Rust on JDM engine Camshaft?! Was I ripped off?

[WyrTwister]

Originally Posted By: andyd
Isn't the deal with a JDM engine that Japanese tax old cars out of the mkt. Most cars are junked with low miles So there is zero demand for good used parts in Japan. They sound like a good deal to me. You know that the engine ran at one time. With a remanned not so much.


What I have heard is the Japanese pollution laws are so strict , qafter a few years , the car fails and can not be driven until / unless corrected ( I have heard of cars being given to non-Japanese , for that reason , an exception ) . At that point the car essentially becomes worthless . Too expensive to replace the engine .

 

[Silk]

I don't think it's anything to do with the engine. We get them at 7 to 10 years old (late model cars for NZ) At that age for their compliance they need the brake system replaced - the whole thing, master cyl, booster, hoses, pipes etc. And the same thing with the steering and suspension, it all needs to be replaced. It's all about selling new cars - if everyone has a car, you can't sell them a new one...make their old car too expensive to repair and you can sell a new one. We've been taking them off their hands for 30 years, in huge amounts.

I am currently doing a clutch and trans swap on a 2003 Mazda Altenza, imported in 2010...7 years old.