Request for advice on buying a used Roadster in Japan

[wiztecy]

I did reach 160 CAC on a refurbished pack, so its a real number.

 

[augkuo]

Here's the link to the car - almost full charge shows 278km and DRLs added.
The low price may be because of the steering wheel on the wrong side of the car (in Japan) and people wouldn't know how to recharge it. Make sure to get the J1772/Tesla Model S adapter (ask hcsharp) and you should be good. That would be a great deal if everything else checks ok!

ロードスター ロードスター　スポーツ 正規輸入車 BBS ブレンボ レザーインテリア(神奈川)の中古車詳細 | 中古車なら【カーセンサーnet】

 

[kokoro]

I used the picture you posted to find the ad via google image search.

Sometimes a deal has so much potential you have to jump in without all the information, but with a solid exit strategy. There's not a whole lot that could make a 2.5 that cheap. The worst case, as I see it, would be if the battery is damaged, in which case you pay to replace it with a 3.0 battery and sell the car for more than you paid. While there's risk in any deal, it's more than offset by the price, in my opinion.

Thanks, I thought that might be the case. I guess I'm not Roadster knowledgable enough to be able to tell from the online add that it's a single DIN...unless you found some photos I'm not aware of. The advertisement I know of is on Carsensor.net (中古車・中古車情報なら【カーセンサーnet】) and the photo that might show the stereo is obstructed by the steering column. Anyway, nice detective work.

I'm gong to try and get a little more information on the current battery state. I received a copy of a page from the maintenance log and the salesperson at the Lotus dealer said he thought the battery had been changed but the writing on the service log is so sloppy it's not clear as to what was done and why.

 

[kokoro]

Here's the link to the car - almost full charge shows 278km and DRLs added.
The low price may be because of the steering wheel on the wrong side of the car (in Japan) and people wouldn't know how to recharge it. Make sure to get the J1772/Tesla Model S adapter (ask hcsharp) and you should be good. That would be a great deal if everything else checks ok!

ロードスター ロードスター　スポーツ 正規輸入車 BBS ブレンボ レザーインテリア(神奈川)の中古車詳細 | 中古車なら【カーセンサーnet】

Thanks - I guess I was composing my message while you posted this one. The dealer said it was more of the "electric car" issue than the left hand drive. Left hand drives aren't as 'fashionable' as they used to but some people still think they are cool. Tesla just doesn't have the name recognition here that it does in the States...yet, at least.

 

[gregd]

So, as a 2010 model it will be a 2.0, not a 2.5, so the single-DIN radio / Nav unit is expected. #830 is a close sibling to mine (#834), but mine is a standard model, not the Sport. But it has the 2.5 style front and rear body pieces (as mine does too!). I think this means it's a "2.25"?

Seems like you've got an interesting purchase opportunity! If you can't get the car over to Tesla for a checkout, try to get the car's log file (USB stick under the center console, with VehicleLogs directory), and run the VMSParser.exe utility against it with the "-p" option. This will display the various errors the car has logged. There WILL be errors; the question is what sort? Most don't show up as alerts on the VDS (not critical enough), but could give you information on things like weak fans, sensors that might be intermittent, etc.

Just curious, what is that in the left hand tray, above the headlight switch? I'm guessing that the two extra switches to the right of the headlight switch are for the front & rear body lamps (I don't have those).

Good luck!

 

[wiztecy]

...appears to have some kind of Brembo 4 piston brake caliper kit on the front,brakes running the stock rotor. Looks like they didn't touch the rears. One word of caution is that braking is a true science and you want to get it right. Changinbg components can change your brake bias or the way that the car behaves under heavy braking conditions, especially with the feel. The 4 piston brake caliper will clamp down harder on the brakes than the stock AP Braking 2 piston one. So with that if you're really pushing the car around a turn and you do a hard brake, the car may have a tendency to bit and pivot off the front and with a rear favored weight car like the Roadster can lead to the rear end pitching out with no ability to regain control to bring it back. I would have done the front and rear or at least picked up the aftermarket mounts to put the AP Braking ones pulled from the front and add those to the rear. But if you have the money and want to do it right, you'd want to go for larger slotted rotors while you're at it. That's if you're a super spirited driver and love racing through the twisties.

