Importing a Non-US made vehicle to the US of anti-cars

[greenspeed]

I know there has been a lot of discussion on the importing of cars from J-town to the USA. Well I went ahead and dug into my stash of book marks from my younger days and questions I've asked to a lot of people that have imported a vehicle into the states.

9/10 it's going to cost you 10-20k to get a car over here in fee's and uncle sam wanting his cut.

But like anything in this great nation we have that 1/10th loop hole and here is what I have found to supply to the wonderious trollers of sl-i

(link to all my quoted sourcing) http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/import/index.html



Under one of the exceptions to this prohibition, found in 49 U.S.C. § 30141, a motor vehicle that was not originally manufactured to comply with all applicable FMVSS can be lawfully imported into the United States, provided it is determined eligible for importation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and is imported by a registered importer, or by a person who has a contract with a registered importer to bring the vehicle into compliance with all applicable FMVSS following importation. Import eligibility decisions can be made either on the initiative of the Administrator of NHTSA or on the petition of a manufacturer or registered importer. One basis for determining a motor vehicle eligible for importation is that it 1) is substantially similar to a motor vehicle of the same model year that was manufactured for sale in the United States and certified by its manufacturer as complying with all applicable FMVSS and 2) is capable of being readily altered to comply with all applicable FMVSS. See 49 U.S.C. § 30141(a)(1)(A). Where there is no substantially similar U.S.-certified motor vehicle of the same model year, a vehicle can only be determined eligible for importation if its safety features comply with, or are capable of being altered to comply, with all applicable FMVSS based on destructive test information or other evidence NHTSA decides is adequate. See 49 U.S.C. § 30141(a)(1)(B).


Look for the PDF labeled
Vehicle Importation Guidelines (Non-Canadian) (PDF format)(January 2010)
http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/import/ ... 010410.pdf (http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/import/graymarket_RI_list010410.pdf)



It's easy to waste on hour or day looking through and reading all the information. I suggest if this is something more than kicking the tyres around to contact a RI. List located here http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/import/ ... 282011.pdf (http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/import/Active%20RI%20list12282011.pdf)

[Reuben]

So in essence, if you can prove a BG is a BG on paper... you're good to rock and roll?

[greenspeed]

So in essence, if you can prove a BG is a BG on paper... you're good to rock and roll?

Not exactly. The US really has an issue with RHD cars. The rumor is if the car is LHD they sometimes aren't as concerned, but I take that with a grain of salt.

SOA is in charge of all the USDM Subies while Fuji handles the rest of the world, if you had a letter from either stating "2002 B4(JDM) is same as 2002 Legacy GT(USDM)" then they would have a fighting case.

My question to all you lucky individuals with fun JDM/EDM cars, do you have door bars? Plastic head lights? Plastic tail lights? Shatter resistant windshields? Air bags?

Cause reading the material from that document makes it sound like all overseas cars are not "safe" enough

[Reuben]

My question to all you lucky individuals with fun JDM/EDM cars, do you have door bars? Plastic head lights? Plastic tail lights? Shatter resistant windshields? Air bags?


Yes, yes, yes, yes, and yes. We don't have the obscenely heavy bumper beams to pass the silly 5mph test though.

[greenspeed]

My question to all you lucky individuals with fun JDM/EDM cars, do you have door bars? Plastic head lights? Plastic tail lights? Shatter resistant windshields? Air bags?


Yes, yes, yes, yes, and yes. We don't have the obscenely heavy bumper beams to pass the silly 5mph test though.

Balls :unamused:

In that case, it almost seems like with the right paperwork some of this could be come possible for us poor rejected Americans. Wish I had the $ to try this... :smt025

[Yamazaki]

The thing to keep in mind:

The government workers who do all the paperwork and approvals are, generally speaking, lazy and don't want to approve imports even if they don't have any legal grounds to deny it. So they try to discourage the applicant and have all sorts of methods at their disposal to try to do that.

...it's annoying and the main reason why it took me 2 years to bring my car in. Bastards.

[Dead91silvia]

There is no legal way in import a JDM car unless it is for RACE or SHOW use only or 25 years old. It cannot be driven on the street, ever.

There are lope holes, but finding them is hard and more of it is the right person and lets face it, no one wants to lose a job by letting a car in the country that was not proved.

However, I am working on a way to at least get the cars in, but it's like walking on hot coals, you might get burned.

