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Importing cars?????

PostPosted: Thu Oct 08, 2009 11:33 pm
by Kerner
Alrighty that is my question. Has anyone done or know anyone who has Imported a car to the US.

My trouble is basically finding a website or place that has what I want, and maybe can swing a military discount =)

I have found a couple places, but they only sell BMW or MINI which is not waht I'm looking for

Anything you know of can help thanx guys

Re: Importing cars?????

PostPosted: Thu Oct 08, 2009 11:37 pm
by 00camaroSS
will the military not ship it for you ?

Re: Importing cars?????

PostPosted: Thu Oct 08, 2009 11:38 pm
by 2BARtypeR
I think these guys import...

http://www.motorex.net/skyline.html

Re: Importing cars?????

PostPosted: Thu Oct 08, 2009 11:40 pm
by SolarYellow300
You could always ask Kaizo if they are still in the business of importing. ::lolz::

Re: Importing cars?????

PostPosted: Thu Oct 08, 2009 11:41 pm
by Kerner
00camaroSS wrote:will the military not ship it for you ?


It might take some finess, but its not like I'm trying to get it shipped from one duty station to another, I'm talking bout purchasing and shipping the whole thing from another country to the US

I got something in my head and I need to do it otherwise I will be kicking myself in the ass the rest of my life

Re: Importing cars?????

PostPosted: Thu Oct 08, 2009 11:50 pm
by 00camaroSS
Kerner wrote:
00camaroSS wrote:will the military not ship it for you ?


It might take some finess, but its not like I'm trying to get it shipped from one duty station to another, I'm talking bout purchasing and shipping the whole thing from another country to the US

I got something in my head and I need to do it otherwise I will be kicking myself in the ass the rest of my life

oh ok. i was thinking you meant that you wanted your car shipped over seas or something.

Re: Importing cars?????

PostPosted: Fri Oct 09, 2009 1:06 am
by LOU
I've seen some people on other forums saying its super hard to import a complete car here to the states that and make it legal to license. About the only way is have someone to separate the car into multiple shipping boxes. Like for example one box be the engine/tranny, one box full of interior, next box wheels & tires, next some body panels, and finally the shell. Also be prepared to have to replace some glass on the car.

Customs will deem the car not road worthy if its a complete car, and will tear it apart looking for anything that could possibly shipped here illegally, but if you ship it here in multiple boxes you can say its parts, put it back together, and can get a "kit car title" for it.

So be prepared to pay out the *ss to get a car shipped here that technicly may have not passed government crash tests and insurance also doesn't like to insure kit cars. :)

Re: Importing cars?????

PostPosted: Fri Oct 09, 2009 3:31 am
by steelbluesleepr
LOU wrote:I've seen some people on other forums saying its super hard to import a complete car here to the states that and make it legal to license. About the only way is have someone to separate the car into multiple shipping boxes. Like for example one box be the engine/tranny, one box full of interior, next box wheels & tires, next some body panels, and finally the shell. Also be prepared to have to replace some glass on the car.

Customs will deem the car not road worthy if its a complete car, and will tear it apart looking for anything that could possibly shipped here illegally, but if you ship it here in multiple boxes you can say its parts, put it back together, and can get a "kit car title" for it.

So be prepared to pay out the *ss to get a car shipped here that technicly may have not passed government crash tests and insurance also doesn't like to insure kit cars. :)


from what i've heard, that's only for cars that do not have a counterpart in the USA, the skyline for example. civics and silvias and such are much easier from i've heard

2BARtypeR wrote:I think these guys import...

http://www.motorex.net/skyline.html


they only do skylines, and they dont import them anymore.

Re: Importing cars?????

PostPosted: Fri Oct 09, 2009 8:03 am
by Grocerygettersaab
LOU wrote:I've seen some people on other forums saying its super hard to import a complete car here to the states that and make it legal to license. About the only way is have someone to separate the car into multiple shipping boxes. Like for example one box be the engine/tranny, one box full of interior, next box wheels & tires, next some body panels, and finally the shell. Also be prepared to have to replace some glass on the car.

Customs will deem the car not road worthy if its a complete car, and will tear it apart looking for anything that could possibly shipped here illegally, but if you ship it here in multiple boxes you can say its parts, put it back together, and can get a "kit car title" for it.

