How much $ to legalize JDM S13?

[!Zar!]

Originally Posted by kazuo

Luka, I was thinking the same thing.

I would think you'd need some sort of permanent address there to register it, and you'd (presumably) have to be a Canadian citizen.

Those are assumptions, of course... any America Junior residents want to let us know what the deal is exactly?

But isn't the law, or at least cali law. A three week limit for a car from out of state? So I don't think that would work either.

[OMGWTFBBQ]

you should just do a dash conversion if you really care that much
still a lot of work though

[Sean1978]

I ditched my Skyline in Japan after researching this stuff for 2 years. Here's the lowdown, it's not really "federally" legal to bring in a JDM S13 at all, there's a bunch of legal BS I really don't feel like getting into. You might be able to swindle it past your local DMV because they somtimes don't know / don't care about the federal crap.

what would I do? if I had a JDM S!3 that I wanted legal? simple, I'd buy a completley trashed USDM 240SX and do a VIN swap. I'd think it would be pretty easy to pull this off in most states (excluding California of course)

I made a plan that if I ever went back to Japan in the Marines that I would take a trashed S13 with me and do a "trade" for a Japanese car with some dude in Japan as well as a vin swap. I'd be happy with my stock factory SR20 power ride and some Japanese dude would be happy with a USDM TyTe LHD 2.4 liter 240sx....



also...

don't pay ANYONE to "legalise" your car, it's npt going to really be legal and you are just paying someone else to circumvent the law for you. I'd be wary of anyone who claims to legalise JDM cars for large wads of cash...

[90RS13]

I made a plan that if I ever went back to Japan in the Marines that I would take a trashed S13 with me and do a "trade" for a Japanese car with some dude in Japan

Well, you couldn't take a trashed S-chassis over. No S-chassis is new enough. Even when you get stationed there you can only bring a car less than 5 yrs old, or somewhere around there. I forget the excact age but it's very new. The japanese don't want crappy old usdm cars in thier junk yards after you go somewhere else i guess.

don't pay ANYONE to "legalise" your car, it's npt going to really be legal and you are just paying someone else to circumvent the law for you. I'd be wary of anyone who claims to legalise JDM cars for large wads of cash...

excactly. Only 2-Door 32-34 chassis skylines have the ability to be legal, and even then, the company has to be authorized by the government to perform legalizations, and it will cost around $10k.

However, just FYI, there are a good deal of German cars that can be legalized, because BMW is one of the companies that did Officially recognize to the US DOT that their european cars would react the same as US cars in a crash. But they still have to be legalized by official companies and it cost almost as much as for skylines. (they have to replace windows, lights, tires, bumpers, etc

Most important to remember...in the US the age where no-one cars anymore is 25 years. If a car is 25 yrs or older, no matter where from, it can legally be imported to the states. Which is why you may have seen a KPGC10 or whatever the non-GTR was called. As of right now any car made in 1981 or older you can legally import.

[BoostInnovations]

Originally Posted by SilviaNinja240

Do you think its possible to ship the car to canada, legalize it there (aka register it), then drive it across the boarder??

Nope, not possible. Already called the right authorities and asked this exact question. A RHD car is legal if it is the exact same as a LHD car with the exception of the RHD.

[Sean1978]

Well, you couldn't take a trashed S-chassis over. No S-chassis is new enough. Even when you get stationed there you can only bring a car less than 5 yrs old, or somewhere around there. I forget the excact age but it's very new. The japanese don't want crappy old usdm cars in thier junk yards after you go somewhere else i guess.

when I was over there (like 3 years ago) someone bought a 60's model ford from the states "fairlane maybe?" I also knew of a mid 90's Jeep someone had bought over and there where numerous 60's model imported cars out in town for sale (Impala's etc...) Last time I checked old cars could be bought over, they are just expensive as hell to JCI.

excactly. Only 2-Door 32-34 chassis skylines have the ability to be legal, and even then, the company has to be authorized by the government to perform legalizations, and it will cost around $10k.

The list is actually more narrow than that now, only 1996 model GTR's with factory airbags can be imported. there's a huge discussion about this at skylinesdownunder.com, some people who had R32's and R34's at motorex are getting F'ed in the Ars'e about now..:

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration
[Docket No. NHTSA–2005–22654]

Notice of Tentative Decision To Partially Rescind Decision That Nonconforming 1990–1999 Nissan GTS and GTR Passenger Cars Are Eligible for Importation

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of tentative decision to partially rescind decision that nonconforming 1990–1999 Nissan GTS and GTR passenger cars are eligible for importation.

