Honda Beat Version F Japan to NZ JOURNEY

Customer Order - Honda Beat Version F Imported from Japan

This order has been a long journey. The Honda Beat Version F was produced only in 1992, 33 years ago at the time of writing, and is limited to just 800 units. Kei vehicles are built to a budget, and although the Honda Beat was not cheap for a Kei vehicle compared to many others at the time, it was still manufactured without many of the rust prevention measures, such as heavy under-seals, that larger vehicles received in the 80s and 90s.

Finding Kei vehicles from three decades ago in rust-free condition is quite difficult, and most owners accept that minor rust still represents an extremely tidy example. However, this order required a total rust-free body with no history of accidents or structural repairs due to the importing countires rules which presents a significant challenge when sourcing a classic vehicle. With age comes history, and that history often involves the tolls of time, such as rust and accidents. Add a rare car in to the mix that must be a particular colour and the challenge is a big one.

The purchase and inspection process

It took no less than two years to track down a suitable Version F with low kilometers, involving our team actively searching alongside the customer. A good Version F will be snapped up in a heartbeat; blink and you will miss it. Therefore, when the example below became available and our client spotted it, we had to act quickly. With only 800 units built, very few have survived after 30 years, and even fewer meet the accident-free and rust-free requirements for the New Zealand and Australian markets. We checked and rejected a few until we found this one below for various reasons such as rust or accident history etc.

This particular example seemed to tick all the boxes, but we needed to be certain. A certified inspector was promptly dispatched to examine the car and report back. When not purchasing from auction, there are no gradings, and many dealers misrepresent their cars as accident-free, which can lead to significant buyer challenges especially for the New Zealand and Australian markets to name a few. We have encountered cars photographed from underneath to showcase their rust-free condition, only to discover inconsistencies, such as an automatic transmission in a tunnel when the vehicle in question is a manual and the actual example in person discovered to have heavy corossion. Therefore where possible we will always send an inspector, some give photos as you will see below others simply only reports. The first gallery shows the car as it was found in Japan and the following the inspectors photos.

Selling Dealer Gallery

Although there was a workshop on site other than cleaning the selling dealer refused to address any points of concern our inspector rose as part of sale negotiations

The dealer tried to show the vehicle to our inspector inside the workshop but we requested to see it in the sunlight to pick up on imperfections so it was moved outside

The Inspection

The inspector viewed the vehicle at the selling dealership. The dealership is not one we would recommend doing business with but with rare cars like this you cannot choose and our job is to act for the client to secure the vehicle they want if it meets their expectations. The Beat dealer tried to pressure us to buy the vehicle without inspection claiming that they would sell it under us even if we had an inspection organised and someone else was coming to see it. We ignored that FOMO tactic and had our inspector carefully checked the car and determined it was rust and accident free so it ticked the boxes for export to New Zealand. The inspector did his research and traced the vehicle back to Honda as a trade in noting no maintenance was done by the selling dealer and no timing belt exchange evidence could be given - which is crazy on a 33 year old interference motor. The selling dealer did nothing but wack a margin on top and sold it as traded from Honda with no maintenance what so ever. The inspector found the engine was shaking and picked up on some other maintenance issues which was likely why they tried to pressure us to buy sight unseen. The dealer had no interest in doing any work on the car or negotiating the price in light of faults even though it was not really in suitable running condition to sell to the public. This is typical of many dealers in Japan so we are not singling them out, but why you need vehicles checked. We informed the client of the condition, the dealers attitude, shared photos and a decision was made to still purchase it but then on forward it to Isomasa Auto, Japans number one Honda Beat speciality shop for a full check over and pre export preventative maintenance package. This is wise as cars like this are not easily serviced or repaired abroad. Below you will see the repairs they made including ones that addressed what this dealer would not fix is exactly why the owner wanted it carefully maintained by Isomasa Auto. Although most exporters simply want to buy unchecked from auction and ship vehicles without even touching the vehicle why not consider working with a exporter who can offer real service and solutions to ensure a quality vehicle arrives ready for you ownership enjoyment.

