Save your pennies folks - '89 GT-R now legal in the USA

  • Thread starter Thread starter CodeRedR51
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I was in Montreal when I saw an R32 in the flesh (a GTS probably but I only caught a glimpse in traffic). Thanks to the 10 year difference in legal import I'm sure a number of soon-to-be owners will be getting theirs from Canada, like this one.
 
Well then message the guy in the autoblog article and ask, cause I have no idea and he drove it legally with all paperwork across the border into the country on the 1st.
 
What, legal just now? In RF, it was always legal. :p
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Mark II Blit
But NHTSA say it is 25 years based on the day of manufacture.
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The car was able to be registered in the states because the Canadian registration simply listed the date of manufacture as "89". Source.

Jalopnik
I gave the CBP officer inside the border station my pre-filled HS-7 form (www.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/import/hs799short.pdf) with "Box 1" checked and the date of manufacture listed as "1989" since Canadian registrations don't list production month like Japanese paperwork (ie. de-registration cert) does, and my EPA 3520-1 form (http://www.epa.gov/otaq/imports/d...) with the box for "Code E" checked.
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Mark II Blit
But NHTSA say it is 25 years based on the day of manufacture.
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That has been my understanding as well.

R1600Turbo
Well then message the guy in the autoblog article and ask, cause I have no idea and he drove it legally with all paperwork across the border into the country on the 1st.
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It's possible the guy may very well have came across a border agent who don't know the details of the rule well enough, or didn't check the paperwork close enough, or just called it close enough with a matching model year and let it in.

Slashfan
26 years on a state level.
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Perhaps for New York, but there are numerous states that are no stricter than the 25 year NHTSA rule.

Edit: from Doog's source/Jalopnik/horse's mouth, sounds like the guy found and used a loophole.
 
Mark II Blit
But NHTSA say it is 25 years based on the day of manufacture.
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Crash
That has been my understanding as well.
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Most '89 model year GT-R's would have been built in 1988 though. So we would be well past their day of manufacture.

Edit: The guy from the Autoblog article actually clears it up:

thanks sean, i will beg to differ with you, however, on the production month playing into what you said about a car needing to be "EXACTLY 25 years or older." This EPA pub indicates that the government calculates the age of a non-conforming motor vehicle by subtracting the original production year from the current calendar year for an "OP" age (see page "vi"): http://www.epa.gov/otaq/imports/documents/420b10027.pdf

you can also refer to relevant CFR snippets here:
http://vehicleimport.blogspot.com/2014/01/determining-vehicle-age-from-model-year.html
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They built 50 or so pre-production models in 1988 versus 4000 GT-Rs during the official production run from August to December, 1989.

The EPA may have their way of calculating model years, but I don't see why he would bring up EPA in this. The BNR32 is already old enough to be EPA-exempt; the FMVSS are the only hurdle left, and those are, at least to my knowledge, enforced by the NHTSA who say this on their list of nonconforming vehicles:
Under 49 U.S.C. § 30112(a), a person may not permanently import into the United States a motor vehicle manufactured after the date that an applicable Federal motor vehicle safety standard (FMVSS) takes effect unless the vehicle complies with the standard and is so certified by its original manufacturer. This prohibition applies to both new and used motor vehicles, but does not apply to motor vehicles that are at least 25 years old (based on the date that the vehicle was manufactured).
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Correct me if I'm wrong, though. It would be an understatement to say the relevant legislation is confusing. I still wouldn't touch that car with a 10 foot pole.
 
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I wonder how many are going to be imported over the years. There aren't that many around after all.
 
R1600Turbo
August to December '89 would have made those '90 models, no?
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Sorry, in U.S. model years they are indeed 1990 models. I'm used to year of manufacture or first registration. They are still 1989 or 1989/mm models, which is what the Japanese paperwork would say, ultimately proving the car isn't 25 years old. The chance of snatching up a pre-production "1989MY" model is just not realistic.
 
You'll all be jaded of seeing them in about 3 months time, trust me.
 
I got sick of seeing R32 GT-Rs, let alone the much more popular non-turbo examples that have GT-R bumpers and badges, about 2 years ago... They're all over the damn place here.

Though it is tempting to pick one up seeing as they're now about the same price or even cheaper than what I paid for the WRX.
 
Meanwhile here in Canada we're starting to get R34's.....
Nearly every car meet you go to you'll see R32's and R33's...
 
Im not much of a fan of R32's. Ive actually got an R34 in my area. The guy owns a gold shop and has tons of cars.
 
This is really cool. R32s are my favorite of the Skylines and it's about damn time they start popping up in the US.

I'm also counting down the days until the 22B STI becomes legal to own here. :D
 
Go away Canadians, you're ruining our time of fun. I was going to post the Autozam but this would just turn into a import thread ;)
 
I really, really, really, really want to do this, but I have a feeling that I'd end up with a more knowledgable person there and my car would = crushed :nervous:

I'll just wait until I graduate (which is in two year's time) to get one; that'll probably be for the best anyways.
 
jacnob
I'll just wait until I graduate (which is in two year's time) to get one; that'll probably be for the best anyways.
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You can afford to buy and import one?

Adamgp
Weird, I saw a R32 in the suburbs of Chicago last summer.
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Of course, just because it's illegal doesn't mean there aren't some already here. ;) Seen only one myself though.
 

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