kashun84 wrote:Thanks Tyndago,

As you have mentioned and from what i read on the importavehicle.info. The car has to be in "Original Configuration". It has to be 100% bone stock? How about Rims exhaust etc... What if the car has some mods on the engine? They have to return back to stock before exporting?

Original configuration is only an EPA thing. Wheels are not part of EPA requirements. They would be NHTSA requirements. At 25 years old a vehicle is FMVSS exempt.

I just wrote some clarification on EPA 21 year old requirements. Make damn sure you understand what I wrote. If you need further clarification, go further up the food chain.

http://www.importavehicle.info/2014/04/ ... 520-1.html

Vehicles over 21 years old, in original configuration are EPA exempt for import. We get this question a lot these days, people asking for clarification. Here is some additional information pulled out of the 3520-1 or EPA form required for importation. This is VERY IMPORTANT. I can not stress enough how important it is to read and UNDERSTAND this form if you are importing a car. Anything you say, or post on a forum or Facebook can be read an used against you if you make a false statement. So make damn sure you understand it.

So like the guy that had a Nissan Skyline, with a Toyota 2JZ engine swap, that is not a legal import under Code E on the 3520-1. That vehicle would need to be certified under the mod and test program(Code C) with an Independent Commercial Importer (ICI). If you knowingly import that car, then you are subject to fines and seizure. See below for the relevant parts.

http://www.importavehicle.info/2014/04/ ... 520-1.html

To me it is not worth the risk of having the car modded when it is shipped. I have seen quite a few importations that are not stock and have made it no problem. I guess the real question is are you a gamb|ing man. Also if the official at the docks knows the car and feels like being a meany he could screw the buyer. Shoot mine is stock all the way to the tape deck!

Wildtraveler wrote:To me it is not worth the risk of having the car modded when it is shipped. I have seen quite a few importations that are not stock and have made it no problem. I guess the real question is are you a gamb|ing man. Also if the official at the docks knows the car and feels like being a meany he could screw the buyer. Shoot mine is stock all the way to the tape deck!

The guy bragging about a modified car he imported, that will be the issue. Some people don't know when to shut up. Those guys will get a rude awakening one day. When the bill for $32,500 shows up at their house, along with a redelivery order, based on what they bragged about importing. Then it won't be funny.

Just like I am sure there will be guys importing R33, and R34 with VIN swaps. People are never happy with doing things the right way, they always want to "get one over".

hey I was reading up and was wondering if someone could clear this up for me.. i know that a vehicle can be imported if its 25 years old but i was wondering how the registration process of it would go. On the cbp web site it says:

Before you can register a foreign registered vehicle, car or motorcycle in the U.S., you must be able to prove that you or someone else filed an entry with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) will not register a vehicle that has been imported into the U.S. without proof an entry was filed with CBP and proof the vehicle conforms to U.S. emissions and safety standards. If the vehicle does not conform to U.S. emissions or safety standards, you will not be able to register it in the U.S. You will either have to bring it up to U.S. standards or export the car.

So does this mean you can import the car but not register it?? if its exempt from dot standards will it be exempt from the dmv standards so you can register it?? Someone help me out!!!!

Are you ready for this wait to be over yet!? Have you been given a delivery date in October from Jun yet? Still waiting on my papers. I made final payment a few days ago and I found a broker to handle all of the paperwork since I can't do the ISF-10. We will see looks like we both got good looking cars from JSP Trading.

I'm also curious if everything went smoothly bringing the car in through the port?

Same here. I am looking at JSP's website and there is only 1 available, and it shows the same pictures that have been used on a dozen different listings through out other Japanese exporter/trader websites.

Well jun with JSPtrading has gone above and beyond anything I have imagined. As time drew near to ship the car his maintenance crew were doing their standard maintenance and herd some noise from the motor area and took it oppon them selfs to find and fix the issue. The contract says "sold as is" so for them to do this is very nice. No only that, they replaced the radiator( had a little leakage) battery, oil, and timing belt. I told them I will be driving this from port to home and it's 6 hours so they are making sure it is the best car it can be before it ships. Right now they are replacing the cams, cam caps and seals to see if that will fix the "mechanical noise". More to come soon I hope.

Tyler193 wrote:hey I was reading up and was wondering if someone could clear this up for me.. i know that a vehicle can be imported if its 25 years old but i was wondering how the registration process of it would go. On the cbp web site it says:

Before you can register a foreign registered vehicle, car or motorcycle in the U.S., you must be able to prove that you or someone else filed an entry with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) will not register a vehicle that has been imported into the U.S. without proof an entry was filed with CBP and proof the vehicle conforms to U.S. emissions and safety standards. If the vehicle does not conform to U.S. emissions or safety standards, you will not be able to register it in the U.S. You will either have to bring it up to U.S. standards or export the car.

So does this mean you can import the car but not register it?? if its exempt from dot standards will it be exempt from the dmv standards so you can register it?? Someone help me out!!!!

Hey Tyler - That one's addressed in one of the stickies in this part of the forum, but the quick answer is you'll need to use the services of an RI. Importing it without registration is a bad idea, because it won't ever be legal to drive on the streets. The RI will complete the proof of entry with CBP, which should be all you need to satisfy the DMV.

What ever happened to this guy?