Curious if they still have the stock forged wheels that originally came with it, most likely not.

The car looks clean and the aftermarket taller rims really look good and fitting on it,

 

[kokoro]

So, as a 2010 model it will be a 2.0, not a 2.5, so the single-DIN radio / Nav unit is expected. #830 is a close sibling to mine (#834), but mine is a standard model, not the Sport. But it has the 2.5 style front and rear body pieces (as mine does too!). I think this means it's a "2.25"?

Seems like you've got an interesting purchase opportunity! If you can't get the car over to Tesla for a checkout, try to get the car's log file (USB stick under the center console, with VehicleLogs directory), and run the VMSParser.exe utility against it with the "-p" option. This will display the various errors the car has logged. There WILL be errors; the question is what sort? Most don't show up as alerts on the VDS (not critical enough), but could give you information on things like weak fans, sensors that might be intermittent, etc.

Just curious, what is that in the left hand tray, above the headlight switch? I'm guessing that the two extra switches to the right of the headlight switch are for the front & rear body lamps (I don't have those).

Good luck!

@gregd - In addition to the updated suspension, calipers, wheels, and tires, the previous owner installed some underbody blue LED lighting. The two switches are for the lights. It's just a little over the top (as is the lowering of the chassis) but pretty cool.

 

[kokoro]

...appears to have some kind of Brembo 4 piston brake caliper kit on the front,brakes running the stock rotor. Looks like they didn't touch the rears. One word of caution is that braking is a true science and you want to get it right. Changinbg components can change your brake bias or the way that the car behaves under heavy braking conditions, especially with the feel. The 4 piston brake caliper will clamp down harder on the brakes than the stock AP Braking 2 piston one. So with that if you're really pushing the car around a turn and you do a hard brake, the car may have a tendency to bit and pivot off the front and with a rear favored weight car like the Roadster can lead to the rear end pitching out with no ability to regain control to bring it back. I would have done the front and rear or at least picked up the aftermarket mounts to put the AP Braking ones pulled from the front and add those to the rear. But if you have the money and want to do it right, you'd want to go for larger slotted rotors while you're at it. That's if you're a super spirited driver and love racing through the twisties.

Curious if they still have the stock forged wheels that originally came with it, most likely not.

The car looks clean and the aftermarket taller rims really look good and fitting on it,

Thanks - I haven't asked about the original equipment (wheels, etc.). You never know, they may be sitting in his garage. The test drive I took felt pretty good...but I wasn't focusing on the braking so much.

 

[supersnoop]

It seems to have had a lot of work done. I found more photos here: TESLA ROADSTER SPORTS | 2010 | RED M | 23,000 km | details.- Japanese used cars.Goo-net Exchange

The VIN seems to indicate it's a USA car built in 2010. Some 2.5's were coded as 2010's, and this one has the 2.5 aero. But the VIN, or at least what's visible of it, seems to indicate that this is a 2.0.

It does seem to be an actual Sport model. I wonder if @TEG could shed some more light on this one.

 

[gregd]

It seems to have had a lot of work done. I found more photos here: TESLA ROADSTER SPORTS | 2010 | RED M | 23,000 km | details.- Japanese used cars.Goo-net Exchange

The VIN seems to indicate it's a USA car built in 2010. Some 2.5's were coded as 2010's, and this one has the 2.5 aero. But the VIN, or at least what's visible of it, seems to indicate that this is a 2.0.

It does seem to be an actual Sport model. I wonder if @TEG could shed some more light on this one.

My car, definitely a 2.0 and with a VIN apparently 4 cars later, has the same 2.5 external look as this car. Mine was updated some time after being built (TEG has pictures!), so I'm guessing the same occurred here, especially considering all the other mods the current owner performed.

