I Imported My Dream Car And It Was A Total Pile Of Trash, Here’s How To Avoid The Same Huge Mistake

Back in 2021, I bought a car I had been dreaming about ever since I first learned it existed: the Honda Beat. The tiny Kei roadster is one of the best cars in Honda’s history, and after spending a total of $4,700 to buy and import a 1991 Beat, the object of my long-held desire was finally home. At first, I had a smile as wide as the Grand Canyon; then, after the novelty wore off, I realized I had made a huge mistake. It’s taken over four years for me to admit that I screwed up, and now it’s time to fix my error and move on.

The Honda Beat remains one of the most favored cars among fans of affordable Japanese domestic market imports. The Beat is famous for its zebra-patterned seats, mid-rear engine layout, surprisingly good handling, and cute-as-a-button looks. And they’re cheap – you can get a decent Beat for under $10,000. Honestly, if you’ve been thinking about dipping your toes into buying a true JDM car, a Beat would be a great way to start.

That’s exactly what I did in 2021. I had spent years reading stories about the Honda Beat, watching videos from my favorite creators, and absorbing all I could about all things Beat. When I discovered a Honda Beat could be had for well under a year’s worth of my salary, I taught myself how to get access to the Japanese auction systems, and the hunt was on. I soon bought a Beat, drove more than 2,000 miles to Washington state to pick it up, loaded it onto a trailer, made a U-turn, and completed the 2,000 mile trip back home.

“This Old Honda Beat Is The Best Car I’ve Ever Owned.” That’s the headline I wrote on May 27, 2021, in a post for Jalopnik. At the time, I really meant it. But now, I think I made a huge mistake.

The Beat Remains A Legend

According to Octane Magazine, the Honda Beat was developed by Honda engineers who wanted to build a new car that recaptured the spirit of what made Honda’s old Kei sports cars so engaging and fun.

Honda’s history is chock-full of tiny sports cars that are low on power, but light in weight and big on fun. Historically, buying a kei-jidōsha – Japan’s smallest class of road-legal car –meant getting tax benefits and an overall cheaper way of getting around. However, the Kei class highly limits vehicle size and engine parameters in exchange for those benefits. Japanese automakers have long realized that being limited to tiny cars with minuscule engines doesn’t mean that those cars have to be boring. So, there’s an entire category of adorable Kei car hot hatches and Kei car sports cars.

The Honda Beat feels like a fun-size Honda NSX. I’ve now owned a Beat and have driven an original NSX, and it’s both shocking and wonderful how similar the two feel.

What makes the Beat so great is that it’s not just a scaled-down sports car. Honda put a ton of effort into making a car whose entire purpose seems to be making people smile. That cute body? It was designed by Pininfarina. Allegedly, the Beat was also the last car to get the Soichiro Honda stamp of approval. That’s cool enough, but then you check out the interior and see zebra-patterned seats with matching floormats. The driver gets to shift with one of Honda’s legendary clicky manual transmissions, and critical information is transmitted to the driver’s eyeballs through an instrument cluster that looks like it could have been pulled from a motorcycle.

The specs initially don’t seem that impressive. There’s a 660cc triple behind the seats, and it’s making all of 64 HP. The car’s top speed is also electronically limited to 84 mph.

But then, you dig deeper and find out that this engine has what Honda calls MTREC, which stands for Multi Throttle Responsive Engine Control. The engine has individual throttle bodies for each cylinder, and the tachometer doesn’t even turn red until you hit 9,000 RPM.

Driving the Beat is a total riot. The engine runs up relatively quickly and makes quite a nice growl as you race up to 9,000 RPM. There’s a surprising amount of drama going on between the engine note, the tachometer going sky-high, and you banging off gears. You might feel like a racing driver giving it your all. Yet, you look down and realize that you haven’t even broken the speed limit in doing so. The speedometer may read in kilometers, but to you, it’ll feel like it’s reading in miles.

The Beat even swallows some big folks. In 2021, I weighed about 50 pounds more than I do now. I already have a wide frame, and I wasn’t doing myself any favors. But my Beat didn’t care, and swallowed my American body up in relative comfort. The only dimension that wasn’t the best was legroom, as I often found myself putting my left foot behind the clutch pedal for comfort rather than using the dead pedal.

This is all to say that the Beat remains a dream car for me. So, you might be wondering why it all fell apart. Why did I just sell the car I just spent hundreds of words gushing about?

My First Import

This Honda Beat was my first-ever import. I hired the awesome Dylan Cain of the Import Guys to help me get a Honda Beat. He also taught me a thing or two about how the car importation process worked. But there was also a lot that I needed to learn on my own.

