RHD import?

[SUB2.5RS]

This probly came up before but, does anyone know how much it is to import a car from Japan (RHD)to here. I'm just curious on how much it really is to get it all legalized and what they do to make it legal. Thanks

[Gorilla Unit 33]

i dont know what the cost's are but i can refer you to a friend of mines bisnuess www.evolutionimports.com

[US_R33]

for starts Evolution Imports is under investigation by a number of different Federal organizations for violations of international trade laws, scamming people, stealing, etc.

second, there is no way to legally import a car from japan unless it is 25 years or older....right now there isn't any company importing and federalizing Skylines.....which are the only JDM vehicles that are on the list of cars that are permitted to be imported into this country (after federalization of course)

do more research before you make any rash decisions

Late,
Daniel

[HatchSurfer3]

actually there are ways to legally to import a vehicle into the US, but it could be very costly. It has to pass all US standards, which include crash standards. If they don't have records of the vehicles crash ratings this would require having it done, which means buying a whole different car to have it put through the tests. So there are ways but it could be very expenisive. I have also been looking into lately because I want to import something when I graduate. Im still reading up on it but thats what I've found so far.

[Francesco]

it all depends on the car...each one is different.

[BlackBulletTSi]

Heh thats interesting. Any websites you could point the rest of us to hatch?

[US_R33]

Originally Posted by HatchSurfer3

actually there are ways to legally to import a vehicle into the US, but it could be very costly. It has to pass all US standards, which include crash standards. If they don't have records of the vehicles crash ratings this would require having it done, which means buying a whole different car to have it put through the tests. So there are ways but it could be very expenisive. I have also been looking into lately because I want to import something when I graduate. Im still reading up on it but thats what I've found so far.

before you can even get to the process of performing crash testing you have to file an official petition with the federal government.....if you're lucky enough to get it approved....which you won't....nobody has gotten a petition approved except for Motorex....and it took them YEARS and tons of $$$$ to get everything done

i'm not trying to discourage you....just don't want you to get your hopes up only to find that its essentially impossible to do

trust me, i've looked into this extensively......read up on everything on the DOT website, all of the forums where people were discussing this subject, etc.

Late,
Daniel

[US_R33]

the only way you MIGHT be able to get a car into the country is through the show car/race car statute....BUT you can only have the car here for 2 years and then you have to deport it, you can not travel more than 5000 miles total each year, you can NEVER get any registration for the car, AND if you bring it in classified as a race car.....the vehicle must have documentation from the manufacturer stating that the car has either A) factory installed parts which were put on the car from the beginning b/c it was intended as a race car only or B) there are enough race car parts on the car that the manufacturer would deem the car a race car

[Bryan]

Originally Posted by US_R33

before you can even get to the process of performing crash testing you have to file an official petition with the federal government.....if you're lucky enough to get it approved....which you won't....nobody has gotten a petition approved except for Motorex....and it took them YEARS and tons of $$$$ to get everything done

Now they are shut down and the owner is in jail on a $1mil bail.

I'll have to say its totally not worth it to try and import a car legally.

[US_R33]

Originally Posted by Bryan

Now they are shut down and the owner is in jail on a $1mil bail.

I'll have to say its totally not worth it to try and import a car legally.

its always beneficial when people only post up a small part of a story.....

here's what happened with Motorex:

They were only permitted to import and federalize OBD I cars b/c the OBD II cars were not able to be made 100% compliant with US emission standards

they imported OBDII cars anyway but claimed them as OBD I cars i.e. a 96 R33 became a 95 R33

they got caught and fined a ton of money, they chose not to renew their RI (registered importer) license hence they are no longer able to import Skylines

the reason they have such a bad reputation is b/c they screwed over a lot of their customers, i've spoken with some of the Motorex customers and they waited months....some even years to get their federalized cars. there are currently over 30 Skylines held up in limbo b/c Motorex messed up and now their customers are screwed

as for Hiro (the owner of Motorex) being in jail.....that's just an internet rumor....Hiro isn't in jail....and was never in jail with a million dollar bail


as for the comment about its not worth it to try and import a car legally.....if you're then implying that people should import the cars illegally that's definitely not worth it. you can be fined 100s of 1000s of dollars (up to $250,000 to be exact) PLUS up to 5 years of federal jail time if you get caught with a grey market car illegally brought into the country

[Bryan]

I am in no way implying people should try and import cars illegally. I was just stating that in order to get a car here legally its not really worth it. Takes alot of money and a whole lot of resources that most people will not have. I am aware of the consequences for someone who imports a car illegally and gets caught with it in the states.

As for the owner being in jail I am going by what I have read on several sites and several links they have shown, this being one. Maybe I am wrong and do not have the whole story, but I am just going by what I have read several times.

[US_R33]

hmm.....i didn't realize that he actually got arrested....there were rumors flying around the internet for months now that he was in jail......i guess as of 03/08 he is lol

[TurboTagTeam]

This is a huge topic on the RX-7 boards. Since our cars were manufactured in japan up untill 2002, you can pretty much buy a brand new RX-7 in Japan. Many people have tried to import them legally. But in the end it cost way too money than its worth. The best way to get a car from japan over here is to ship it in peices(So I have heard). Allthough

A couple of people came up with another idea.

1. Buy a rx-7 shell here in the states.

2. Import JDM Rx-7 through canada

3. Switch all identifying numbers from the USDM car onto the JDM car.

I know it's illegal, but I think it would work.

[turbo4g63]

i'm confused, if it is so difficult to get a jdm car..ex skyline into the US then why do we see them all the time in US made movies like teckademics and even your old skyline (US R33). or matt of import intelligence, how do these people get those cars??

[US_R33]

Originally Posted by TurboTagTeam

A couple of people came up with another idea.

1. Buy a rx-7 shell here in the states.

2. Import JDM Rx-7 through canada

3. Switch all identifying numbers from the USDM car onto the JDM car.

I know it's illegal, but I think it would work.

you can't ship the car in pieces and reassemble it......still not legal under any statute

can't import a grey market vehicle through Canada....still goes through customs.....and Canada can only get JDM cars 15 years or older (unlike the US which is 25 years or older)

and VIN swapping (same thing as switching all identifying numbers) would land your in federal prison

[US_R33]

Originally Posted by turbo4g63

i'm confused, if it is so difficult to get a jdm car..ex skyline into the US then why do we see them all the time in US made movies like teckademics and even your old skyline (US R33). or matt of import intelligence, how do these people get those cars??

i got the car through Evolution Imports (before there was any concrete evidence of them being a scam) and matt just bought a shell (contemplating building it as a track car)

neither car though would be able to be made legal in the US