Honda Beat Version F first sighting and inspection gallery

The chassis number is used to verify and research any history on the vehicle as part of the inspection

The photos are not like a typical dealers and the inspectors opinion is what is valued. We are shown what the dealers don't want the buyer to see

The panels are checked for signs of repaint and paint thickness and then investigated further

It is common for the lower sills to rust and be repaired on beats so the doors are opened and this area carefully inspected

Do all the panels open and shut cleanly and how are the panel gaps and the internal structures

the inspector looks for signs of structural panel replacement, extra welds, non factory sealers, rust or coverups.

Look for evidence of any repainting, this example was very original

Another common rust area on Beats is the strut towers and firewall

Have any panels been unbolted in the past? We check and investigate further if we see evidence

The underside is checked for rust, corrosion, damage, fluid leaks, maintenance issues etc.

If non factory paint is found underneath we will advise. This example was clean.

If we find modifications not shown we will mention them to the buyer

The soft top or sunroof condition is always checked on such cars

Is there any rust where moisture may sit under seals or extra spot welds

The rear panels are check for any distortion incase of lighter accidents that have not led to structural repairs but may indicate the vehicle is not straight

The front end is assed for any signs of replacements or distortion to core supports etc.

The interior and operation of the vehicles functions are checked as well as the vehicle running condition

Pre Export Maintenance

Isomasa Auto is very much the opposite of the dealer that was selling the Beat and all the cars are rigorously gone over with maintenance performed before they are sold but they are also not cheap in fact very expensive due to it. But if you want a well sorted Beat that will stand the test of time in a country with little back up support we would recommend them as an option if you wanted us to source and export one.

After securing the Honda Beat Version F it required around a 3 hour Journey from the Dealer north to Isomasa’s workshop, as it required coordination between 3 buisnesses and a transport company we could not move it the very next day and needed around a week to coordinate the slot. We decided to transport it as we didn’t want to risk the timing belt snapping as it is catastrophic in these. The selling dealer probably lacking space wanted the car gone the day the money came and threatened to leave it on the street if we weren’t going to hurry up. So in the end even though it cost us more due to the Dealers behaviour rather than wait for the transporter we had our team member travel, rent a safety loader and moved it ourselves to Isomasa. The beauty of it though was we could talk with Isomasa Auto’s team face to face and also take a time-lapse of the vehicles journey which we have uploaded.

Honda Beat Version F first journey to Isomasa Auto Video and Gallery

The Beat as we delivered it to Isomasa Auto

After dropping the vehicle to Isomasa it was quite a wait, they are super busy and although they could store the vehicle it was about a month before they could assess and quote the work. In Japan repair shops often want a budget given and then come back with a maintenance plan with in that budget. Isomasa was no different however they came back with a price double our clients budget. For a 50-60 thousand km vehicle it looked excessive to the client but at the same time it was exactly what you would do to protect and look after the vehicle for the next 30 years. Strangely they had not included the timing belt as it looked in good condition, it was likely Honda may have changed it but with no paper record we didn’t want to risk it and they couldn't guarantee it. As the car will be overseas for a time and returned to Japan later when the owner plans to move the full maintenance schedule could not be justified. However Isomasa Auto offer many custom countermeasure parts in house designed to prevent failures in the cooling, fuel and ignition systems worth considering. If you will not be returning the car it is recommend that you for-fill Isomasa’s full recommend plan but for this client it can be done on return. We ticked off what we thought was a priority with in budget including many countermeasure parts and requested the timing belt be done. After another long wait a revised quote was returned. Again they still wanted to do additional things sighting their concerns and reasons, it all made sense and they just wanted to protect the vehicle but it was just not affordable right now. We can’t say they are not careful, however on the 3rd quote finally we all reached a maintenance plan they were happy to perform and the customer was happy to accept.