As for the safety stuff, yes, that is a BIG factor. Side impact bars, air bags or not, bumper beams, and all that other stuff is done for a reason, even if they are thought to be stupid.

As for those of you that think USDM bumper beams are stupid, you have never wrecked and fixed a car that has had a hard hit. That "crappy" beam in my BD kept my car from being FUBAR. I dont like running my GT-B L bumper without it because it I have another 30mph hit, my car is junk. Ok... I'm done ranting about that part...

I'm short, you need an inside person in multiple places to make a JDM car legal for the street. :smt022

[hansvonaxion]

My question to all you lucky individuals with fun JDM/EDM cars, do you have door bars? Plastic head lights? Plastic tail lights? Shatter resistant windshields? Air bags?

Without getting into details, to import a JDM car to Australia it usually needs side impact bars and a child seat anchor, also definitely new tyres and fumigation.

It's quite streamlined with a list of permitted vehicles (you can apply to have one added) and only registered workshops that are able to compliance cars (they know what needs to be done) with the gov allowing a certain number in each year. It's actually for cars that weren't on sale here and are unique in some way (no Subarus on the list yet), supposedly to protect our local market, called SEVS - Specialist and Enthusiasts Vehicles Scheme.

That's not including personal imports etc, there are different rules for those.

[ags18]

There is no legal way in import a JDM car unless it is for RACE or SHOW use only or 25 years old. It cannot be driven on the street, ever.

This is the line I'm taking. I'm just going to patiently wait. I have been for years and whats another few for me to get my first Skyline down from Canada. The time frame is no big deal for me at this point anymore.

Unless you have the money to blow on meeting all the requirements to legally do an importation 100% correctly I would not suggest it. Maybe get that "Show" or "Race" exemption and trailer it to some shows or run it on an open track day at your local track or SCCA autocross...enjoy the seat time legally until it is 25 years old and then move on with the process to make it road legal and registered. I'm guilty of moving way to quickly through vehicles (16 in 12 years, 2 at once 3 times) but, with maturity comes respect for what you have and knowing that the investment in a vehicle of this nature (whatever it is...JDM Subaru, Nissan, Toyota...) is worth doing it right while having a daily driver to get you to the grocery store and back.

In a nut shell...I really dont want to see illegal importation ruin the opportunity for TRUE enthusiasts and collectors like myself the chance of starting and building their collection of vehicles that they have been dreaming about for years.

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/07/lectureCartoon-2.jpg

http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/import/
http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/import/web_RI_list01122006.html

[slaytalera]

As for those of you that think USDM bumper beams are stupid, you have never wrecked and fixed a car that has had a hard hit. That "crappy" beam in my BD kept my car from being FUBAR. I dont like running my GT-B L bumper without it because it I have another 30mph hit, my car is junk. Ok... I'm done ranting about that part...

I'm short, you need an inside person in multiple places to make a JDM car legal for the street. :smt022



Im gonna have to disagree here, here is my old outback before:

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2011/04/982f14b1-1.jpg

after hitting a deer at 45-50:

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2011/04/d9f7e206-1.jpg

and after:

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/07/229791_10150265452612180_504127179_74251-1.jpg

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/07/283855_10150264534122180_504127179_74167-2.jpg

the beams are fine IMO

[Dead91silvia]

uhh... sorry to burst your bubble, but a deer's wight is above the bumper line. Even at that, a USDM bumper would not have been damaged at all on that type of impact.

This is hitting a Ford Fusion at 30mph in a T-bone accident. The car had a bent frame rail, but the damage would have been a lot worse if it would have been my JDM bumper.

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2009/10/IMG_4724-1.jpg

[slaytalera]

eh, so swap to a USDM bumper for shipping and testing, then put the JDM one back on once it clears and it should all be good

[Reuben]

It is my understanding that they design the US bumpers to pass the 5mph test (which is from the 70's, a time known for it's high saftey standards)... Or am I mistaken on that? If I'm not mistaken, more need not be said.

Regardless of the above, ask me if I'd feel safer in my GTB, or a USDM GT... And I can tell you the GTB is far safer on far more grounds! Pre-tensioned seatbelts and side airbags for one, Improved active safety measures like larger brakes, rear LSD, bilstiens etc.

[Dead91silvia]

The only thing you listed thats different then the USDM cars is the struts and and LSD. We have the same seats belts, dual airbags (before Japan had them standard), side impact bars, and the bigger/heavier cars got bigger brakes.