SUMMARY: This document provides notice that NHTSA has tentatively decided to partially rescind its decision that 1990–1999 Nissan GTS and GTR passenger cars not originally manufactured to comply with all applicable Federal motor vehicle safety standards (FMVSS) are eligible for importation into the United States. If NHTSA makes this rescission, Nissan R33 model GTS and GTR passenger cars manufactured between January 1996 and June 1998 would be eligible for importation following the decision; the others would not be eligible for importation following the decision.

DATES: The closing date for comments on the tentative decision is December 28, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Comments should refer to the docket number and notice number, and be submitted to: Docket Management, Room PL–401, 400 Seventh St., SW., Washington, DC 20590. [Docket hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.] Anyone is able to search the electronic form of all comments received into any of our dockets by the name of the individual submitting the comment (or signing the comment, if submitted on behalf of an association, business, labor union, etc.). You may review DOT’s complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register published on April 11, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 70; Pages 19477–78) or you may visit http://dms.dot.gov

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Coleman Sachs, Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance, NHTSA (202–366–3151).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background
Under 49 U.S.C. 30141(a)(1)(A), a motor vehicle that was not originally manufactured to conform to all applicable Federal motor vehicle safety standards (FMVSS) shall be refused admission into the United States unless NHTSA has decided that the motor vehicle is substantially similar to a motor vehicle originally manufactured for importation into and sale in the United States, certified under 49 U.S.C. 30115, and of the same model year as the model of the motor vehicle to be compared, and is capable of being readily altered to conform to all applicable FMVSS. Where there is no substantially similar U.S.-certified motor vehicle, 49 U.S.C. 30141(a)(1)(B) permits a nonconforming motor vehicle to be admitted into the United States if its safety features comply with, or are capable of being altered to comply with, all applicable FMVSS based on destructive test data or other evidence (such as an engineering analysis) that NHTSA decides is adequate.

Petitions for eligibility decisions may be submitted by either manufacturers or importers who have registered with NHTSA pursuant to 49 CFR Part 592. As specified in 49 CFR 593.7, NHTSA publishes notice in the Federal Register of each petition that it receives, and affords interested persons an opportunity to comment on the petition.

At the close of the comment period, NHTSA decides, on the basis of the petition and any comments that it has received, whether the vehicle is eligible
for importation. The agency then publishes this decision in the Federal Register.

NHTSA was petitioned by a registered importer to decide whether 1990–1999 Nissan GTS and GTR Passenger cars are eligible for importation into the United
States. To afford an opportunity for public comment, NHTSA published notice of this petition under Docket Number NHTSA–99–5507 on April 16,
1999 (64 FR 18963). As stated in the notice, the petitioner claimed that 1990–1999 Nissan GTS and GTR passenger cars have safety features that comply
with many standards that apply to passenger cars of the model years in question, and are capable of being altered to comply with other applicable
standards. With respect to FMVSS No. 208 Occupant Crash Protection, the petitioner stated that the driver’s air bags on 1990–1993 models, and the
driver and passenger’s air bags on 1994–1999 models, would need to be replaced with components manufactured to petitioner’s specifications based on the
results of dynamic tests conducted by MGA Research Corporation. As indicated by the petitioner, these tests were conducted after it had made certain structural modifications to the vehicles.

No comments were received in response to the notice of petition. Based on its review of the information submitted by the petitioner, NHTSA granted the petition on November 15, 1999, and assigned Vehicle Eligibility Number VCP–17 to vehicles admissible under its decision. The agency published notice of the decision on
January 19, 2000 (65 FR 3002).

The agency has obtained information from Nissan North America, Inc., on behalf of Nissan Motor Company, LTD (Nissan) of Tokyo, Japan, the manufacturer of Nissan 1990–1999 Nissan GTS and GTR passenger cars. Nissan informed the agency that it manufactured three distinct GTS and GTR models from 1990 to 1999,
designated as the R32, the R33, and the R34 models, respectively. Nissan stated that the R32, the R33, and the R34 models differ in terms of their ‘‘structural design and restraint performance,’’ and that each of the models, which followed a chronological sequence, was ‘‘newly designed and different from the type preceding it.’’

