Don't reply if you intend to bash.

[M_Bowers]

I've been reading threads in the searches, I've been seeing a lot of bashing going on when it comes to a few threads. Mostly when it comes to importing cars. Most people just link to the www.nhtsa.dot.gov/ (http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/) site and things of that nature when it really doesn't 'help' per se.

If people have imported cars to the states from Japan, or can help me further understand the importing process it'd be greatly appreciated. I've got the money to do it, I will do the research. It'd just be a lot easier if I was pointed to the right direction of the 'research' material. I understand that if a car resembles a similar model in the states that it is more easily imported.

I've read threads where people have title washed, where people have exported parts and then the body. I've read threads where people have insured by using the bill of sale to get a quote. There's nothing distinct, nothing really in stone. Nothing really 'legal' sounding. If anyone can show me how to broaden my horizons on a topic such as this and bring some 'realism' to it so it's less of a pipe dream I'd appreciate it.

If anyone can help me pm me on the topic please, thanks in advance.

-M_Bowers

[Helghast]

Read up on it here. (http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/)

[cdlong]

did you have a car in mind? you're right about it being easier if it's similar to a US model, but that just eliminates the crash tests. i don't know how close they have to be though, RHD/LHD is probably ok, but i doubt much more. different body styles probably not.

there's a lot of stuff you have to switch to do it legally, like mirrors, lights, sometimes bumpers, plenty more.

[drift freaq]

did you have a car in mind? you're right about it being easier if it's similar to a US model, but that just eliminates the crash tests. i don't know how close they have to be though, RHD/LHD is probably ok, but i doubt much more. different body styles probably not.

there's a lot of stuff you have to switch to do it legally, like mirrors, lights, sometimes bumpers, plenty more.

Actually if you went by what your saying then a 180sx would be importable. Its not. Nothing eliminates DOT crash safety testing.
Nothing replaces a non 17 number vin except a Goverment or state certification. Nothing replaces EPA or CARB testing.
While RHD is technically not illegal it does raise eyebrows.

It used to be a lot easier to bring in Grey Market cars. Then the Auto manufacturers complained because the Grey Market models were competing with the USDM counter part.

If you want to go through that stuff to make it legal you can. There are CARB cert labs here in California, in fact one of the forum members works for one.
Fact is if your going to do it legal your going to pay big money for the crash testing and for CARB/EPA certification. In the end it may not be worth going there. All other ways are technically not legal. Those are the facts in a nutshell.

By the way to the OP who started this thread this is not bashing its stating facts. Oh and be warned your attitude in your post may cause some people to flame you.

[M_Bowers]

So basically it'd be way less of a hassle and a lot less cheaper to do an S15 front end conversion on a us S14? Also, what I meant by bashing, I might've misworded was to flame. I'll take constructive criticism, if people have good info, stuff that's going to put me in the right direction then I'm fine. Any facts I get are more than appreciated. I wasn't trying to have an attitude either, I've just seen a ton of threads where people were like, 'Go to search, go to site.' I was just trying to state that I've done some of those methods already and I've not necessarily found what I wanted. Although, maybe by what I want is just what I want to hear. And what I want to hear is not going to happen so the only thing possible really is to do a conversion, am I right? I mean theoretically I could get an S15 to the states, but economically it might not be worth it in the long run.

-M_Bowers

[drift freaq]

So basically it'd be way less of a hassle and a lot less cheaper to do an S15 front end conversion on a us S14?

Less of a hassle and cheaper to do the S15 front on the S14. You will never get a S15 in the U.S. totally legal. Sorry but its true.

[cgtdream]

Following the link on the NHSTA site myself, in regards to trying to import a car MYSELF i came to these conclusions....doing it legally, as of 2004-2005, while trying to import a nissan silvia from japan, would require...

