Downhill Dino
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- DownhillDinosaur
Importing Skylines to the US
- Thread starter Vinyl Scratch
- 178 comments
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- 31,892
- Buckwheat City
- Dennisch
Can't you guys do a license plate check?
Downhill Dino
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- DownhillDinosaur
Downhill Dino
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- DownhillDinosaur
Alright. Just wanted to see if I was just seeing things. 
The thing about the GT-T is that it does not break any safety rules like the GT-R version does. If ya didn't know.
The thing about the GT-T is that it does not break any safety rules like the GT-R version does. If ya didn't know.
- 22,551
- Arizona
- HamiltonMP427
Oww. You guys across the pond just need to wait until the R32 and R34 are 25 years old, then you can import them without any hassle.
Yeah I forgot to add that tid bit, glad Dennisch did though.
this is true
no it's not
- 34,949
- Indian Falls, NY
- slashfan7964
Sadly.
It's almost always overcast in NY. Save for the rain or the occasional sunny day. Then it's all wind. Miserable. XD
EDIT: According to your location, you live about an hour from me (46 miles). Pretty cool seeing another close NY guy to me besides Master__Shake_. You're just north of Rochester. I live about 6 miles from Darien Lake.
Joey D
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- GTP_Joey
- GTP Joey
I'm not sure if you've ever spoke to the owner but he seems like a pretty cool dude. I only briefly talked to him in a parking lot the first time I saw the car and then he obliged me by revving the engine.
- 3,174
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- NISMO_S13
- If I had the money
RocZX
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- 8,849
- New York
How do you know?
I saw it drive on the street when it was leaving the show and there was cops there, so if it was illegal they would have stopped.
- 22,551
- Arizona
- HamiltonMP427
Found this story from a few years back when I was interested like the OP about getting a GT-R...though I was only 17 or 18. This was what made me give up back then. Also made me research this subject since I would like to collect these cars one day down the road.
Not necessarily, I know becasue the U.S. DOJ (department of Justice) considers the ownership of such cars as contraband. I gave you all the evidence a couple pages back. Perhaps you should look it over again, the NHTSA, EPA and DOT do not recognize the R34 or R32 of any year or model as a legal car in the states. It can not be sent over grey market wise and the import of such cars has caused the collapse of import companies such as Moterex and Kaiso which are massive. Kaiso was the company that provided the Skyline driving by Brian in Fast and Furious (FF4 movie). After that movie was done it was confiscated by the DOJ. Hell I've seen people speed by the cops 10-20 over and not get pulled over, does that mean they weren't speeding?
Cops don't have a list of cars that are illegal grey market cars when they drive around. Just because they were there doesn't mean they know the car is illegal, so your conclusion isn't correct. You can not own such cars in the U.S. yet.
I know because of years of research into this subject and reading legislation that say it is illegal.
Not necessarily, I know becasue the U.S. DOJ (department of Justice) considers the ownership of such cars as contraband. I gave you all the evidence a couple pages back. Perhaps you should look it over again, the NHTSA, EPA and DOT do not recognize the R34 or R32 of any year or model as a legal car in the states. It can not be sent over grey market wise and the import of such cars has caused the collapse of import companies such as Moterex and Kaiso which are massive. Kaiso was the company that provided the Skyline driving by Brian in Fast and Furious (FF4 movie). After that movie was done it was confiscated by the DOJ. Hell I've seen people speed by the cops 10-20 over and not get pulled over, does that mean they weren't speeding?
Cops don't have a list of cars that are illegal grey market cars when they drive around. Just because they were there doesn't mean they know the car is illegal, so your conclusion isn't correct. You can not own such cars in the U.S. yet.
I know because of years of research into this subject and reading legislation that say it is illegal.
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- 3,915
- California
- gdwest1
It may not be a legal Road-going vehicle, but can they stop you from owning one as say... a race car? Just don't register it and never drive it on the road?
- 1,701
- Johnstown PA
- SAVAGE_388_
There was just a registered and inspected Skyline GT-T in my local craigslist a week or two ago for 50k. I wondered how that could happen but figured the owner knew someone that could sneak it through. Furthermore how would you get insurance on one of those.
- 3,915
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- gdwest1
Also, I believe that after all of the Drama was over, some Motorex owners were given Bond Releases, deeming their cars legal?
- 19,795
- Alabamamania
Not really...As in, it's technically illegal in some states, but sometimes tag bureaus are really stupid. There was an actress years ago that was stalked, the stalker went to the driver's license bureau and received a copy of another's registration for a few bucks, and that's all that psycho needed.
I say stupid because I lost my registration back in 1999; couldn't find it anywhere, so I headed over to the driver's license bureau with my wife. They asked "what's the tag number". I told them the tag, and three dollars and zero identification required, there's my registration slip with license plate, make, model, VIN, name, and address. I told them..."you know, I could have been anyone asking for that information", and showed them my ID as a form of goodwill. So it's a bit of a sore spot to me, which has likely changed in this day and age.