Nissan confirmed that the company received official type approval from the Japanese government for each model separately, and that it was ‘‘highly likely
that each model type would perform differently in the crash tests required by the FMVSS.’’

Nissan also provided a chart showing production ‘‘start’’ and ‘‘end’’ dates for the R32, the R33, and the R34 models. The R32 models were manufactured from May 1989 through November 1994; the R33 models were manufactured from August 1993 through June 1998; and the R34 models were manufactured from November 1997 through August 2002. Included in the chart is information identifying the production ‘‘start’’ dates when air bags were offered as an option and as standard equipment at both the driver and the front passenger’s seating positions on the R32, the R33, and the R34 model vehicles.

The agency did not have this information from Nissan at the time of its original decision to grant import eligibility to 1990–1999 Nissan GTS and GTR passenger cars. Instead, the agency heavily relied on the results of static and dynamic tests on two modified 1996 R33 model vehicles, which, in its overall context, the original petition suggested were representative. As indicated in the original petition, the petitioner had made structural modifications to these two vehicles and
replaced the air bags at the driver’s and the front passenger’s seating positions with components manufactured to its own specifications. The petitioner did not demonstrate full compliance with the performance requirements of FMVSS 208 and other crashworthiness standards (e.g., FMVSS Nos. 210 Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages, 212 Windshield Mounting and 301 Fuel System Integrity) for R32 and R34 models because no test data was provided to the agency.

The agency’s decision to grant import eligibility to 1990–1999 Nissan GTS and GTR passenger cars also relied on the petitioner’s assertion that the original equipment driver’s air bag on 1990–1993 models, and the driver and passenger’s air bags on 1994–1999 models would be replaced with components manufactured to the petitioner’s specifications. However, the air bag production chart provided by Nissan shows that no driver’s air bags were available in the R32 GTS model until August 1991. For the R32 GTR model, no driver’s air bag was offered until February 1994, and it was then offered only as optional equipment. Nissan did not offer passenger’s air bags in the R32 model. Nissan began production of the R33 model in August 1993, offering both driver and passenger’s air bags as optional equipment on the GTS model.

It was not until January 1995 that a driver’s air bag was offered on the GTR model. As of January 1995, the driver’s air bag became standard on both GTS
and GTR models. One year later, in January 1996, the passenger’s air bag became standard on both GTS and GTR models.

Nissan has informed the agency that it does not possess records that would allow it to determine whether any individual vehicle had the air bags installed when those air bags were offered as optional equipment. The agency can only be assured that R33 vehicles, produced by Nissan beginning in January 1996, will have both driver and passenger’s air bags installed as original equipment.

On the basis of the foregoing, NHTSA has tentatively concluded that the original grant of eligibility to the 1990–1999 Nissan GTS and GTR passenger cars, comprising R32, R33, and R34 model vehicles, was overly broad. As a consequence, the agency has tentatively decided to rescind that decision in part. If it makes this rescission, only Nissan R33 model GTS and GTR passenger cars manufactured between January 1996 and June 1998 will be eligible for importation in the future.

Vehicle Eligibility Number The importer of a vehicle admissible under any import eligibility decision must enter on the HS–7 Declaration form covering the entry the appropriate vehicle eligibility number indicating that the vehicle is eligible for importation. Vehicle eligibility number VCP–17 is currently assigned to 1990–1999 Nissan GTS and GTR passenger cars. If this tentative decision is made final, NHTSA will rescind that eligibility number and assign a new eligibility number to Nissan GTS and GTR passenger cars manufactured between January 1996 and June 1998 that are to remain eligible for importation.

Interested persons are invited to submit comments on the tentative decision described above. Comments should refer to the docket number and be submitted to: Docket Management, Room PL–401, 400 Seventh St., SW., Washington, DC 20590. It is requested but not required that 10 copies be submitted.

All comments received before the close of business on the closing date indicated above will be considered, and will be available for examination in the
docket at the above address both before and after that date. To the extent possible, comments filed after the closing date will also be considered.
Notice of final action will be published in the Federal Register pursuant to the authority indicated below.

