Most of what we do at Importify happens between the moment a buyer says “yes, I want this car” and the moment it lands on their driveway. It's detailed, hands-on work. Most of it is invisible to the buyer. But it's the difference between a smooth import and a six-month nightmare.
This is an honest look at how the work actually breaks down — written so prospective buyers know what they're paying us for, and so anyone considering doing this themselves can see what's involved.
It starts with a brief
Most of our work begins with a written brief from the buyer. The good ones include:
- Make, model, generation, trim — the more specific the better
- Year range
- Transmission preference
- Colour preferences (and deal breakers)
- Acceptable mileage
- Tolerance for modifications (none / cosmetic only / mechanical OK)
- Hard budget cap, all-in landed
- Destination state (US) or state (AU) or any other international port — this affects what we recommend
If the brief is vague, our first job is to tighten it. “Any clean Skyline” isn't actionable. “R32 GT-R V-Spec, manual, factory paint, sub-100,000 km, no engine swap, registering in Texas” — that's a brief we can hunt.
Sourcing — the part that takes the most time
For every brief, we work multiple channels in parallel.
Our existing inventory
The fastest path. If a current car in our live inventory matches, the buyer can move to inspection within days.
Our NZ network
Years of working this market mean we know who has clean cars. Many of the best examples never get listed publicly — they move through brokers, dealers, and word of mouth. Briefs go out across that network and we hear back within a week.
The NZ private market
Trade Me, AutoTrader NZ, direct seller outreach. This is the slowest path but it sometimes produces the cleanest single-owner cars on the market. We screen sellers, validate ownership history, and qualify the car before bringing it to the buyer.
The pre-purchase inspection
Once a buyer has identified a car they're interested in on our site, the next step is an independent pre-purchase inspection — it's how they verify a car they've never seen before they commit to it. Buyers book and pay for the inspection directly on the car's listing, so the request stays tied to the exact vehicle. The inspection fee isn't refundable, so it's a conscious step the buyer takes when they're serious about a specific vehicle.
The inspection covers:
- Visual inspection — checking for oil leaks, coolant leaks, and general engine condition.
- Performance check — a road test to evaluate engine operation, power, and handling.
- Diagnostics — some inspections include a head gasket check (Tee-Kay test) to detect combustion gases in the cooling system.
The buyer receives the inspection report directly and uses it to decide whether to proceed with the purchase.
Purchase and the NZ paperwork
Once the buyer approves, we handle:
- Final price negotiation
- Payment (the buyer pays a deposit which secures the sale. Once full payment is received the vehicle is prepped for export)
- Vehicle is booked to shipping
- Date of Departure & ETA is booked
Pre-shipment prep
Before any car leaves NZ for the US or Australia, it has to pass:
- Biosecurity inspection. The receiving country (US, AU) rejects vehicles with soil, plant matter, or insect contamination. The car gets a thorough wash, undercarriage steam clean, wheel-well detail, and engine bay vacuum. Mandatory. Not a corner anyone should cut.
- Asbestos certification for AU-bound cars — Australia has a complete ban on asbestos imports, and many older Japanese cars used asbestos in clutch and brake friction material. Either NATA-accredited testing or component replacement with statutory declarations.
- Battery disconnection for shipment safety
- Fuel reduced to under 1/4 tank per shipping line rules
- Loose items — anything not bolted down is either shipped separately or wrapped and stored somewhere safe within the vehicle.
- Final photographic record — every panel, the interior, engine bay, and undercarriage are photographed at our car lot before the car goes onto a transport to the Port.
Shipping
Two options.
RoRo (Roll-on/Roll-off)
The car drives onto a vehicle carrier and is parked on a deck for the voyage. Cost-effective and reliable. Total logistics time Auckland → Long Beach (US) is typically 2–3 months; Auckland → Brisbane (AU) is 1–2 months.
Container shipping
The car is loaded into a 20-foot or 40-foot container and sealed. More expensive, longer transit (containers wait for full bookings), but materially better protection. We recommend container shipping for cars valued over NZ$150,000.
Arrival and customs
This is where the work shifts to the buyer's side. We coordinate closely with the buyer's customs broker, but the broker is the front-line on:
- US arrivals: NHTSA HS-7 form, EPA 3520-1 form, customs entry, 2.5% import duty
- Australian arrivals: Vehicle import approval, biosecurity inspection at port, GST and import duty assessment, vehicle import declaration, Luxury Car Tax if the value crosses the threshold
If the car is going to a state with extra requirements (California, Massachusetts in the US; NSW with significant modifications in AU), we flag this at the brief stage. Surprises at the end are nobody's friend.
Handover
Two ways to do final delivery:
- Buyer collects from the port — the cheapest option
- Enclosed transport to the buyer's address — adds US$1,500–3,000 in the US, AU$800–1,500 in Australia depending on distance
We send the buyer the full document pack — original NZ ownership history, service records, the inspection report, every photograph from the pre-shipment record, and the bill of lading. That's the paper trail you'll want when the car gets registered, insured, or eventually sold on.
What we're here for
We help you sort out everything between “yes I want this car” and the moment it's on a vessel. That's the sourcing work (often the most labour-intensive part — finding the right car can take weeks of phone calls), inspection coordination, NZ paperwork, funds handling, biosecurity prep, the photographic record, and the freight booking. Plus access to a market most US and Australian buyers can't reach directly.
If you want to start a brief — Supra, Skyline, Evo, or anything else from the NZ JDM pool — contact us and we'll come back with realistic options within one business day.