Okay guys. Now before the flaming begins please at least read the post in its ENTIRETY first!

I have read countless posts on importing a Nissan Skyline to the US and I know that for all intents and purposes it is close to impossible to get a Fed legal Skyline here. I also know that Motorex is the ONLY place to get a FED legal Skyline and they are down for the count right now. All of this I know. I also know that you can import a Skyline as a Kit-Car or a show only car and get it here relatively easily. Of course however you have the obvious risk of having your car confiscated. I also realize that only an RI can import a car into the states. Once again ALL of this I know.

Now here is my issue:

I live in Atlanta, GA. In the state of GA it is very easy to register just about any vehicle as long as you have a title for the vehicle. That is the background.

Now what I am interested in is obtaining a STATE LEGAL Nissan Skyline 33-34GTR. I am not interested in obtaining a FED legal one. I just want to obtain a 33-34 Nissan Skyline GTR that I can register in the state of GA, even if I cant go register it in Cali and the sort. As stated above I realize that there is a risk to this, however it is one I am not too worried about. In the state of GA as long as your vehicle is registered legally the cops let you do damn near whatever you want. Also emissions are not going to be a problem for me as I will be registering it in a county without emission requirements. Essentially all that I need is a Nissan Skyline 33-34GTR and a title so that I can register it. That is the information on what I want to do. Now for my points/questions.

I will probably be financing a large portion of my vehicle through a finance company. Chances are it will be a specialty company that finances exotic/classic cars if I cant find a normal finance company that will finance a 95-2000 vehicle. I would assume, but want to make sure, that this would mean that I need to get the vehicle here in the US so that I can give the check to the seller. Or would it still be possible to import the vehicle and still have it financed?

If so, who are the best companies/RI’s to get a STATE LEGAL 33-34GTR imported to me? I know there are countless scams online and companies that just take you for your money. I want to make sure that I am using a company with a reliable reputation. If the best/most cost effective way to get it done is as a kit car then that is fine as well. As I said, as long as I can get a title for it registering it is not a problem. I am just trying to figure out what the best way to do this is. Any specific company/RI recommendations would be appreciated. Be it Kit car or whole car.

Otherwise I would of course have to get one that is already in the states for finance purposes. What would be the best way to go about locating and obtaining one of these? From my research they are pretty hard to find. Most people are advertising MotRex cars and prices even if they may not really be Fed legal. I don’t want to pay Motorex prices for one of these cars, especially when I only need it to be state legal.

Thank you very much for the help in advance guys. I know that the importation subject has been BEATEN to death however 99.9% of the topics are on FED legal vehicles not STATE legal vehicles. Feel free to offer any constructive comments and information. Anything that will help in my quest is greatly appreciated. On a side note, I have already located a number of specialty finance companies that finance exotic/classic cars, but if anyone has a specific finance company that will finance 95-2000 cars they would like to recommend I would greatly appreciate that as well, be it specialty or conventional. Once again thanks for the help, I truly do understand the difficulty and near impossibility of obtaining an FED legal Nissan Skyline 33-34GTR. However for the most part, as long as I can get one here to Atlanta with a title, I can easily make it STATE legal. Thanks.

-Sayajin

Fed regulations will trump state regulations. In other words, you have to abide by fed regulations to get the vehicle into the country, then abide by state regulations to operate that vehicle in your local area.

Talk to Takara motors. They are a sponsor here. Last I checked they could legally bring in R33 GTRs. They are working on R32's and maybe R34's.

Look on the right side of your internet window... you should see a banner ad for Takara. They are a valuable member of NICO for a long time and have a strong reputation.

OR.. if you can handle living with a lowly R32 GTR... Here's one for sale on NICO right now. zerothread/176791

Good Luck!

and we are in Atlanta GA

TAKAMOTORS your a R$I with the DOT and have the ability to DO the EPA and DOT work to import Skylines?????? If so can you provide the correct info so I can forward customer to you now that MOTORX is no more....

Have you read this? BTW. I have a skyline titled and registered (and passed emissions) in GA. Oh and it's insured by Progressive. I think I've already mentioned that...

5. Issues Outside NHTSA's Jurisdiction

NHTSA issues the FMVSS, which establish minimum performance requirements for the safety systems and components on motor vehicles and for certain items of motor vehicle equipment. The agency regulates the manufacture and importation of motor vehicles to assure compliance with these standards.

6. Motor Vehicle Titling and Registration

NHTSA is not responsible for regulating the operation of motor vehicles on public roads in the U.S. or for titling or registering motor vehicles for such operation. That is instead the responsibility of the individual States. Some States may require a manufacturer's certificate of origin (MCO) or manufacturer's statement of origin (MSO) to register a new motor vehicle. These are not federally required documents. NHTSA, therefore, is not in a position to offer guidance to prospective vehicle manufacturers or vehicle purchasers on obtaining a needed MCO or MSO. Consumers with questions regarding these documents should direct those questions to their State’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Prospective manufacturers seeking guidance on obtaining MCO or MSO documents should contact the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) at 703-522-4201 or visit that organization's website at http://www.aamva.org.

TAKARA FTW!

So if the vehicle is "smuggled in" undocumented as a car or brought in as parts and slips pass US Customs and a state registers and titles a vehicle for road use, The Feds cannot and won't do anything about it. Now if you're caught smuggling, there would be hefty fines to pay. Besides, I know what I'm driving, what it's titled, registered, and insured as. If you want to buy it. It'll be $16k firm.. Also, Takara motors imports parts. Not vehicles, so they're operating in a "loophole" as most skyline distributors/owners do. It's just too much damn hassle to deal with the FEDs. I've personally talked with Clint Lindsay and Coleman Sachs regarding the issue, and they pretty much verified what the text states in the previous post, which is what I initially said before. You can, most certainly, call them if you like to verify it for yourself. Until then, may the "rogue" states as well as eager skyline enthusiasts enjoy the reciprocal relationship of the times. Mind you...It may not last forever!

So, you have two choices: one. Wait and save a buttload of cash to "federally" legalize a skyline which is worth less than the cost for the process. or two. Get one from a friend of a friend of a friend who can "smuggle" the car into the states. Plain and simple.

i dont know if this was stated already but i found a site that says they can get my skyline to the U.S and i would be able to get it past customs. if all of that happens and i have the skyline how can i legally drive it withought having someone like motorex charge me however much they charge. thanks. also if some of the methods are a little shady i would still be glad to hear them.

*sigh*

I wish people would read the sticky at the top of this forum.

You'd think, of all people, with all my connections, and the fact that the car would be a 100% business writeoff for me, that I'd have one if there was a legal way.

Sayajin -

For financing, you need full-coverage insurance. I don't know of any company that will offer liability, much less comprehensive and collision on a car that's not certified as compliant with NHTSA regulations.

anyone know if the site http://www.batfa.com/usedvehicle.htm is trustworthy

Are they an RI? If not, then the answer is no.