Has anyone ever imported a car?

legacycontinues · Post by **legacycontinues** » Sat Mar 05, 2005 7:04 am

I made a promise to Subyluvr that before the year is out I will be purchasing a JDM RHD twin turbo legacy wagon and having it imported.

Has anyone imported a vehicle before? I found some info on the web but I want some first hand info.

dzx · Post by **dzx** » Sat Mar 05, 2005 8:45 am

Not to hijack but if your importing, get a skyline.

azn2nr · Post by **azn2nr** » Sat Mar 05, 2005 8:53 am

u know what sucks about importers. is that they all keep how they got the car legalized secret. as much as i can gather you can import the car and techicnaly not have it leageal. then after an inspection you go to the dmv and get a new vin and reistration.

206er · Post by **206er** » Sat Mar 05, 2005 9:19 am

maybe find out what counties in your state have really slack car laws and try to get it registered there using a PO box. theres gotta be some counties in FL that dont require emissions since much of the south doesnt have emissions. I imagine that would help quite a bit. Im not sure but once its registered in the US, all you need is emissions and/or inspection to get it registered in any other county/state. those TT's seem like a pain and a half to work on though...

evolutionmovement · Post by **evolutionmovement** » Sat Mar 05, 2005 4:42 pm

Alabama has very slack title requirements. I wonder if you could import it through Canada and drive it over (taking a chance not declaring it to customs). you could always swap VINs with a similar parts car you buy.

These are just suggestions for amusement/research purposes and I do not advocate illegal activity.

Steve

91White-T · Post by **91White-T** » Sat Mar 05, 2005 5:02 pm

It should be relatively easy since you're importing a model that was sold in the US. Skylines are way more expensive because they have to not only do the emissions crap, but 5mph bumpers and side impact stuff. Of course, you could somehow get a dealer plate and just drive it around with that.

evolutionmovement · Post by **evolutionmovement** » Sat Mar 05, 2005 7:07 pm

Or if you really have an in, a mfg plate. I used to see Lancia Kappas, Alfa spiders (the one not sold here), and stuff driving around Detroit with those. There was even some weird Fiat truck (not a Mutipla - this was before that thing). Now that I think of it, they were mostly Fiats.

Steve

legacycontinues · Post by **legacycontinues** » Sat Mar 05, 2005 10:31 pm

Thanks for all the advice. So what yall are saying is, I could get a stolen car from Japan and legalize it here? The guy that has the Legacy TT has 2 skylines as well. They are not expensive but he won't sell the skylines to a me. Only to a car parts dealer. I asked.

Here in FL we do not have inpsection or emissions so I should be good..

Thanks again.

Binford · Post by **Binford** » Sun Mar 06, 2005 1:42 am

I would tend to think it would be kinda hard to legalize an imported car like that in Fl. as I understand they have harsh laws regarding totaled/rebuilt vehicles. Alot of people buy easily repairable wrecks that the insurance companies "total" and fix them in another state. I have no real experience at either, so I'm just throwing it out there.

legacycontinues · Post by **legacycontinues** » Sun Mar 06, 2005 8:25 am

Yeah we do have new laws regarding totaled and flood damaged vehicles. You can take them to any other state and title them but they can nevr be brought back into the state. I would like to thank texas for this. Seems some shit heads in TX decided to send a bunch of flood damaged cars over here and sell them cheap. A ton of the cars turned out to be complete pieces of shit and all those owners complained. Jeb Bush waved his wand (and pen) and the COD (certificate of destruction) law.

I'm actuallydoing to by a running, driving car. No junk.

jamal · Post by **jamal** » Sun Mar 06, 2005 8:35 am

Imported TT front clip + postal wagon.

azn2nr · Post by **azn2nr** » Sun Mar 06, 2005 9:20 am

my countys motor pool has rhd legs that are sedans. they wont sell them though

BAC5.2 · Post by **BAC5.2** » Sun Mar 06, 2005 2:48 pm

Before I got the Legacy, I was going to buy a recovered (stolen, then gotten back) R32 Skyline (GTR, RHD still, fully legal). I was asking how it was carried into the country, and they said it was just a matter of getting it to meet the standards of the crash tests that were set forth by previous imports, and meet emissions standards.

With the JDM TT wagon, you would need to get a parts car, and swap the saftey equipment over, since JDM stuff was different. You need the USDM bumper beam, USDM door beams, and you need USDM lights and exhaust that'll pass federal emissions standards (reguardless of whether the county requires emissions testing or not).

Beyond that, it's not that difficult. Espically since it's probably been done with a TT wagon.

