just wondering about importing

[littlemimus]

NO im not asking about importing skylines lol. i just thought u guys would be good to ask. i constantly see s13's rx7's you know. cars like that from japan being sold here in cali. since those cars were produced here in the u.s. they are the same thing right? only rhd is it safe to buy them? im asking cause a friend wants to buy a rx7 but im telling him its not safe. what do u guys think?

[themadscientist]

Not the same. Not in the eyes of the gubment. Those are the guys with the crushers and the costly fines. The most dangerous thing about an RX7 is getting addicted to the rotary. It's spensive man.

[SullivanRacing06]

you thought rb's were money pits? lol rotarys are costly!

i drive a rhd car as my d/d its safe

[littlemimus]

ok. so say he bought like a supra from the year 1996 from japan and brought it over. it would be completely legal? lol i told him rotarys are money pits

[themadscientist]

No, it would not. Not an American export model, not legal.

[Count Zero]

Cars whose chassis are sold her (S13/14, RX7s) are easier to get imported and legalized, because the chassis has an established crash-test here in the US.
But a JDM car would still have to be imported by an RI, then properly converted to the above crash-tested US safety specs, as well as the US epa emissions specs.
(but staying RHD is fine, as that's not part of the safety specs)

Best to avoid 1996 and newer cars, as I believe they'd also have to be converted to OBDII if not already so.


So, far more do-able than a Skyline, but not just a matter of bringing it over on a boat and getting a title.
This is an uber-simplified explanation, of course.

[littlemimus]

how would u know the cars being sold are legal then?

[SullivanRacing06]

if the car has a legit us title and it has the jap vin numbers on the chassis and title of the car your buying

[tyndago]

how would u know the cars being sold are legal then?

You could ask me. Or you could call the NHTSA - DOT - OVSC with the chassis number at 202 366 5291 and ask them.

http://vehicleimport.blogspot.com/

FAQ's - http://vehicleimport.blogspot.com/2009/ ... on-of.html

[Count Zero]

if the car has a legit us title and it has the jap vin numbers on the chassis and title of the car your buying

That doesn't garuntee it's Fed Legal.

Some states will issue a title without double-checking that it's a properly imported & converted car...they just assume that the person titling the car has done so. Legally that's refered to as "Legal Assumption of Responsibility".

In other words, they say that you are assuming the responsibility of the car being legal, and failure to do so means that getting a title for a non-legal car is engaging in "Defrauding a government document by knowingly giving misleading or false information."
So, technically, titling a non-Fed Legal car is a Federal crime. Just sayin......

[wingFeather]

i constantly see s13's rx7's you know. cars like that from japan being sold here in cali.

The people who drive those cars on public roads accept the gamble. One day the car may be taken from them... $$$ GONE, and they might get charged with a federal crime.

Do you feel lucky?

[GroundForceOne]

just get the parts you need to switch over to RHD drive and you are done. since the cars were manufactured left and right hand drive, the parts should be readily available if you are resourceful, and often times, once you peel back the firewall, you will see etchings in the metal already there from the factory where you need to punch out for the opposite side.