Importing Skylines to the US

  • Thread starter Thread starter Vinyl Scratch
  • 178 comments
  • 19,288 views
Murcie_LP640
Barely. If the 2010 STi wasn't such a butch porker of a thing it'd probably leave a GT-R for dust. As it stands though the R33 GT-R V-Spec's time of 7:59 around the 'Ring back in 1996 was only 4 seconds off the pace of a 2010 STi.
Click to expand...

The R34 is the fastest Skyline GT-R with a recorded time at Tsukuba. Its placed #44 on this list. Count the number of STi's and Evos ahead of it.

http://www.fastestlaps.com/tracks/tsukuba.html


Tsukuba laptimes mean far more than a 'Ring time.



Edit: I also thoroughly enjoy hearing the STI being called a "pig" in respect to the GT-R. :lol:
 
Eric.
The R34 is the fastest Skyline GT-R with a recorded time at Tsukuba. Its placed #44 on this list. Count the number of STi's and Evos ahead of it.

http://www.fastestlaps.com/tracks/tsukuba.html

Tsukuba laptimes mean far more than a 'Ring time.
Click to expand...

Both those tracks personally I find pointless for times. The ring is totally different than anything else. You drive a car there it means nothing since it will never perform that way on any other track. Tsukuba is somewhat the same. It's small and have few turns. Big cars can't really show off there since by the time they get started another corner is already there. They need a new combo medium size track to be the staple in race times.
 
shmogt
I live in Canada and have seen "lots" of skylines over the years although they are not sold here. What about the R35 tho how tough is it to import? I have seen a few over the past year here and one that was super amazing with Matte black paint and some script writing that was in chrome over the door that continued onto the roof.

With every car and pretty much everything in the world all that matters is money. I'm guessing everyone in here is not the wealthiest person around and therefor can't bypass any of these laws. If you do have the money than anything is possible. For example Ashton Kutcher is not an astronaut or has any training and yet will be going to space soon since he paid $200,000 for a new test flight.
Click to expand...

North America gets the R35 GTR.
 
shmogt
Both those tracks personally I find pointless for times. The ring is totally different than anything else. You drive a car there it means nothing since it will never perform that way on any other track. Tsukuba is somewhat the same. It's small and have few turns. Big cars can't really show off there since by the time they get started another corner is already there. They need a new combo medium size track to be the staple in race times.
Click to expand...

Agreed.
 
I've seen a couple CA registered R34s, and known a few people personally that had R32s and 33s of various models registered here as well, but that was years ago, and I haven't seen many in ages. I have to wonder if some of those have been seized since then. I did see an R33 around here not so long ago.

My understanding is that the R33 only passed crash testing when aftermarket reinforcements in the doors and stuff had been installed. A stock one doesn't, as far as I'm aware.

Anyway, we're not missing all that much. I've driven the R32s and R33s and was pretty let down. They'd be pretty nice cars for what they sell for used in Japan, but at the insane prices they go for in the US, you could have an STi, Evo, or M3 that would eat any Skyline prior to the R35 for breakfast. Hell, for what the R34s in circulation were selling for, you could have a Porsche that would embarass the Nissan.
 
ShobThaBob
Buying a fully JDM one isn't really a difficult thing to do. Just gotta set up buying one and shipping it over. There has been a slow trickle of RHD Corollas into the US since 2011.
Click to expand...

Nah I know, it's due to the 25 year loop hole, I just have yet to see one and really see that as a better car than the Skyline.
 
Eric.
The R34 is the fastest Skyline GT-R with a recorded time at Tsukuba. Its placed #44 on this list. Count the number of STi's and Evos ahead of it.

http://www.fastestlaps.com/tracks/tsukuba.html
Click to expand...

Annnnd how many 2010-2012 STis are quicker than it? Absolutely none. Hell, the youngest WRX STi that did beat the R34 was a 2007 model. Pre-hatchback.

Eric.
Edit: I also thoroughly enjoy hearing the STI being called a "pig" in respect to the GT-R. :lol:
Click to expand...

In respect to the GT-R...:lol:
 
Last edited:
We are discussing Skylines. GTFO with the STI and Evo's. Girlie cars! :lol:

Something else. You know that thread in the Rumble strip? Let's all get together and buy a car? Let's all chip in for an R34, have it crash tested, and reap the rewards for all you US citizens. 👍
 
Dennisch
We are discussing Skylines. GTFO with the STI and Evo's. Girlie cars! :lol:

Something else. You know that thread in the Rumble strip? Let's all get together and buy a car? Let's all chip in for an R34, have it crash tested, and reap the rewards for all you US citizens. 👍
Click to expand...