The Japanese auction system is an incredible playground where you will see all kinds of cars going in and out every day. You can find cars from every major brand and across decades of time. In a single session within the system, you might check out a Toyota Coaster bus on one page, look at a Subaru Vivio T-Top on another, then pore over a custom Corvette on the next. Want to put a bid on any of these cars? Just tell your auction agent or importer. Honestly, buying your dream car could be only a few clicks away.

In theory, buying a car from the Japanese auction system should be safe. Most cars that go through the system are inspected and are given detailed condition sheets featuring overall grade scores. The inspectors will note everything from minor scratches and paint fade to underbody corrosion and obvious engine issues. On the surface, these inspections seem outrageously thorough. Japan also has the Shaken motor vehicle inspection program, and it’s incredibly thorough compared to almost any inspection the average American car will ever see.

Many exporter websites will even try to teach you how to translate these auction sheets by yourself. Here’s an example from Elite Auto Export Japan:

S – The car is less than 12 months old from the first registration date and under 10,000km. As good as new. The exterior and interior are in immaculate condition.

6 – The car is less than 36 months old from the first registration date and under 30,000km. Basically a very late model and new car.

5 – The car is under 50,000km. The exterior may have some very minor scratches/scrapes and dents. A very difficult grade to obtain, the unit will be in near perfect condition with very minor imperfections.

4.5 – The car is under 100,000km. Again, a very high grade that you can be confident in. The car may have some very slight imperfections in the body work, but will not need major repair. Grade 6,5 and 4.5 are the top grades you could expect for a used car, and as such attract the top prices in the top 10%.

4– The car is under 150,000km. The exterior may have some scratches/scrapes and dents. The car is in above average condition. No Crash history. The interior may have some tears, cigarette burn marks, and/or stains. They will require some minor repair. The auction sheet will tell us in more detail.

Generally a 4 grade car is a good target and the most popular for export. Price range will be in the top 30%.

3.5 – The exterior has some noticeable large scratches/scrapes and/or large dents. They may require some minor panel beating work and/or painting.

The interior may have many tears, cigarette burn marks, and/or stains. They will require repairs. Auction sheet will explain in more detail. The car is in average condition taking in to consideration the year and ks on the car.

3 – The exterior has many noticeable large scratches/scrapes, paint blemishes, and/or large dents. They will require major panel beating work and/or painting.

The interior has many tears, cigarette burn marks, and/or stains. They will require many repairs and/or interior parts will need to be replaced.

2 – The car is in very poor condition and often denotes the presence of corrosion holes – PASS!

1 – The car which has one or more of the following:

1. An aftermarket turbo
2. An automatic transmission converted to manual transmission
3. Flood damage
4. Fire extinguisher damage

RA – The car which has had accident damage which can be ranked MINOR, and has been repaired.

R – The car has had accident damage and has been repaired. The auction definition “A car which has had accident damage” is a car that has accident damage to the following area(s) which parts were repaired or replaced : 1. Lower Tie Bar or Frame 2. Windshield Pillar (A Pillar) 3. Center Pillar (B Pillar) 4. Rear Pillar (C Pillar) 5. Strut Housing 6. Roof Panel 7. Trunk flooring Panel 8. Floor Pan. These cars can be good buying, and the repair work can be of top standard. Thorough inspection at auction and the car can be purchased if the repair is good. Repair may be invisible…or could be bad!

Alright, so say you were just like me in 2021. You’ve learned how to read auction condition sheets, you’ve got paid access to the Japanese auction system, and you’re like a kid in a candy store with money to spend. Any one of these cars could be yours with a few clicks and an email.

There’s also some anxiety, fear, and a dose of impatience. Working with a budget puts you in a weird place. The best cars will be out of your budget, so sometimes, working in the auction system means balancing both your expectations and your budget. Your money might not get you that glistening car with a 4.5 grade, but it might afford you a 3 or a 3.5. There are also some R-grade cars out there that are in way better shape than their grades would suggest.

On the other hand, you’ll find a lot of cars assessed with 3 grades or R grades that are actually total piles. Countless vintage cars coming through the Japanese auction system fit the latter category. They’re held together with Bondo, have questionable modifications, are worn out, or have just a catastrophic amount of rust.

Because of this, cars that fit your budget and are also in decent shape might be rare for you to find in the auction system. You could actually wait for months between finding just one car that might fit the bill. If you’re impatient, like I was, you might feel inclined to make some compromises to get your car sooner. Or, maybe you’ll find a car with one feature that you like, and then you compromise on everything else.

In my case, I saw a beautiful little car show up in the Hero auction. That 1991 Honda Beat’s bright yellow paint immediately drew me in. Then, I saw that it still had its factory steering wheel, and it had somewhat uncommon options like an upgraded factory stereo system and fog lights. So many Honda Beats have custom steering wheels, and, admittedly, the steering wheel does get in the way of entry and egress. So, a lot of Beat owners just install a custom, removable wheel to give themselves more space to get in and out. I often saw Beats that were otherwise entirely stock except for the steering wheel.

