NCT due and a few questions....

_Kaiser_

Morning all,

Got a letter in the post this morning to tell me that my automatic 1.3 99 Mitsubishi Mirage (import - japanese version of the Colt) is due a NCT test next month.

Soo....

- Given that I've put on about 10k KM (not miles), will it need a service first do ya think? Certainly no problems with it, and it was checked before I bought it.

- I've been told that the parts for it are the same as the Irish ones. Can anyone (maybe someone who has one cause I've seen a few around) confirm this?

- Any recommendations on a decent (reasonably priced) garage in the (north) Dublin or Navan areas, and what I should expect to pay on average?

- Now that it's getting dark earlier, I've noticed that the headlights on it aren't as bright as maybe they could/should be. Anyone have any ideas where I should go to get "better" ones for it?

Thanks in advance for any advice folks!

Big Nelly

Kaiser2000 wrote:

- Given that I've put on about 10k KM (not miles), will it need a service first do ya think? Certainly no problems with it, and it was checked before I bought it.

No, 10K miles is an average for all car

Kaiser2000 wrote:

- I've been told that the parts for it are the same as the Irish ones. Can anyone (maybe someone who has one cause I've seen a few around) confirm this?

Wouldnt tink so

Kaiser2000 wrote:

- Any recommendations on a decent (reasonably priced) garage in the (north) Dublin or Navan areas, and what I should expect to pay on average?

Nope....have one in Cavan in DUblin about 6 million euro for them to open the hood

Kaiser2000 wrote:

- Now that it's getting dark earlier, I've noticed that the headlights on it aren't as bright as maybe they could/should be. Anyone have any ideas where I should go to get "better" ones for it?

Get glasses then you will be able to see outside the window and might notice when your lights are on and off.....also try using the full head lights....they usually work better

kluivert

If you need jap parts there s a place in Ashbourne, Meath.

Sorry i cant remember the name of the place.

If you need parts that cant be got here get them over the internet. Dont let any garage tell me you that a certain part will cost a fortune just because its jap - this is non sense.

Is there only 10k on the clock in total.

Is it worth getting a jap import, is it not very risky.

_Kaiser_

kluivert wrote:

Is there only 10k on the clock in total.

Is it worth getting a jap import, is it not very risky.

Nope there was 34k KM on it when I bought it (was just imported) and theres a sticker on the windscreen/inside bonnet that says the next service is due at 44k (maybe they confused miles with KM themselves?)

I bought mine from a place down beside the docks and had it checked out by a friend who used to work there first. Haven't had any problems with it, which is partly why I'm thinking if it really needs one yet.

_Kaiser_

Bumping this up - hope thats ok

If anyone has any suggestions on a good local garage in the Blanch/Northside area, for general maintenance etc and/or where I could get new bulbs and have them installed (cheapish), that'd be great

Thanks folks

Paul (MN)

I've heard good things about:

Ken Fildes Garage Ltd Sycamore Cottage, Williamstown, Clonsilla 8214477

Hellrazer

Kaiser2000 wrote:

Morning all,

Got a letter in the post this morning to tell me that my automatic 1.3 99 Mitsubishi Mirage (import - japanese version of the Colt) is due a NCT test next month.

Soo....

- Given that I've put on about 10k KM (not miles), will it need a service first do ya think? Certainly no problems with it, and it was checked before I bought it.

- I've been told that the parts for it are the same as the Irish ones. Can anyone (maybe someone who has one cause I've seen a few around) confirm this?

- Any recommendations on a decent (reasonably priced) garage in the (north) Dublin or Navan areas, and what I should expect to pay on average?

- Now that it's getting dark earlier, I've noticed that the headlights on it aren't as bright as maybe they could/should be. Anyone have any ideas where I should go to get "better" ones for it?

Thanks in advance for any advice folks!

kluivert wrote:

If you need parts that cant be got here get them over the internet. Dont let any garage tell me you that a certain part will cost a fortune just because its jap - this is non sense.

My advice is to send in the car without doing anything to it.Let the NCT tell you what they want done.
As for parts prices---Japanese import parts from a main dealer are roughly 50-70% more expensive than Irish parts.The parts are not the same bar service items and the odd one or two bits.

Ive been working for a Mitsubishi garage for 2 years now(in spare parts) and the import prices are outrageous mainly because if a part is not available in Ireland/Europe then it comes direct from Japan hence the price difference.
Hope this helps,
Richie

Wibbs

kluivert wrote:

If you need parts that cant be got here get them over the internet. Dont let any garage tell me you that a certain part will cost a fortune just because its jap - this is non sense.

Partially true. It depends on the car and manufacturer. As Hellrazer has pointed out there can be big differences in the price of parts for Japanese domestic market cars. Some of this is down to differences in the parts themselves(depending on the model) and a lot is down to protectionism by the local garages themselves. Naturally they don't want everybody buying in Japanese cars in better condition, with more specifications than their own offerings.

If you go back a few years when there were a lot of Jap imports about(not just sporty models) some dealers were even refusing to deal with the imports at all. Various scare tactics were used like saying there was no rust protection on Japanese cars, the parts were all different, emissions were higher etc. Most of this was BS and an example of the protectionism I refer to.

Most of the parts that wear out the most are identical in both markets. It stands to reason that a manufacture isn't going to tool up an entirely different production line to make different parts for essentially the same car. It makes little financial sense. It does depend on the make though, as Hellrazer points out, Mitsubishi as a case inpoint do have some differences between the regions, especially in the common models. Most of the "sporty" models of the various makes are little more than "official" imports anyway.

Is there only 10k on the clock in total.

Is it worth getting a jap import, is it not very risky.

It depends entirely on the car. If it's a model that was available here officially, then the risk, part wise is lower.

The main risk is buying the car in the first place. Many of the dealers buy crashed or damaged cars at Japanese auctions and sell them as straight cars. I've seen cars here that have been accident damaged in Japan and are sold as good clean cars to the unwary. One I saw(a mates car) where the whole front end had been replaced, yet sold to him as a high grade car. If you do buy one from a forecourt here, get an auction report. It will have the mileage and condition written on it. All the imports should have one. If you don't get one, don't buy. Walk away. Sadly my friend didn't get the report and was left with a bit of a lemon.

My advise(as I said on another thread) is to research, research and research again. If you're up to it, buy the car at auction yourself(many websites out there) and import it directly. Japanese market cars tend to have more extras than the Irish model. The secondhand market cars can be in very good condition with very low mileages. The higher end sport models(evos,scoobys,type r's and the like) are generally much cheaper(if you import yourself) and higher specced than the Irish version. Do the research and you could get a bargain.

PS. Be careful with Insurance. Some companies won't smile on Jap imports. Don't buy a higher spec Jap model and try to pass it off as a lower specced(slower) Irish model as if you have an accident, you may not be covered. The gardai are cracking down on this lately too. Don't buy one with a lower(false) CC on the reg book either as this will void your insurance too and cause you no end of grief from the buys in blue.