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

[coustoe]

1995 JDM Supra 42k miles $4666

[97sccelica]

QUOTE (coustoe @ Jun 10, 2003 - 6:13 PM)

1993 JDM tt Supra 57k miles $2700 damage to rear panel, runs perfectly

man that's cheap. are you gonna try to get that one?

i was going to buy a 1992 jdm gt4 that was up in seatle. some guy imported it as a parts car with no wheels on it and then put on some steel rims. to register it i found out that i had to install and egr system and a cat. converter then take it to a chp station(this is for CA) and the chp guy would look it over, check for smog equipment, and issue it a VIN#

then register and insure it as a 1992 celica st!!

i would love to have a RHD 6th gen GT4. the only real problem i see with importing a car is if it is 1996+ because obd2 would have to be installed. get a 1995 gt4 amd that would make it cheaper and easier. couldnt you bring in the car with no wheels, claim its non op and for parts. take it home, get some wheels on it, add smog stuff if needed, and then register it as a project/kit car(dont remember the exact term but i read on the dmv site that if a car is made up of parts from several cars with reciepts saying it was, that the car can be registered and might even be smog exempt)

i really hope that a way to easily and cheaply import jdm cars is found, if not im gonna have to buy front and rear clips of a gt4 and do a swap/awd conversion.

[Guest_Matthew_*]

yea that is a really good thought and how i wish that it was impossible....i would say the hardest thing is finding a company that is willing to mess with all the customs about getting an uncut car into the states.\



in addition i am sure that you have to take off more than the wheels...i would have some company take out the whole drivetrain
send it to me...then later on send me the drivetrain...then put it in myself...

[coustoe]

Ive explored the as-parts import option. It sounds iffy, I'm not sure how these other people imported their cars as parts only, but it seems to be up to the customs agent at that particular port (talked to several customs agenst at ports). Some customs agents could get assasnine and say the car is still possibly driveable even though it has no wheels and or engine, then bond the vehicle until its up to safety and emssissions.

the gray way of doing this is importing it as parts as a different car in a container and hope that the customs inspectors dont know jack bout cars and dont check the container contents agaisnt the manifest (custom agents dont check all containers, too many random checks). This is the similiar approach drug runners take. The risk being you get caught and the custom agent is not a total dufus then you car gets bonded. Shrugs, I want to find a way that is somewhat legit, minimum complexity, low risk as possible.

The as-parts option seems simple but not totally legit and somewhat high risk.

[funks]

QUOTE (doGGy @ May 21, 2003 - 10:33 PM)

Hey guys, i know that JDM GT4 is RHD so is it legal to drive it in US? Then Why to buy and ship it from Japan, then you can always buy it in Europe and have one with LHD?? The price is alittle bit higher here in europe on GT4 (you can get one for about 10000$ in europe and in Japan it costs about 8000$), but you will have GT4 with LHD and the shiping will cost less and the power ratings are the same...  I can do some research over here in Germany, Italy, France or other countrys WEB pages for GT4 if anyone is intrested. EDIT: Did some research: GT4 In Europe

won't you still need the crash test info considering there weren't any GT4's here in the US? (to make it legal for EU cars)..

Motorex is able to import Skylines, maybe somebody needs to setup a business to import used GT4's from Japan and make it legal
Should be able to sell quite a bit for them AUTO-X'rs..



This post has been edited by funks: Jun 13, 2003 - 2:29 PM

[ScoobyDooCruiser]

QUOTE (funks @ Jun 13, 2003 - 11:39 AM)

QUOTE (doGGy @ May 21, 2003 - 10:33 PM) Hey guys, i know that JDM GT4 is RHD so is it legal to drive it in US? Then Why to buy and ship it from Japan, then you can always buy it in Europe and have one with LHD?? The price is alittle bit higher here in europe on GT4 (you can get one for about 10000$ in europe and in Japan it costs about 8000$), but you will have GT4 with LHD and the shiping will cost less and the power ratings are the same...  I can do some research over here in Germany, Italy, France or other countrys WEB pages for GT4 if anyone is intrested. EDIT: Did some research: GT4 In Europe won't you still need the crash test info considering there weren't any GT4's here in the US? (to make it legal for EU cars).. Motorex is able to import Skylines, maybe somebody needs to setup a business to import used GT4's from Japan and make it legal Should be able to sell quite a bit for them AUTO-X'rs..

Also, RHD is legal in the US. A little unusual granted, but perfectly legal. I would almost prefer it. It would take some getting used to, but it would be totally different, and would really make people notice. Parellel parking would be wierd tho...

[Inferno]

I know an importer over AIM. He can get me a GT-Four with under 60K miles, great condition, for 5K. That's just the cost of the car, of course. I'm starting to get interested in this...maybe It's good that I haven't bought my Celica yet. Heck, I might could get a Supra for cheeper.

This post has been edited by Inferno: Jun 13, 2003 - 7:00 PM

[coustoe]

to make importing gt4 into the US legal you would have to start a campaign with your local representative or form some type of lobbying group.

The import restrictions set on cars and other imports are protectionist measures to help domestic manufacturers. Instead of directly tariffing certain products the government through nonsensical irrelevant regulations can close and protect local markets agaisnt foriegn competitors. Japan is nortorious for this, Of course the US is a freerer market, but still makes it difficult to import cars not produced in the US (creates US jobs).

The Crash test is not nessecary for GT4s read www.epa.gov and www.nhsta.gov

The only way to import a gt4 is to go through the governments loopholes this is all to make it difficult and raise the cost associated with importing cars, so imports not produced in the US will not flood the domestic market. If we started to en mass import gt4s then the Customs would notify the trade commission which would take action to close that loophole we were using.