But I like my dream cars as close to factory condition as possible, so the stock steering wheel was a huge plus. The car also didn’t have any goofy modifications, and its interior was mostly intact. I became sure that this car was the one, then I read the condition sheet.

The inspector noted that the car had a bad front right wheel bearing, a loose interior panel, aftermarket seats, a tear in the driver seat, a stereo that would not power on, and a convertible top window that was on its final legs. The inspection also noted one big rust spot, but an otherwise clean body. Good news came from the confirmed operation of the engine and transmission.

A lot of these were gigantic red flags to me. I didn’t want to deal with rust. I didn’t want to have to repair a Japanese stereo, and I absolutely didn’t want to deal with having the wrong seats. I also noticed that the car had the wrong wheels. The auction grade of RA and the 171,000 kilometers on its odometer (about 106,254 miles) also weren’t particularly inspiring.

But at the same time, the Beat was the correct color, and it had options that I didn’t see on other cars. I began worrying about how long it would be before I found the right Beat. If I missed out on this one, was it going to take months? What if the market for Beats changed, and I got priced out?

I began convincing myself that I could easily just buy the correct wheels and seats later on, and that the rust probably wasn’t that bad. Dylan offered to have the car inspected independently, but I figured the auction sheet was more than good enough. So, I told Dylan to put in a bid, and $1,910 later, the car was mine. My total cost after getting the vehicle shipped to America, cleared through Customs, and given a valid title was just $4,700, which included the fee to use the services of the Import Guys.

To be clear here, Dylan and the Import Guys did nothing wrong. He even tried to steer me toward not buying this car, but I ignored his wise advice. I highly recommend the company if you want to import a sweet car!

Was It My Dream Car?

In some ways, my car was in better shape than the inspector suggested. The inspector said that the core support was bent, but it was really just a tiny dent to the vehicle’s front tow hook, which is welded to the bottom of the core support. The inspector also said that the paint was dull, and though it was indeed faded and damaged in many areas, a good cleaning brought out a little shine.

The rest of the car, however, was worse than expected. The rust spot was huge and had spread deeply into the metal. The aftermarket wheels were hammered and bent so badly that they leaked air. The engine sat on mounts well past their expiration date, allowing it to vibrate like a paint mixer. The instrument cluster was cloudy and scuffed, and the horn button, loosened by all the vibration, rattled annoyingly in the steering wheel hub.

Worst was the convertible top. I knew about the bad window and planned on replacing it, but the entire top was actually garbage. The material had clearly shrunk over time, to the point where the top could no longer reach behind the doors, and thus was no longer capable of completely sealing the car. The previous owners clearly tried to fix it, but as the roof continued to shrink after the repairs, their efforts failed.

Then there was just a bunch of little stuff; rusty windshield wipers, trim paint peeling off the windshield, a leaking brake master cylinder …

I told myself I could fix all of it. I would have the front right wheel bearing replaced. I would import the correct wheels and seats. Maybe I’d have a local boat shop fix the convertible top, and my rust repair guy could tackle the forboding metal rot.

Things began falling apart almost immediately. I learned pretty quickly that importing large and heavy parts like four wheels could cost me $1,500, and seats were looking especially pricey – $900 per seat to import and ship. The guy my family had used for affordable rust repair closed up shop. The other shops I called gave me quotes higher than what I’d spent on the whole car.

I began to realize that this would not be my dream Beat. The cost to fix everything wrong with it would be better spent on a Beat in nicer condition. In a way, I was also a bit embarrassed by my screw up. You’ll notice that I didn’t actually show the rust spot in the images I’ve published to Jalopnik or The Autopian. Well, my friends, take a long look:

I then just sort of decided to live with it. I drove the car as it was and had lots of fun with it. But I just couldn’t escape the feeling that I had made a huge mistake and bought what I felt was one of the worst versions of a car I loved so dearly.

I didn’t really know what to do about the Beat, so I stuffed the car into my mini warehouse. I eventually stopped driving it just sort of ignored its existence. A part of me kept thinking, “one day.” Maybe one day I’d buy the right seats, or maybe, one day I’ll find a parts car with the right parts.

As time went on, I was slightly correct. Parts Beats did show up for sale, but their sellers wanted $3,000 for them, and I’d have to drive across the country to pick them up. Then, I’d have to deal with the carcass of another Honda Beat after I stole the good parts from it. I live in an apartment, so having a parts car sitting around isn’t exactly feasible.

So, my Beat continued to sit as I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t want to give up my dream car, but I also couldn’t escape the regret of buying the wrong one in the first place.