So be prepared to pay out the *ss to get a car shipped here that technicly may have not passed government crash tests and insurance also doesn't like to insure kit cars. :)


Nope can't do this anymore. It can only be a kit car if you put a motor in it that was never available for that car and several other stipulations. That's why kaizo got in trouble because they were parting cars shipping them then putting them back together as kit cars. (reassembling a car doesn't make it a kit car) There are ways to do it but it is long, hard, and expensive. Figure on 10-15k+ to get it legally imported and you may never get to drive it on the street.

Re: Importing cars?????

PostPosted: Fri Oct 09, 2009 1:11 pm
by LOU
Grocerygettersaab wrote:
LOU wrote:I've seen some people on other forums saying its super hard to import a complete car here to the states that and make it legal to license. About the only way is have someone to separate the car into multiple shipping boxes. Like for example one box be the engine/tranny, one box full of interior, next box wheels & tires, next some body panels, and finally the shell. Also be prepared to have to replace some glass on the car.

Customs will deem the car not road worthy if its a complete car, and will tear it apart looking for anything that could possibly shipped here illegally, but if you ship it here in multiple boxes you can say its parts, put it back together, and can get a "kit car title" for it.

So be prepared to pay out the *ss to get a car shipped here that technicly may have not passed government crash tests and insurance also doesn't like to insure kit cars. :)


Nope can't do this anymore. It can only be a kit car if you put a motor in it that was never available for that car and several other stipulations. That's why kaizo got in trouble because they were parting cars shipping them then putting them back together as kit cars. (reassembling a car doesn't make it a kit car) There are ways to do it but it is long, hard, and expensive. Figure on 10-15k+ to get it legally imported and you may never get to drive it on the street.


That sucks.... Looks like a front clip conversion is the way to go now. :)

Re: Importing cars?????

PostPosted: Fri Oct 09, 2009 1:56 pm
by DoctorBoost
Send me a PM about this. One thing to keep in mind is what you can do with it once it gets into the states. Making it titled and D.O.T. legal can become a whole new ball of wax. I will give you some examples in my return PM

Re: Importing cars?????

PostPosted: Fri Oct 09, 2009 6:00 pm
by 96mustangv6
I thought i read somewhere acouple months back about the goverment goin and takin all the imported skylines away.

They were impounding them, something about the cars were not allowed in the US and some other stuff.

Ill see if i can find it somewhere.

Re: Importing cars?????

PostPosted: Fri Oct 09, 2009 8:57 pm
by SolarYellow300
96mustangv6 wrote:I thought i read somewhere acouple months back about the goverment goin and takin all the imported skylines away.

They were impounding them, something about the cars were not allowed in the US and some other stuff.

Ill see if i can find it somewhere.


Ya, that was kaizo. We covered it already.

Re: Importing cars?????

PostPosted: Fri Oct 09, 2009 9:49 pm
by zambiewrx
SolarYellow300 wrote:
96mustangv6 wrote:I thought i read somewhere acouple months back about the goverment goin and takin all the imported skylines away.

They were impounding them, something about the cars were not allowed in the US and some other stuff.

Ill see if i can find it somewhere.


Ya, that was kaizo. We covered it already.

http://zilvia.net/f/nissan-news/281904- ... ports.html

there you go.

Re: Importing cars?????

PostPosted: Sat Oct 10, 2009 3:50 am
by silverstreek
i've been looking into this stuff myself. here's a few helpful links that i've found thus far:

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/import/

http://www.epa.gov/otaq/imports/quiktext.htm

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/trade/basic_ ... ng_car.xml

There was a shop's website I came across a few weeks ago that I of course didn't bookmark and now cannot find (I will find it again though) that had a bunch of links on researching this stuff.
I think the only chance I have of the Air Force shipping mine would be since i'm in Korea. Per the stupid rules I have to abide by, i'm not allowed to drive a POV in K-town. But, I never was told I can't own a car there. So i'm thinkin, if I can buy a car that CAN be imported and made legal in the U.S. and Uncle Sam will ship it back for me since I am PCS'ing to Whiteman in May, then it might just be worthwhile to pick up something from Japan (or maybe even a slim chance of finding what I want in Korea), maybe having to pay to have it shipped from Japan to Korea and doing all the importing stuff there and then just sitting on the car til I leave. But it'd only be worth it if I could have it shipped at the military's expense and have it all legal and such back home.

Anyway, if I find anything else out, i'll be sure to give ya a heads up.

Re: Importing cars?????

PostPosted: Sat Oct 10, 2009 9:34 am
by Kerner
Well thank you all for the info, if any of you find anything more out just shoot me a pm.