Grey Market in the USA

[1X83Z]

How come there is almost no grey market in the US?

The only reason I can think of is because of more strict importing laws, but I'm not even sure if our importing laws are more strict. Thoughts?

 

[Race Idiot]

I thought it was because you have all those stupid emmisions laws.

We have a big grey market in the UK.

 

[1X83Z]

Originally posted by Race Idiot
I thought it was because you have all those stupid emmisions laws.

Like what?

We have a big grey market in the UK.

I know. In the UK, it's hard to justify selling cars like the Lexus RX300, which can easily be had for much less as a grey-market Toyota Harrier. That said, you get no warranty... but maybe it's a worthy trade-off.

 

[B Campbell]

It's pretty expensive. Costs between $10,000 and $30,000 to important something that is not approved for the US (based on emission and safety laws). By that point, you can find a car sold in the tse US for less or the same amount of money that is just as good if not better, so you only really need it for prestige.

For example, there is a company in CA that imports Skylines on the grey market. They're hideously expensive, and you could easily get something else that could perform as well or better for the price. But, it's a skyline, and nobody else has one.

Most of the other cars you'd want to import are either extremely rare or are less expensive sedans or econoboxes. In the first case, you don't hear about it because it's rare, in the second it generally doesn't happen because it costs more to import the car than the car is worth in the first place.

 

[1X83Z]

So it's $30k to import a car so it passes emissions and safety?

 

[B Campbell]

It can be. It can be less, it can be more.

 

[Race Idiot]

I thought when you import a car into the US you it has to pass some sort of strict emmisions test. Although I think I might be getting confused with when a car from Japan/europe/wherever is actually sold in the US, like the WRX.

I swear that the Lexus RX300 went on sale over here, although I have never saw one (so It probably didn't) but I remember reading a review on it in topgear magazine. Although they called it the Lexus Harrier, so err.......

 

[Hooligan]

Originally posted by M5Power
So it's $30k to import a car so it passes emissions and safety?

A lot of times there's more to it than that. It's not that the crash test and emissions test are all that hard to do, it's just tedious as all hell. I don't know of it's still done, but for any car to be sold in the US, three others of the same model had to be sent through crash tests...totalling each one. Then there's domestic sales being protected. God forbid we should be shown a better car from overseas (Atlantic or Pacific) -- people may actually want to buy it. Low-volume imports are heavily taxed, making it seem a better deal to buy something local.

Think about it: If you had your choice, you'd choose the UK Focus ST170 over the US Focus SVT in a heartbeat, right? Same car, my a$$.

 

[1X83Z]

Thanks for the explanation, Hooligan. I should've just sent you a PM.

 

[The Vanishing Boy]

Try:
www.motorex.net
www.evolutionimports.com

 

[Talentless]

No offense, Race, but does the rest of Europe know that you are criticizing what can be thought of, from a glance at least, as good environmental stewardship by the US, who, I will add, is often critisized for its environmental recored?

 

[vat_man]

Originally posted by Talentless
No offense, Race, but does the rest of Europe know that you are criticizing what can be thought of, from a glance at least, as good environmental stewardship by the US, who, I will add, is often critisized for its environmental recored?

Oooh - that's gunna burn....

 

[B Campbell]

Originally posted by Talentless
No offense, Race, but does the rest of Europe know that you are criticizing what can be thought of, from a glance at least, as good environmental stewardship by the US, who, I will add, is often critisized for its environmental recored?

Yeah, except that the last 10 years have had the comparitively worst emissions standards since they were begun. For the last several decades, fuel economy standards steadily rose, until 1992 or so when no new regulations were put into effect. If the trend had continued, we would currently be driving cars with an average fuel economy between 3-5mpg higher than we do now.

But, that's all a moot point because our oil and coal firing power plants and factories spew more pollution than our cars could in 50 years. And yet, restrictions on them are being relaxed. One major part of our regulations on power plants stated that older plants which weren't up to the current emissions standards didn't have to upgrade their facilities unless they upgraded their output. Sounds fair, right? Well, a couple of months ago, that stipulation was repealed, so now older plants which aren't up to current emissions standards can upgrade their output as they please, spending zero dollars on emissions.

No, I wouldn't say we're good environmental stewards.

 

[vat_man]

Wait - didn't the Clinton administration exempt SUV's from certain standards? I forget which..

 

[B Campbell]

Yeah, the Clinton administration was responsible for halting further emissions regulations. SUV's and trucks are under different regulations than cars, though I don't think it was the Clinton administration who did that, it only makes sense.

So Clinton did crap, and Bush is doing crap. I hate to say it, but it might be time for some Greens.

 

[AltF8]

I priced importing an R34 once. $90,000. And you had to let it sit for like 6 months in customs and DOT.

 

[vat_man]

Originally posted by B Campbell
Yeah, the Clinton administration was responsible for halting further emissions regulations. SUV's and trucks are under different regulations than cars, though I don't think it was the Clinton administration who did that, it only makes sense.

So Clinton did crap, and Bush is doing crap. I hate to say it, but it might be time for some Greens.

