Thank you NICO!

[lilgookiemonsta]

My thanks goes out to all those that are knowledgeable about the Skyline. I was about to trade my '08 Honda S2000 CR for a '95 R33 GTR Vspec. A week before the trade I spent some time researching more about the car. I somehow ran into this site, joined it, and cruised through many topics about the legality and ownership of the Skyline. After much reseach and time, I decided that the R33 was not right for me as it was only a State registered vehicle and is more than likely a grey-market Skyline. Along with all the updates on the whole Kaizo and Skyline crackdown situation, you guys kept me current on how risky it is to own a grey-market Skyline. I just felt that you guys were mainly the ones that saved me from what could have been a terrible mistake. My appreciation goes out to you guys ! I guess I'll just have to wait 'til the R32 turns 25!

[Gold Digger]

Thanks for the kudos.

We strive to make sure that we provide our members with the information that could keep them from making what could be a mistake.

Although we never say, "Don't buy a gray-market car,", we do want the public to be aware of the risks involved and let them make their own decisions.

Now, on the bright side, it's 2010...only 4 more years till the 1989 R32 is legal.

[Ace2cool]

Now, on the bright side, it's 2010...only 4 more years till the 1989 R32 is legal.

[Black on Gold]

Thanks for the praise

And also thanks for being someone who used his head

[LongBeachCoupe]

NICO FTW!

[Chattzx]

so many ppl will be looking to buy one haha

[Count Zero]

so many ppl will be looking to buy one haha

And yet I had mine up for sale for almost 4 months and only 1 serious offer...and he backed out.

*shrug*

I'm cool with that, though. Didn't want to sell it anyway. Thought I had to, though, but managed to get passed the "economic situation" I was in and now I don't have to.

[SullivanRacing06]

i was thinking about it, and backed out because i didnt want to see my money being hauled away on uncle sams flat bed to a impound lot.

[Count Zero]

And just to nit-pick on terminology...

Technically, we're using the term "grey market" incorrectly here.According to insurance companies and the NHTSA, it's the Motorex cars, and Federally Legal imports in general that are "Grey Market".

Grey Market is still legal, just not retail.All the non-Federalized, non-Motorex Skylines are officially considered Black Market, as they're...well....illegal.

That's per the NHTSA guys when I called them about my bond release paperwork, anyway.

[r33pilot]

what kind of paperwok do you receive when a skyline is "federal legal", if its not a motorex car or kaizo car? just wondering

[lilgookiemonsta]

you wanna look for a VCP-17

[r33pilot]

what exactly is the vcp-17? a separate piece of paper or is that the paper from the NHTSA? you know the bond release from them.

[Count Zero]

what kind of paperwok do you receive when a skyline is "federal legal", if its not a motorex car or kaizo car? just wondering

On the car it'll have the California safety/emission inspection approval sticker...NHTSA doesn't have it's own testing facilities, so it used Cali's.

Mine:

Paperwork-wise, the final "proof" of being legal is the Customs Bond Release form. That's what officially releases the car from Customs impound control and "out into the public". They don't release a car until NHTSA and EPA go "Yes, the car has been converted to our specs and we've approved of it via an inspection."

And Kaizo chassis built Skylines won't have a bond release, as it came over as individual parts that don't get bonded. That's the whole issue that's come up with the Kaizo cars. The whole point of the Customs Bond is to make sure that any non-USDM cars that get onto the roads have been OK'd by the NHTSA and EPA. Without their approval, the car isn't legal. And without a Bond Release form, Customs and Importation Regulations say that the car was imported illegally (aka, in pieces then re-assembled)

And VCP-17 is the NHTSA importation authorization for R32-R34 Skylines...the one Motorex got them to approve, which they then retracted once they found out that Motorex only had crash-testing on the R33 chassis.

[r33pilot]

ok so if the nhtsa paper is obtained and not the sticker on the chassis, what does that mean? do you need both or is the nhtsa paper all you need, the bond release paper. thanks for the input.

[Count Zero]

Depends, I guess...I'm sure in Cali they'd demand both.

Here in MO, they don't seem to really care either way. I keep a copy of the bond release in the glove box, but every time I've talked to anyone (state trooper or inspection place first time I took it there), I've just pointed at the sticker and that was good enough for them.

The absence of the Cali BoAR sticker would make me a bit suspicious of claims to be legal, actually...but if you have the Bond Release you should be able to back trace it with Cali and find the sticker number. I'd be curious to find out what happened to the sticker, though.

[r33pilot]

the sticker being gone does make me wonder a little bit. where would i go to look for that sticker, is there a website or do i gotta call someone? i live in ohio and theyre not very strict on these things but you never know. if you know of a way to trace ack to the sticker, let me know, thanks.

[Count Zero]

As far as I know they're all where mine is: The driver side (right side) door jam, next to the usual VIN/Vehicle Description sticker.

[r33pilot]

there is absolutely nothing on the door jamb. the vin tag is on the firewall too. so i dunno. its a 95 r33 gts-t. do you have any emission testing where you live? because i took the car today and it passed(like it did 2 years ago). you also dont have any idea how to trace the number back for the california B.A.R sticker do you, i looked and couldnt find anything.

[Count Zero]

I'll take a pic of my doorjam tomorrow, but the fact that there's NO stickers at all is VERY VERY suspicious.

The obvious thing to do is just call the NHTSA office and have them run the VIN. They're the ones with the list, after all.

[r33pilot]

this is true about the sticker missing. but does that mean the bond release is fake?

[Count Zero]

this is true about the sticker missing. but does that mean the bond release is fake?

Only the NHTSA could say for sure.If not the unlikely chance that both stickers just HAPPENED to get peeled off, I see it as two possibilities:Either forged Bond Release, which the NHTSA can tell you that easily enough.orThey swapped VIN plates from a proper Motorex car that was no longer sellable, and put VIN plate on different car's firewall.

Here's my doorjam: The bottom one is the JDM sticker, and the two US stickers on at the door latch: BAR inspection sticker on top, US Info sticker under that.

[r33pilot]

is there anyway to get the proper sticker and paperwork to be 100% legal? i looked up the company name on the bond release paper and couldnt find any info on them, now i wonder. it was brought over 3 years ago and nothing has happened to it yet. there has to be a way to gain legality i would think. if you know let me know, thanks.

[Count Zero]

The Bond Release isn't to Motorex?

As far as I know, Motorex and JK Technologies are the only ones who could even possibly have a bond release for a Skyline.

Best bet it to call the NHTSA office and confirm what's up with the car's current status.Just tell them you're looking to buy a Skyline and want to make sure it's a legal one before you get it.They're the ones that issue the bond release after clearing it & declaring it legal, so they'd be the ones to know for sure.

[r33pilot]

well i dont really want to stir up any problems you know. it was brought over here before all the s*** hit the fan in actuality. after that it was all downhill for skylines. i know the guy who brought it over here, he purchased it while he was in the military over there and brought it back home with him. hes had it for quite a few years and no problems so far.