I shot some videos at Autorama yesterday and wanted to share them here. Of course I had to show how you get in and out of one! Sorry it's so dark:
And here's a walk-around of the car. Helmet and Mazda 2 for scale:
Friday, April 24, 2015
Videos!
April 24th, 2015
I shot some videos at Autorama yesterday and wanted to share them here. Of course I had to show how you get in and out of one! Sorry it's so dark:
And here's a walk-around of the car. Helmet and Mazda 2 for scale:
I shot some videos at Autorama yesterday and wanted to share them here. Of course I had to show how you get in and out of one! Sorry it's so dark:
And here's a walk-around of the car. Helmet and Mazda 2 for scale:
Thursday, April 23, 2015
OMG
April 23rd, 2015
Perfect weather. It's really beautiful outside today. Around 11:30 I hopped on the bike and rode out to Petone to visit Jeff at Autorama. It's on a side-street in the industrial end of town, but pretty easy to find because it's surrounded by cars with import squiggles on their windshields. I walked in and Jeff came over right away to lead me to the AZ1. This was it! My first view of an AZ1 in person EVER, and even more special because this one was mine.
Perfect weather. It's really beautiful outside today. Around 11:30 I hopped on the bike and rode out to Petone to visit Jeff at Autorama. It's on a side-street in the industrial end of town, but pretty easy to find because it's surrounded by cars with import squiggles on their windshields. I walked in and Jeff came over right away to lead me to the AZ1. This was it! My first view of an AZ1 in person EVER, and even more special because this one was mine.
Jeff gave me the rundown on what was needed. He pulled the passenger seat out, surprisingly easily (it looked like it was made of plastic and very light weight.. I'll have to confirm later). The rust under the passenger floor board wasn't as bad as I expected, but the panel would need to be replaced.
The driver's side seat belt was fraying pretty bad, so he needs to replace it as well. For some reason the tires that were put on the rims are too wide, so they'll need to be changed too, unfortunately.
Now for the thing I'm most curious about: will I fit?
That's a yep!! Not only is it extremely easy to get in and out of the car, but there is also a ton of head room! The glass in the roof is a lot higher than the door frame and leaves about 1.5 inches of space above my head. I'm 6'2" but have longer legs (shorter torso) so maybe this is why. It feels really comfy in there!
My knees do touch the steering wheel, but I have a lot of plans to change that in the future. It's tiny inside, but I didn't feel cramped. It just feels like a big go-kart!
Unfortunately, everyone is really busy at the moment, and getting the rust fixed will take some time. I'm guessing another few weeks to a month before I can take the car home, but it's ok. Just seeing the car in person was enough excitement to keep me going!
Jeff says he'll call me next week with an update on the work and how much it will all cost. Stay tuned!
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
Inspection Complete
April 22nd, 2015
I called up Jeff this morning to ask how things were going, and he said the AZ1 was halfway through it's inspection and he'd give me a call in the afternoon with their findings.
He got back to me around 2:30pm with the results:
1. The driver's seat belt needs to be replaced, no problem.
2. The front tires are rubbing on full-lock (I'd assume he means on the inside), and he's wondering if the tires are too big. The previous owner put on 14's as opposed to the original 13's, and maybe that's the reason? I'm wondering if the rack even locks on the car.
3. This one's a biggie. Apparently there's a rust hole in the floor that you can stick your hand through. I looked through all the photos Terry sent me from Japan and couldn't find anything like that, but I guess a lot can be hid in photos.
I haven't even seen it yet (or any Autozam AZ1s in person) so I'm going to drive over there at lunch tomorrow to check it out. Then I'll be able to see the issues and figure out ways to solve them. I really don't think I'll need to buy different tires. The hole will be interesting though. Anyway, stay tuned for photos!
I called up Jeff this morning to ask how things were going, and he said the AZ1 was halfway through it's inspection and he'd give me a call in the afternoon with their findings.