[zipstrips]

i didnt notice anyone mention but DOT glass would have to be fitted.

[yoz]

I tried this crap a year ago it ain't gonna happen that easy.

1.) RHD cars are not legal in most states maybe temporary registration.

2.) Unless you know a customs inspector the one that is working that day it ain't getting off the docs.

3.) The importors will gladly take your money while your car is being seized.

4.) Some importers will make the car of your dreams U.S. Legal for a price, But none will touch a GT4
Nothing on the car is U.S. Legal all glass, all restraint mechanisms, all lights, all emmisions.

5.) Nothings impossible I would seperate the engine from the car and ship seperately and say it's
a race car! that might work in getting it here but you'd have to do some dancing to get it registered.

I would never buy a right hand drive car anyway there are a lot of nice left hand drive ones for sale in Europe. If I can find the pictures I will post them of the one I had lined up.

But I would rather spend that kinda of money on a turbo supra and it's legal.

[Stipt]

But the Euro ones are LHD....

[gjunon]

so lets see why not go down to mexico since i live so close to it anyway!!! and have it shipped there for less than it would be to ship here tarrifs ect. drive it across the boarder and have it regestered here in cali???? sounds like a plan to me all you would ahve to do is have the vin put on it...

also i have seen right side steering cars here in cali so i know thats not a problem...

This post has been edited by gjunon: Jun 15, 2003 - 5:34 PM

[coustoe]

yoz, some of your points have been discussed, but the taking the engine out and importing the vechicle as a race car is novel. i've talked to NHTSA to many times about this exemption. You basically have to apply for the exemption from the NHTSA, You could possibly lie about the engine, I'm not sure how much of a edge that would give you ingetting the car imported as a racing car. The NHTSA agent kept on talking racing feature such as seats, stripped interior, roll cage etc..., Its a good idea though. Maybe if you tell him its a 700 hp supra then take out the engine you could get your racing car application exemption approved.

There are a lot of ways of doing this, like i said it can get complex.

This post has been edited by coustoe: Jun 15, 2003 - 9:11 PM

[coustoe]

some people seem to be confused be the term "safety" as covered by the National highway traffic safety adminstration. This doesnt mean if the car has seat belts or not, it means the whole car so when I say "get past safety regulations" it means getting past all the regulations concerning the car body.

.

This post has been edited by coustoe: Jun 15, 2003 - 6:31 PM

[coustoe]

Just updated the first post with reference material.

I'm going to make major info updates and reference material directly to the first post of this thread, from now on.

so you wont have to read the whole thread

[Inferno]

Hmm. I remember someone saying something about if we had crash-test data about the car, it would be a lot easier to get it registered as a daily driver. Has anyone thought about calling Toyota Japan? You know darn well that they have crash-test data. They have to. We could get a signature from some top official, and get it faxed or mailed to us. Sounds like a good idea to me.

[Pvc99gT]

i know europe has been brought up a few times, but did anyone actually look to see the best market in Europe? Belgium. i know it sounds weird but it is. Plus its LHD there. I cant speak German or French and i don't know any specifics about Belgian safety standards/ Emissions Standards (The 2 main problems with legalizing an imported car...) But i have been put under the impression that they would fit our requirements. Perhaps someone would research this. I would, but i don't have the time or the connections. Plus its lookin more and more like my car is gonna end up being all show and a little go anyway (I doubt my dad will let me have a 300+ HP car in the garage even if i can pay for it. And definitely he wont let me have anything illegal going on my car) So just an extra insight.

[coustoe]

doggy lives in europe, read his post on this thread on gt4s from europe, They still cost 2x as much as a jdm and you still have the same safety and emission hassles.

[bulletproofsnowm...]

I don't know about any other states, but i've been researching this for a few months and in kentucky **where we have no emissions, no general requirments for safety** importing a Gt-4 is almost impossible. . . . .i have found several possible loop holes but none have come through as being reliable ** all have been mentioned in the previous post*. . . .but as far as if you want a legal 6th gen Gt-4 be prepared to go through hell with toyota japan to get crash test data(it is required). . . . .i've tried for 4 months almost and have gotten nothing. . . . .and just because we have Gt's here in the states the front support bar is completely different and if customs see it it'll be bonded and the stock gt one won't fit because it's too short. . .i'd had pictures of both somewhere but can't find them right now.
The importing it to mexico and bringing it across is the simplest idea i've found. . . . .because if need be you can strip it down to frame and say it's a stolen recovery and bring it across in pieces, a lot of work but isn't a gt-4 worth it =). . . . .

[bulletproofsnowm...]

I don't know about any other states, but i've been researching this for a few months and in kentucky **where we have no emissions, no general requirments for safety** importing a Gt-4 is almost impossible. . . . .i have found several possible loop holes but none have come through as being reliable ** all have been mentioned in the previous post*. . . .but as far as if you want a legal 6th gen Gt-4 be prepared to go through hell with toyota japan to get crash test data(it is required). . . . .i've tried for 4 months almost and have gotten nothing. . . . .and just because we have Gt's here in the states the front support bar is completely different and if customs see it it'll be bonded and the stock gt one won't fit because it's too short. . .i'd had pictures of both somewhere but can't find them right now.
The importing it to mexico and bringing it across is the simplest idea i've found. . . . .because if need be you can strip it down to frame and say it's a stolen recovery and bring it across in pieces, a lot of work but isn't a gt-4 worth it =). . . . .