Well I jumped in with both feet this week and I will get back to that after a little back ground. I bought my rig in Oct of 2009 while living in Okinawa, the location of Okinawa as opposed to just saying Japan is significant as will be evident in the price breakdown. When I bought her, I knew the brand Toyota Land cruiser but have never driven one and didn’t know a whole lot about them. I had purchased a boat and needed a vehicle to tow the boat with. In my search for a tow vehicle I came across a 70 series diesel rig at a used car dealer, and after sending an inquiry down the grapevine got word back from the PO not to buy it. Well my appetite had already been whetted for a cruiser and I came across my HJ-61 mostly by accident and had no idea what I was getting my hands on at the time. In mid 2010 after a lot of research and learning that she could not come back with me,
I moved from Japan to Virginia and put Allis in a storage lot and gave a buddy of mine a power of attorney to sell her. I also posted her for sale here on MUD. Over the two and half years that she set there in the sun, rain and salt air I was contacted only two times with interested buyers offering $1,000. As you all know sentimental value is worth more than $1,000. About a year out I contacted a shipping company to get information and try to herd my ducks into a row. In Nov of 2012 she turned 25, according to the title. The company I used "Batfa Japan Inc." http://www.batfa.com charged me 353,000 yen or $4,346.10. the price breakdown is below:
· Service charges: 80,000.- Yen ($984.00)
· Radiation inspection charges: 7,000 Yen ($86.10)
· Inland transportation from Okinawa to Yokohama port: 120,000 Yen ($1,476.00)
· Ocean freight from Yokohama to Newport New, VA $ 1,800
· (1 US$ = 81.30 Yen)
· TOTAL : 353,000 JAPANESE YEN ($4,346.10)
Since I already held the title to her I had to have the title changed to an export-certificate, a simple process that cost an additional $5 but did make some stress at the Virginia DMV. Before I arrived in Okinawa, not a necessary part of the process, the storage yard performed some simple maintenance on her. I requested that they have her in running order. It only required that they put in 2 charged batteries which they pulled from the junk yard and she started right up. I also had them change the oil and filter, and requested that they do a break job since the rotors were well rusted.
On November 22, at 10am she began her journey
. On December 30 I received a call from Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics with my Bill of Lading number and told I would be notified again 2 weeks before delivery. With the BoL number I was able to track her each step of the journey; Japan to Washington, California, Panama, Georgia and finally Newport News, Virginia on January 31, 2013. Let me warn you now: no matter how excited you are don’t go to the port the day that it arrives! You will get turned away. I thought I had my ducks lined up but a few more flew in that day and excited the flock.
Two weeks before she was scheduled to arrive I contacted Customs and Border Protection to ask about my paperwork. They asked me to fax whatever I had to them and they would call me back if there were any issues. I included:
1. http://www.epa.gov/otaq/imports/documents/3520-1.pdfEPA exemption form with blocks 4-7 and 10 filled out and code E checked.
2. www.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/import/hs799short.pdf Customs Declaration form with make, model, year, VIN, box 1 checked, name and address at the bottom.
3. Export certificate with translation, the translation was not included in the paperwork I received from the shipping company. The form includes English on the original. I translated mine myself, one of the benefits of living in Japan for so long. I have a template that I can offer if someone is interested.
4. Bill of Lading. This was shipped to me again by the shipping company.
5. Receipt for purchase.
Each of these will play an important part of getting your truck home.
One week before she arrived I called Customs and Border Protection to verify that all of my paperwork was good. They confirmed it was.
On Thursday January 31, 2013 I arrived at the Customs and Border Patrol office at the Norfolk Airport with the original of each of the above forms and personal Identification. The process took about 30 minutes. Make sure they stamp your original Bill of Lading, The EPA form, And the Customs Declaration Form.
I next went to the Virginia DMV. My blood pressure spiked when the DMV clerk helping me tried to argue that the translation was not official. The DMV website requires an English translation for anything in a foreign language and does not say anything about official. After some discussion with the supervisor I was passed off to the next DMV worker. This clerk was very helpful and only had one issue with me not having the original title. Remember in Japan to export a vehicle they have to change the Title to an Export-Certificate. I did not have to provide the receipt because my name was already listed as the owner. Be careful what you give them at the DMV they will keep all of your paperwork if you let them. I had to go back and ask for some of my stuff back.
