needforspeed

Wanted one but wanted to actually drive it on public roads and didn't want to worry about it being crushed by uncle Sam? Well the R33 is finally on the VCP list.



http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/import/elig092210.pdf

red97tib

Just as a point of reference if a company imports the car then it is legal. That is why it is stated as "person". Also in most states you can actually import them and then just register them as kit cars or the like and it is legal. I believe all Ultima GTR's and Noble cars are brought in under "kits" and not manufactured. Although they are designed and then fully shipped over just to be assembled here.



I was looking at importing a car over a few years back and decided I was just too lazy. But there are a lot of loop holes in importing cars as long as you don't do emission testing in your state.

187sks

That's awesome. Not being fully road legal in the US was the thing that kept me from doing this in the past.

Tibbi

I got news for you, you have to register your import with the NHTSA and they have the final "Yes" or "No" on whether you can even bring the car onto US shores for an RI to legalize. Even then, as I have filled out this from a couple times in the past, any car less than 21 years old has to have RI approval before even being filed. UNLESS you import it as a show car, then you can never legally register the car to drive US soil even after it's 25 years are up. Basically, there are no real loopholes except to buy one "grandfathered in" or pay through the nose to have it registered. That's just the way to works. Go find an old DR30 Skyline or AE86 to import. The R31-34 are still a big no-no.



And if you think getting one "legalized" through the kit method, expect to own it for less than 6 months, I have seen a number of those taken from owners. Cops are not stupid, they know what these cars are and you're just asking for trouble. Believe me when I say this is a big joke in the owners rings.











Every few years there's one of these, and each time a bunch of people get big for lots of money.

If you want some real facts PM me, but I won't discuss this in any real detail in an open forum.

red97tib

I'm going to have to disagree with you on some of those facts. Yes getting them on to American soil is the hardest part. But after you get them to your state it is the states laws/codes you need to worry about. Truthfully cops don't give a damn in my state. I've seen open header drag cars with plates driving around and the cops don't care. Car laws in my state are great for modifiers.



And I know of one R34 GTR that runs around here and an Evo 5 left hand drive. The Evo has been over here for years and is still bone stock. In Iowa it is so easy to register a car from another country it is funny to see how much of a pain it is for other states. If you can get it through customs and on American soil it is State codes you need to worry about.



Registering some cars as kits is the only way to register them because by the letter of the law they are "kits".



Just to point out different state codes. In Iowa nitrous is not illegal in any form on a car. But if you get in a street race and the guy you races kills somebody and then runs but you stop. Both drivers are charged with vehicular manslaughter.

Tibbi

"Give a damn" is pretty relative. When it comes to busting illegal mods most states are slack, but busting illegally imported cars is big business it seems. I'm not by any stretch saying it's impossible, just that there are a good number of gambles involved. But the reality is none of it makes any difference if you can't get it to the port. State legalization is possible, I helped someone in the past get an AE101 state legal. But if you want to go the Kit method expect to get busted and go down hard. If it were that easy don't you think there would be tons more flooding the market?

SO which fact is it you disagree with, because for any argument you can grant I have at least ten reasons why you're gabling on a "loophole." The fact is these are highly sought after and people will know, police included.



And yes, there are some R34s around. I know someone who lives just down the street with one. His was acquired the correct way. I also know someone who got a Canadian import R32 and "legalized" it as a kit car, 90 days later it was taken from him. For just a little more than his investment he could have gotten a state legal GTS and worry free. Trust me, I have seen all kind of nonsense and each time the dude got burnt, and usually pretty bad. The 101 still cruses the streets.

The Skyline is not a "kit" and never will be. An Ultima is a kit because it is a low production car and even in the UK is sold with an option for "turn key" operation. It's defined as a kit. The Skyline was a production car, and a pretty well known one at that. Don't get mislead, it's just not as easy as it was in the 80's. Grey-market imports are no more.







IT'S JUST NOT GOING TO WORK.

THIS IS A HOAX DREAMED UP BY SOME FANBOY.









Please look for the REAL facts and don't believe something you in a Hyundai forum. It's not even dedicated to cars from the same country these cars came from!!

If you want reputable info it is out there. As I said before, I have some of the info, and I will share it. HELL, I have the original crash test in PDF format, it's all over the web for that matter.





Feel free to spurt any further fallacy, you wish. My door is open for those wanting solid facts.

Tibbi

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Not sure how or why it triple posted

Tibbi

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Not sure how or why it triple posted

UrS0NvS

lol...i look at it this way.



as far or as much as i know of skylines the main thing is emissions. I will look into this on my state but i am pretty sure Kansas would be really easy.



hell, i've seen old grain trucks doing double duty in the summer time as mosquito foggers (yes, the exhaust was that bad) and they are allowed on the roads every year. yes, they are tagged as a farm vehicle but still, you could literally drive it everday.



a guy i used to work with imported 3 rb motors and stuck one in his 240. that was one car i truthfully was scared riding in, wayyyyy too much power and he only had a gt35 turbo attached to it.

ScoupeLS

my brother in law have a GTS-T R33 and i have to say it is NOT as easy to import as some people make it.he bought the car on a acution in japan and had motorex import the car to the states to get it done there so it could be imported to Puerto Rico(we have to follow all federal mandated laws. also, his car was one of the last cars motorex "legalized".



the whole thing took around 4 years...