I can see what your saying in safety as you as a driver, but sometimes that not enough. Two of my three car accidents were another persons fault and unavoidable on my part.

Those "5 mph" bumpers you speak of, yes they are heavy, but in swapping out my USDM bumper for the GT-B Limited, they wight the same, yet is in the same collision I would rather have my USDM bumper.

Now the funny thing, the USDM (GT) and JDM (GT/GT-B/RS) bumpers are just about the same look and size on the outside, at least for 2nd gens. I only know this from looking at Andrews car up close and realizing how close it is to the same as USDM. Now a Limited bumper is WAY different in every way for sure and I will not argue that point.

That being said, there are other reasons why cars can not be imported. Airbags is one along the fact that they want the steering wheel on the left side. This is problematic for importing anything. I'm trying to find lope holes, but everyone I find is a dead end... So far the only way is 25 years or on the list, and thats a short list.

[amgarrety]

The thing to keep in mind:

The government workers who do all the paperwork and approvals are, generally speaking, lazy and don't want to approve imports even if they don't have any legal grounds to deny it. So they try to discourage the applicant and have all sorts of methods at their disposal to try to do that.

...it's annoying and the main reason why it took me 2 years to bring my car in. Bastards.

What I'm hearing here is, with cars such as the B4 that have similar models here in the states, and can be easily modified to comply with safety standards in the US (for the most part, aside from things like the B-pillar), the main reason for denial is laziness, but if you keep at it, they'll eventually get sick of you bugging them, be like "you obviously care about this car more than we do", and approve it?

I know that's a watered-down, corners-cut version, but there is a S401 here in the US, it's obviously possible.

[mike-tracy]

^^Yep, and an 00 B4 RSK that this guy imported and made legal in Aug 2010. http://www.bbs.legacycentral.org/viewto ... 11&t=44647 (http://www.bbs.legacycentral.org/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=44647)

Yama owns the newest (and rarest) legally imported JDM Legacy that I'm aware of.

[greenspeed]

^^Yep, and an 00 B4 RSK that this guy imported and made legal in Aug 2010. http://www.bbs.legacycentral.org/viewto ... 11&t=44647 (http://www.bbs.legacycentral.org/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=44647)

Yama owns the newest (and rarest) legally imported JDM Legacy that I'm aware of.


Wonder if that guy on BBS still has it...be nice to snag that car when it comes for sale

[mike-tracy]

He still has it. Last posts includes a video or two from this week.

[amgarrety]

be nice to snag that car when it comes for sale


I was thinking the same thing.

[Yamazaki]

The thing to keep in mind:

The government workers who do all the paperwork and approvals are, generally speaking, lazy and don't want to approve imports even if they don't have any legal grounds to deny it. So they try to discourage the applicant and have all sorts of methods at their disposal to try to do that.

...it's annoying and the main reason why it took me 2 years to bring my car in. Bastards.

What I'm hearing here is, with cars such as the B4 that have similar models here in the states, and can be easily modified to comply with safety standards in the US (for the most part, aside from things like the B-pillar), the main reason for denial is laziness, but if you keep at it, they'll eventually get sick of you bugging them, be like "you obviously care about this car more than we do", and approve it?

I know that's a watered-down, corners-cut version, but there is a S401 here in the US, it's obviously possible.
Actually, it's the DoT that cares about safety. And I didn't have to deal with them. The EPA was my real nemesis in this operation. Customs held it for awhile, but that was to ensure that it wasn't irradiated (so they say). What I learned is, as long as one agency allows it in (and takes responsibility for it), then the other agencies will follow. It's just that nobody wants to take initial responsibility and they'll all do their best to avoid that responsibility...
The bottom line is, as far as I can tell, ANYTHING can be brought in. It's just a matter of finding an agency representative who is willing to endorse the entry (and has the authority to do so). No rule is without exceptions.

[EDIT: So don't limit yourself to something as common as a Skyline or GT-B. Go nuts and import a Mitsuoka Le Seyde or something.... :smt023


Okay, okay. I know it's ridiculous to say that. I just wanted to bring up the Le Seyde... :smt016]

[amgarrety]

That. Would. Be. Sick.

Google'd it and was instantly impressed.

[mike-tracy]

Lol @ Mitsuoka Le Seyde

I'd rather take their Orochi model due to the guaranteed reaction out of everyone. :grin: