Well I found a rather nice FD over in Japan for $7800 + $900 for shipping. Its a 92 with 70K miles (110 or so Km) on it, its black on black, its lowered on some nice wheels, has a lip kit on it and a Apex-i N1 exaust. I really want to get it, but Im a lil leary about getting a car I have never seen in person, or if this car really exisists and/or the place is just a scam. So does any one think I should get the car? Also would any one happen to know what needs to be changed, besides the windsheild, for it to be legal to drive on US roads.
Thanks a lot
James

 

I would be leary to. Look around and get a domestic that is in good shape.

 

I heard you can get register in CA but you need to get approval from mazda NA for some paperwork like crach report. ppl said you can have RHD FD legal in CA but not klater than 96. Good luck and tell us more on that.

 

1) that link to the seller was on here a week ago. The car looked clean, but there's a reason it's $7800.


I don't know your level of familiarity with these cars, but unless you know a LOT about them, there are probably things different betweent he US and JDM versions that no one on this forum would be able to help you with. That's fine--you get the car cheap, but when it breaks, then what are you going to do?

--Neato peato...it's RHD...BFD.......

-BN

 

ok man check it out. ive looked into it pretty hard to get my japanesse fd to the states. the problem is you can ship a car that doesnt have or has never had a VIN number attached. If you were to ship a skyline since it was never shiped to the states DMV can assign a VIN number. FD were brought to the states for 3 years all VIN numbers are accounted for so you cant just walk in and say i need a Vin number. you would have to get a title. now you can go to a junkyard and get a Vin number off of a wrecked fd and the title use that or you can use dealer plates that works too. or just use it for off road purposes only. im gonna ship mine back and figure the rest out later. Glass needs to be changed. lights need to be changed. has to have all emissions equipment attached. (airpump etc.) doors have to be taken off and reinforcements put in plusremeber what year it is because after a certain year it has to have drivers airbags. $$$. well this is all i can think about now.. but it is a pain... hope i answered some of your ??

 

You ever looked inside our doors? The reenforcements are there. What lights do you need to change? None that I know of.

 

See I dont want to buy it because its from Japan, I want to buy it because its a cheap good looking RX7. BTW, I just found another FD for $7500 and it looks even better, its a 94', and has less miles on it. I also found a 92 Auto in good shape for about $4500. I plan on calling the DMV either tommarow or the next day and finding out what all is needed to make it legal. Also, isnt the car cheaper because its in Japan? Where RX7's are cheaper because there is more of them?.

 

that was what DMV and customs told me needed to be done about the doors. im aware that they are reinforced but thought maybe needed more... the rear turn signals are yellow here i think they need to be red.... let me know if im wrong

 

Oh yea, Thanks for the help so far, I hope the DMV will answer the rest of my questions. And shouldnt the SMOG equipment be there? I was under the impression that Japan had some of the strictest polution laws in the world?

 

http://www.batfa.com


Taken from the lounge

 

RX7's are cheaper in Japan because used car don't hold value for **** here. The japanese would rather drive newer cars I guess. I bought mine for $6300~ if I remember correctly. In the states, it would have sold for over $20,000 because of the little mods it had.

Door re-inforcements need to be put in place IF the car doesn't have them already. The rear tail lights are identical either from USA or from Japan.

 

jspec,

Let people know how the average JDM owner handles maintenance on their car, as well (yourself not included, and obviously there are exceptions). You know what I'm talking about.

 

You heard wrong...your friends need to stop spreading false info...because they make you look bad...

 

Read these links...
https://www.rx7club.com/search.php?s...der=descending

IMO, it is not going to happen.

 

The DMV can only tell you so much because of their limited experience w/ cars.

Not everyone there knows what they are talking about. Just like every single one of these "import JDM RHD RX-7 threads",....where someone HAS TO mention...."I heard you can get papers from Mazda...crash test...yadda yadda yadda".

The DMV is only ONE branch of government. There is also DOT, CARB, NHTSB, etc. ALL of these operate SEPERATELY so just because you get the "okay" from one, doesn't mean that you are 100% legal.

 

The MAIN reason is because it is CHEAP. Good looking RX-7s can be had in this country, but YOU refuse to pay the $$$$$ for them. So in essence, you are ONLY looking at JDM RX-7s because of the price.

 

jspecracer7 is right in that the automotive economy in Japan is driven by new cars. Used cars don't hold value in Japan. Whereas in the US, there is a strong Used Car Market.

 

id say go for it. get as much info as possible before you buy the car, try to get the car as legal as possible and prove everyone that doubts you wrong. having a rhd fd would be fun to drive, and extremly rare. it may even be worth more here since it is so rare.
basiclly what im saying is for you to be the test dummy for the rx7club. if you do it i think you will be the 1st. then i will be 2nd and so on .... good luck!

 

I would just get it for off road only, it would still be a fun track car.

 

ask rotaryextreme

Mike

 

What I figure is I can ship it here as off road only, tell them some BS about why its a race car and some track events its going to, blah, blah, blah. Then when I get it here I have as much time as I need to make it legal to drive on pubilic roads. Or I could just drive it illegaly and say **** the Gov. Im gonna do what I want, but Im not sure how well that would work .
But anywyas, I think I'll do some real research and stop listing to people that have not imported a JDM FD, because their ill informed opions are discouraging.
I figure if I could get the car, ship it, and convert it for under 12K I would still be getting a killer deal because I could sell it for substantialy more. Especialy if Rotary Extreme is selling a non-legal "Parts Car" for 12.5K when they probily picked it up for around 4-6K. But they have the knowlage on how to import on here at least, so it would save you or I the hassle.

 

I'll tell you this much right now. The govt will want actual PROOF that it is going to be a race car. Just telling them isn't going to cut it.

If this was the case, then everyone would do it this way.

At least you're headed in the right direction,....ask a company that specializes in the import/export/legalization of vehicles.

Good luck.

 

All I can say is don't cry when they crush the car or charge you to ship it back where it came from.

 

sounds like the car i saw on ebay last summer, it had a small aluminum spoiler, hood pins and i think a aftermarket hood. all they had shown was a pic of the outside and that was it just 1. sounds like a scam

 

I think the original poster just wants a RHD FD, to tell you the truth. Whatever it takes to be different these days - I guess.