Ill start off by saying Im new to this forum but im not new to car forums, ive searched for about an hour and havent found anything really useful.

I currently live in germany and have had a 1995 j spec rx7 for about 6 months. I am going to iraq in a couple months for a 15 month tour and will have plenty of money saved up when i get back. Right now I really love this car and im planning on trying to take this car back to the states with me when i come back. But i want to hear some info from someone who actually knows what all has to be changed to get it legalized in the states so i can get it tagged and insured. I have heard everything from the exhaust, glass, bumpers, dash and all kinds of other crap that needs to be changed but i would like to know for sure if it is even feasible for me to afford to keep this car? I will have around 30-40k saved up when i get back from iraq and i would be willing to spend about 5-6k maybe a lil more to change whatever needs to be changed to get this car legalized in the states. so please if any one has any first hand experience with legalizing j-spec cars in the states i would appreciate it.

 

Not gonna happen. Sell it, buy a USDM when you get here.

 

I hate to do it but: question 12 of the FAQ found here.

This is a common question.

 

We really need a stickie on this subject at the top of the 3rd Gen Forum, based upon the number of threads that come up on this subject every month...

In order to make your "jspec" FD fully legal to register and drive on U.S. roads, the first task is that the car needs to have crash testing performed in order to satisfy that it exceeds NHTSA standards, because the LHD FD does not have any data in the NHTSA databanks. You will have to foot the bill for importing two FDs that will be crash tested, plus the cost of testing, which will easily run in the six-figure range. You will then have to foot the bill for emissions testing, which will easily run into the high four-figure range (if not five figures). And contrary to misconceptions that have been posted by some people, a letter from a lawyer stating the JDM FD is basically the same as the USDM model will not sway federal authorities, nor is there some sort of exemption on importation of foreign market vehicles for U.S. road use by armed services personnel (I'm sorry to say). Note that this is no guarantee you will actually pass the required tests; and you'll still be on the hook for paying for all of it.

All this will surely take at least a year, if not more, to complete, because you will have the responsibility of making all the arrangements, the testing must completed without any issues, data gathered and presented to federal authorities, and then approved.

There will be the usual posts stating that you can just take it to some backwater state DMV and register it, but even that is no guarantee that it can be done (the JDM VIN numbers are different, and even if it could be done, it's still not completely legal), but of course, the big problem is that you'll have to get the vehicle onto these shores first. And I'm not so sure it'll be that easy for even armed services personnel to get a foreign market vehicle past U.S. Customs authorities' prying eyes in this day and age.

In other words, you'll be far better off selling that FD, and just buying a USDM model when you return to the States.

 

yeah way to many things to change...all out EGR and pollution ****. in my county we dont have emissions, so i can slip by

 

Don't mean to thread off topic, but to avoid paying the import/export auto fee, I heard some people dismantle the FD and ship it separately. The engine/transmission boxed separately and the car shipped as "chasis" item? Don't know if its true.

In any case, the above restrictions will probably apply, too much hassles.

I recently helped convert my friend's Japanese Honda from right side drivers to left (American). Had to weld entire firewall from an American model.

 

 

you sure can.

Then when you put it back together, it'll get impounded and crushed. And we'll be there to pick off any parts that are still usable.

 

I'm stationed here at Aviano Italy. Aksed the same question to Transcar (they do the vehicle shipping here). They told me it costs around $8K to make it U.S. compatible. Ask the transportation guys up in Germany. They'll know best.
But that whole emmision thing scares me though, don't think my FD would pass.

 

The problem is the non-US FDs never got Federalized crash testing. Ask them about that.

If you can't find a way to pass emissions, you don't have a prayer of getting it properly registered.