He got back to me around 2:30pm with the results:
1. The driver's seat belt needs to be replaced, no problem.
2. The front tires are rubbing on full-lock (I'd assume he means on the inside), and he's wondering if the tires are too big. The previous owner put on 14's as opposed to the original 13's, and maybe that's the reason? I'm wondering if the rack even locks on the car.
3. This one's a biggie. Apparently there's a rust hole in the floor that you can stick your hand through. I looked through all the photos Terry sent me from Japan and couldn't find anything like that, but I guess a lot can be hid in photos.
I haven't even seen it yet (or any Autozam AZ1s in person) so I'm going to drive over there at lunch tomorrow to check it out. Then I'll be able to see the issues and figure out ways to solve them. I really don't think I'll need to buy different tires. The hole will be interesting though. Anyway, stay tuned for photos!
Thursday, April 16, 2015
Landed!
April 16th, 2015
I'm currently out of the country but I figured I'd call up Jeff for an update. He says the car is now at his shop and I'm welcome to come take a look at it (he sounded really excited!) but he won't be able to start compliance work on it until next week. The long wait is almost over!!
I'm currently out of the country but I figured I'd call up Jeff for an update. He says the car is now at his shop and I'm welcome to come take a look at it (he sounded really excited!) but he won't be able to start compliance work on it until next week. The long wait is almost over!!
Monday, March 30, 2015
Autorama
March 30th, 2015
Small update.. Terry emailed me over the weekend to say that he was sending all the needed documents down to Jeff at Autorama in Petone, and that I should give him a call. Today I called up Jeff to give him my email so that if any issues arose during compliance, he could let me know. It's also nice to open up communication with the guy I'll be picking up the car from in a few weeks. Anyway, hopefully I'll hear back soon (A FEW DAYS) about it arriving in New Zealand!!
Small update.. Terry emailed me over the weekend to say that he was sending all the needed documents down to Jeff at Autorama in Petone, and that I should give him a call. Today I called up Jeff to give him my email so that if any issues arose during compliance, he could let me know. It's also nice to open up communication with the guy I'll be picking up the car from in a few weeks. Anyway, hopefully I'll hear back soon (A FEW DAYS) about it arriving in New Zealand!!
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Final Payment
March 25th, 2015
It's on it's way!!
Just as Terry said, about a week before the boat gets here, the final payment would be due. He paid the customs fees, GST and is scheduling compliance for the car at Autorama in Lower Hutt, so I just had to wire him the funds. Here's a breakdown he sent:
It's official! So Terry is having a courier take the import documents and mileage certificates from Japan down to Autorama, and it sounds like everything is taken care of at the port. The car should arrive on Sunday, April 5th. Since it's a long weekend because of Easter, he's assuming Autorama will get the car a few days later, and depending on how much work is needed (if any) I'll find out how much longer it will take to get the car. But it'll be in New Zealand next weekend, and that makes me so insanely happy.
It's been a long road, but it will be worth it!
It's on it's way!!
Just as Terry said, about a week before the boat gets here, the final payment would be due. He paid the customs fees, GST and is scheduling compliance for the car at Autorama in Lower Hutt, so I just had to wire him the funds. Here's a breakdown he sent:
So the total of the car in total, if there aren't any more fees from the compliance guys, is approximately $14,656 nzd. A small price to pay for one of my dream cars!
He also sent this:
It's been a long road, but it will be worth it!
Tuesday, March 3, 2015
IT'S ON A BOAT
March 3rd, 2015
Terry emailed me this morning with a copy of the Bill of Lading. The AZ-1 has shipped! It left Nagoya on Feb 28th and will be heading straight to Wellington. Now for the long wait. I'm guessing the estimated five weeks of travel is because it has to go all the way to Wellington, as opposed to Auckland. Stay tuned!
Terry emailed me this morning with a copy of the Bill of Lading. The AZ-1 has shipped! It left Nagoya on Feb 28th and will be heading straight to Wellington. Now for the long wait. I'm guessing the estimated five weeks of travel is because it has to go all the way to Wellington, as opposed to Auckland. Stay tuned!
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