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I reached out and got more information from the seller. He has everything needed to register the car anywhere really. Its been "fully cleared" in Puerto Rico so it shouldnt raise any suspicion in any of the 50 states..... well, 49. California may be on some ****.
I will post pictures of the documents he sent me. Idk how he did it or who ever did it but it was done. Still very much eligible to seized but 99.99% unlikely that will happen ever. So long as these forms aren't forged, then it's about as legal as an illegal car can get. I personally wouldn't buy it even if I had 70k to spend on a stock fd.
hi...
your comment is out of line
ebay do not have were to put jdm vins
if you read my full add you would see that is explained
I'm assuming you are the one that's currently listing this for sale? I really hope you are making potential buyers aware that they are buying a federally illegal, non compliant car, that can't be lawfully titled and registered in the continental us, or territories. What is a potential buyer going to do if they get caught in possession of this and get hit with a forced order to export or the car gets seized?
It's definitely a great looking FD, and I'm not saying I agree with the importation laws here, at all, but I'd hate to see an unsuspecting buyer or the car suffer as a result.
Lol..Do Spirit R's even go for that much? At this point anyone who would be in the market for a car like that at that price would likely have the resources and budget in place to get it cheaper elsewhere, albeit still illegal stateside.
Edit: So my FD is one of 151 of it's type, maybe I should undercut by five grand. lol
https://clearitusa.com/25-year-rule-...e-car-imports/ was put into law to address these concerns. It essentially bans the personal import of any foreign vehicle not intended for the American market. Written into the act is a provision for vehicles over 25 years of age, reinforcing that cars over 25 years of age are classics and antiques. The 25-year rule represented a compromise: collectors could still have their cars, but the average American was going to need to buy something the government and manufacturers could assure was safe for American roads.
Allows any individual (not just registered importers) to import non-conforming foreign motor vehicles if such import is for personal use and not intended for resale at the time of importation, and if the individual posts bond and complies with other terms and conditions determined by the Secretary. Authorizes the Secretary to require that such vehicles be brought into conformity with the Federal safety standards by a registered importer.
Exempts non-conforming foreign motor vehicles that are 25 years old or older ("classic or antique") from the restrictions imposed by this Act.
Also, although Type R Bathurst is a really nice car, there isn't really anything to distinguish it as special. It's a Type R (mid equipped/spec level) with foglamps (worth $500) and Showa height adjustable coilovers (not that great anyway). And they made 2174 of them, ie not exactly limited or rare. It was basically the entry level model for 2002.
People seem to confuse them with the Type R Bathurst R which came with Mazdaspeed carbon look interior bits, special decals and a unique yellow colour option and were limited to 650 models.
Don't get me wrong, I'd still get one because the Type R, despite being the mid spec option, still has the best power to weight ratio of all the FD models (except the Aussie SP), better handling square tyre setup with lighter 16" wheels and only misses out on the bigger brakes and nicer gearing of the Type RS, RZ and Spirit R type A and B.
Also, although Type R Bathurst is a really nice car, there isn't really anything to distinguish it as special. It's a Type R (mid equipped/spec level) with foglamps (worth $500) and Showa height adjustable coilovers (not that great anyway). And they made 2174 of them, ie not exactly limited or rare. It was basically the entry level model for 2002.
People seem to confuse them with the Type R Bathurst R which came with Mazdaspeed carbon look interior bits, special decals and a unique yellow colour option and were limited to 650 models.
Don't get me wrong, I'd still get one because the Type R, despite being the mid spec option, still has the best power to weight ratio of all the FD models (except the Aussie SP), better handling square tyre setup with lighter 16" wheels and only misses out on the bigger brakes and nicer gearing of the Type RS, RZ and Spirit R type A and B.
I agree with the above apart from it being an entry level model. They were still making RB's up until late March 2002 and an R Bathurst is a huge upgrade over the RB.
The R Bathurst is just a slightly special model of a type R as Mazda found they get way more sales for specials than normal model grades.
Quote: "Showa height adjustable coilovers not that great anyway."
Just installed my second set of used ones. There is an improvement , but what better characteristics might I be missing?