A. the method of going through a legal importer and paying who knows how much to import your sole car.... This option is also without a letter from the manufacturer, and would require extensive testing to be done on several cars of the same make, model, and origin (basically instead of 1 nissan silvia think of buying 5-10 that will be destroyed just for you ^_^)to determine certain ratings and such...basically trying to figure what needs to be done to make it legal. prices are EXPENSIVE, and depends on how much work is done to legalize your car, and to purchase addtional cars for testing, and the testing itself, and licesing etc...only good thing is if you get it done, you have just made it easier for ANYONE to import cars, as long as they pay for shipping and other fees.......

B. going through a legal importer with a letter from the manufacturer stating that the vehicle is in such and such condition during manufacturing, and the legal importer goes from there legalizing your sole car to american standards. Maybe less expensive, but still around 10-30k...mostly for vehicles that are in the states that share the same engine, body, but just right hand drive....

C. Joining the military....kinda lost on this one myself, but for some reason it is easier to import cars from europe to america without question, than it is from any other country/continent......still, this was info from 2004-2005..err what i meant to say, was that the military will ship POV's from one country to the next....and its easier to ship them from europe...and i will not go into this, since a whole set of other rules appy that i just dont know...also, your selling your life away lol, jk but can still be expensive..atleast 10k

D. This will be two in one....basically, a car meant to be raced only..meaning it cannot be driven on the streets, and another, i believe for collectors purposes....once again cannot be driven on the streets legally, but you can get it into the country...still, not as expensive, but carries too many limitations, including time the car will be in country

E. Do it yourself...i have seen this done before, and it works...anywho, speaking for the nissan 240/silvia, since many models look the same, and are pretty much the same in design( aka 95 silvia/95 240sx), take the car apart in japan...meaning, take out the engine, the tranny, the transaxels, the wheels, the hubs, basically everything that makes a car a car....also, up to you, but do the right-to-left hand drive conversion...once you get your car into a pile of parts, ship them, via container, to the states.....once in america, pay your fees, and take the individual parts back to your home and reassemble...simple as that.....although....honestly this is legal in terms of GETTING IT INTO THE COUNTRY, but putting it back together, and driving it, makes it completely "illegal" cost are low, and actually this is the cheapest and most likely to work under 10k as you can get...

Now for the "ILLEGAL WAY" which i do not endorse or condone, and if you do it, i amnot responsible in any way for what happens..etc...

A. Importing to canada and driving it over....i have only heard of this being done, but i beilive that the rules in canada for importing cars are alot more lax than here in the states....and with border security, you can always import it to canada, register it there, or not, and drive it over...downside to this, is to register it you have to be a canadian citiezen i believe, and also, if you dont, driving it over is completly illegal, and if you get caught, bad thinigs will happen :ugh:

B. More on the shipping idea...this is really up too imagintion on your part, but there are also alot of other tricks..such as, when you get yoru car over here, register it as a nissan 240sx, and do a vin swap, or if you happen to have a 95 240sx, along with your completly illegal 95 silvia, pass one car off as the other...simple......

Anywho, i wont go into anymore detail on this stuff, as first off it could possibly be all wrong info,( remember im going off of 2004-2005 info and i could just be plain stupid about it all), either way, importing a car for the common man or woman, really isnt worth it, considering the cost versus the means thing ( commom who would import a siliva no matter what year or engine, when you could just buy a 240, do the left-right ahnd conversion, swap in an engine and still come out better than just importing)

Anywho, its up to you bro, and im not trying to stop just telling you the conclusions i came up with, while trying to import a car......anywho GL, and byesss

[cdlong]

Actually if you went by what your saying then a 180sx would be importable. Its not. Nothing eliminates DOT crash safety testing.
Nothing replaces a non 17 number vin except a Goverment or state certification. Nothing replaces EPA or CARB testing.
While RHD is technically not illegal it does raise eyebrows.


all i was saying is that the chassis/body certification would be easier. the engine is obviously a different story. i did similar research a few years ago and it's legit. i don't know to what extent "similar" is stretched. they may be smart enough to know that a RHD mirror image version of a USDM chassis would perform the same in crash tests. a sedan and hatchback version, probably not.