Turning The Corner

That was until this year. On June 10, I bought another dream car, a 1998 MGF, entirely on impulse. After I transferred the money to JDM car marketplace Be Forward, I decided to make a plan for the Beat. It’s been a little over four years, and aside from fixing little odds and ends, my Beat was still the same pile it was when I bought it in 2021.

So, I decided to sell it. In the short term, I figured I’d make my money back from buying the MGF. In the long term, I figure I will just buy another Honda Beat. Prices for Honda Beats have remained pretty flat for the past few years, so I should be able to get a nice one with the correct parts without spending too much dough.

I listed the Beat for $5,000, but really wanted about $4,500. I’m not in this car enthusiasm game to make a big buck. So, I figured if I made back about what I spent on importing the car, I’d be satisfied. My phone blew up with all kinds of messages. Most people offered $2,000 or $3,000. I told them pretty bluntly that $3,000 gets them a non-running parts Beat, so I won’t even entertain their offers.

One guy drove in from near Central Illinois to look at it, and he fell in love. He knew what he was getting into because he already owned JDM cars and knew that my Beat was the cheapest running and driving example in America.

Unfortunately, the guy discovered some bad news during his inspection. As it turns out, the rockers were largely made out of Bondo. I didn’t notice this before, and neither did the Japanese auction inspector. But sure enough, when he started knocking on the rockers, they began to crumble. We peeled back the paint next to the visible rust spot, and crap, there was Bondo there, too. How much of the Beat was Bondo? We stopped knocking after a while, because the answer was clearly too much.

At some point during the inspection, I noted the car had what appeared to be custom stereo wiring behind the passenger seat. Truth be told, I never really investigated the wiring all that much, since the car currently had a factory stereo installed and the vehicle functioned fine.

Well, the prospective buyer did check out the wiring, and I’ll be dipped, it wasn’t stereo wiring at all. Instead, it was an aftermarket ECU. We discovered what likely happened was heat in the engine bay killed the original ECU. Some Japanese Beat enthusiasts buy aftermarket ECUs and relocate them to their Beat’s cabins, safe from getting cooked by the engine. Unfortunately, the wiring job for this custom ECU wasn’t the best. But the car worked fine, so it was okay enough for the buyer.

I accepted $4,000 and my Beat rolled away to its new home. Admittedly, that was less than I wanted to sell the Beat for. Perhaps I could have sent that guy away and sold the car to one of the other 100 or so people blowing up my phone, but then I’d have to explain the car was frosted with Bondo and had an aftermarket ECU wired like an amateur lamp repair. So, it was take $4,000 now, or deal with the unwashed masses. I took the money. Besides, losing only $700 over the course of four years isn’t that bad.

A part of me regrets selling the Beat, even though I regretted buying it in the first place. I keep thinking, what if I found those parts? What if I convinced someone to fix the rust? The car was mechanically great, it was just everything else that sucked. But deep down, I know that I made the right choice. If I didn’t spend $2,000 on a pair of good seats in 2021, it was unlikely I was going to do it in 2025.

In fairness to myself, my Honda Beat was my first-ever import, and I had no idea what I was doing. I basically just saw the shiny thing and bought it.

How To Avoid Screwing Up

Now, I know how to avoid making the same mistake again. Here’s how you can avoid this mistake, too. First, just be prepared with the knowledge that buying your dream JDM car might not be something that happens quickly. It may take several months or even over a year to find the right one. That’s okay!

Now I also know that while Japan’s auction inspectors are generally good enough, they will miss major problems and will sometimes exaggerate other problems. Sometimes, a car gets a rating that’s too high or a rating that’s too low. In other words, you should not trust the auction sheet alone. Yes, it’ll cost you money, but it is always worth paying for a second, independent inspection, which importers, auction agents, and exporters do offer. Even better would be flying out to the country yourself and getting your own eyes on it, but I do understand that may not be feasible for everyone.

Likewise, it’s okay to compromise on some minor details, like fog lights or other small features. But if the car you’re looking at doesn’t have a part that you feel is non-negotiable, it’ll probably just be better to wait until you find another example that actually has what you’re looking for. Importing these parts later on might be surprisingly expensive, so keep that in mind.

Finally, try to have enough cushion in your budget so that you can spend maybe a little more on a better car. Or, at the very least, don’t force yourself into a bad car just because you’re ballin’ on a budget.

I think my biggest nugget of advice here is to stay calm, take your time, and try to get what you actually want. It’s easy to get excited and all worked up, but then you might end up making a mistake.

My importing days are only just beginning. In addition to buying a better Honda Beat, I still want an Audi A2, a Smart Roadster, a Smart Forfour, a Smart Crossblade, a Royal Enfield Diesel, and a Honda CBR250RR MC22, so my bank account is not done being tortured just yet. Knowing me, I probably won’t even make it out of 2025 before importing yet another car.