and for the people that say the cops would never know, its not like they say sklyline in the rear bumper or anything.

DaveH wrote:
Just buy a wrecked 240sx and pull the vin tag off and put it on the Skyline. Have one of the canadian guys drive the car down for your and then just stick on plates for the 240sx. Instant legal car.

Whoop, did I just say that out loud?
Heard stories on honda-tech of people doing that, then they find out and impound, crush, then bill you for it :icon_blackeye:

Whoop, did I just say that out loud?

wannabe wrote:
according to THAT guy, I'll wait til someone else legaizes one before I believe it.
Umm..its a woman. Not a guy.

Theres my contribution to the thread.

dynotune wrote:
ain't that sumthin? they got 'em pointed to the back!!!???

LOL.

they have a RHD beam pattern instead of the LHD, so they well blind oncoming drivers

the headlights pointing

ain't that sumthin? they got 'em pointed to the back!!!???

nice chunk of reading for the evening

Nonconforming vehicles less than 25 years old entering the United States must be brought into compliance, exported, or destroyed.

Cars over 25 years old are exempt from EPA and DOT requirements, although you will still need to obtain and prepare EPA and DOT paperwork to provide to a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer in order to clear your car through CBP.

From a CBP standpoint, you must file an entry on the car to receive the entry summary document CBP Form 7501. Filing an entry is initiated by declaring the car to a CBP officer when you enter the U.S. If your paperwork is in order, the officer will help you file the entry at the border. If you are not prepared, the officer may advise you to file the entry at a CBP port near your residence - however, in many cases the closest port could be 1-3 hours from your home, so it is in your best interest to be prepared to file the entry when you initially bring the car into the U.S. Without a copy of the CBP entry form, you will not be able to register the car in the U.S.

Prior to filing your entry with CBP, ensure you have valid proof of ownership, which is an original certificate of title, or a certified copy of the original. Ensure you have documentation, such as a manufacturer's letter, stating that the car conforms to EPA and DOT standards, as well as a completed EPA form 3250-1 and DOT form HS-7. (If the vehicle has stickers on the engine (EPA) and inside the drivers-side door (DOT) stating that the car was manufactured to U.S. standards, you will not need a manufacturers letter. Some vehicles are listed by make, model, and year on the DOT and EPA web sites as conforming. If your vehicle is one of those, that would also negate the need for a manufacturers letter.)

If the vehicle has not been in your household for at least one year, you will be required to pay 2.5% duty, which is assessed based on the purchase price or blue book value. It is illegal to bring a car into the U.S. and sell it without first entering it through CBP. If you purchase a car that was brought into the U.S. and sold without being properly entered through CBP, that car is subject to seizure. NEVER purchase a used car in the U.S. if the owner cannot show that it is currently registered in the U.S. and demonstrate that it conforms to DOT and EPA standards.

If purchasing a car from a dealer, they should handle registration for you, if they don't, the purchase should be contingent on your successful registration of the vehicle. (We get many calls from people who unwittingly purchased a vehicle that had been brought into the U.S. and then illegally sold. Buyer beware.)

The EPA has a detailed automotive facts manual describing emission requirements for imported vehicles. You can get a copy of this manual, entitled the Automotive Imports Facts Manual, (order #EPA420B94006) or other information about importing motor vehicles by calling the EPA import hotline at (734) 214-4100 or in writing to the Environmental Protection Agency, Box -J Investigation/Imports Section, Washington, D.C. 20460. You will need a copy of EPA form 3520-1, to enter the car.

DOT enforces safety standards for vehicles. Nonconforming cars must be brought into conformance before they are eligible for entry. This process can be extremely expensive. Contact them for more information at 1-800-424-9393. You will need to obtain form HS-7.

For additional information on how to bring a car or car parts into the U.S. for personal use, please reference our brochure, "Importing a Vehicle." If you intend to import cars and car parts for resale, you should read our publication entitled "Importing Into the United States" available in the Publications section of our web site.

The vehicle is being imported for personal use and not for resale;
The vehicle is not a salvage vehicle, a repaired salvage vehicle, or a reconstructed vehicle;
· The importer obtains a letter from the vehicle’s original manufacturer, on the manufacturer’s letterhead (and not that of a franchised dealer), identifying the vehicle by vehicle identification number (VIN) and stating that the vehicle conforms to all applicable FMVSS except for the labeling requirements of Standards Nos. 101 Controls and Displays and 110 Tire Selection and Rims or 120 Tire Selection and Rims for Motor Vehicles other than Passenger Cars, and/or the specifications of Standard No. 108 Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment, relating to daytime running lamps.

Note: To be imported under Box 2B a motor vehicle must be certified by its original manufacturer as complying with all applicable CMVSS. Certain vehicles that are at least 15 years old that are not so certified can be imported into Canada without restriction. Such vehicles may not be imported into the United States under Box 2B.