We'd have to buy several for all the different crash tests that are done. Front impact, rear impact, side impact, rollover, etc.
 
I didn't mention it, but while I know this is heresy, I think I'd take an R33 over an R34 anyway. Everybody knows what an R34 is nowdays, and I've always felt like they looked a little cheap, too much like a compact with a bodykit on it. I think it's largely because they look so narrow and tall in comparison to other models. I've always thought the 33 was a much more solid-looking package, more like something that would be in the M3's class, and they look way less like an obvious high-performance car, so you get the sleeper factor that is a lot of what makes the GT-R cool to begin with.

Now, put widebody on an R34 and it's awesome incarnate. The last few JGTC/SuperGT versions are some of the coolest-looking cars out there.
 
hawkeye122
So how do you import an R34 to get it tested, without getting it seized?
Click to expand...

The police can't seize it just because it's here. They would seize it if you were driving it around on the streets registered as a Sentra, well there's the problem. So don't drive it, and there is no issue.
 
No, Customs and Border Protection probably won't even let the car out of the Port. If I remember correctly, to import a car, first you must find a federally registered importer, who must ask the government for permission for importing a car, then will then fill out all the necessary paperwork with the government before even bringing the car over. Once the car is shipped over, the car must be delivered directly to that registered importer; the car won't be released to anyone else. The registered importer will then complete all the necessary modifications and certify it with the government before releasing the car to the customer. I think there's a rule that even if you own a registered importing business, you're not allowed to use your own; you must use a third-party one.

I can't really find many good resources on how to do crash tests for a car that is being imported and has not already been determined to be able to be modified to conform to US rules. The Customs and Border Protection website just says that the petition "process of bringing it into compliance becomes very complex and costly."
 
astrosdude91
The police can't seize it just because it's here. They would seize it if you were driving it around on the streets registered as a Sentra, well there's the problem. So don't drive it, and there is no issue.
Click to expand...

The police can't, but ICE can. There have been several skylines that were taken from owners homes, some of them while they were inoperable.
 
It's possible to import a car for off road use only. That's how race teams running cars that aren't street legal do it. The process of doing so is a mystery to me, though.

As far as I know, there are still several GT-Rs running around Socal that are owned by registered dealers, who throw their dealer plates on them and drive them around.
 
Takumi Fujiwara
It's possible to import a car for off road use only. That's how race teams running cars that aren't street legal do it. The process of doing so is a mystery to me, though.

As far as I know, there are still several GT-Rs running around Socal that are owned by registered dealers, who throw their dealer plates on them and drive them around.
Click to expand...

It's illegal, unless they aren't for sale and soley promotional in nature. As said the EPA, NHTSA and DOT are very adament especially through lobbying of big manufactures to take care of under the radar illegal things like this. I've seen a few Skylines in California and Phoenix, but the point we're trying to stress is this:

You can't possibly own these cars due to Federal law, even if it's state registered all that does is keep you safe and able to drive said car in that state. However, you can still have the car taken away. Until the 25 year clause sets in then this will no longer be up for debate. If you get a GT-R for off road use then you must use it as such and if you don't you are breaking the law State and Federal. Just because you see the cars doesn't mean they are legal. Sad but true, yet life isn't always grand.
 
Considering how litigation happy our country is, it would've come soon after, regardless of Mercedes' input. That, or they would be uninsurable.
 
NOOOO!!!!
I am crying on the inside. :(
Why the hell are they doing that?!?
It's not a bad car, and they could be using that time to get real criminals.
And if they waited a couple of years he could've had them.
 
Not the smartest move on his part to suggest fraud when selling one, given the recent crack down on the matter.
 
In any case people that are looking to sell one shouldn't be posting them out in the open for sale. Craigslist should be a no-no, eBay is a huge no-no. His fault for putting them out there like that, but the problem I have is the tax dollars being spent to crack down on such a stupid problem.

I've already warned my friend to be careful showing his off. He needs to keep that thing in hiding for a couple more years.
 
Wouldn't it have been better to sell the car to someone out of the country? Sure expenses would be steep, but would it be possible to export it, legally? I don't know how that kind of stuff works.
 
EliteDreamer
Wouldn't it have been better to sell the car to someone out of the country? Sure expenses would be steep, but would it be possible to export it, legally? I don't know how that kind of stuff works.
Click to expand...

As long as you don't start yapping about Vin numbers for the car, and you don't drive it on the street, all should be fine?
 

Latest Posts

Back