 

[augkuo]

It seems to have had a lot of work done. I found more photos here: TESLA ROADSTER SPORTS | 2010 | RED M | 23,000 km | details.- Japanese used cars.Goo-net Exchange

The VIN seems to indicate it's a USA car built in 2010. Some 2.5's were coded as 2010's, and this one has the 2.5 aero. But the VIN, or at least what's visible of it, seems to indicate that this is a 2.0.

It does seem to be an actual Sport model. I wonder if @TEG could shed some more light on this one.

If that's the case, someone here could buy it for a nice deal! I would imagine that shipping the car would only be about $2k...

 

[TEG]

It seems to have had a lot of work done. I found more photos here: TESLA ROADSTER SPORTS | 2010 | RED M | 23,000 km | details.- Japanese used cars.Goo-net Exchange
The VIN seems to indicate it's a USA car built in 2010. Some 2.5's were coded as 2010's, and this one has the 2.5 aero. But the VIN, or at least what's visible of it, seems to indicate that this is a 2.0.
It does seem to be an actual Sport model. I wonder if @TEG could shed some more light on this one.

Yeah, I did some research into the Roadsters that went to Japan. That one definitively had a lot work done to it after it got there.
It is #830 that pre-dated the change to 2.5 bodywork (which started showing up around NA VIN #941)

By the way on April 21, 2010 Tesla sent 12 North American sequence Roadsters on a boat from Port Hueneme, CA to Yokahama, Japan
I think it included these VINs: 729 806 830 865 881 882 ... 886 900... If anyone knows the other 4, please let me know !

 

[kokoro]

Wow! You all are awesome. Here is the full VIN in case it might help.

5YJRE1A37A1000830

As for shipping to the U.S., that is something I considered. Thought maybe I would purchase it, drive it for a year or so, and then ship it to the U.S. to sell. The estimates I was able to search out were right in that $2k ballpark for shipping to the West Coast.

On the copy of the service record that I received it says "Battery Service Required - Battery Assy Change" (in Japanese). On other occasions I see 12v battery change so I guess the "Battery Assy Change" is the drive battery. That record is from March, 30th, 2012 at 13,690 Km. The last entry from the Tesla maintenance log is on the 6th of December, 2012 (12v battery error (changed) and HID light installation). After that maintenance was apparently performed by the Lotus shop and their records are very vague...mostly just tick marks on the biannual required inspection ('Shaken' in Japanese) form.

I e-mailed the salesperson at the shop and said I would be there on Wednesday to download the log files. Maybe I will put a deposit on it at the same time. He said it may sell before then but I guess that's a chance I have to take. He did also tell me that they were having a hard time drumming up interest in it because of how unique it is (electric etc.) so I'm hoping it doesn't go before I can get back there.

 

[kokoro]

Wow! You all are awesome. Here is the full VIN in case it might help.

5YJRE1A37A1000830

As for shipping to the U.S., that is something I considered. Thought maybe I would purchase it, drive it for a year or so, and then ship it to the U.S. to sell. The estimates I was able to search out were right in that $2k ballpark for shipping to the West Coast.

On the copy of the service record that I received it says "Battery Service Required - Battery Assy Change" (in Japanese). On other occasions I see 12v battery change so I guess the "Battery Assy Change" is the drive battery. That record is from March, 30th, 2012 at 13,690 Km. The last entry from the Tesla maintenance log is on the 6th of December, 2012 (12v battery error (changed) and HID light installation). After that maintenance was apparently performed by the Lotus shop and their records are very vague...mostly just tick marks on the biannual required inspection ('Shaken' in Japanese) form.

I e-mailed the salesperson at the shop and said I would be there on Wednesday to download the log files. Maybe I will put a deposit on it at the same time. He said it may sell before then but I guess that's a chance I have to take. He did also tell me that they were having a hard time drumming up interest in it because of how unique it is (electric etc.) so I'm hoping it doesn't go before I can get back there.

