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registering a jdm rhd FD 3

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Old 06-20-08, 07:41 PM
  #26  
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Originally Posted by Miata_mx5
Please do let me know, i am curious as well.
I asked my boss and he shrugged his shoulders. HAH, I'll have to assume that the state gets them from the feds and in turn gives them to us. Each state puts their own extra rules on them. So we've been comparing apples to oranges this whole time since we are talking about different state MSOs and their rules.
Old 06-20-08, 11:35 PM
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Wow, I never realized how restrictive the American system is. It is true, here in Canada (at least for the time being) it is quite easy to get the car legalized.

If you know a few people, emissions/safety are not an issue. Granted you have to have it checked by Canadian Tire for safety (that is not hard to do, especially since finding someone who works at one of them is not hard either), the emissions is a joke (when I say joke, I mean paying someone to pass it, not as in our standards are low, we are modelled here in Ontario on California's standards.).

Very easy process here in Canada. It might be easier to sell the car to a Canadian, and buy one there. How much did you pay?

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Old 06-22-08, 01:58 PM
  #28  
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Thumbs down

So basically it is not possible to bring a complete working car from overseas and have it registered and taged here legally?
I thought I could just bring a car and after some paperwork it could be US registered. I was wrong, right?
Old 06-22-08, 02:08 PM
  #29  
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Originally Posted by Sgtblue
Sure it can. Webster's Dictionary...Stupid: "To be benumbed; astonished; very dull in mind". Nope, I think stupid fits. Granted it's my opinion and if someone here had openly admitted to buying a car this way, I may have kept it to myself.
If the FD was never available here in North America, as is the case with the GTR, it all might make some sense. But I'd bet some guy at Kaizo gets a rug burn from rolling on the ground laughing everytime someone writes him a $25,000 or $30,000 check for stripped roller... just because it's got the steering wheel on the right. That's stupid.

I would have to agree with you..It is sorta dumb for someone to pay that much for a roller when they can get a front clip for 5K and switch everything over..Then you got a RHD rx-7.....Granted If I have 1234212 million dollars then hell yea I would pay 50-80k for a 2002 Rx-7 Type R In a heart beat but a running car not a roller..I just cant see why someone would pay 30k for a damn roller...Stupid fit it properly...
Old 06-22-08, 04:11 PM
  #30  
RHD ftw!

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actually i paid 2500 for my front clip XD

as for RHD converting a car? its INSANELY hard to do... there is a TON of work to do, theres a lot that needs to be switched and you also have to figure out if your going to do a complete conversion or a hybrid like im doing.

Its not an easy project, granted it IS cheaper than importing a car.


The ONLY JDM cars you can bring into the country without having to go through all this is cars older than 25 years, starting from the current year, ie, as of now, the year we can import to is 1983.
Old 06-22-08, 04:44 PM
  #31  
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Originally Posted by JfEdS3UsS
So basically it is not possible to bring a complete working car from overseas and have it registered and taged here legally?
I thought I could just bring a car and after some paperwork it could be US registered. I was wrong, right?
You may never get caught, and may get away with it. But it is not federally legal. That being said, many people have state titled cars.

Btw, it costs only 35,000-42,000 for a fully completed, driveable 1999-01 Rx7. Not a Spirit R or RZ, just a Type R bathurst. A fully completed Kaizo 1994 RZ Supra costed 18,000 done

Do not know where people are getting wild numbers from.
Old 06-22-08, 07:20 PM
  #32  
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Originally Posted by JfEdS3UsS
So basically it is not possible to bring a complete working car from overseas and have it registered and taged here legally?
I thought I could just bring a car and after some paperwork it could be US registered. I was wrong, right?
In a word, yes. It's not just some paperwork. Even if you fraudulently file the paperwork it's not easy. As you can see from an above post, it's extremely difficult to do it in compliance with both federal and state laws.

