is this true? Options

[4-eyed-freek]

so i have been doing way to much searching and i have come up with almost nothing.... i have seen a few celicas for sale that are in good condition and i would love to get another. but im not sure i want to pay the price of the car. than try to turn it into what i want and most of us here want (gt-four). i was reading that there is a 25-year Federal exemption means, until 2019, before it could be legally imported, personal use or not. anyone know if this is true. or better yet anyone know how to get one here with out problems. it seams to me that there is really no reason i cant go to Canada buy the car. and just drive it back here. any input would be great.

(the only reason i bring this up is a few thing happened in my life recently, and its time to live the one life ive been given and not sit on my a** and wait for something i love)

[richee3]

The 25 year law is true. The US has a list of cars that are legal for import. Any car not on the list is not allowed in, including the ST205 Celica. In Canada, after 15 years old the car becomes exempt. Buying a GT-Four from Canada is exactly the same as buying one from Japan, sadly. You will have spent the money but once it hits the US border, they'll send it right back at your expense.

The only feasible way I see to get one here is to have someone in Canada but it for you, drive it here, then you pay for a plane ticket for them to get home. Not many people will agree to that, however, since you haven't legally imported the car and the title will remain in their name.

[4-eyed-freek]

hmmm, im not much for breakin the laws to much. ill just maybe wait to find a clean celica gt. and just go from there

[diegohiga]

i know a japanese guy his name is Toshi. he can bring a gt4 for around $12k you give him 6k before he goes and 6k when he brings the car. he will give you the car with a legal tittle. he already brough a skyline r32, r33 and s15 silvia. thats the cars i saw in person but he has brought many more cars. PM me if you are really interested and have the funds. he lives in japan but always come to the states to bring jdm cars.

[Special_Edy]

Its not that hard to swap vin numbers on a car. Just cut out the portion of your firewall above the master cylinder and weld in the same piece from a USDM celica which you have a title for. Technically it would be illegal if you were trying to break the law(steal fraud whatever) but if you had a legitimate reason to do it, like the firewall had a rust spot on it, then noone would ever care. The vin number would make it a legal usdm celica and even though the vin numbers on every other part wouldnt match up you could have theoretically swapped everything over.

[travisxcore]

They don't even check VINs here. The old title holder and I signed the title in front of a (uhh I forgot their names but they stamp it with the NC seal to say its legit) , I took said title to the NC Registration place, they took said title, gave me registration (didn't even have to get it inspected), and new title came in mail. During inspection they get your Make/Model/VIN off your registration, hook it up to the OBII if applicable, check your wipers, brakes, and lights and off you go.

Although one time, there was this guy that imported a Skyline in Charlotte, and used the VIN off his '90s Civic...cop ran his tag and, being smarter then your average bear, realized it wasnt a civic. So he pulled the guy over and took his car. Between a GT and GT4 though noone would ever be the wiser.

Tl;dr- You don't even have to swap VINs here but cops do know the difference between a Civic and Skyline.

This post has been edited by travisxcore: Oct 21, 2012 - 6:32 PM

[richee3]

^^ Same here. Once a GT4 was here, it's all too easy to keep it, even including insuring it as a GT. The problem is just getting it here to begin with.

[travisxcore]

Take the motor out and import them separately as for parts. Or you can import the whole thing as for motorsports. Or at least that's what I've heard of people doing around here. Seems like a whole lotta hassle though, personally I'd just wait cause of anyone does find put you get slapped with a fine and lose the car at your expense.