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A dollar buys a lot of Yen these days


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Looks like the Yen is at a low compared to the dollar as of late:

http://www.bloomberg.com/quote/JPYUSD:CUR

 

Makes those http://www.rhdjapan.com/ prices look a little better.  

 

How about a set of Kameari big valves for $400?  Of course you'll need the full set of big valve seats to go with them for $215.  

 

Don't know if it works, but RetailMeNot has a 10% off coupon code for them too.  

 

G

 

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RHD Jp marks up the price but it's better then paying the 150-200% markup that the US distributors put on these parts.

 

I've been taking advantage of the low exchange rates to buy Kameari parts through an acquaintance in Japan like it's going out of style. 

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This is "relative" comparing the late 80's fall from 270 / $1 to the 117 / $1 range now seen.

It's only relatively good compared to the 79 / $1 of two years ago!

 

C'mon 250!!!

 

Well the 115 hit the lowest it has been since October 2007...  Come on Daddy needs some new shiny Kameari parts!

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In the 90s I worked for a computer company and we would connect peoples networks to high speed internet when it was just coming out. I set this one guys network up in his home office and this is all he did all day, traded currency. Some kind of way he changed money online when some currencies were going down and others were going up. It appeared to be pretty lucrative as he had a 2 story house on the water, 2 new benzs sitting out front and a 38' boat docked out back.

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There was a bidding service that would do the YahooJP Auctions Trans Shipping...

I was doing it for guys in Europe with American Muscle Parts...Craigslisters that didn't wasn't to ship to another state, much less out of the country.

 

They just used me as the shipping address, and then I would inspect, repack for economy, and post it along.

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  • 3 months later...

120-122 yen to the dollar was the norm during the '70s and '80s. A good part of the Japanese economic miracle of that period occurred because the Japanese Central Bank manipulated the exchange rate since after WWII. This kept Japanese exports cheaper than their foreign competitors and made imports more expensive. Japanese corporations made above market profits during this period and fostered inefficiencies.

 

Back in the days of the gold standard, when a country prospered, it currency's exchange rate would appreciate making its exports more expensive and imports easier to purchase. When corporate profits grew to a point where there wasn't enough investment opportunities in Japan, they invested in foreign properties. While wages rose and policies like life time employment became common, the Japanese worker did not participate in the prosperity because domestic product prices (with little import competition) rose as fast as wages.

 

Two events lead to Japan Inc's collapse. One was a foreign real estate market collapse, vaporizing much of their accumulated profits. And the advent of computer controlled manufacturing that allowed third world countries (ie Korea) to produce world class goods. Suddenly, the high Japanese wages were not competitive, and the Central Bank could no longer maintain a cheap yen.

 

It has taken almost thirty years for the true value of the Japanese Yen to erode back down to the glory days of 120 Yen to the dollar. Unfortunately, cheap foreign manufacturing provides competition that wasn't there in the '70s.

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120-122 yen to the dollar was the norm during the '70s and '80s. 

 

In 1971 when I was making frequent trips to Japan, the exchange rate was 360 Yen to the dollar.  I could buy a very nice new Seiko chronograph for less than the cost of getting one cleaned by a jeweler in the States.  The dollar went a long way in Japan in those days and I enjoyed a great two week ski vacation on one visit.  Bought my Z when I got home.

Dennis

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Yep, the reason the Japanese Manufacturers moved to USA (aside from getting around that voluntary import cap) was making the cars in America was cheaper.

The median wage for Japanese Auto Line Workers surpassed that of the UAW in 1984.

The Korean Auto Line Workers surpassed that of the UAW a few years back (it was $70,000...)

Japanese Manufacturers moved 'everyday' models into production in the USA to get their bread and butter, and left that import cap only being affected by the Luxury Brands coming in from their highest paid workers.

As I said above, I remember 268. That was what my 100,000 Yen security deposit was bought with...5 years later it was 117 to the dollar, and that 100,000 Yen turned into the paint job that I could NEVER afford on the Z at that point in time! 

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I've also ordered a few times from rhdjapan ...never really had a problem ...they refunded me 160 bucks when I noticed a couple scratches on the back of my seats for wetsand/polishing fees.

 

Sites a bit of a pain on the smart phone but finally found the kameari 138mm rods !

Edited by theatriks
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