The work carried out was extensive non the less and included many new oil seals, gaskets, clips, bolts, flanges replaced and adjustments such as the tappets. One notable job was replacement of O rings to prevent oil leaking into the spark plug tubes, the reason the car was running rough (remember the selling dealer refused to fix and wanted to deliver to the buyer in such condition). The timing belt kit was replaced with an aftermarket kit due to manufacturing defects with Hondas own timing belt design (a reason to replace it and be sure of what you have). The water pump was upgraded, thermostat replaced along with many water hoses both pictured and also not relating to the cooling system. A sensor that we believe relates to the engine knock sensor now out of stock plus the oil pressure switch assembly. An engine mount. the spark plugs, leads (upgraded), distributor (common to break), other belts were refreshed. Fuel hoses and many replacement fuel related parts that include countermeasures parts as fuel related fires are a bit to common on these Beats now with age we renewed. The Fuel strainer was replaced also. LLC was replaced, Motul oils used, for servicing, genuine Honda transmission fluid was used when servicing the gearbox. All in all it is an extremely well sorted Beat.

This Gallery shows some of Isomasa’s work and the photo credits go to Isomasa.

Isomasa gave us an incredibly detailed maintenance plan, most was carried out so this would be one of the worlds most well sorted low km accident and rust free Version F's

The rocker arms are set up with the tube for the spark plugs passing between them. The reason for the rough running was the O-rings needed replacement to stop oil entering the spark plug tubes.

This is how presale maintenance at a real dealership looks

Evidence was supplied that the parts were changed

The Journey To New Zealand

After completion of the work the vehicle was transported to the export yard in Chiba, there are various yards across Japan but this was the most efficient option from Ibaraki where Isomasa Auto is based. Here we get check in photos and all the preparations are made for export to New Zealand such as bio security clearance and cleaning, heat treatment, boarder inspection (done Japan side for NZ), structural inspection etc etc.

Export Yard Gallery

Arrival in New Zealand

Compliance

From there the Beat made it Journey to NZ and we had it delivered to a compliance shop, for classic cars we tend to use a particular shop in New Zealand due to the fact they deal with many classic vehicles for compliance and therefore take more care with them. Other places cause more damage than they fix half the time and when your car has to be ripped apart for NZ compliance for a deeper structural check it is best using a shop based on skill, not price alone.

Compliance Gallery

The Beat at import compliance in New Zealand, all the vehicle is stripped out, inspected for rust, structural damage and the entire mechanical and safety side assessed

Compliance was smooth other than typical items such as tyres needing to be replaced to meet standards and a brake imbalance addressed.

The new owner was happy to find a rare no longer produced exhaust system was fitted. Noise wise it was compliant for New Zealand

From there we took care of the Co2 fines for the customer under the Clean Car Standard in NZ (Just a tax grab) but it is what it is. Then registered the car and the owner could enjoy. Here is the finished results, it was a long process of over two years, countless hours or searching and then preparation, there were some issues to deal with on the way, outside of our control but we got there in the end. We have also made sure to request return of documents required for us later on to return the car to Japan and put it back on the road should the client relocate. We will be sure to add on to this Beats Journey should that happen. When you work together with someone for 2 years to for-fill a dream these people become more than clients, the become great friends from the same automotive community so that is why we take on the tough jobs, not just bread and butter exporting because we too share the passion.

The Beat all finished and Road Legal in New Zealand

This particular vehicle was expertly secured and supplied to an eager customer in the South Island of New Zealand by our dedicated J-Cars team. We organized the entire process door to door from Japan including NZ compliance inspection, W.O.F, Registration, Preparation, Servicing and Maintenance. All the customer had to do was to place their order and organize payment for a turn key drive away package on a hand picked vehicle direct from Japan. No knowledge or experience is required to work with us.

At J-Cars, we specialize in sourcing, securing, and shipping vehicles from Japan and beyond — bridging the gap between continents and delivering your dream car right to your doorstep.

Whether you're searching for modern marvels or classic treasures, we’ve got you covered. Don’t miss your chance to drive a piece of automotive history! Reach out to our team today and let’s make your dream vehicle a reality!