Dave
Old 06-22-08, 08:36 PM
  #33  
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Originally Posted by Miata_mx5
....Btw, it costs only 35,000-42,000 for a fully completed, driveable 1999-01 Rx7. Not a Spirit R or RZ, just a Type R bathurst. A fully completed Kaizo 1994 RZ Supra costed 18,000 done

Do not know where people are getting wild numbers from.
Originally Posted by Miata_mx5
The most expensive R34 is only going to be 50,000-70,000 Max. Most S15s go for 25,000-30,000 done. Prices all vary on a lot of things. Rx7s are not too expensive to do.
Wild numbers? If your referring to me, I got the figures from you based on the lower priced cars. Besides, your completed cost estimate is actually higher than my estimate was. But then we're both only dealing with estimates aren't we, since Kaizo doesn't provide a completed car. Just a stripped roller at $25k...more or less.
Originally Posted by Miata_mx5
.......It will not be a mazda, it will be a reconstructed body.
.......They will sell you only the shell, without any engine, motor, or headlights, or wheels. An "assemblage" of car parts.
........Best to line up engine, gearbox, headlights, and wheels before you buy the body though.
Old 06-23-08, 02:13 PM
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I know this is a little off topic. But it would be extremely difficult to make this car legal in Canada, selling it here to get it off your hands would be really hard.
Old 06-23-08, 02:37 PM
  #35  
RHD ftw!

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i thought you could import 92 and lower cars there without a problem?
Old 06-23-08, 02:44 PM
  #36  
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Well Reilly, this isn't looking so good for ya...
Old 06-23-08, 08:53 PM
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Originally Posted by Hitokiri_Gensai
i thought you could import 92 and lower cars there without a problem?

Hey Gensai, for the most part you can, for the time being anything thats 15yrs and older you can import (unless they change the law to 25 yrs, which theres allot of talk about). Getting registered isn't even too bad, all you really need is a out of province inspection, you don't even need to get an out of country inspection. But the problem is, his car is a 96 which is illegal for the most part becuase its not 15 yrs. Unless someone wants to buy it as a show car or something along those routes i dont think it can become legal.

As an aside i'm not too sure i'll have to check up on this if anyone is interested but i dont believe you can import a car from the U.S to canada if its been imported to the U.S from another country. But like i said i'm not too sure, i believe thats true for either canada or the u.s.
Old 07-09-08, 09:06 AM
  #38  
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thanks for everything guys i do have some pretty good info though i just went to the dmv and spent some time there and it turns out all i have to do is get a free vin inspection and then my car is good to go maybe its cause i'm in mississippi but it was very easy thanks for all the advice
Old 07-09-08, 08:08 PM
  #39  
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NO...

Originally Posted by Miata_mx5
Cut and paste from 2 threads below: For the most part though, if the car is already here in the USA, i think you are finished.....

First, of all, it is doable.

1) It will not be a mazda, it will be a reconstructed body.

2) DOT, EPA has NO CONTROL over an "assemblage of car parts"

.....

I drive daily a Kaizo R32 GTR. Never been harassed once in the heart of irvine/so cal.
Sorry to burst your bubble but your car or any car registered this way is not completely legal and is definately no 100% legal. You may not have been busted and for your sake hopefully never will be. However your GTR and the other Kaizo or other imported "illegal" cars are falsely claiming to be kit cars. You have a nissan chassis, with a nissan engine. You could put the entire Bee R 32/34 kit on your car and it would still be an Nissan Skyline R32.

This is taken from the California DMV website:

What is a Custom-Built Car?
California law describes a custom-built car as one that's "built for private use, not for resale, and is not constructed by a licensed manufacturer or remanufacturer." Basically, a custom-built car is one you built yourself. These types of cars are usually built from kits, or parts taken from salvage vehicles and other cars.

Restored cars, even if you manufactured parts, aren't custom-built. Modification to body, engine, vehicle systems, or the vehicle's interior also don't qualify. You could add a miniature version of the Caesar's Palace water fountains to the rear deck and your car will still qualify as a regular car, registration-wise.

Because custom-built cars are not your typical vehicles, the registration process is a little more involved than with a regular car.


Bottom line is you guys are trying to use a loop hole to sell cars (unibodies) and misleading the customer to think that their cars are 100% legal. They are not and the loop hole will get closed due to pressure from Nissan who has far better lawyers and money to make sure that the skyline doesnt get sold stateside. They don't want the Skyline name tarnished by some run of the mill chassis repair shops.

