, winch, etc..
I think I might have $12000-13000 into mine with all costs including flight, hotel, fuel to get it back home to Calgary.
Is it no different than buying a new vehicle and having it depreciate after you drive off the lot?
Of course I want mine to be worth the most when I sell it. Sure I would like $20000 for it but those days are over. With anything there is only so many people that want to spend that much on a 15 year old vehicle. We all buy them because it's what suits our needs. As more come in you find less people willing to spend the big dollars on the 'best' ones if they can find lower priced alternatives.
Did the people who first bought their HDJ81 for $20000+ get ripped off? Hard to say.
No matter what you buy if you are happy with it that is all that matters.
I do see the price staying a thousand or two higher than what they can actually be imported for.
That's all my ramblings for now. I'll let some others chime in. I enjoy my Cruiser and for the price I paid I don't think any other vehicle could match it. It suited all my needs at a price I was happy with.
i have to agree completely with your statements. not everyone needs or wants or can afford a ultra high end unit.
there will always be a market for the lower end units as long as there are wheelers. why pay huge amount for a very clean unit just to ge scratch it up and turn it into a grade 3 in the first off road run... doesn't make sense to me but then having something clean and stock to start with to build your ultimate rig is similar to building a house on a solid foundation. if you have a faulty foundation then you will be sinking good money after bad.
i supply units to a select few customers, my customers are willing to pay for peace of mind. at the same time i am willing to sit on high end cruisers and vans for months, even years to find the right person.
many people think it is easy to sell JDMs, well it is if you don't care about your customer, you don't warranty your product and if you are not selective about your product or clients.
i admit i pay huge money for my units but to me they are worth every penny. i know i can sell the unit to a customer with both pride and peace of mind. i have a HDJ81 sitting here (well almost here, it is tied up at the dock (what a frigging joke our docks are now)). it is the highest priced HDJ81 bought at auction for the year and i have sat on it for a year. i am willing to sit on it for another year or keep it for myself. who ever ends up with the unit will have a truck they can get decades of service out of and they can have pride in driving it. plus one thing many potential customers don't realise is the resale value of a highend unit.
a truck with 60,000km in mint shape costs big money but if you look after the truck and sell around 100,000km (2-3 years average driving) you will still have a very good resale value. if you have a 150,000km unit in okay shape and put 50,000km on it then you will loose 1/2 to 2/3 of your investment. the major resale factor is the condition of the unit. i have seen some high end units resale for the same money 2 years later since the condition was the same.
as soon as you modify a unit then the resale value usually goes down and the clientel base drops as well. a stock truck will sell faster and usually for more money than a modified truck.
when Berni and I started Luxury we decided we would only buy units that we would be happy to own ourselves. this way if we made a poor judgement call and bought a unit that didn't sell, big deal.
if you check out our site you will see we don't sell quanitiy, we sell quality. this way we can be selective of what we sell and who we sell it to. we have turned down a number of buyers over the years, we have sent them to other importers. why? because they are either a possible troublesome customer or they are shopping for a unit we are not willing to stick our sticker on. if you are not happy with the customer then you don't feel good dealing with him/her. if you are bringing in a unit that is not up to your standards then once again there is no pride associatied.
in the end our customers become our friends, you choose your friends wisely.
there is a market for high end units and always will be but be prepared to invest big money for a long period of time and be willing to stand behind what you sell.
the market is saturated with lower end units and the price will drop.
this is my take on the situtaion
cheers and seasons greetings
there will always be a market for the lower end units as long as there are wheelers. why pay huge amount for a very clean unit just to ge scratch it up and turn it into a grade 3 in the first off road run... doesn't make sense to me but then having something clean and stock to start with to build your ultimate rig is similar to building a house on a solid foundation. if you have a faulty foundation then you will be sinking good money after bad.
i supply units to a select few customers, my customers are willing to pay for peace of mind. at the same time i am willing to sit on high end cruisers and vans for months, even years to find the right person.
many people think it is easy to sell JDMs, well it is if you don't care about your customer, you don't warranty your product and if you are not selective about your product or clients.
