Buying a lowered or modified car from Japan: what to check, and what photos can't tell you

A Japanese car that's been lowered a long way, or braced and welded, can look great in a listing. The photos are usually taken from the side, where the stance looks best. What they don't show is underneath: the parts that take the strain of running low, and the work that's been done to the body. Photos show less than you think, and on a modified car they show even less.

We don't judge whether a modification is good, genuine or legal in your country. What we can do is tell you what to ask about, and what we'd expect to see or not see.

What a very low car may mean underneath

I've been modifying cars since I was 18, and my own cars were modified too. Asked what I'd expect on a car that's been lowered a long way, my answer is short:

• I'd expect the arms and bushes to be worn.
• I'd expect the underside to be scraped.

That's an expectation, not a rule. Some lowered cars have been looked after carefully. But it tells you where to ask for photos first.

The arms (control arms) are the links that hold each wheel in place, and the bushes are the rubber pieces they pivot on. A car that sits very low is also more likely to touch kerbs and speed bumps.

Bracing and welding: better or worse

Bracing and welding are harder. Honestly, I can't tell you whether they're a good or bad sign. They can make a car better, or worse.

Which way it goes depends on the car, what was done and how well, and a photo won't settle it.

What you can do is find out what was done. Ask the seller to list it, and ask who did the work, when, and whether there are receipts or photos taken during the job.

For two models that were often driven hard and modified, see our pages on the Nissan 180SX and the Honda Civic EG6.

What photos can't tell you, and what we can't either

• Most of the underside of a very low car. We don't lift cars. On a car that's been lowered a long way, we may be able to see very little underneath, even crouching with a torch (flashlight). Anything we can't see is marked Not verified in our report.
• How worn the arms and bushes really are. Splits and cracks in rubber can sometimes be seen close up through the wheel arch. Wear that only shows when the car is moving can't be seen standing still, and we don't test drive.
• Whether welding or bracing was done well. We can photograph what's fitted and where, as far as we can see it. We don't judge the quality of the work, whether a part is genuine, or whether the car is legal where you live.
• Whether the car is right for you. A low, stiff car that one buyer loves is one another would never drive. That's your call. We don't tell you whether to buy.

If you're looking at a lowered or modified car at a dealer in or near Aichi, Gifu or Mie, we can make an appointment and photograph the lowest points, the arms and bushes as far as they can be seen, and any bracing or welding we can see, so you know what's there before you decide.

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Before you buy a lowered or modified car

1. Ask for a written list of modifications: suspension, bracing, welding, and anything else, with who did it and when.
2. Ask for photos of the lowest points of the car, the sills (rocker panels) and jacking points, and the front and rear arms and bushes as far as they can be seen through the wheel arches.
3. Ask for close-ups of any bracing or welding, and of the body around it.
4. Ask whether any original parts come with the car, such as the standard suspension.
5. Check your own country's rules on modified cars before you pay. They differ a lot. In Australia, for example, significant modifications can change how an older car is treated; see our guide to importing a car from Japan to Australia.
6. If you expect the arms and bushes to need work, price them before you buy, not after the car arrives.

For the rust side of a car's underside, see rust in the body, and for what listing photos usually leave out on any car, see what dealer photos miss. If the car is listed on an export site, our guides to where you're buying cover what each site checks.

If the car is a long way from us

We mainly cover the Tokai region: Aichi, Gifu and Mie. For a car at a dealer elsewhere in Japan, a Remote Check is a phone call to the dealer in Japanese: your questions, the list of modifications, the extra photos you're missing, and a translation of any paperwork. See how a viewing works for what we look at in person.

Written by Yoshiaki Sagara, a paintless dent repair and detailing technician in Japan. He looks at cars for overseas buyers through Ninja Desk Japan. About us

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