Most cops aren't stupid; many of them read car magazines. They know when something looks a little out of place (never saw one of these before?) The question is, do they really want to waste time for an impound vehicle, knowing that the said offender is likely to draw revenue-seeking attention once again? Might as well catch, (ticket,) and release. I suppose there's always one or two that think they're doing something heroic/covering their blue-clad behinds/by the book.
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- 22,551
- Arizona
- HamiltonMP427
Basically that's what I was saying. They don't really want to waste the time, especially if said driver is obeying all laws (beside driving a supposed contraband car). However, the cops aren't the ones that pull these cars over in mass. DOJ warrants for snatching and crushing the cars with federal authorties are what get the cars off the roads. Police have their own big fish to fry with out worrying about a few emission, non-crash test verified imports.
ND4SPD
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- Guelph ON
- JeffZ28
- Jeff C6R
R32s and R33s can be imported here (Ontario, Canada) without a problem... since our only seriously restricting import rule is that the car must be 15+ years old. I've only heard of one instance where there was an R34 in Toronto... It was sent over in pieces, took a very long time to reassemble, and was registered as a kit car with a brand new VIN. (It was also later sold for ~$100,000...)
There are always loop holes to infamous laws... For example tourists and visitors may import their own car, no matter its age and register it for use here without a problem.
You can also import a car if it's restricted for track use only.
Not that I support or promote finding loop holes in laws... just tossing out my two cents.
That R34 was pretty on the outside but man was it ugly underneath. Literally shipped into pieces, frame rails and important structural bits hacked up and then welded back. I believe from what I heard it was two car's turned into one from those who saw it up close. $100,000 was when it first went on sale, then he reduced t to 75k and then it went to 50k I believe. I'd rather wait a few more years when they'll be legal for decent prices.
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Ibonibo
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I think there is an other loophole.
But that's mean joining the army. I think army personal can import their car from where they were stationed at and the car recieves a new Vin number or something.
Luckly for me, I am not in the US.
Hurray Skyline
Though it is really sad the Us Skylines were crushed. There are already not so many of them running around (well maybe except the R32), thus reducing the number futher
Well the name Godzilla is already false. It was given by a journo in Australia and since stuck with it. But then they are also the only one carrying that name tag,
Overweight?
for what a car from the 80's? yes, But they are cars from the 90's so the 1500kg tag is quite right.
Also the complex 4*4 adds quite some weight but with it the Skyline decimates a lot of competitors.
And talking JDM queens, there are only a few noteworthy and it is mostly related to what engine it has in (Rb's or JZ beeing definitely at the top for the 90's)
But that's mean joining the army. I think army personal can import their car from where they were stationed at and the car recieves a new Vin number or something.
Luckly for me, I am not in the US.
Hurray Skyline
Though it is really sad the Us Skylines were crushed. There are already not so many of them running around (well maybe except the R32), thus reducing the number futher
Well the name Godzilla is already false. It was given by a journo in Australia and since stuck with it. But then they are also the only one carrying that name tag,
Overweight?
for what a car from the 80's? yes, But they are cars from the 90's so the 1500kg tag is quite right.
Also the complex 4*4 adds quite some weight but with it the Skyline decimates a lot of competitors.
And talking JDM queens, there are only a few noteworthy and it is mostly related to what engine it has in (Rb's or JZ beeing definitely at the top for the 90's)
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- 22,551
- Arizona
- HamiltonMP427
I think there is an other loophole.
But that's mean joining the army. I think army personal can import their car from where they were stationed at and the car recieves a new Vin number or something.
Luckly for me, I am not in the US.
Hurray Skyline
Though it is really sad the Us Skylines were crushed. There are already not so many of them running around (well maybe except the R32), thus reducing the number futher
Might be, I'm not in the U.S. military yet till this June so couldn't tell you. This I don't know about at all and if you could find further info that would help us all learn more about this.
- 22,551
- Arizona
- HamiltonMP427
^I read that somewhere, sometime,...
That must be nice, not sure where they'll station me yet.
- 1,039
- CPReece98
- CP Reece
I see a decent amount of imported Skylines where I live, Minnesota. I know of 4 R33s, 4 R32s, and 1 R34, and all but one of the 32s are registered, in Minnesota. The owner of one of the 33s is on his fourth Skyline right now. I don't know how they did it, but they are here.
- 22,551
- Arizona
- HamiltonMP427
The thing people are confusing is that just because it is deemed illegal doesn't mean it can't be done. I know there are several Skylines in the states, where I live there is right hand drive Civic type r. California is known to have a host of different japanese cars with the occasional but highly rare S15 Silvia.
Being state registered is not enough to save you from having your car taken away of local federal agencies see fit. Also most of the car that have been taken were done so in California, it hasn't spread too much from there.
Being state registered is not enough to save you from having your car taken away of local federal agencies see fit. Also most of the car that have been taken were done so in California, it hasn't spread too much from there.
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- Dennisch