i admit i pay huge money for my units but to me they are worth every penny. i know i can sell the unit to a customer with both pride and peace of mind. i have a HDJ81 sitting here (well almost here, it is tied up at the dock (what a frigging joke our docks are now)). it is the highest priced HDJ81 bought at auction for the year and i have sat on it for a year. i am willing to sit on it for another year or keep it for myself. who ever ends up with the unit will have a truck they can get decades of service out of and they can have pride in driving it. plus one thing many potential customers don't realise is the resale value of a highend unit.
a truck with 60,000km in mint shape costs big money but if you look after the truck and sell around 100,000km (2-3 years average driving) you will still have a very good resale value. if you have a 150,000km unit in okay shape and put 50,000km on it then you will loose 1/2 to 2/3 of your investment. the major resale factor is the condition of the unit. i have seen some high end units resale for the same money 2 years later since the condition was the same.
as soon as you modify a unit then the resale value usually goes down and the clientel base drops as well. a stock truck will sell faster and usually for more money than a modified truck.
when Berni and I started Luxury we decided we would only buy units that we would be happy to own ourselves. this way if we made a poor judgement call and bought a unit that didn't sell, big deal.
if you check out our site you will see we don't sell quanitiy, we sell quality. this way we can be selective of what we sell and who we sell it to. we have turned down a number of buyers over the years, we have sent them to other importers. why? because they are either a possible troublesome customer or they are shopping for a unit we are not willing to stick our sticker on. if you are not happy with the customer then you don't feel good dealing with him/her. if you are bringing in a unit that is not up to your standards then once again there is no pride associatied.
in the end our customers become our friends, you choose your friends wisely.
there is a market for high end units and always will be but be prepared to invest big money for a long period of time and be willing to stand behind what you sell.
the market is saturated with lower end units and the price will drop.
this is my take on the situtaion
cheers and seasons greetings
Agreed completely. I'm one of those few who was willing to pay top dollar for a very tight truck. I saw what they were going for at auction but didn't know enough about the game to gamble. I could care less about resale value because this truck will be in my family until it dies though it will likely outlive me. Value is not only a perception, it's based on different factors for everyone. A well maintained 15 year old cruiser is worth far more to me than any new domestic unit and there's plenty more people like me out there.
You'll never find a book value for a JDM - it will vary widely on each truck and each buyer and it will change from year to year based on the market. So to say the prices are dropping is like saying the stock market is going down. imo
You'll never find a book value for a JDM - it will vary widely on each truck and each buyer and it will change from year to year based on the market. So to say the prices are dropping is like saying the stock market is going down. imo
is this a love fest or what? i agree too! most l/c out there served their owners well but there comes a time when they should donate there organs to healthier l/c and not get a "hair cut" i.e. mileage roll back and sold to the unsuspecting public
i will wait and see
i was planning to buy a jdm a few months ago , i had a 1984 bj60 with a lot of rust on it and it had 437,000 kms on it , this was my 2nd bj 60 my first one i sold about 6 years ago when the prices for cnd spec cruisers were still high , i got $6000 grand for it . it was not in great shape but was o.k. and had under 300 k kms on it . I just recently decided that i would look for a newer land cruiser at first i thought about buying a lx 450 , i really love them and maybe one day will own one , but with the high price of gasoline and the initial cost of buying a decent one it was out of my price range , my next choice was a Prado but with the head problems I decided to steer clear .
That lead me to consider buying a jdm 70 series or 61 but i couldnt find one that i really liked and my wife was spending more of my " truck budget " , so i decided i would buy another canadian or american 60 or 62 , i looked at several 62's but again i was not happy with the gas motor and allthough i could have done a 3b or 13bt swap i decided against it for now , i chose to look for the best cnd domestic 60 i could find for my budget wich after selling my rusty poo brown bj60 for $2000 , i had a budget in mind of about $10,000 .