Let me be clear. All I'm saying is that while factory height adjustable coilovers might have been an attractive option when this car was available new in 2002, this is not a feature that in 2021 should determine whether you buy this particular model. In all likelihood, many cars coming out of Japan will require new shocks anyway, so you'll get an instant improvement over any of the factory coilover setups (including the Bilsteins in Spirit R and RS etc) by going to Ohlins or something similar. For most people here, even with the Spirit Rs etc, the coilovers are the first thing to be replaced as they are either worn or completely unsuitable for Australian roads. Depending on where you live, you will find many Japanese suspension options are suited to perfect roads and may not suit where you live.
As for specific issues with the Showas, most reports are that the ride is OK for the street, but they only offer you at most around 25mm of adjustment lower than the factory non-adjustable coilovers. Also, you need spring compressors to keep the springs captive while adjusting the ride height, so they're less practical than superior aftermarket options. Those aftermarket options will be brand new, give you greater ride height adjustment and offer you the full selection of spring rates and bump/rebound adjustment.
So for all intents and purposes, Type R Bathurst is the same as a Type R (except for the standard foglights, which many Type Rs got as an option anyway and are inexpensive to add on), but is newer and will therefore more likely to be in better condition. The great thing about Type R Bathurst is that they are plentiful, you get all the Version VI improvements plus the 280ps engine version and it's still not hard to find really great examples. In the past few weeks, I've seen 5 on sale in Japan, all with 20,000km or less and all cheaper than the Type R Bathurst in this thread is being advertised at. The last one was 16,000km and went for 5.1M Yen.
What value is there to having the car already at hand where someone else has taken the documentation, import risk and you can have the complete car inspected and tested on your own terms?
So many auction cars arriving in Vancouver need major engine repair soon after arrival, that you pretty much have to figure a rebuilt engine into the purchase price. The advantage that those risks be cancelled or covered could be worth, say $5-10,000?
Although a DIY import could cost considerably less, middlemen are getting away with skims of up to $5000.
A local fellow involved with bringing cars in says that container rates are getting up to $7000 compared to say $2-4000 during the peak importing days.
He has several shipments "stuck" in Japan waiting for container rates to settle down.
What value is there to having the car already at hand where someone else has taken the documentation, import risk and you can have the complete car inspected and tested on your own terms?
So many auction cars arriving in Vancouver need major engine repair soon after arrival, that you pretty much have to figure a rebuilt engine into the purchase price. The advantage that those risks be cancelled or covered could be worth, say $5-10,000?
There is an inherent risk in importing for reasons you have stated, but at least speaking from the Australian perspective, the provenance of a car in Japan is much easier to verify than one obtained locally which may have been modified or the odometer wound back. You can get Japanese deregistration checks performed, but for cars imported many years ago, the original info is not always available. I don't know how it works in Canada or elsewhere, but in many countries, buyers have to rely on auction sheets and bid themselves etc, but use a broker to arrange for the purchase and delivery etc. The agents we use here generally provide a complete service including sourcing the car and physically inspecting it up and down, as you cannot rely on the auction sheet as being accurate. They can start the car etc and check it. Also, a car with verified 16,000km and full service history is generally not going to require a rebuild for years.
Although a DIY import could cost considerably less, middlemen are getting away with skims of up to $5000.
Australian buying agents generally charge A$1,100 for the full sourcing, inspection and purchase service. There are international broker services operating in Japan that cater towards markets that don't have independent agents like Australia has. They are charging massive premiums on dealer cars sold in Japan - more like $10-15,000 markup, but you'd be stupid to buy that way instead of buying direct from auction.
A local fellow involved with bringing cars in says that container rates are getting up to $7000 compared to say $2-4000 during the peak importing days.
Yes, there are massive issues with container ships waiting to enter North America which is causing container rates to skyrocket. While this affects container shipping, cars bought from auction in Japan are generally not shipped by container - at least not the ones coming to Australia. They are driven straight onto the ship from the auction yard. Full freight from Japan to Australia including duties today is still A$2,400.
Where we get screwed is local sales tax when the car hits Australian customs. But even with that, buying from Japan is around $10-30K cheaper than what local sellers are asking, on a like for like basis. Even if you need an engine rebuild, that makes importing worth the risk, especially when the most important thing about the car is the condition of the body and interior and its originality and provenance (service history etc) and these are all easily checked in Japan.