You will never get a S15 in the U.S. totally legal. Sorry but its true.

why not, R33 GTRs are legal. it may be expensive and not worth it at all, but it can be done.

C. Joining the military....kinda lost on this one myself, but for some reason it is easier to import cars from europe to america without question, than it is from any other country/continent......still, this was info from 2004-2005..err what i meant to say, was that the military will ship POV's from one country to the next....and its easier to ship them from europe...and i will not go into this, since a whole set of other rules appy that i just dont know...also, your selling your life away lol, jk but can still be expensive..atleast 10k

the military will SHIP cars for you. that is all. that doesn't mean you can register it in the states. SOFAs allow us to register USDM cars in other countries but not the other way around. i don't think you can ship them from japan and england. thanks for mocking my choice of career.

[M_Bowers]

I'm currently in the military as well, cdlong. This is all good info ... basically I'm not going to be able to get an S15 for anything less than 20-30k. I've got that, but it's not real cost effective. I've been pondering on what car to get for a while now. I can get a lot of cars I can do a lot of conversions, but I don't know which. Basically I don't want to settle on a car. I want to get the car that I want. Though that is pretty much impossible with the means I have right now.

The thing with parting an S15 and shipping it, it wouldn't allow me to register it even then. 'Testing' cars would cost a shitload and the only way that would be beneficial to myself is if it eventually became possible to import them. That being said, what would I be then the Silvia philanthropist? If I couldn't make money off of the cars after the testing then it'd basically do nothing for me but set me in the hole a LOT of cash.

Anyway, with that being said, it looks as if I won't be getting a true Japanese car. Sad.

[Anto]

You're probably right.

The money spent could go toward a number of things-

1. Built s14
or
2. Lambo

Chassis on a "true" Japanese car is mostly the same as a USDM one (if they import it).
Motor, RHD and some minor interior goodies are the only thing you're missing.

My advice? If you're set on the Silvia/240 legacy, build a nice s14. There are ALOT of things you can do with 20-30k.

[idriveattz32]

Your best bet is to go to your local DMV and try to make an appointment with someone in charge of vehilce titles and registration. The should be able to tell you what is involved in your state for titling a grey market vehicle...the thing is that most states still have independant title regulations of other states and the federal government. You may be able to get your car state legal but getting it federally legal may be problematic.

I dont know how, but someone here where I live in MD just got a RHD S15 state legal.

[fliprayzin240sx]

You really want an S15? Theres a guy here in Okinawa who would import any car, register it in FL for $10k. You basically fly to FL to pick it up with plate and all the paperwork. The only thing I cant remember is how he does it, I think he registers it in FL as a kit car.

PS: The other thing that I know of that worked (but still not completely legit) is what my coworker has done on 3 cars he has. 2 Evo 1s and a Pulsar GTI-R, he shipped the car as parts cars in containers (he had to take the wheels off, put it on jacks, and took body panels off it). Put it back together and he went from county to county (basically looked till he found a county willing to register it) in FL and registered it using the JDM vin number.

[ROIDMONKEY]

I think he registers it in FL as a kit car.

show car i think

[cgtdream]

[/quote]the military will SHIP cars for you. that is all. that doesn't mean you can register it in the states. SOFAs allow us to register USDM cars in other countries but not the other way around. i don't think you can ship them from japan and england. thanks for mocking my choice of career.[/quote]


Sorry..not tryin to mock..lol, im in the military too bro, lol...airforce.....

