Japanese secondhand auto parts store Up Garage is now active in SoCal, but JDM enthusiasts are up in arms about the prices.
If you’re not familiar with Up Garage, your level of obsession with Japanese car culture is probably what normal folks might call “healthy.” For those on the other side of the fence, though, Up Garage is a staple of JDM radness. It’s a chain of shops in Japan that sells secondhand performance and OEM car parts, primarily catering to Japanese car brands. Better still, they buy used parts, offering customers a pawn-shop-like ability to rid themselves of old parts and swap them out for new ones.
Naturally, the world of drifting and Japanese car enthusiasts lit up when Up Garage announced it was opening shop in the U.S. Currently, there are two U.S. locations—one in Garden Grove, CA, and one in Ontario, CA. Upon visiting, though, many car enthusiasts were not thrilled by the price tags. Some even go so far as to say Up Garage is price-gouging U.S. customers because, frankly, folks here will pay the massive markups. Is that really true, though?
Are Up Garage USA Prices Too High?
First and foremost, it’s important to understand a few things. Namely, Japanese car parts for sale in Japan are exactly that: in Japan. Bringing parts to the U.S. requires a costly freight and import process that involves global shipping, commercial importation fees, taxes, and tariffs. Furthermore, if you’re not familiar with Southern California, the real estate is quite pricey out here. These shops undoubtedly have some substantial operational overhead, too. So, ultimately, the prices have to be higher here in the States to make Up Garage operable, let alone profitable.
Now, does that mean there aren’t instances of the company taking advantage of JDM fanboyism here in the US? Hell no. Find any set of VS-KFs, BBS RS IIs, or a host of other rare and desirable wheels, OEM parts, tuner parts like HKS, Tomei, etc., and you’ll start to see some big price tags. That said, Up Garage up-pricing those items is a creature of the culture we helped create. Outside of commercial situations, these items are selling for unfathomable numbers in the first place. So, when a business has a profitable opportunity and a high-ticket item, capitalism is going to run free through that deal. That’s just how it is.
There Are Still Deals at Up Garage USA
All of that aside, you can still find some solid prices throughout Up Garage here in SoCal. Personally, I scored a set of Rays Gram Lights 57C in near-identical-to-stock spec for my EP3 Honda Civic Si. They had some light curb rash that I’m going to be repairing, and the stickers are wearing off a bit, but they are free of bends and cracks. I scored them for $650. Could I have gotten them cheaper on Marketplace? Probably, but there weren’t any on marketplace, and I didn’t have to go to a sketchy ass trailer park with a pocket full of $100 bills to get them.
Other decent deals I saw included a set of R33 GT-R coilovers for $150, a very nice set of DC5 RSX coilovers for $350, a Subaru WRX STi Type RA rear trunk and carbon wing combo marked down to $1,500, and TONS of wheel sets with some imperfections or goofy specs for pretty dang reasonable prices.
Overall, I think the Up Garage USA prices aren’t terrible. I think, instead, everyone’s cherry-blossom-tree-colored glasses painted this romantic picture of Up Garage and the prices they saw in Adam LZ videos back in 2017.
No, Up Garage USA Isn’t THAT Bad
Oh, and a friendly bit of advice. If you find an eBay listing from the user upgarageusa, search for that same item on the Up Garage USA websites. Ebay fees are nasty, and they raise the price accordingly. Also, if you find something on their Japanese website you like and you’re local to the USA stores, they’ll hook you up with a shipping discount. You can also test-fit wheels on your car for free. It’s sick.
For more Up Garage USA stuff, check out my video tour and the photo gallery below!
Photos: Braden Carlson