Import Your Own.

Written By Erik Andrus

You’re reading this because you want to know more about my Mazda Bongo work truck. Maybe you’d like one like it. We’ll get to that.

First a little about me. I’m Vermont’s only commercial rice farmer. I work a lot with Japanese farming tools and techniques and when my 2010 Ford Ranger died a death of rust, I decided to replace it with a JDM (Japan Domestic Merchandise) import. I’d imported farm equipment before so it wasn’t my first rodeo.

Importing isn’t for everyone. You’d want to have some patience and you’d want to be or know a good and adaptable mechanic. You also need money up front. That’s about it. If you have those things lined up, no reason you can’t import your own, choosing from the thousands available right now in Japan. Maybe four months from now you could be driving it.

I have to say I’ve never owned a vehicle that makes people smile and turns heads the way this one does. And, when you drive a JDM import, all the other people driving JDM imports, of which I see more and more, will also notice you on the road and give you a friendly wave.

All together, here is what I put into the project:

  • $9300 USD to purchase the vehicle

  • $3100

Are there downsides? Sure. My Mazda Bongo is a work truck and the suspension is hard and the tires are small. The 1780 cc V6 can pull 75 on the highway no problem but a highway with a lot of seams and potholes is not very comfortable to drive. It’s a little louder in the cab than with a newer domestic truck. The seat is a little tight. Not as bad as a mini-truck, but a little tight.

The basics are this:

  1. Line up an exporter

  2. Select an import-eligible vehicle (must be at least 25 years old)

  3. Pay for your vehicle and the shipping cost by wire transfer to the exporter

  4. When your vehicle arrives, negotiate time-critical arrival steps and take delivery of your vehicle

  5. Go through the steps to get your vehicle registered with the Vermont DMV. There are more steps than for a domestic vehicle.

  6. Work out the kinks and make a plan to keep your vehicle in wood repair with parts and tires for the long-term

Erik Andrus
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