[bigOdom1]

if you have the money to import a car then you have the money to buy one that has been imported...... think about that there is probably something you could find thats already here

depending on how far away from the big cities you live, you might get it registered, there are a few R32's, a S13 and an s14 all of which got registered in rural AL that i know of

[ericcastro]

I have considered it for awhile too. I would love a s15 here, stateside. And from what I can tell, the only way to keep it on the street legally, as a daily driver. Would be to vin swap a S14. so its not really leagal :(
But you dont need a S14 car. just go to WA state and buy the paperwork from a totaled car. Go to the DMV there and register. In WA, you can register the cars with only the paperwork, they dont need to see it. How do you think Boyd Cottington gets all those cars registered ;)


And the car would be cost effective. As far as rare cars go. It would cost way more than it would to own one anywere else. But since its in the states, it would make its value here go up. And if you had it road legal, then the value of a stateside S15 would be the amount you spent on it all. look at you!! your setting the value of S15's in the states, all by yourself!! lol

[drift freaq]

all i was saying is that the chassis/body certification would be easier. the engine is obviously a different story. i did similar research a few years ago and it's legit. i don't know to what extent "similar" is stretched. they may be smart enough to know that a RHD mirror image version of a USDM chassis would perform the same in crash tests. a sedan and hatchback version, probably not.



why not, R33 GTRs are legal. it may be expensive and not worth it at all, but it can be done.



the military will SHIP cars for you. that is all. that doesn't mean you can register it in the states. SOFAs allow us to register USDM cars in other countries but not the other way around. i don't think you can ship them from japan and england. thanks for mocking my choice of career.

Ok I will address all three points.
First off the Japanese version of the 180sx chassis does not have some of the crash reinforcements of the USDM and guess what at higher levels they know this. Even if the low level clerk at your local DMV don't.

2. R33 GTR's are not legal , the only Skyline that was ever technically crash tested and CARB/EPA's was the R33 GTST. It was the only car Motorex ever tested. They fudged the paperwork on the rest of the cars. People that have registered cars already are most likely not going to get hassled but they could if the DOT decided they wanted to be dicks about it.

3. Even though a military person can purchase a car overseas and bring it back it does not make it legal to run on U.S. roads unless the DOT see's fit. This is a stated fact that some people will even quote you if they have not already.

Last but not least this thread is going down the road of all these type of threads. I.E. People telling the OP how to do shifty illegal tricks to get paperwork. Which technically the DOT or any State DMV or HP could own the person hard on and crush the car.

I will add European cars are sometimes easier to bring in because they follow our crash safety standards a lot more closely than the Japanese companies. Though there are still hoops there. The days of importing a foreign car on your own have passed. People who tell you they are doing it are pulling shifty shit or taking advantage of living in states were the local officials are clueless. It does not make it legal it does not make the car immune from being taken from and crushed. The DOT still does that stuff and will not hesitate to do it if they are aware of one.

The OP is looking for a wishful thinking answer that will allow his dreams its not there period.

Again this is not bashing its just raw plain fact.This thread is most likely going to get locked, because its another one of those, can I legalize a car threads, that comes up at least 6 times a year.

[ericcastro]

The OP is looking for a wishful thinking answer that will allow his dreams its not there period.

lol, so true!! we all like to dream.

hows this, first zilvia member to win a lottery of over 5 million has the responsability to crash test S15's and get them US legal.:angel:

[Slidin240Wayz]

R33 models from 96-98

/ thread.

[S14DB]

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/import/FAQ%20Site/index.html
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/import/FAQ%20Site/pages/page2.html
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/import/elig010807.pdf

[CKAMC]

there is a shop in Arizona that imports cars

if you want one from them let me know

and no, I will not tell you how because thats how they remain a business.

[Fries]

the military will SHIP cars for you. that is all. that doesn't mean you can register it in the states. SOFAs allow us to register USDM cars in other countries but not the other way around. i don't think you can ship them from japan and england. thanks for mocking my choice of career.

So what you're saying is that if I were to go to germany, purchase a BMW and come back I wouldnt be able to register it?

[cdlong]

you can by a USDM version in germany (the dealers near the bases should be quite used to it) and drive it there while you're there and register it just like any US bmw once it's shipped back here.

an EDM version, not so much.