A list of manufacturer contacts is provided below for the purpose of obtaining a letter of conformity.

If the manufacturer’s letter states that the vehicle complies with all applicable FMVSS except for those pertaining to the speedometer or headlights, the vehicle can still be imported as a conforming motor vehicle under Box 2B, provided the importer furnishes Customs with an invoice from a franchised dealer or repair facility authorized by the vehicle’s original manufacturer showing that the affected components have been replaced with U.S.-model parts.

If the manufacturer’s letter states that the vehicle complies with all applicable FMVSS but does not comply with the parts marking requirements of the Theft Prevention Standard at 49 CFR Part 541, the vehicle can only be imported as a conforming motor vehicle under Box 2B if the importer furnishes Customs with an invoice from a franchised dealer or other commercial entity showing that the required theft prevention markings have been applied to the vehicle.

If the manufacturer’s letter states that the vehicle complies with all applicable FMVSS except for the automatic restraint requirements of FMVSS No. 208 Occupant Crash Protection, the vehicle cannot be imported as a conforming vehicle under Box 2B. If the manufacturer furnishes a letter of this kind, or refuses to furnish a letter at all, the vehicle could only be imported into the United States on a permanent basis under Box 3 on the HS-7 Declaration form, as detailed below. Please note that the manufacturer can, at its discretion, refuse to issue a letter stating that the vehicle complies with all applicable FMVSS, and that NHTSA is not in a position to influence the manufacturer in this regard or to issue such a letter on the manufacturer’s behalf.

Importing a Canadian-Certified Vehicle under Box 3

A Canadian-certified vehicle less than 25 years old can be imported on a permanent basis under Box 3 on the HS-7 Declaration form, provided:

The vehicle is not a salvage motor vehicle or a reconstructed motor vehicle.
The vehicle is imported by a registered importer (RI) or by a person who has a contract with an RI to modify the vehicle so that it complies with all applicable FMVSS following importation. A list of RIs in active status with the agency can be found at www.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/import.
A bond equivalent in amount equivalent to 150 percent of the dutiable value of the vehicle is furnished to Customs at the time of importation to ensure that the vehicle is either brought into conformity with all applicable FMVSS within 120 days from the date of entry or is exported from, or abandoned to, the United States.

Before a vehicle can be imported under Box 3, NHTSA must also decide that the vehicle is eligible for importation, based on its capability of being modified to conform to all applicable FMVSS. The agency normally makes import eligibility decisions on a make, model, and model year basis. Because the requirements of the CMVSS closely parallel those of the FMVSS, rather than determining import eligibility on a make, model, and model year basis, NHTSA has issued a blanket import eligibility decision covering most Canadian-certified vehicles. However, because there are some dissimilarities between the CMVSS and FMVSS, a Canadian-certified vehicle manufactured after the date on which an FMVSS with differing requirements takes effect can only be imported under the blanket eligibility decision if the vehicle is originally manufactured to meet the U.S. standard. A chart identifying the particular FMVSS that must be met by Canadian-certified vehicles manufactured after specified production dates is set forth below. Covered vehicles that do not comply with an identified FMVSS can only be lawfully imported if NHTSA has separately decided that they are eligible for importation on a make, model, and model year basis. For example, Canadian-certified Smart Cars manufactured on or after September 1, 2002 are not eligible for importation under the blanket eligibility decision because they were not originally manufactured with an automatic restraint system that complies with the requirements of Standard No. 208 and/or they do not comply with one or more of the other specified standards. Such vehicles may nevertheless be eligible for importation under the separate import eligibility decisions that NHTSA has made for particular model and model year Smart Cars.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also regulates the importation of vehicles for compliance with the emissions standards administered by that agency. For further information on those requirements, you may call the EPA Imports Hotline at (734) 214-4100 or visit that agency’s website at http://www.epa.gov/otaq/imports/index.htm.

thurmanmerman wrote:
i hear you cn drive imported cars in the street if you have dealers plates... don't know if that still applies but guys were doing that with skylines in cali...

shit I wouldn't risk it in cali.

HMMMMMM. If I lived in ND, I would be intrested to try it.

I wonder how they would do the title. and about the VIN number

I've also read threads about RHD swaps, the DMV fucked because the hole in the firewall was not up to spec, or wiring issues etc...that would blow

MethodlesS wrote:
You can register a RHD anywhere as long as it has a US conterpart.

It's a little more complicated than just that. For example, if I wanted a Toyota Celsior(LS400 here), I would have to get a written letter from Toyota that says the car is EXACTLY the same EXCEPT for the RHD and send it to the DMV. Obviously, that isn't as easy as it sounds. However, we live in such non-controlling states that you could easily get away with it.

tjamz wrote:
vehicle that is not sold in North America yet can be purchased in Canada

that is the problem