Heh - I'm in the same boat on the other side of the Pacific - I'm thinking of joining the Greens party here. The Liberal (!) Party (think Republicans) is full of racists and US lapdogs (sorry - we are actually a different country), so screw them, and the Labor Party (yeah - I would normally spell Labor with a U) are, well, frankly, a joke - I'm over my personal grudge with them, but suddenly, I'm in my early 30's, educated, affluent, with carefully considered views on issues AND SUDDENLY I'M MARGINALISED!!!! When the frik did that happen?!? Not that I'm angry about it....

Stuff it - new New Year's resolution. Taking a stand now.

 

[B Campbell]

Heh, my resolution is to care less, because there's nothing I can do. It's obvious my vote doesn't count. been thinking of moving to Scotland or Australia actually.

 

[vat_man]

Originally posted by B Campbell
Heh, my resolution is to care less, because there's nothing I can do. It's obvious my vote doesn't count. been thinking of moving to Scotland or Australia actually.

You should never care less. I can't let the uninformed idiots run my life for me.....

 

[1X83Z]

Originally posted by AltF8
I priced importing an R34 once. $90,000. And you had to let it sit for like 6 months in customs and DOT.

You only have to sit for 94 days.

 

[Hooligan]

Originally posted by M5Power
Thanks for the explanation, Hooligan. I should've just sent you a PM.

Would that be a, uh, Tylenol PM? I don't do PM. Heck, it took me 7 years just to get a cell phone. If people need to get to me, they know how. Otherwise, I'll get to them when I can. It's not that some people are more important than others, it's...well, I need my PSOne (and PS2) time.

 

[1X83Z]

Originally posted by Hooligan
Would that be a, uh, Tylenol PM? I don't do PM. Heck, it took me 7 years just to get a cell phone. If people need to get to me, they know how. Otherwise, I'll get to them when I can. It's not that some people are more important than others, it's...well, I need my PSOne (and PS2) time.

Sorry to bring this thread up, but I can't use PM...

I figured that's the way it worked with you. After all, although you've got 600-some posts, you've never been "online" once. Although that's becoming conspicuous since no-one else browses the board invisible. Oh, and if it were my choice, I would still not have a cellphone.

 

[Gil]

Another reason that we have a very small grey market in the US, is that a lot of the cars that were formerly forbidden fruit are available with little hassle, if you have the cash. It used to be that certain Ferraris, Maseratis, and Lambos were taboo. Now, there are bona fide dealers here in the States.
The big grey market desirable is the Skyline and perhaps the S15 Silvia.
The Skylines you can get starting as low as 18,000. If you are willing to settle for a GTS or a four-door, that is 7 or more years old.
As for the S15, we don't get the bodies, but the SR20 engines are available, with the front clip. They can be grafted onto a US spec 240sx and you have a JDM spec vehicle.
As cars age in Japan it becomes harder and harder to keep them road-worthy in the government's eyes. It would seem that these cars should meet or exceed our requirements for road-worthiness.
Especially in light of some of the crap I see rolling on the highways here in Kansas.
In Japan, they are cutting cars in half to keep them off the road after a certain mileage and age is reached. I bet a great deal of them are in better shape when they "go under the knife" than some of the cars in my son's High School Parking lot on any given day, bieng driven by our most inexperienced driver.(scary thought)

 

[Hooligan]

Originally posted by M5Power
I figured that's the way it worked with you. After all, although you've got 600-some posts, you've never been "online" once. Although that's becoming conspicuous since no-one else browses the board invisible. Oh, and if it were my choice, I would still not have a cellphone.

I, uh, have issues about online privacy. I know you'd have to be a target of someone to even be at risk, but the way I come across sometimes.... Let's just say that I close all doors and use more fake personalities than most CIA agents. At least it keeps the junk mail to a minimum.

 

[GilesGuthrie]

Originally posted by vat_man
I'm in my early 30's, educated, affluent, with carefully considered views on issues AND SUDDENLY I'M MARGINALISED!!!! When the frik did that happen?!? Not that I'm angry about it....

Stuff it - new New Year's resolution. Taking a stand now.

Ahh, isn't it wonderful not to be able to get healthcare because you're rarely ill, you pay your taxes, you only go to the doctor when there really is something wrong with you, you have a brain, and a job?

Isn't it fantastic that you don't get a rubbish collection that facilitates recycling, but instead you have recycling centres that the local scrotes go and set fire to, thus forcing the Fire Service to attend, which increases their burden on society, and reduces society's ability to give the fire service a reasonable wage, leading to them striking...

This is off-topic, so don't get me started on the 'welfare' state and the value-for-money offered by taxation.

 

[1X83Z]

In a few years when we look back and try to figure out why GTP had its major downfall, we're going to search and search and eventually come upon this thread: Where both Giles and vat_man went crazy at the same time.

 

[12sec. Civic]

Well, Road and Track tested the Motorex Blackbird, which is a Nissan Skyline tuned and imported by Motorex. It has 550hp and did 0-60 in 3.5 and the 1/4 somewhere around 12.2 It had a top speed over 200mph and pulled well over a G on the skidpad. They are asking $115,000USD for one of these cars. The way I see it, no car has that performance/dollar ratio.


The next issue of Road and Track had a swarm of letters wanting to know more about the Motorex Blackbird and an explaination of its crazy performance, sadly Road and Track never did anything about it.