I next went to the port to pick up Allis. Upon arrival at the gate I was told that I cannot enter without a Transportation Workers Identification Credential (TWIC) card, and active duty military identification card or an escort. The port was nice enough to provide me with a phone number for an escort and he only charges $60 an hour for his service. On top of that the shipping company won’t release it to the port until all of the cars are off loaded and then the port needs a couple of days to do their thing
.
On February 6, 2013 I made the 120 mile trek back down and met my escort at the port gate. We first went to shipping company Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics with my original, now customs stamped, Bill of Lading. After the shipping company released her I had to go to the port office. At the port office they tried to claim that she was not customs released. The EPA form, with customs stamp luckily took care of this; block 3 lists the customs release number and
After that it was off to the truck. She started on her trip with 2 spares in the truck, 33x14.5x15’s both now gone. She wouldn’t start and needed a jump; I was pleased to see that they had a 24volt jump box. Then it was back to the port office to sign for receipt of the vehicle.
Second thing that I found missing I didn’t notice until I was at the gas station, the tow hook right off the back of the truck. Who ever took it really wanted it as it was bolted through the bumper to an extension that was bolted to the frame. So I get to the gas station and was not sure about shutting her off after all I just needed a jump and it had only been 20 minutes. I bit the bullet and shut her off, no good. After 2 new batteries she started right up and I felt safe to turn on the radio. Radio was still there but the 24v-12v step-down converter that was mounted under the passenger seat was not.
New Batteries, full of Diesel, cell phone charged half way, wife leading the way 120 miles back home. She fits though the garage door with 2 inches of clearance. On the way home I noticed a couple if items that won’t pass state inspection. Item number 1 Windshield wipers don’t work. Item number 2 lights don’t work. OK they work, all the side markers and such come on. The high beams come one just not the low beams.
On Thursday I got two hours to go to the garage to take a look at the wiper issue. I open the hood and immediately see the problem. The part of the fire wall that the wiper motor grounds to is completely rusted out. I pull the ground to actual metal and she runs. Rust is not a good ground. I removed the hood so I can get a good look at things and see where the cut and weld needs to take place.
Saturday evening I got 4 hours to go out and stripped the whole interior. I pulled out the seats, all of the handles, and center console.
Sunday afternoon I took out the rear windows, windshield and didn’t break it until right at the end and pulled out the headliner. I had to take out the windows and windshield first so I could peal the edges of the headliner off that way it can be reinstalled. I removed the headliner because I have an issue with all 4 corners of the sunroof being rusted out, the rain gutters and roof along the sides of the rain gutter and a random hole in the roof. I thought it best to remove the flammable stuff before I get to cutting and welding.
That’s where she stands as of now.
I need to figure out how to get the pictures off this new phone but will post up something soon.
And no more long posts like this.
I moved from Japan to Virginia and put Allis in a storage lot and gave a buddy of mine a power of attorney to sell her. I also posted her for sale here on MUD. Over the two and half years that she set there in the sun, rain and salt air I was contacted only two times with interested buyers offering $1,000. As you all know sentimental value is worth more than $1,000. About a year out I contacted a shipping company to get information and try to herd my ducks into a row. In Nov of 2012 she turned 25, according to the title. The company I used "Batfa Japan Inc." http://www.batfa.com charged me 353,000 yen or $4,346.10. the price breakdown is below:· Service charges: 80,000.- Yen ($984.00)
· Radiation inspection charges: 7,000 Yen ($86.10)
· Inland transportation from Okinawa to Yokohama port: 120,000 Yen ($1,476.00)
· Ocean freight from Yokohama to Newport New, VA $ 1,800
· (1 US$ = 81.30 Yen)
· TOTAL : 353,000 JAPANESE YEN ($4,346.10)
Since I already held the title to her I had to have the title changed to an export-certificate, a simple process that cost an additional $5 but did make some stress at the Virginia DMV. Before I arrived in Okinawa, not a necessary part of the process, the storage yard performed some simple maintenance on her. I requested that they have her in running order. It only required that they put in 2 charged batteries which they pulled from the junk yard and she started right up. I also had them change the oil and filter, and requested that they do a break job since the rotors were well rusted.
On November 22, at 10am she began her journey
. On December 30 I received a call from Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics with my Bill of Lading number and told I would be notified again 2 weeks before delivery. With the BoL number I was able to track her each step of the journey; Japan to Washington, California, Panama, Georgia and finally Newport News, Virginia on January 31, 2013. Let me warn you now: no matter how excited you are don’t go to the port the day that it arrives! You will get turned away. I thought I had my ducks lined up but a few more flew in that day and excited the flock. Two weeks before she was scheduled to arrive I contacted Customs and Border Protection to ask about my paperwork. They asked me to fax whatever I had to them and they would call me back if there were any issues. I included:
1. http://www.epa.gov/otaq/imports/documents/3520-1.pdfEPA exemption form with blocks 4-7 and 10 filled out and code E checked.
