Need help buying an import
 

I live in Florida and i'm going to import a rx7. I found a 1996 rx7 that looks and sounds great that is listed for 4500USD on a car dealer in Japan, and i'm wondering if its too good to be true because i see a ton of them for under 6k. Does this mean there is something wrong with the car or what?

consider you have to pay to ship and other expenses

consider also that you can't register it and insure it in this country

might want to search for past threads on this topic in the 3rd gen section - and read the 3rd gen FAQ thread.

you cant register and insure it in the US? how do all these other people with imported rhd sports cars drive then? i have seen skylines and a silvia that were rhd in my town that were driven daily. it probably isnt too good to be true because the 3rd gen rx7 is a lot more in adundance in japan then the US considering they made them in japan until 2002 where they stopped in the US in 95 if im remember right. like gracer7 said shipping will cost you a decent amount and i didnt even know it couldnt be insure or registered in the US

the US doesn't like you importing cars from another country if that car has already been released in the US. skylines for example, were never released here and there was a company that did the crash tests etc to allow them to be imported if you could pay.

Ohhh alright gotchya. Whats the case with the Silvias? 240sx's are exactly the same.

The 1992-95 RX-7 was recently added to the legal import list:
http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/import/elig092210.pdf

1996 is not.

96+ and cars brought in before 2010 were done fraudulently.

why even bother with all that...sooo much simpler to just find one in the US.

I was held for 3 hours at US Customs on my way to DGRR because they thought I was going to sell my car in the U.S.A. I was also told at the border coming from Canada with my 1992 JDM FD that it is now illegal to import them into the U.S.A. At least now I'm in the system, so next time I will hopefully have a lot less of a hassle. If you really want a RHD JDM buy it in the states as cars already in the US are legal.(grandfathered).

It is simpler to buy one in the U.S but maybe they want a RHD JDM FD and is having an extremely hard time finding one in the U.S but knows that they only come in RHD in Japan. I did not know that there were such strict regulations on importing cars. I knew that certain cars like the skyline had trouble being registered and insured and all that but what you guys are telling me is all new.

Good luck on you jdm rx7, that car is going to be sweet i hope u fix it up like the cars on these video! :nod:

http://youtu.be/IA_vJol9A_k

i have always wanted a rhd fd rx7. there so amazing.
honestly im not surprised though that you cant insure them or register them in the US.

read the last line on page 2 of that document:

"The initials "RHD" used in the Model Type column mean "Right-Hand-Drive." All vehicles are left-hand-drive (LHD) vehicles unless noted as RHD."

aka you can only import left hand drive RX7s legally into the US..

Thank you for pointing that out. It appears someone actually reads this stuff (I have no interest in importing a car)

For quite a while it was clear that you couldn't import any FDs at all. I guess the trouble is only a small number were made LHD and sold outside of the US.

David

I've contacted at at least 5 different importers/RI's and they all said that i can bring in a RHD JDM rx7 legally. They have all said that there is NO PROBLEM with this. Besides if i can't get a RHD JDM rx7 there is no point wasting money on one.

i was just saying what the government documents online say. i would definitely contact them before you take the word of an importer since they have final say at the boarder. and yes i agree it would worthless to import a LHD car...

Not legal, federally, sure it may be gray area legal, but if the feds catch wind of it your car is gone.

Hey im new to this importing stuff
i live in vegas and there are no FD's around
i found one in Naguya japan and its pretty cheap 4500$
im 18 and i have 7k its RHD
assuming that the 93's are legal imports. what if its right hand drive. will the feds crush it?
i mean has anyone actually imported a jdm
hmu i need advice big time!

The biggest problem with importing an FD is that you are buying sight unseen. The used market for FDs in the states is loaded with cars in rough shape needing engine service. Sometimes very expensive engine work, other times on the brink of needing engine work. (Engine rebuilds typically end up costing $5k or more, and if you do the work yourself the parts cost is at least $2k). Many FDs go for sale because the owner keeps it looking ok, finds the early signs of a major problem, and sells it. You have to see the car in person, or have it evaluated by someone who knows what they're looking for.

Buying an FD is in many ways about weeding out the junky cars. IME if you shop in a price range you will find more junky cars than good ones. This is fundamentally why you don't want to buy an FD that "needs work" unless you know exactly what you're getting into. Buying a car sight unseen, whether it comes from Japan or elsewhere, is risky because you have no protection whatsoever against a crap car. If you import one you add a whole other layer of difficulty, so really I know of *zero* experienced FD owners who have any interest at all in importing a car. Experienced FD owners who score a deal typically do by buying a car they've seen in person.

93-96 rx7's are legal for import into the USA. Like he said the problem is that you are buying a car based upon photos only. I am placing the order for my 95 rx7 within the next few months. Use RHDauto they are great at what they do, i have had many friends go through them.

Have you checked on the fact that RHD's are specifically excluded from the import list?

David

I have spoken to many importers and i have even called the import division of the NHSTA and they told me it was legal to import one.

Interesting. I'd never trust an importer but the NHTSA is the one that counts.

David

Did they specifically say it was legal to import a right hand drive?
Because it isn't... The only ones that are legal to import are left hand drive versions...

dude when you get that rx7 let me know.
do you think the prices are low balled for a reason?
and i was reading through NHTSa nonconforming vehicle list
and it said as long as the car has a similar counterpart in the u.s and u can prove the rhd is the same as a lhd in a crash test then they would say i would be fine to be rhd.

i really want an R1 xD

Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't the US-spec RX-7s have larger bumper beams? If the RHD models don't have the same crash structures, wouldn't that cause them to fall below the DOT requirements? If someone has actually registered an imported FD in the US and can confirm it's legal, I'm all about checking out that option! :bigthumb: