The only JDM car that is completely 100% legal to import to the US that I know of is an R33 Skyline GTR produced from Jan/1996 - June/1998. Complete crash tests were performed on that car by a company in Balitmore called JK Technologies (http://convert2us.com/). They are supposed to be the only RI that can 100% legally import and peform the necessary modifications to bring that car up to US spec. I've actually talked to them on the phone to find out more info on the process, but after finding out how much everything costs, it is difficult to continue. The whole process with the modifications needed costs around $30k, that's NOT including the price of the car itself. I also heard rumors that another company in Santa Ana, CA called G&K Auto Conversion (http://www.gnkauto.com) can also legally do this, but I'm not sure about this one because I haven't personally talked to them.
I think one of the larger modification costs needed with JDM cars that were built after 1996 is OBDII. In the US, all cars built after 1996 are required to be OBDII; however, that is not the case in Japan. So, if you want to bring over a JDM car that's newer than a 96 model, OBDII needs to be added in order to be US compliant. JK technologies gets the stock R33 GTR computers and modifies them to be OBDII compliant, they told me that part is expensive though.
Of course there's also reinforced side beams, DOT glass and lights, etc.
So, I decided that it wasn't worth it, until I win the Mega or Super Lotto!

 

This is the money you COULD be saving if you bought an American FD and just mod it to look like a '99+

 

just move to canada. import a 93 rx7
100% legal and probably cheaper.
12k with 50,000 km on it.

 

It should be pretty clear at this point that the only legal way of importing an FD is through a Registered Importer. And since said importer will need to provide NHTSA several JDM FDs for crash testing (good luck getting Mazda USA to agree to a conformance letter) in addition to many other things that this poster mentioned (glass, ECU, emissions) their upfront cost is likely to be $100k+ - with no guarantee of a successful outcome at the beginning of the process. Since mint < 20k mile FDs are a struggle to sell for $20k these days, legalization in the foreseeable future makes no financial sense for an RI.

There have been many RHD FDs for sale on this board over the years with claims of legitimacy - but the minute you mention DOT/EPA/NHTSA compliance documents the sellers either disappear or claim knowledge of some Super Sekrit legalization procedure that they could not possibly divulge because it may cause the buyer's head to explode. The sellers are invariably shifty liars.

 

I also understand the personal attachment to their cars. But at the same time, most I've seen on the forums are mostly talk... Just as most who's buy an FD, start having issues with their FD, and after issues after issues and thousands and thousands of dollars later, they realized it not worth their time and money... Its just a fact of life and hence many of these threads leads to no one following thru.. Either way, good luck! I hope some individual feels its worth the hassle and time to bring their pride and joy.

LMAO!