I looked up and down from prince george to kamloops to victoria ,duncan and nanaimo and through out vancouver ,
i even brought a certifed check and a big wad of cash to go and look at one particular truck but was quite dissapointed and did not even consider the 60 at any price , i test drove hj60's with automatics and a.c. , with five speeds i tested quite a few different trucks and finaly stumbled upon the one i currently own , the p.o. spent thousands and thousands of dollars on it , almost every thing has recently been replaced , i have recipts for over $10,000 in the last few years , i just spent about $4000 my self it was a long search and i got what i wanted but i still will eventualy buy a jdm if only to hack it up and put it into my cnd 60 .
when and if this B.C. goverment thing is over i would still like to buy a nice little rhd as a daily driver , i am thinking about one of those mitsubishi's .
i was planning to buy a jdm a few months ago , i had a 1984 bj60 with a lot of rust on it and it had 437,000 kms on it , this was my 2nd bj 60 my first one i sold about 6 years ago when the prices for cnd spec cruisers were still high , i got $6000 grand for it . it was not in great shape but was o.k. and had under 300 k kms on it . I just recently decided that i would look for a newer land cruiser at first i thought about buying a lx 450 , i really love them and maybe one day will own one , but with the high price of gasoline and the initial cost of buying a decent one it was out of my price range , my next choice was a Prado but with the head problems I decided to steer clear .
That lead me to consider buying a jdm 70 series or 61 but i couldnt find one that i really liked and my wife was spending more of my " truck budget " , so i decided i would buy another canadian or american 60 or 62 , i looked at several 62's but again i was not happy with the gas motor and allthough i could have done a 3b or 13bt swap i decided against it for now , i chose to look for the best cnd domestic 60 i could find for my budget wich after selling my rusty poo brown bj60 for $2000 , i had a budget in mind of about $10,000 .
I looked up and down from prince george to kamloops to victoria ,duncan and nanaimo and through out vancouver ,
i even brought a certifed check and a big wad of cash to go and look at one particular truck but was quite dissapointed and did not even consider the 60 at any price , i test drove hj60's with automatics and a.c. , with five speeds i tested quite a few different trucks and finaly stumbled upon the one i currently own , the p.o. spent thousands and thousands of dollars on it , almost every thing has recently been replaced , i have recipts for over $10,000 in the last few years , i just spent about $4000 my self it was a long search and i got what i wanted but i still will eventualy buy a jdm if only to hack it up and put it into my cnd 60 .
when and if this B.C. goverment thing is over i would still like to buy a nice little rhd as a daily driver , i am thinking about one of those mitsubishi's .
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I have been looking for an 81 for quite some time. Spedning huge amounts of time looking, reading asking questions and scouring the importers sites, auctions etc. I have noticed over a long period that prices were rising as noted by others, but it does seem like the market is becoming slightly slower. I have watched as some vehicles sit for extremly long periods of time. Canyon Creek in Calgary has been sitting on some of their JDM's for a very long time (but they have a whole set of other issues, I am not impressed with their business at all). Where as other importers are flying through vehicles and have waiting lists.
I will say that certain importers I have been seriously impressed with and some I have been so completely let down by I am still shocked by their attitude towards by potential business. Perhaps this has turned into a bit of a rant, I guess I am commenting on not only the fluctuating prices and huge variations in caliber of vehicles being brought in but also on the attitudes, ignorance and generally poor professionalism some importers display. Especially those importers who claim to be in the business for all the right reasons and end up acting like they (and their vehicles) are too good for you and not worth the time.
As they say in Mud
"Rant Off"
I will say that certain importers I have been seriously impressed with and some I have been so completely let down by I am still shocked by their attitude towards by potential business. Perhaps this has turned into a bit of a rant, I guess I am commenting on not only the fluctuating prices and huge variations in caliber of vehicles being brought in but also on the attitudes, ignorance and generally poor professionalism some importers display. Especially those importers who claim to be in the business for all the right reasons and end up acting like they (and their vehicles) are too good for you and not worth the time.
As they say in Mud
"Rant Off"
hummm, some importers do not deal with middle of the road units so they turn the potential customer to another importer who does.
i know i have turned away my fair share of tire kickers, potential troublesome customers, and people with budgets that do not even come close to the caliber of unit they are after just to watch as they spend the same amount or more for a unit with higher milage and rougher condition and no warranty.
i usually send these people to Canyon Creek...
i do not want the headaches that come with the lower end units...
is your beef with Canyon Creek or are there others you are alluding to?
i know i have turned away my fair share of tire kickers, potential troublesome customers, and people with budgets that do not even come close to the caliber of unit they are after just to watch as they spend the same amount or more for a unit with higher milage and rougher condition and no warranty.
i usually send these people to Canyon Creek...
i do not want the headaches that come with the lower end units...
is your beef with Canyon Creek or are there others you are alluding to?
