Looking into buy a century from Japan. Have anybody owned one can tell me the repair and parts availability of that vehicle? Also how much it costs to change the air suspension? Highly appreciated for the answers.
Do you actually have chauffeur to drive you around in one? Because if you don’t you’ll regret buying one. Parts availability is non-existent and all has to be imported. Aftermarket parts support is nill, expect around $8000 to replace the air suspension system when it fails on parts alone, there will be no aftermarket option to convert it to standard suspension.
And whatever mechanic works on them better be able to read Japanese, because the repair manual does not come in English (I can’t even access it on TIS, and I am a tech at a Toyota dealer).
Can Toyoda dealers in the US order JDM parts based on the vin number?
The Car Care Nut featured one once. Check out the video below. It’s a beautiful car, but you’re going to have a very, very difficult time maintaining it.
They’re cool cars, but really the super smooth ride legacy of Toyota/Lexus is already copied by the ES, LS. Those are more practical for availability and parts.
I’d get one if I had the money to import parts and used it as a novelty. Otherwise it’s not practical.
I know exactly one person with a ‘78 Century.
But he’s super wealthy, half Japanese - fluent in Japanese - splits his time between Hawaii/Japan/California, and owns a significant collection of kyusha and had loads of contacts in Japan and US for parts for his kyusha.
He gave me a personal intro to the owners of Mooneyes Japan - Crown Customs when I was restoring a very rare ‘72 Owner’s Deluxe kujira Crown.
Short of that kind of connection you will have a lovely decoration that will be a nightmare to work on and get parts for. The air sasu is a massive pain to work on. It’s not the most common car to begin with, so there’s slim pickings for spare parts. You need to be very comfortable working on your own car, including fabrication - because once an engine or the air sasu goes you’ll probably want to swap in a more reliable easy to get engine like a 1UZ and you’ll want to put in modern suspension which will probably require some fabrication to fit in something conventional.
Rare kyusha can be done, but they’re a time sink and money pit that will probably be running well 50% of the time and require patience and nearly all your spare time.
Yeah we’ve got a v12 one. You can buy parts on amayama.com or through Toyota. Its not a big deal like everyone is making out. Only issues have been needing alternator replaced, and an oxy sensor failing. Same things that happen to any other car.