is it possible to import still???

[lil-red-89]

well ill be spending the next 2 yrs in Korea starting April 28th and while im there i will have about 3-4 weeks of leave before i actually "start station" and as most of you on here my dream car has always been a skyline...i road in a friends GTst over this past summer and it was sold! i have to have one...

so is it possible to import from japan still and if so can anyone point me in the right direction?

btw: the military will pay to have the vehicle shipped back but wont pay for emissions...

[NINJASPY]

short answer: yes.
The military usually allows you to ship 1 car, and they use their own shipping methods that don't involve "import". They put it on a military plane and fly it over. Problem is you have find out all the details yourself from them. And getting it street legal is another issue.

Wait... are you shipping from japan to korea or japan to us? two totally different places.

Wait... what do you mean "shipped back" ??? emissions?

[lil-red-89]

i will be shipping/driving (since i will have my family there i am command sponsored am allowed to have one car to come back) it from japan>korea and from korea> USA

now from there ive been told that the US customs agents are strict on what they let in and what can be brought in and what changes need to be made to make it street legal...i keep getting the answer its possible but extremely expensive just to get it completely converted over...

[NINJASPY]

ask the military. If its getting shipped from a military plane/boat, I doubt customs has any say, especially if it flies past them.
going to japan to korea and then korea to the us is two different things. You'll find out in korea. and in 2 years you will find out in us/ohio.
street legal? not gonna happen unless you convert nearly everything. from what I know, you need dot legal lights, gauges in mph, left hand drive, cats, airbags, vins, etc, which you would need to find out in your own state. unless you do a kit car type thing. Also if its not crash tested, its not dot legal.

[lil-red-89]

in ohio i can get it inspected and it will pass inspection in my state/county i have no echeck only thing im worried about is damn US Customs getting their hands into it and having to deal with them and them holding my car up until im old enough to pass it on to my kid...

[NINJASPY]

military>customs
If it flies PAST customs, it wont even matter. If its delivered on a plane, and lands on base, I doubt customs has authority to "look" or even be on base. Just drive it off base and that is it.
Find out how you are going to get it over. If its going on a commercial boat through customs, you wont be able to get it through... at least not in one piece as a "car". In pieces and declared as "automotive parts" or some loop hole name, you may be able to get it.

[lil-red-89]

Got ya thanks man

[h2v7]

let me know how that goes i want to do something similar into ohio

[nippon240]

Dunno where you guys get your information from. When I left my tour in Japan, I also had to fill out paper work for my Sr20 through the EPA. Bro, your best bet would be to save 15 grand or so, Pick up a Skyline Gtr-33 than get the gears moving with the EPA. This is the only Japanese import I have seen to actually come through. I mean, if it where that easy to just import what ever you want...why do most military people strip their cars, have the shells crushed, and send everything else to their next duty station or what have you??


Importing Vehicles and Engines | US EPA (http://www.epa.gov/oms/imports/#1)

Here is all the info you need. Than you should go speak with your Personal Property office before u do anything. Good Luck