How to get a Skyline in America
09-29-2005, 09:33 PM
#14
GTR Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 108
Originally Posted by shadz
I did some checking last night, and was scouring the NHTSA website for RI's. I found RB Motoring listed as a qualified RI on the website.
Here's some helpfull links:
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/import/
http://www.mirageautosports.com/GTR/Importation.html
Here's 1 for the kit car policy. Some people have gotten some throught by saying it's a kit car but it is still Illegal. They can take the car export it or crush it, up to a 25,000 fine and or up to 3 years in jail. (it ain't worth it.)
http://www.epa.gov/otaq/imports/kitcar.htm
09-29-2005, 10:21 PM
#15
GTR Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 869
GT-R imported as a race or show car is perfectly legal
perfectly legal way is to import it as a show or race car only. you will not be able to street the car legally, but you can tow it to a track to drag or auto-x it. and you will not need to pay the exhorbitant fines or EPA/DOT fees. you only pay for the GT-R, and the import/insurance costs. you can buy an R32 GT-R in Japan for as little as 8 to 9 thousand $USD.
add container fees, dock fees, plane ticket to japan to go shopping, and throw in the cost of your trailer to tow her, and you can get away with a GT-R package around $16k or less --much more reasonable and realisitc a price for the machine.
going this route, all you need is a certified race driver's license (add to budget) and/or a shop to "sponsor" the car. this is done routinely. and legally. is a no-brainer. any registered importer of goods can import the car this way. it comes over in a container. as any shipment for commerce would. and you can take a race-driving course to get certified.
once you have your prize sitting the garage, you can worry about registering it later, if you want to. as for me, i would NOT want to drive the GT-R anywhere but to meets or races anyway. i would NEVER want to advertise that i have one, parking it at the supermarket, only to have it stolen or vandalised.
i know it is fun to drive the japan-only GT-R around town as a daily driver. legally. those who do are fortunate and deserve the attention. but if you can not float $35 to $65 thousand for the car, then you can always find another way. and you are not beholden to RBMotoring or MotoRex's "supply" of cars.
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there are illegal tricks to get the car "registered." but i would be of bad character, as well as stupid, to suggest them here on an international forum that is monitored by the government.
use your imagination. it ain't that hard.
add container fees, dock fees, plane ticket to japan to go shopping, and throw in the cost of your trailer to tow her, and you can get away with a GT-R package around $16k or less --much more reasonable and realisitc a price for the machine.
going this route, all you need is a certified race driver's license (add to budget) and/or a shop to "sponsor" the car. this is done routinely. and legally. is a no-brainer. any registered importer of goods can import the car this way. it comes over in a container. as any shipment for commerce would. and you can take a race-driving course to get certified.
once you have your prize sitting the garage, you can worry about registering it later, if you want to. as for me, i would NOT want to drive the GT-R anywhere but to meets or races anyway. i would NEVER want to advertise that i have one, parking it at the supermarket, only to have it stolen or vandalised.
i know it is fun to drive the japan-only GT-R around town as a daily driver. legally. those who do are fortunate and deserve the attention. but if you can not float $35 to $65 thousand for the car, then you can always find another way. and you are not beholden to RBMotoring or MotoRex's "supply" of cars.
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there are illegal tricks to get the car "registered." but i would be of bad character, as well as stupid, to suggest them here on an international forum that is monitored by the government.
use your imagination. it ain't that hard.
09-29-2005, 11:30 PM
#16
GTR Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 108
Originally Posted by bonzelite
perfectly legal way is to import it as a show or race car only. you will not be able to street the car legally, but you can tow it to a track to drag or auto-x it. and you will not need to pay the exhorbitant fines or EPA/DOT fees. you only pay for the GT-R, and the import/insurance costs. you can buy an R32 GT-R in Japan for as little as 8 to 9 thousand $USD.
add container fees, dock fees, plane ticket to japan to go shopping, and throw in the cost of your trailer to tow her, and you can get away with a GT-R package around $16k or less --much more reasonable and realisitc a price for the machine.
going this route, all you need is a certified race driver's license (add to budget) and/or a shop to "sponsor" the car. this is done routinely. and legally. is a no-brainer. any registered importer of goods can import the car this way. it comes over in a container. as any shipment for commerce would. and you can take a race-driving course to get certified.
once you have your prize sitting the garage, you can worry about registering it later, if you want to. as for me, i would NOT want to drive the GT-R anywhere but to meets or races anyway. i would NEVER want to advertise that i have one, parking it at the supermarket, only to have it stolen or vandalised.
i know it is fun to drive the japan-only GT-R around town as a daily driver. legally. those who do are fortunate and deserve the attention. but if you can not float $35 to $65 thousand for the car, then you can always find another way. and you are not beholden to RBMotoring or MotoRex's "supply" of cars.