- Thread starter
- #16
Wayne is so right - buying a cheaper unit is no guarantee of lower costs, and in fact might be more expensive in the long run. Unless a person enjoys doing the work themselves, has the time and patience, and can afford to have a non reliable vehicle until everything is done, it is probably not worth it, just to "save" money up front. I know several people which have had this happen. Now they have tons of cash into a vehicle they could not sell for remotely close to what they spent. Not to mention all the time put into it.
From the people I have talked to at Canyon Creek, and from what I have seen as far as their stock goes I am very un-impressed with Canyon Creek as an Importer. Even just looking at the interiors of the vehicles is a big turn off. Not to mention their prices seem high in comparison to what they offer.
That being said, I suppose because I haven't bought an imported cruiser yet, as I am waiting for the perfect vehicle for my needs and budget, that makes me a "tire kicker" or "potential troublesome customer".
Of course there is a fine line between buying a cheaper unit and spending less on a good one brought in by a good importer who might be considered a middle of the road importer. There is inherent risk with buying any vehicle, that risk can be lessened through a good trustworthy importer who stands behind their vehicles.
The only thing I can say for sure is that in the time I have been looking for a cruiser I have been quite unimpressed with many importers as there seems to be alot of shady "used car" type of people selling these vehicles (which could be part of the reason many vehicles are sitting at importers for longer periods of times) and importers who are at the other end of the spectrum who do not hesitate to discuss their product to seemingly no end.
I must say that Wanye's comments on being in a position to bring in only luxury vehicles and sit on them until he can choose exactly the right customer (or friend) for that vehicle is truly a luxury in itself. I truly am envious of whom ever ends up with that beutiful 81 on its way in. Oh if only it could be mine...
That being said, I suppose because I haven't bought an imported cruiser yet, as I am waiting for the perfect vehicle for my needs and budget, that makes me a "tire kicker" or "potential troublesome customer".
Of course there is a fine line between buying a cheaper unit and spending less on a good one brought in by a good importer who might be considered a middle of the road importer. There is inherent risk with buying any vehicle, that risk can be lessened through a good trustworthy importer who stands behind their vehicles.
The only thing I can say for sure is that in the time I have been looking for a cruiser I have been quite unimpressed with many importers as there seems to be alot of shady "used car" type of people selling these vehicles (which could be part of the reason many vehicles are sitting at importers for longer periods of times) and importers who are at the other end of the spectrum who do not hesitate to discuss their product to seemingly no end.
I must say that Wanye's comments on being in a position to bring in only luxury vehicles and sit on them until he can choose exactly the right customer (or friend) for that vehicle is truly a luxury in itself. I truly am envious of whom ever ends up with that beutiful 81 on its way in. Oh if only it could be mine...
hummm, to me that isn't a troublesome customer but a tire kicker maybe... i feel out my potential customer, if there is any sign he is going to be trouble then i send him away. this is more for my peace of mind than an insult to the customer.
thing is, if you know what you have for a budget (say $22,000) and are looking at $32,000 units then that is tire kicking. everyone, including me, would love to have a perfect unit. for me it isn't practicle, first i can't afford it. secondly, with my life style i don't deserve a unit like the white one. so for me to look at the white cruiser with my budget and life style i would call myself a tire kicker (or a dreamer)
the white one is sitting in Vancouver and i am EXCITED to finally lay my eyes on it. to take it for a spin and to find the new owner is a pleasure i look forward to...
cheers and thanks guys for the compliment on the white 81...
Just curious what it would be if you had a budget of +/- $30,000 and looking at a $32,000 vehicle then? Certainly not a tire kicker at that point?
Wayne I understand that you take great pride in supplying the right vehicles for the right customers and I can't possibly realize how many "tire kickers" you must get, especially with the beautiful vehicles you bring in.
Wayne when do you expect that white 81 in anyway? I still would love to get a look at it.
Wayne I understand that you take great pride in supplying the right vehicles for the right customers and I can't possibly realize how many "tire kickers" you must get, especially with the beautiful vehicles you bring in.
Wayne when do you expect that white 81 in anyway? I still would love to get a look at it.