Correction --> Not "biannual" --> "biennial" (once every two years would have been easier) ;-)

 

[kokoro]

Yeah, I did some research into the Roadsters that went to Japan. That one definitively had a lot work done to it after it got there.
It is #830 that pre-dated the change to 2.5 bodywork (which started showing up around NA VIN #941)

By the way on April 21, 2010 Tesla sent 12 North American sequence Roadsters on a boat from Port Hueneme, CA to Yokahama, Japan
I think it included these VINs: 729 806 830 865 881 882 ... 886 900... If anyone knows the other 4, please let me know !

865 is for sale here:
ロードスター テスラ　ロードスターS 正規D車　本革 日本語取説 100V充電器(埼玉)の中古車詳細 | 中古車なら【カーセンサーnet】

And here is 881
ロードスター テスラ ロードスター(大阪)の中古車詳細 | 中古車なら【カーセンサーnet】

And 886
ロードスター ディーラー車　左ハンドル　ガレージ保管 100Vケーブル有(愛知)の中古車詳細 | 中古車なら【カーセンサーnet】

And 806
ロードスター ロードスター　シグネチャースポーツPKG ディーラー車　走行900km　ケーブル有(東京)の中古車詳細 | 中古車なら【カーセンサーnet】

Why are so many from that lot up for sale...? Should that be a concern?

 

[Roadster]

@kokoro, that's one insane trove you've uncovered! The only concern you should have is all of us here in the U.S. buying these cars and returning them home; esp if my currency converter is showing me the correct Yen-to-USD amounts (which it is). These cars are going for $32K - $68K USD and appear to all be in fabulous (visual) shape!

@TEG / @DeedWest - more gems for your respective collections! Apart from the export notes, do either of you have previous info on any of these?

 

[kokoro]

@Roadster - Actually, there are more than that. I only looked for cars on the list posted by TEG. If you want to search for Teslas for sale here in Japan, here's a quick and easy guide:

1. Go to Carsensor.net - At the top right of the screen is a search box that looks like this:

2. Enter the following (copy & paste) in the search box and hit return/enter --->　テスラ

That will return all Teslas for sale in Japan (well at least those that are listed on Carsensor.net). Many cars listed on Carsensor are also listed on GooNetExchange (link provided above by TEG) but not all. This search will return a handful of S models as well.

Note - The prices are in ten thousand units so, for example, 369.9 is 3,699,000 Yen which, at todays exchange rate, is roughly $32,298.

Maybe I should start an export/import service on the side.

 

[Roadster]

@kokoro, LOL, I had *literally* just added those two to the Orphan thread linked to from another site (goo-net-exchange.com) that's in English.

 

[TEG]

@TEG / @DeedWest - more gems for your respective collections! Apart from the export notes, do either of you have previous info on any of these?

I had already seen those listings and had snarfed the pictures of those Roadsters a while back... So no new info for me there.


Maybe it is difficult to get service for those Roadsters in Japan? Maybe it is awkward to be driving a US spec LHD car in RHD Japan?

I think Tesla's "land and expand" plan for Japan Roadster sales never quite worked out.


By the way:
http://archive.vcstar.com/business/...m-port-of-hueneme-ep-369174275-349793771.html

Tesla Shipment Sets Sail From Port Hueneme - socaltech.com

 

[kokoro]

I had already seen those listings and had snarfed the pictures of those Roadsters a while back... So no new info for me there.


Maybe it is difficult to get service for those Roadsters in Japan? Maybe it is awkward to be driving a US spec LHD car in RHD Japan?

I think Tesla's "land and expand" plan for Japan Roadster sales never quite worked out.


By the way:
Tesla roadsters head to Japan from Port of Hueneme

Tesla Shipment Sets Sail From Port Hueneme - socaltech.com

I can't be for sure but that red one in the back left looks like the one I rode in the other day. The article says "a dozen right hand drive Tesla Roadsters" but if the VIN numbers provided the other day are this dozen then "right hand drive" doesn't apply to all of them. Regardless, hopefully that red one will be in my driveway soon if everything pans out. Just installed a second 200 volt line so it can sit next to my wife's Nissan Leaf. The 200 volt line wasn't specifically for it but...why not?