Kaizo is however a great way to get a chassis in to the states an be able to use it for race only purposes, but anyone can do that if they bring in a chassis as a parts car and then install an engine etc on their own and trailer the car to the track.
Old 07-09-08, 08:36 PM
  #40  
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Originally Posted by Miata_mx5
. It is up to the customer to put the car together. Which is a piece of cake in terms of finding A) wheels, B) Motor and transmission, C) Headlights, D) Guage cluster.
So where do you find DOT approved GTR headlights? They never made a LHD GTR so this sounds pretty tricky to me.

Originally Posted by Miata_mx5
I can know it. In about 2 years i am bringing over a 2000 Rx7 shell. It will cost me about 25,000 average for the shell. The whole car done should be 35,000. After test driving a stock 2001 Rx7 in japan, to me it is well worth it.

Ahhh how many times have we heard this song. I believe it is called the newb anthem. You are not bringing over a 2000 rx7 shell and you have no idea what it is going ot cost you because the above price is way off. Ask me I know.




[QUOTE=Miata_mx5;8301134]
second of all) The RB26DETT is a federally compliant engine. Federal law > state law right?[/QUOTE}

Oh really! Source for this info please? Link to official GOV site that lists this engine as compliant?

Originally Posted by Miata_mx5
another point) The RB26DETT in stock form has been put under a CARB sniffer test, and it passes. Just FYI. I happen to know the guy who is in charge of the C.A.R.B Grey market division. Even though they say otherwise, any car 2004 - is usually not looked at for OBDII either. He said directly to me: I can bring over a 2001 Rx7 body, put in, say a stock 1995 Rx7 engine with catalysers and pay 5000 for a CARB Sniffer test at their labs. If it passes, it can be a california legal car. Not Federally legal, california legal. And when the CHP pulls you over, all they care about seeing is that you comply with the emissions.
Whoa whoa, someone has changed their tune here!
So now it is not going to be federally legal, therefore not 100% legal? but here you said it would be?

Originally Posted by Miata_mx5
8) This is the ONLY 100 PERCENT LEGAL way to drive a Grey Market car in the United States. Any car with a Nissanie Motorsports (some of the original experimental Kaizo cars from a few years back, mainly GT-Rs), or Kaizo Industries sticker in the door jambs, and firewall is a 100 percent legal car.
Old 07-09-08, 08:55 PM
  #41  
Please somebody help!!!

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Kaizo unibodies are illegal. The legislation regarding kit cars explicitly states that they cannot be mass produced. Given that Mazdas and Nissans are mass produced they are illegal to register as kit cars.

The moar you know.

It still applies.
Old 07-10-08, 08:31 AM
  #42  
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Very interesting readin. Since you guys are in the know...

Is there a way to ship a car over from say the UK to use while in the US? I know some americans do similair so they can drive at the ring and its commonplace in most European countries to have a home registered car and keep it at your holiday home in another country but with home plates.
Old 07-10-08, 12:57 PM
  #43  
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Originally Posted by Rixio_Scon
Is there a way to ship a car over from say the UK to use while in the US? I know some americans do similair so they can drive at the ring and its commonplace in most European countries to have a home registered car and keep it at your holiday home in another country but with home plates.
No.
Old 07-10-08, 01:25 PM
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Originally Posted by moconnor
No.
Iv seen it done on the bull run though...
Old 07-10-08, 01:46 PM
  #45  
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Originally Posted by Rixio_Scon
Very interesting readin. Since you guys are in the know...

Is there a way to ship a car over from say the UK to use while in the US? I know some americans do similair so they can drive at the ring and its commonplace in most European countries to have a home registered car and keep it at your holiday home in another country but with home plates.
Do you mean a car that was originally sold in America, then transported to Europe for a vacation, not registered or modified to comply with European standards, then shipped back to The States?

Or do you mean a car that was originally intended for sale and driving in Europe then trying to send that to The States and get it registered?
Old 07-10-08, 07:19 PM
  #46  
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You can buy LHD cars there and bring them to the states because they are manufactured to meet DOT specs. I can ship you a porsche from Japan as long as it has the correct vin. However buying a LHD japanese car in the UK will leave you in the same situation as buying it from the states.
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