Is there such a thing as this???

[SiI40sx]

A registered 180sx ("real") Nissan SHELL (full car, just no engine or tranny) from japan here in the states?? I figured its the same thing as a skyline and it COULD NOT be registered here no matter what due to all the DOT requirments??

This is on autotrader by the way (http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?car_id=201598230&dealer_id=57836171&car_year=1992&search_type=both&make=NISSAN&model=240SX&distance=200&address=91754&advanced=&certified=&max_price=2500&bkms=1147135536276&min_price=1&end_year=1993&start_year=1981&isp=y&lang=en&cardist=110)

if its possible then thats not bad for 2k, I might buy it

[mrmephistopheles]

are you serious?
yeah, people bring in S13 shells all the time. $2k had better get you everything but a motor though.

if it's registered, it's done so illegally.

[SiI40sx]

haha and I was thinking about trading my car for it! Yeah I figured, how do you register a car without a VIN #?? What ID will the dmv use to figure out where that car came from? Thanks for the reassurance Mr.Methamorphisalkjasfunlfk!

[ThatGuy]

They will assign it a VIN if it is legal. Like Meph said if it is "registered" it is done as a track vehicle only, or illegally.

[SiI40sx]

so I guess thats what "I got my ways" reply ment when I asked how did you register the car??

[Ghettokracker71]

haha "I got my ways" to me would mean "no fucking way I'm buying this shit" haha

[ms!3]

if its a real 180sx why did the guy label it as a 240sx? anyways i think 2k for just the shell is overpriced. ive seen 240 shells that are only like $800 and are still in good shape.

[Pank]

why exactly would you want a 180sx shell over a local 240sx shell? RHD firewall? whats the advantage exactlY?

[DRIFTER-M]

RHD firewall?
He probabaly just wants it because its a true JDM car and looks sweet, like most people that import cars. Most do it mainly for looks, and to brag about it. No flame intended to siI40sx, as I don't know his intentions so I can't say its for this reason, I am just stating what I think most people do it for.
But there are several technical advantages to it, including having the RHD firewall, so its not a pain to install actual jdm motors.

[Ghost Dancer]

haha and I was thinking about trading my car for it! Yeah I figured, how do you register a car without a VIN #?? What ID will the dmv use to figure out where that car came from? Thanks for the reassurance Mr.Methamorphisalkjasfunlfk!

Here's the deal. I'm sure most of the people on here know this but I'll reitterate just in case and if any of my information is wrong please let me know.

The car you are looking at was probably brought in as parts and if it is registered (which I doubt) its on a state level as a "kit car" or "assembled from parts". Its a grey market car.

Say you imported an S13 Silvia from Japan complete (motor/trans still installed). When the car comes it's going to have to have Customs Form HS-7 filed on it's behalf which states that the car is either 25 years or older and is exempt from Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards or MEETS Federal Motor Vehicles Safety standards which our Silvia DOES NOT.

To get around this "problem" you can have the motor/trans and miscellaneous panels removed from the vehicle and everything comes in as "automotive parts" which means there is no HS-7 attached to the car. The motor will have to have EPA Form 3520 that's it. Everything gets through Customs with few issues.

After you have the car you simply put it back together and register it as a kit car on your state level. This in not "Federalized" and ambiguous at best. There is the possibility of running into issues but I've known plenty of people who have done this (most of them in Florida) and have been happily driving their JDM cars for years. But these aren't truely legal cars in my mind. But it works.

The problems arise when it comes to insurance. It's easy to insure. In fact a friend of mine went to his agency and told them the truth about "sneaking" the car in as parts and wanting to register it as a kit car. The insurance company had no problem insuring him.

But if the day comes that you get into an accident that same company may not back you up and you could end up in a situation where you have a totalled car that you get not pay out on OR even worse you cause an accident and your insurance company refuses to pay for the vicitims damage and injuries... i.e. you're screwed.

This shell your interested was brought in as parts and I would have major doubts that it is even registered as a kit car. From what I understand you have to have the vehicle inspected by a Police Officer and if it doesn't even have a motor and trans in it he isn't going to pass it. Of course it could have also been registered with a motor/trans in and it was pulled out later.

[finesses240]

Ha, pretty sure I have seen this car before. I was at quallcomm stadium at a event and he drove it in running and everything. This was probably in august or september. The car to the best of knowledge has been through a couple of owners in San Diego and at the time was not registered. And it was pretty beat interior and exterior wise.