importing vehicle registration

[t3intercooled]

Does anyone know where I can get the rules on importing a right hand drive vehicle into the US? I have a few skyline R34 twin turbo all wheel drive vehicles in mind but I do not want to convert it to left hand drive? I need to find out if it is legal to keep in right hand drive? Can anyone help???

 

[ChrisCairns]

Does anyone know where I can get the rules on importing a right hand drive vehicle into the US? I have a few skyline R34 twin turbo all wheel drive vehicles in mind but I do not want to convert it to left hand drive? I need to find out if it is legal to keep in right hand drive? Can anyone help???

I would think your state DMV would help direct you to the right source.

I know they're legal here in WA ... a few of our private postal carriers drive them.

 

[Jbenn911]

It's not really the right hand drive thing that's going to get you.. Check out the EPA's site for all that must be done to get a foreign car in.. Might also want to google skyline importers. Had a friend in the service who's car was done by a kalifornia company...

Importing Vehicles and Engines | US EPA

 

[turbofish38]

I think you have made on any Skyline. I didn't read through all the regs and rules but I did many years ago. Basically all you need to do is have that particular model certified. And it only needs to be done once per model. Not per car. In other words wait for somebody else to foot the bill for bringing a Skyline into the states. I see them JDM RHD models all over the place so I bet the hard and expensive part has been done already. There should be a list of eligible models in pdf form on the US Gov link posted. I'll see if I can run across the list and post it later. I have a couple of customers that do this for a living. They ship Crown Vics and Hummers overseas and bring back gray market luxury cars and exotics. If your model isn't on the list than there is a louphole concerning exibition and race cars that might work.

 

[t3intercooled]

I think you have made on any Skyline. I didn't read through all the regs and rules but I did many years ago. Basically all you need to do is have that particular model certified. And it only needs to be done once per model. Not per car. In other words wait for somebody else to foot the bill for bringing a Skyline into the states. I see them JDM RHD models all over the place so I bet the hard and expensive part has been done already. There should be a list of eligible models in pdf form on the US Gov link posted. I'll see if I can run across the list and post it later. I have a couple of customers that do this for a living. They ship Crown Vics and Hummers overseas and bring back gray market luxury cars and exotics. If your model isn't on the list than there is a louphole concerning exibition and race cars that might work.

Are your customers able to get skylines?

 

[turbofish38]

Here's the link I use as a reference. Vehicle Importation Regulations
That list is on there. A couple of Skylines are listed.
My guys are Arabs and deal with the Middle East and some of Africa.Not to much Japaneese stuff anyway. Now down here in Orlando I see a lot of Skylines and early Evos. Most of them are running around with Puerto Rico license plates so there must be a way of getting them in easily anyway. There is also a list of certified importers on my link that might be worth a try. One day I was browsing google and ran across an outfit in Canada that specialized in home market Supras. They have Skylines in Canada,right? There is also a link on Canadian cars on the link too.

 

[Jbenn911]

Just called my buddy up..According to him there was only one place in Cali called Motorex that was certified to do Skylines and he thinks they are out of business, but like Eric said, they've already got the job done, so maybe you can use the gov't links to find out what has to be done. I tried it back in the 80's when I was in the Army and it was such a PITA(Post a bond 3x the market value of the car, cert'd in 90 days, blah blah blah), that I gave up and traded the car for one that had been converted already...His Skyline is an R33 ?? He said there was an issue with the R34 GTR's... Good luck !
:smile:

 

[86brick]

It would be interesting to know what all needs to be done to import a vehicle like this. I have seen a Skyline R32 down here at a local car show that was still right hand drive. We no longer have emissions testing down here like we used to so I guess that was not a problem although I think I heard any car imported to the states has to the pass the toughest emissions which is California's if I'm not mistaken.

Also, years ago back in the late 80's I can remember a rich dude down here (think he was a Doctor) that had a RUF twin turbo Porsche imported from Germany and I remember somebody telling me that in order for him to bring the car over he had to purchase two of them at $175K a piece. Why two of them you ask?? Supposedly I was told one of them had to be crash tested so that he could have the other!

 

[t3intercooled]

It would be interesting to know what all needs to be done to import a vehicle like this. I have seen a Skyline R32 down here at a local car show that was still right hand drive. We no longer have emissions testing down here like we used to so I guess that was not a problem although I think I heard any car imported to the states has to the pass the toughest emissions which is California's if I'm not mistaken.

Also, years ago back in the late 80's I can remember a rich dude down here (think he was a Doctor) that had a RUF twin turbo Porsche imported from Germany and I remember somebody telling me that in order for him to bring the car over he had to purchase two of them at $175K a piece. Why two of them you ask?? Supposedly I was told one of them had to be crash tested so that he could have the other!

That is true. Now as Eric said, the list of eligible vehicles that have already passed the crash testss and such lists a GTR R33 96-98. So as far as I understand all the regulations as long as one finds that body between those years it shouldn't have a problem passing through customs, since it already went through all the tests and such.

 

[Aztlanahauc]

Motorex is no longer in business. You can probably talk to RB Motoring who is owned by someone who worked for Motorex. Maybe they have more info.

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