Why should you rustproof your newly imported vehicle

So, you’ve bitten the bullet and spent your money on a fantastic looking car that’s recently been imported from Japan.

You may have owned a Japanese manufactured car before like a Honda, Mitsubishi, Mazda, Toyota, Suzuki, Subaru, Nissan or Lexus but these cars are made for the European market and are classified EDM (European Domestic Market), how do these differ from the same vehicle designated JDM (Japanese Domestic Market)?

Let’s for way of example use a Mazda MX-5 as our car, we have 1 version that is EDM classified and 1 that’s JDM Classified, both cars are Japanese manufacturer made.

Our EDM Mazda is designed to be used in the European market, languages are loaded on to digital media devices, displays, engine size maybe slightly different to the Japanese model, a spare wheel may or may not be added and the vehicle will be rustproofed.

All the above will also apply to our JDM model however it will not be rustproofed! Why?

In Japan the roads are not gritted with salt as snow typically melts in around 10 minutes, in some regions it’s said that the roads and pavements are heated!!

Because JDM cars are designed to stay in Japan manufactures don’t feel the need to apply rustproofing coatings to the underside and cavities. Of course, these cars still rust as only a thin layer of paint is applied but it’s not at an accelerated level due to the fact there is no salt present. Exporters of JDM vehicles are looking for the best available, low mileage, rust free with good paint work models.

All of the newly imported JDM cars seen here at Rustbuster are in stunning condition, so clean you could eat your dinner off the underside!!

This week in the workshop we received in a Nissan Figaro, this JDM car was imported around 12 years ago and was in terrible condition, a number of areas had to be marked for repair and it was a long job scraping, blasting away the rust before applying rust converter. Rustproofing this vehicle is truly closing the barn door after the horse has bolted, rust and rot has set into areas and the only way to 100% remove this is to cut out and build back from a firm edge. No underbody coating/ cavity waxes were applied before export or upon import, the new owner hasn’t rustproofed it and now it’s rusty, very rusty!! Well not now as we’ve done the job, but you get what I mean.

If you import a JDM Japanese car then please get it rustproofed, look for a car undersealing service like Rustbuster’s Hot Fog Services, you may save money importing but there are reasons these vehicles are cheaper, lack of rustproofing applied being 1 of them.