Expect to spend 10k to 12k to do it though, for a wagon in good condition.

evolutionmovement · Post by **evolutionmovement** » Sun Mar 06, 2005 5:31 pm

Phil, you're talking about grey market importing. This was done to lots of exotics back in the day and is still done with Porsche 959s (only recenty) and the Skyline (which had to be crash tested by the importer and gotten to pass emissions) as well as lesser cars. Ferrari 512 BBs, for example, were never official imports, but were made to pass emissions and got EPA certs. I don't know in that case if they were crash tested or got an exepmtion or even if the 365 BB had been imported and, therefore, the 512 piggybacked on it's DOT safety test, but whatever. If you've seen Rain Man, that's what Tom Cruise's character does. I was trying to think of a cheap, if not strictly legal way to do it. Easiest way is definitely a front clip into a postal car.

Steve

legacycontinues · Post by **legacycontinues** » Sun Mar 06, 2005 7:54 pm

entirelyturbo · Post by **entirelyturbo** » Sun Mar 06, 2005 8:32 pm

I need to find the pic that I took of my Legacy sitting right next to the NICO Skyline R33 that bops around town here locally.

Greg, I honestly like jamal's suggestion. Get a JDM front clip and then swap it all into a RHD postal wagon...

206er · Post by **206er** » Sun Mar 06, 2005 8:36 pm

has anyone here actually driven a RHD car in america? seems like it would be kind of wierd. parallel parking would be a snap though...

BAC5.2 · Post by **BAC5.2** » Sun Mar 06, 2005 11:08 pm

I've ridden "shotgun" in an RHD car... is that good enough? Weirdest feeling in a car outside of roadhead and that feeling you get when everything works in erie cooperation.

legacycontinues · Post by **legacycontinues** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 12:27 am

If I was to swap in the 20tt engine into my legacy wouldn't it be just like having an STi wagon? I haven't seen any postal wagons cheap so keeping my legacy and changing the engine seems like the cheap way to go.

Lets say I do the 5MT 20TT swap.... my car is already from japan just not RHD.

evolutionmovement · Post by **evolutionmovement** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 1:02 am

That's the problem with the TT - it doesn't fit in a LHD car without major exhaust work. However, those engines are fairly cheap and would probably be pretty easy to convert to single turbo. I've never seen cheap postal cars either.

Steve

206er · Post by **206er** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 1:39 am

converting to single turbo seems like the way to go on those motors. Ive heard that they have a pretty bad dead spot in the powerband, and working on one must be living hell. Im sure there are other drawbacks, though they probably have some good low end power.
there is a ej20tt front clip on ebay for around 2 grand I think it was. are they closed deck at all? good heads?

BAC5.2 · Post by **BAC5.2** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 2:23 am

I am pretty sure that the EJ20TT has the same short block as the EJ20G of famed Subaru Japan heritage. The heads are slightly different, but not significantly so (a port size difference). They ARE closed deck, the heads flow well, so it would be a good block to build.

But the 2Liter has very little torque until up top. There isn't a replacement for displacement. Consider my torque numbers, vs slightly modded WRX numbers (barely making 200lb-ft at under 4000 RPM).

So the best idea would be a bastardized motor build. EJ22T block, EJ20TT heads.

That's what Morgie did, and his setup has been pretty successful in his OB wagon.

THAWA · Post by **THAWA** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 2:52 am

It doesnt. There's the EJ20H, EJ20R, and EJ206 AFAIK. And I'm pretty sure they're all open deck.

But why a skyline? Why not a Lotus Carlton/Omega?

legacycontinues · Post by **legacycontinues** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 3:22 am

I think if I went with the 20TT I would keep both turbos just to be sick. I know I could take one turbo off and make the one left a big ball bearing turbo but that seems like more money and more work. I would rather just dick with the exhaust. I have a sawzall....LOL

I also don't want to frankinstien the heads either. If I can't afford to get a JDM legacy here I guess I will settle for a 20TT in a USDM legacy. Sorry Mike. I haven't given up yet.

dscoobydoo · Post by **dscoobydoo** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 4:04 am

Ok-importing for dummies

You have to go through a Customs broker. No way around it. The car has to be manifested before it can be brought into the US. Now, if you are trying to get a whole car, you can only bring them through import specialists who have licenses to modify the car and pay all the taxes and fees to get it approved through the EPA and DOT.

You can take a whole car and have it cut in half to show that you are using it only as parts. (If you already have a postal RHD subaru, this is the way to go) But without a title or rgistration, there is no way you can get it legal to drive in the US. ( As Japanese vehicles have different VINs)

As for trying to get it through Canada, the same laws apply. If it isn't legal to drive in Canada (and is not licensed in Canada- ) you can't bring it into the US.

Several companies have bought half cuts and taken that car apart and a US car and swapped out all the interior/drivetrain to make it RHD.

I have seen postal subarus for sale, but they are not available very often.

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Has anyone ever imported a car?

Has anyone ever imported a car?