Interesting read: "Show or Display" rule used to import pair of Skylines into the US... legally

 

I'm gonna get like 10 Spirit R's and it'll be DOOOOPE.

Interesting find. Would be neat to have a RHD show car, but driving a RHD car around is suck in a LHD world.

Dale

 

I'd probably get an Infini IV or something.

 

resistor to the Mile counter LOL

 

agreed

 

I think we would ahve a hard time with the Spirit R being made in relatively high number and proving that it was a technological leap in cars.

I've read about the show and display thing. I thought the car had to go back after a year. I guess I was mistaken.

 

With a previous employer we imported one of the first R35 in the states for R&D; the contract stated we only had 2 years before it had to be either crushed or shipped back to Japan.

 

I'm going to put a worthless 2 cent rant in on this one, having read that linked article.

Here, in my neighborhood, Skylines are like buttholes. Everyone has one. Every man and his dog has an R31, R32 or R33 and there are always at least 5 of them going through the local McDonald's drive thru. And guess what? They're very average cars. Turbocharged 6 cylinder. Woo. That really lights the world on fire. Exactly like, umm, a Supra? A 300ZX? A Stagea?
Here, the people who cannot afford/lack technical expertise, buy a cheap R32 or R33 (and they're mostly kids who get bank loans) and then proceed to fit a nasty BOV, "helladumb" wheels and flared guards, cut the springs with a grinder and cover half the panels in bondo and cruise around as if they are the coolest thing ever, and "drift" into curbs. There are R32/R33s in various states of disrepair everywhere. Some have camoflage paint (one was stolen recently in my area here, and the Police were very apathetic about recovering it- refering to it as the "camo cow") and some are spray painted matte black.

When you drive an FD, those same people stare at you, slack jawed, because the FD is one of the most revered "JDM yo"cars on the road, and the hardest/most expensive to import. In my state, there are roughly 500,000 people. And maybe 9-12 FDs total.

It blows my mind utterly, when I read an article like that, which seems to make out that a Skyline is something akin to a Lamborghini, when I can go outside and count them all day long. Skylines, Nissan Silvias, 180SX and 200SX's are some of the most commonplace cars here, and some of the most bland. I mean come on. A 4 door R32 Skyline is far from exotic looking. More like a Japanese taxi..

I'm sorry. Rant over. Please continue...

 

oooh I would be all over a NSX-R

 

In the states a Skyline is one of those Slack Jaw cars. At least for me it is. In fact I have never seen one in person.

On the other hand I've only seen two FDs here in person. So its not really that huge of a step in rarity.

 

Skylines are rarer in North America because they only came in RHD.

Now here in Canada where we have easier importing laws, I will see 2-3 Skylines a week in the summer... then again I see an FD every day when I look in my driveway...

-Geoff

 

LOL, I'm pretty sure Canada IS IN North America.


I completely agree with SA3R, except I can go to a car meet and see a dozen FDs.

IMHO, They're still better looking and more desirable than...ANY Nissan if you think about it. Sure, you could go buy a GTR for 75K or whatever they cost, but which car would you rather find perfectly preserved in a barn in the year 2050?

No question for me.

 

Down here in miami , I see them all the time in the race I mean .. umm track scene But they are all R33's

about the Skyline being a lambo . stock its not all that crazy , but you have to respect the fact that its engine can produce crazy amounts of power. its a very stable car to drive . very reliable

I think they deserve their Good rep

 

For me, importing is a complete waste of time. What does a R34, or Spirit R or any other car have that mine doesn't? Rarity? If you want rare, go get a pink paint job. I realize it's one of those nitches that most people drewl over. I really don't see the appeal. But like all things, to each his own.

 

Really depends, I see Skyline all the time, but again 1 of the 2 R32 in the article was sold to a Chicago buyer, to me it's just another average Joe.

 

Shifting with my left hand? No, thank you I am not that coordinated.

 

its actually advantageous for right handed people , because your dominant hand stays on the wheel at all times . your left hand just needs to move a stick into 6 positions LOL

ofcourse the whole making left turns thing in the US is not good LOL

 

99% of my shifting are done on a straight line, so my left hand actually has the least important role, keep the steering wheel straight lol.

 

This "loophole" pertains to cars made in numbers not exceeding 500.

Mazda made 5000 Spirit R's, IIRC.

Now if you found the very few SP's they made, you're onto something

 

According to the NHTSA, any RX7 from 1988 through 1995 is allowed in the states.

Vehicle Importation and Certification Requirements

http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/import/elig101012.pdf

 

I'm not implying Canada isn't in North America, but alas I'll spell out what I'm saying in my previous post to assist with reading comprehension.

In North America (Canada, United States, Mexico) Skylines are rare because they are RHD.

Here in Canada (where I live, a part of North America), we have easier laws for vehicle importing than the United States (where the OP lives, also a part of North America). Because of the easier laws, I do see a couple of Skylines a week, which I am assuming is far less than American members see.

-Geoff

 

From the very first page of what you linked:

"All eligibility numbers are for left-hand driver motor vehicles except where the initials "RHD" signifying right-hand drive, appear in the model type column."

RHD does not appear for the RX7 in this list.

However:

"We will consider vehicles "substantially similar" if the manufacturer advises us that the right-hand drive vehicle would perform the same as the U.S.-certified left-hand drive vehicle in dynamic crash tests."

This is the part of the law that whatever that company was that was importing Skylines used when they wrecked a couple GTRs for the NHTSA to get approval. The GTRs do appear on the list (marked as RHD)

-Geoff

 

It was 1500 spirit r's

 

To legally import a JDM RX7, you will need to go through a registered importer, post a compliance bond, and have the RI modify the car to comply with all the FMVSS standards applicable for the model year. You will probably need a letter from Mazda attesting to the substantially similar provision to avoid demonstration (crash) testing, however they will likely not do this. Then, the car needs to be tested at a certified lab for exhaust and evaporative emissions. The cost is exorbitant. This car was almost certainly imported illegally, and just registered in the state of residence (some states don't care about importation legalities). However, this car operated on the street, were it involved in an accident would probably find it's insurance revoked once the carrier realized it was an illegal import.

I went through all the above process to legalize my GT-R, it was tortuous. A RHD RX-7 in the US is a track or a
parts car IMHO. It is not worth the effort or risk when lots of good legal cars can be had for reasonable prices.

 

So what about importing a 1990 RHD miata from Japan? A friend of mine owns a miata in South Korea and since he's in the air force, they'll bring it back to the states for free. Problem is, it was imported to SK from japan. So what would the procedure be on that? I was at a local car show a month or so ago and there was a legit RHD S15 and the guy said it wasn't here under the VIN of a domestic 240, but he could have been just covering his ***.

Just seein what ya'll thought about that.