R33 clip swap legal?

[Danny7]

Hello everyone. I am new to the world if nissan. I just recently started helping my friend build drift cars. All of which are 240s. I am now planning on getting one. Not for drifting though. I will do a swap and I really want to put in an rb25. Looking into doing a whole clip swap. Just two questions. Is doing a clip swap legal in the us. I know right hand drive is but if converting a lhd to a rhd. And do you weld the front clip on or does it bolt right up. As in subframe. Thanks alot

[vocationalzero]

You would have to weld up the front clip. Would look horrible, google any skyline/240 conversions. Body lines don't line up, skyline nose to long for 240 body. Plus, you would have to have/or be one hell of a welder to do it and have it line up right. Not sure of legality... nothing about is it against state inspection rules. But with the welding, you definitely risk structural stability/safety...
<---State Inspector

[terry_240sx]

rhd is legal, rb25det is not.

[Danny7]

How is the engine not legal? The only way I would see is emissions and if your car year is before 96 is Wisconsin you don't need to take emissions x)

[PANDAemic]

If the engine was not sold in the US in any vehicle, it is considered illegal.
Don't quote me on this...

[Hijacker]

If the engine was not sold in the US in any vehicle, it is considered illegal.
Don't quote me on this...

[300ZXttZMAN]

If the engine was not sold in the US in any vehicle, it is considered illegal.
Don't quote me on this...

LMAO!

[PANDAemic]

If the engine was not sold in the US in any vehicle, it is considered illegal.
Don't quote me on this...

Why you...

[Hijacker]

Come at me, bro j/k

But you are indeed correct. If a motor wasn't sold in the states, it's considered grey market (illegal). It goes a bit more in depth, but it's the same basic principle why a RWD SR is still illegal as well. Nissan never offered that specific motor to the states in a RWD platform, so between the NHTSB and EPA, the motors aren't technically supposed to be in a street driven vehicle.

Not sure if there's a 25 year grandfather clause for motors the same way there is for cars, but given that there's no easy way to prove a motor's age, it would be a tough sell any way you slice it.

[mixeds14]

If the engine was not sold in the US in any vehicle, it is considered illegal.
Don't quote me on this...

i heard this too but then again, if it was illegal y would they sell the swaps n clips all over the states... that be one more reason for the government to get some cash out of people if not the sellers..

[PANDAemic]

You're allowed to purchase the engine. Technically purchasing a part is not illegal but installing said part into a car makes it illegal. If you catch my "drift"...

[badbob2121]

its illegal to install them in a DOT registered vehicle, you can put it in any "track" or "off-road" vehicle you like....

lots of gray areas with this topic when it comes to local law and emmissions

[SBC 240Z]

One of the only perks of living in florida, only hassles we get are cracked windshields and tail lights. Was reading a thread on hybridz about a guy up north that got denied registration for his Z because the windshield wipers only had one speed

[krash]

Would look horrible

lolwut?







I know not of what you speak.... looks fine to me.

Its pretty unnecessary to weld the whole clip. The RB25 isn't AWD, there are kits out there to put it in an S-chassis. Its been done a bunch.

[badbob2121]

those do look good..

but most s chasis owner cut too many corners to end up with this type of quality ^^

and the rhd hype is stupid... you spend all the time fab'ing or paying for the conversion and provides no performance advantage, you just drive on the other side of the car... which personally would be terrible because the years of muscle memory obtained from rhd driving would be useless... how is that worth it?