-----------
there are illegal tricks to get the car "registered." but i would be of bad character, as well as stupid, to suggest them here on an international forum that is monitored by the government.
use your imagination. it ain't that hard.
add container fees, dock fees, plane ticket to japan to go shopping, and throw in the cost of your trailer to tow her, and you can get away with a GT-R package around $16k or less --much more reasonable and realisitc a price for the machine.
going this route, all you need is a certified race driver's license (add to budget) and/or a shop to "sponsor" the car. this is done routinely. and legally. is a no-brainer. any registered importer of goods can import the car this way. it comes over in a container. as any shipment for commerce would. and you can take a race-driving course to get certified.
once you have your prize sitting the garage, you can worry about registering it later, if you want to. as for me, i would NOT want to drive the GT-R anywhere but to meets or races anyway. i would NEVER want to advertise that i have one, parking it at the supermarket, only to have it stolen or vandalised.
i know it is fun to drive the japan-only GT-R around town as a daily driver. legally. those who do are fortunate and deserve the attention. but if you can not float $35 to $65 thousand for the car, then you can always find another way. and you are not beholden to RBMotoring or MotoRex's "supply" of cars.
-----------
there are illegal tricks to get the car "registered." but i would be of bad character, as well as stupid, to suggest them here on an international forum that is monitored by the government.
use your imagination. it ain't that hard.
And you still have to meet all EPA requirements and some nhtsa. And to meet the EPA requirements u need an I.C.I.
http://www.nhtsa.com/cars/rules/impo...osd072003.html
Last edited by Real GTR; 09-29-2005 at 11:37 PM.
09-30-2005, 12:29 AM
#17
GTR Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 869
from that site (i really get a kick out this stuff, in a negative way):
"VEHICLE ELIGIBILITY
In determining whether a vehicle is eligible for importation for show or display, NHTSA will consider the following factors, among others:
-Whether a vehicle of the same make, model, and model year was manufactured and certified for sale in the United States.
-Whether a vehicle of the same make, model, and model year has been determined eligible for importation pursuant to 49 CFR Part 593.
-Whether the vehicle is currently in production.
-Whether more than 500 of the vehicles were produced.
-Whether the vehicle is a kit car, replica, or special construction vehicle.
If the answer to any of the above is affirmative, you should not expect NHTSA to grant permission for importation. If the answer to item 4 is affirmative, the applicant must establish that the vehicle is of exceptional technological and/or historical significance."
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ok, bottom line, i have seen people with GT-Rs that did not do any of that, and they're sitting in their garages. they're not street legal, but the cars were imported here. they made it off the container and to the garages. it can be done.
i will not say any more than that.
"VEHICLE ELIGIBILITY
In determining whether a vehicle is eligible for importation for show or display, NHTSA will consider the following factors, among others:
-Whether a vehicle of the same make, model, and model year was manufactured and certified for sale in the United States.
-Whether a vehicle of the same make, model, and model year has been determined eligible for importation pursuant to 49 CFR Part 593.
-Whether the vehicle is currently in production.
-Whether more than 500 of the vehicles were produced.
-Whether the vehicle is a kit car, replica, or special construction vehicle.
If the answer to any of the above is affirmative, you should not expect NHTSA to grant permission for importation. If the answer to item 4 is affirmative, the applicant must establish that the vehicle is of exceptional technological and/or historical significance."
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ok, bottom line, i have seen people with GT-Rs that did not do any of that, and they're sitting in their garages. they're not street legal, but the cars were imported here. they made it off the container and to the garages. it can be done.
i will not say any more than that.
09-30-2005, 08:15 AM
#18
GTR Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 64
Why???
But what good is having a nissan skyline gtr if you can't drive it around your own town and show it off. It is, from what I've heard, the most fun car to own and drive ever. Why get one just to do all that work on it, if you can't show it off by driving it to the local 7-11? It kind of defeats the purpose doesn't it? I don't have all this money to be putting into a car that I can't drive.......
09-30-2005, 09:33 AM
#19
GTR Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 108
Originally Posted by shadz
But what good is having a nissan skyline gtr if you can't drive it around your own town and show it off. It is, from what I've heard, the most fun car to own and drive ever. Why get one just to do all that work on it, if you can't show it off by driving it to the local 7-11? It kind of defeats the purpose doesn't it? I don't have all this money to be putting into a car that I can't drive.......
Last edited by Real GTR; 09-30-2005 at 09:36 AM.
09-30-2005, 11:43 AM
#20
GTR Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 869
pros and cons of driving the GT-R every day
Originally Posted by Real GTR
My point exactly a car is ment to be driven no mater what it is or what's done to it. Other wise it's useless.
then if you smash the GT-R when a person cuts you off at the traffic light, you still have to pay for the car, and the treasure is gone. when i have one, i will probably only drive it to meets or events on the weekends. occasionally to run errands. to me, it would be like owning a classic Pontiac GTO that is fully restored. it would have very limited road-use.
most definitely, i'd take it out to the desert and back on a day trip, for example. going through the twisty mountains and flat lands. then garage it until the next event. or trip. that'd be about it. but day to day traffic? --forget it. what is the point?
just beware of MotoRex.