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steveinjapan
25-04-2010, 02:45 PM
Hi everyone.... I am an American civilian living in Okinawa, and I just bought a Beat! I appreciate this forum because Japanese isn't my first language, not even a distant third....

I am an old ragtop guy and have been missing the experience a lot. I still have a nice original '64 Alfa Guilia Spider in my garage in the US, but after 6 years I am resigned to the idea that I am never going to ship it over to Japan. For starters it would become a pile of rust in a matter of months here in warm, moist, oceanic Okinawa. One of my online Alfa friends in Tokyo bought a Beat a few years ago. This chap has run some awesome machines so I trusted his opinion that the Beat was good enough in the fun category. I also own a more normal Kei car, so I am familiar with the plusses and minuses. Then I drove a Beat for about 10 minutes at a dealer's and decided that I needed one badly.

After a bit of searching I found a very clean and low-mileage 1993 Z model for sale last month on the Yahoo.jp parts auction site. I had been warned off the many dealers who sell cars on Yahoo, but this one was a private sale and I got it at a nice price although I had to fork out a bit to ship it from the mainland and re-register it here in Okinawa. I am now waiting for the ECU to be rebuilt and a few other minor repairs to be done while I am recovering from eye surgery, and then I will look forward to a long summer of topless midship amusement!

It's been a long time since I belonged to a UK club - the Matchless Owners Club circa 1966 to be precise. But I do speak your language having resided in London for 2 years.

If I can be of any help with spares, let me know as I am developing contacts locally.

Steve

Guido
25-04-2010, 03:04 PM
Hello Steve, welcome to the U-UKHBC.
It is always good to have users in Japan:)
Guido

old'uns
25-04-2010, 03:13 PM
welcome :)

i can sense the PM's looking for parts starting for you, regular container shipments anyone? :rolleyes:

Mylee
26-04-2010, 11:07 AM
Welcome Steve.

TADO
26-04-2010, 12:26 PM
welcome aboard steve!

Honda UK
26-04-2010, 07:47 PM
What good news to have a English speaker in Japan.
It can only be good for all of us !!
Sounds like you could end up rather busy... Good luck with your beat !!

steveinjapan
27-04-2010, 12:13 AM
..for the warm welcome. I've already learned tonnes from following all the members' links, and I'm happy to help in any way I can. I've had good luck with the Yahoo.jp auctions; sellers are good communicators, (that's where the wife comes in handy), inland shipping is quick but expensive, so it will always be best to get any item sent direct to you if the seller is willing to take the trouble. If there is something you can't possibly live without, give me a shout and I'll try to make it work.

Steve

TADO
27-04-2010, 08:27 AM
i think you could become a very popular member on here steve! :D ;)

steveinjapan
17-05-2010, 03:27 AM
It's rainy season here in Okinawa and even with the soft top up and under a carport, my new baby shipped some water over the last few days of heavy rain and 100% humidity. I went for a drive today and I could barely read the gauges from condensation. I'm sure it will clear up as soon as summer is here, but is this common for Beats, and is there any way to prevent it?

Now I wish I had been more serious about bidding on the original car cover that just sold on Yahoo!

Mylee
17-05-2010, 10:25 AM
Yes fairly common problem. New roof is normally required, but may not be the 100% answer

steveinjapan
18-05-2010, 12:04 AM
Yes fairly common problem. New roof is normally required, but may not be the 100% answer

It IS a new roof!

I think the water was coming at a weird angle, or perhaps the window was not all the way up.