Authority: 49 U.S.C. 30141(a)(1)(B) and (b)(1); 49 CFR 593.8; delegations of authority at 49 CFR 1.50 and 501.8.
Issued on: November 21, 2005.
Claude H. Harris,
Director, Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance.
[FR Doc. E5–6530 Filed 11–25–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–59–P

sorry for the long post but it's informative... this is what you have to go through when you use "the system" to import JDM vehicles..

[mrmephistopheles]

Originally Posted by 90RS13

Well, you couldn't take a trashed S-chassis over. No S-chassis is new enough. Even when you get stationed there you can only bring a car less than 5 yrs old, or somewhere around there. I forget the excact age but it's very new. The japanese don't want crappy old usdm cars in thier junk yards after you go somewhere else i guess.

Most important to remember...in the US the age where no-one cars anymore is 25 years. If a car is 25 yrs or older, no matter where from, it can legally be imported to the states. Which is why you may have seen a KPGC10 or whatever the non-GTR was called. As of right now any car made in 1981 or older you can legally import.

Your first statement isn't true. If it were, I wouldn't be seeing a 1967 Firebird or a 1985 Chevy Suburban on the base here.
That's on base. I've seen '95 Corvettes and '93 Camaros, etc.
There used to be a '91-'93 240sx coupe here on the base (but owned by a Japanese National) as well.
Anything is possible here if you're willing to jump through the necessary hoops.

Your second statement is true to a degree. You can legally import cars of that vintage with little problem, but getting them road-legal is more difficult, especially in CA.

[silviasichigo]

Originally Posted by 90RS13

Well, you couldn't take a trashed S-chassis over. No S-chassis is new enough. Even when you get stationed there you can only bring a car less than 5 yrs old, or somewhere around there. I forget the excact age but it's very new. The japanese don't want crappy old usdm cars in thier junk yards after you go somewhere else i guess.



excactly. Only 2-Door 32-34 chassis skylines have the ability to be legal, and even then, the company has to be authorized by the government to perform legalizations, and it will cost around $10k.

However, just FYI, there are a good deal of German cars that can be legalized, because BMW is one of the companies that did Officially recognize to the US DOT that their european cars would react the same as US cars in a crash. But they still have to be legalized by official companies and it cost almost as much as for skylines. (they have to replace windows, lights, tires, bumpers, etc

Most important to remember...in the US the age where no-one cars anymore is 25 years. If a car is 25 yrs or older, no matter where from, it can legally be imported to the states. Which is why you may have seen a KPGC10 or whatever the non-GTR was called. As of right now any car made in 1981 or older you can legally import.

No you are wrong about the car age you can bring any car into japan but it will be classified in a few catagories (if he goes back under SOFA Status) If he brings a car back and registers it on base it will be classified as an E plate and then assigned a Number according to the Vehicle width and engine displacement, and Age. The car will have to be JCI'ed every year according to GOJ and JVRO. Same if you bring it back non-sofa it will receive a 8XX series plate and be classified as a recreational vehicle.

[akwon]

Yeah, legally bringing a silvia here is going to be costly and a *itch. If I were you, I would simply swap the VIN with a wrecked or rolling chassis 240sx. Hell, they're so cheap now, I would just buy one, take the VINs and sell the parts. I know probably half of you are gonna bash me, blah blah blah flame on. But, its the cheapest and most secure way. And why not? If you also want to be real safe, you could also do a RHD conversion. Search around for a shipping company with the capability of bringing a silvia here without the nonsense. Believe me they are out there.

[90RS13]

sorry for mis info. I just knew that all the people I knew that went to Japan when i was at Ramstein, couldn't bring their us spec cars because TMO told them they would only let them bring very new cars. But I should've double checked, cause people are prone to rumors.

And about 25 yrs and older. It shouldn't be hard unless your DMV is retarded. The D.O.T. and the E.P.A. don't care if a car is imported and registered if it's that old. If your DMV says they can't ask why. They will probably say they need a vin number and an old title. This isn't true. There are special registration procedures for imported antique cars. Just like kit cars, people think they can't register them, but you can, you just have to know how to do it, and will usually have to teach the people at your DMV how to do it.

[kognition]

So far i have seen more people trying to legallize a rhd Silvia than just setting the damn car up for track. It is easier, cannot be taken from you, and is less stress. As far as a rhd conversion goes, man if you have the time and motivation
more power to you.