Is Yours An Import

88SJ · Post by **88SJ** » Mon Sep 23, 2013 9:14 am

Saw a couple of posts on Turbo-Tom's thread about whether his SJ was an import - as in during the later 80s you could only buy a 410 rag top in the UK leaving the only way to get the 413 rag top was via personal import. Have a look at your V5 doc. On the front under section 3 'Special Notes' it will state if it was an import. Mine reads
1. WAS REGISTERED / USED OVERSEAS. DECLARED MANUFACTURED 1988

I bought a new 413 in 1987 from Percy Tait, the main dealer in Alcester. It was the same as buying any new car but I had to go to Holland and collect it with a bunch of other people - 22 of us I think. My SJ was registered in Holland and I drove it in convoy from the dealer to the dock (via the Super U for beer...lots of beer - although I had to be careful with those new seats!!) which was far enough to legitimise the 'USED OVERSEAS' bit. When we docked at the UK we had to go through the 'something to declare' lane and then I drove back to Percy Taits who completed checks and registered the Suzuki as a UK car.

There is something about the SJs...I have had quite of few since 1987 and to this day I still have the bug. Love driving my '88....

Sorry about the quality of the snap of my 87 SJ. It is a digital picture taken of a photo printed in the late eighties!!

Anton · Post by **Anton** » Mon Sep 23, 2013 10:43 am

Shiney!

You do wonder what's become of your old cars, don't you?

88SJ · Post by **88SJ** » Mon Sep 23, 2013 1:10 pm

Anton wrote:Shiney!

You do wonder what's become of your old cars, don't you?

I part exchanged my '87 SJ after a year or so for the first Vitara soft-top that Percy Tait supplied!! That was August 1989 I think..?? One of the sales guys had my SJ for a couple of years then I bought it back!! So I had the SJ and wifey had the Vitara. In about '94 the Vitara was stolen and we bought a Vitara LWB - lots more practical but the fun element of little 4x4s was totally lost. Then in '95 I sold the '87 SJ to a mate who ran it for a couple of years....no idea what happened after that. I should have just kept it as I have had a few SJs since and none of them quite the same. I guess that one felt like 'mine' as I had it new

If only we all had lots of space - and money - we could keep more motors....

Tramp · Post by **Tramp** » Mon Sep 23, 2013 7:36 pm

Thanks for doing this thread, it's a thread that has been needed for a while. I think quite a number of 413's were important in the 80's and I'm sure there are quite a few still kicking about, most with owners that are unaware that their trucks were originally meant to start there life in holland.

Rhinoman · Post by **Rhinoman** » Wed Sep 25, 2013 9:22 pm

An import will have a non-UK VIN plate. A UK VIN will have the market code E02, a JDM VIN will be in Japanese. I have a list of Suzuki market codes here:

http://www.rhinopower.org/Tech/ECodes.html

Post by **ScottieJ** » Wed Sep 25, 2013 11:43 pm

None of mine are bit my fathers Maruti gypsy king is an Indian import.

turbo-tom · Post by **turbo-tom** » Sun Oct 20, 2013 12:26 pm

just dug the v5 out and it says 3. WAS REGISTERED/USED OVERSEAS. DECLARED MANUFACTURED 1985

Suzuki Club UK

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