So you want a GT4 JDM?, how to ship a gt4 from japan Options

[uzthedentist]

[94GT]

Realize, the car is in Japan. If you want to bring it to the US, you've got to read the fine print. You're still looking at trying to make it street legal. Here's what Yoshi's page says:

If you are in the US :

This is information about importing the JDM car into the US.

As you may know, all the Japanese specifications vehicles (JDM car) are Right Hand Drive. Unfortunately, it is difficult to import JDM cars into the US at present except the 25 years or older model. It is because you have to obtain the approval from the DOT and the EPA in order to import the JDM car and it needs to legalize a car when it will reach to the US port.

Let me advise you that unless you wish to present crash test data for any Right Hand Drive car, it cannot legally be imported to the US. This is prohibitively expensive as a vehicle must be crashed to obtain the data, and we do not support the crash test data. Also the JDM car probably do not meet the US emission standard. And after 1996 models probably need to install the OBD2 system in order to pass the emission standard.

For your information, here is a link of the US importing information.
EPA : http://www.epa.gov/otaq/imports/quikover.htm
DOT : http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/import/
US customs : http://www.customs.ustreas.gov/xp/cgov/import/

NOTE : We J's Garage Export do not support any import procedure. The buyer is responsible for any necessary procedures, or any transfers, or any modifications for them to import the car.

[drdos]

i know this is an old ass thread but i want to bump it up and get a update

[BigEdge169]

Good luck getting any new updates, the info in this thread so far is basically everything that is available now. It is still a ton of work, if not impossible, to import a GT-4 into the states.

[drdos]

im trying to find one that is already in the states for sell. like that one guy had for sell. how did he get into here?

[anhcore]

hey just to let you guys know that there is a way...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAP...sspagename=WDVW
good luck fellas... i'd rather just get the two clips and transfer parts over... i find that way to be the easiest... and as for RHD... i think it'd be fun for a while... but then when you're making them left turn yields... what a bitch!
crazy mad props to the guy that pulls it off and shares his info...

[Jabberwock]

Whoa...I just remembered my Aunt is a U.S. Customs broker and owns a Cap Trucking business on the border of Cali and Mexico....I wonder if she would have answers to importing a GT4 or a hook up.

I know she deals with Sanyo, Mitsubishs, and Toshiba.

[anhcore]

HEY! i got news on how to avoid that whole crash test bull****... i was just thinking and what if you switched out your celica's reinforcement stuff like front reinforcement bar and doors and rear... that should pass the crash test... just an idea...

anhcore

[drdos]

[nmanti]

I'm gonna be checking out the ebay gt-4 in a couple days, I'll let you know how it goes. I'm really trying to stay away from any importing...

[95WRC]

hey,
the check out www.alltrac.net about this car ..

car is not worth 13k at all even if it is a GT4 ..

the carpet is ripped on dr side and overall cond could be better ..

this guy orginally owned and traded with other guy who started selling it on beay last fall.. then they traded again and now it is on ebay again ..

i have talked to the guy and he is a nice guy but i don't care what he says car had a VIN swap .. there is NO WAY it is fully legit ..

if you have 13k to blow then go ahead .. i paid less then 6k for mine and it is in twice as good interior as that one . though i have front damage it is no big deal to fix quick ..

[nmanti]

95WRC
He's asking 11.5k now, which of course still isn't as good as 6k. If I could find one that fits your description I'd be all over it. Where did you find yours?

UPDATE 7/17/04
Just as an update the guy came back and said he wanted another $2,500 for the title. I was like what the f*ck. How can you call yourself selling a car to someone if your'e not going to give them the title. Needless to say that endevour came to a hault. Still on the look-out though.

This post has been edited by nmanti: Jul 17, 2004 - 7:24 AM

[Einhander]

[coustoe]

K, guys im back, after a year i think. was Kinda occupied with other things.... Well I've gotten a bit more international and business savvy (I hope). I wasnt able to make it to mexico on my Trip to Texas. But I know a few new things or confirmed old things.

1. to purchase a JDM GT4 or Supra, you must first find a seller, via website such as yahoo auctions japan or a JDM auto exporter (check dmoz.org Japanese exporters, yes they all speak english either email or call).

2. Once you have found a seller you need to contact (call or email) a Freight Forwarder in Japan (dont worry they all speak good english, again check dmoz.org or google by typing in freight forwarders japan). The freight forwarder will offer services such as picking up the car from the seller and delivering it to the roll on/roll off ship (ship were you drive your car on and drive off, instead of putting it in a cargo container), purchasing the vehicle from seller, and takingncare of all taxes, customs and paperwork.

3. You will need to ship the car to a Free Trade Zone in Mexico (FTZ, contact mexico embassy for specifics). When you ship the car to a FTZ in mexico you will be allowed to drive the car in country with no customs, by purchasing a temporary registration for a minimum fee $50, Once you have this registration, you can drive the car across the US-Mexico Border with no customs inspections (make sure you bring your passport of course to get back in the US, for more information call Department of US customs about driving mexico registered vehicles into US).

Let me address some additonal points

1.Going with this method will only let you get the car in the US without going through US customs (which can ad thousands to the price of the car) remember most of these GT4s and Supras only cost $5000 in japan.

2. Your car will still not be legally Registered in the US, and you cannot legally register the car in the US without going through customs.

3. In the end if you want to drive this car in the US you will have to switch out license plates from a car you have registered and sctrach out the vin number on the Supra GT4 or find some other gray method. Other wise you will be forced to spend thousands to make this legal. which would defeat the purpose for buying a Supra or GT4 for $5000

This post has been edited by coustoe: Jul 15, 2004 - 11:10 PM

[coustoe]

If anyone decides to import a Supra or a GT4, I will try to help you as much as possible. I still have to take care of a few things, I am hoping to make this purchase myself before the end of the year.

This post has been edited by coustoe: Jul 15, 2004 - 11:07 PM

[Jeremy1210]

Sounds pretty cool. If you decide to do this, let us know how it turns out

[SlowCelica94]

why isnt this a sticky?

[drdos]

hmm.. seems a lil to easy.

[poix]

[uzthedentist]

BTW the japanese GT4s run on 102 Ron octane fuel, You may have probs running it in the states without high octane fuel or using an additional ecu/piggyback, to retard the timing