2. www.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/import/hs799short.pdf Customs Declaration form with make, model, year, VIN, box 1 checked, name and address at the bottom.
3. Export certificate with translation, the translation was not included in the paperwork I received from the shipping company. The form includes English on the original. I translated mine myself, one of the benefits of living in Japan for so long. I have a template that I can offer if someone is interested.
4. Bill of Lading. This was shipped to me again by the shipping company.
5. Receipt for purchase.
Each of these will play an important part of getting your truck home.
One week before she arrived I called Customs and Border Protection to verify that all of my paperwork was good. They confirmed it was.
On Thursday January 31, 2013 I arrived at the Customs and Border Patrol office at the Norfolk Airport with the original of each of the above forms and personal Identification. The process took about 30 minutes. Make sure they stamp your original Bill of Lading, The EPA form, And the Customs Declaration Form.
I next went to the Virginia DMV
. My blood pressure spiked when the DMV clerk helping me tried to argue that the translation was not official. The DMV website requires an English translation for anything in a foreign language and does not say anything about official. After some discussion with the supervisor I was passed off to the next DMV worker. This clerk was very helpful and only had one issue with me not having the original title. Remember in Japan to export a vehicle they have to change the Title to an Export-Certificate. I did not have to provide the receipt because my name was already listed as the owner. Be careful what you give them at the DMV they will keep all of your paperwork if you let them. I had to go back and ask for some of my stuff back. I next went to the port to pick up Allis. Upon arrival at the gate I was told that I cannot enter without a Transportation Workers Identification Credential (TWIC) card, and active duty military identification card or an escort. The port was nice enough to provide me with a phone number for an escort and he only charges $60 an hour for his service. On top of that the shipping company won’t release it to the port until all of the cars are off loaded and then the port needs a couple of days to do their thing
. On February 6, 2013 I made the 120 mile trek back down and met my escort at the port gate. We first went to shipping company Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics with my original, now customs stamped, Bill of Lading. After the shipping company released her I had to go to the port office. At the port office they tried to claim that she was not customs released. The EPA form, with customs stamp luckily took care of this; block 3 lists the customs release number and
After that it was off to the truck. She started on her trip with 2 spares in the truck, 33x14.5x15’s both now gone. She wouldn’t start and needed a jump; I was pleased to see that they had a 24volt jump box. Then it was back to the port office to sign for receipt of the vehicle.
Second thing that I found missing I didn’t notice until I was at the gas station, the tow hook right off the back of the truck. Who ever took it really wanted it as it was bolted through the bumper to an extension that was bolted to the frame. So I get to the gas station and was not sure about shutting her off after all I just needed a jump and it had only been 20 minutes. I bit the bullet and shut her off, no good. After 2 new batteries she started right up and I felt safe to turn on the radio. Radio was still there but the 24v-12v step-down converter that was mounted under the passenger seat was not.
New Batteries, full of Diesel, cell phone charged half way, wife leading the way 120 miles back home. She fits though the garage door with 2 inches of clearance. On the way home I noticed a couple if items that won’t pass state inspection. Item number 1 Windshield wipers don’t work. Item number 2 lights don’t work. OK they work, all the side markers and such come on. The high beams come one just not the low beams.
On Thursday I got two hours to go to the garage to take a look at the wiper issue. I open the hood and immediately see the problem. The part of the fire wall that the wiper motor grounds to is completely rusted out. I pull the ground to actual metal and she runs. Rust is not a good ground. I removed the hood so I can get a good look at things and see where the cut and weld needs to take place.
Saturday evening I got 4 hours to go out and stripped the whole interior. I pulled out the seats, all of the handles, and center console.
Sunday afternoon I took out the rear windows, windshield and didn’t break it until right at the end and pulled out the headliner. I had to take out the windows and windshield first so I could peal the edges of the headliner off that way it can be reinstalled. I removed the headliner because I have an issue with all 4 corners of the sunroof being rusted out, the rain gutters and roof along the sides of the rain gutter and a random hole in the roof. I thought it best to remove the flammable stuff before I get to cutting and welding.
That’s where she stands as of now.
I need to figure out how to get the pictures off this new phone but will post up something soon.
And no more long posts like this.
