Talk > Automotive Social > What do you mean I can't have this car?

What do you mean I can't have this car?

This is not my area but, first off I think you *can* import skylines.

Here is why you can *not* get gray market cars imported.

NO crash testing!!!!! EPA crap, etc...

Now I said skylines yes, because as far as I know, someone paid to have them crash tested.

TBH do you really want to buy a used car that you have NO idea what sort of standards it meets? Sure you can say cars now are overkill (I think so) but...

As far as I know, you can import any car that passes the US's tests... but if you want one, and need to crash like 10... eh starts to cost alot of money fast (made up numbers, no idea how many are crashed).

Quick google shows I was semi wrong.

»www.nicoclub.com/archives/breaki···ers.html

"So what makes importing such a headache and prevents other Skyline models from being imported? One would think since Motorex imported R32’s, R33’s and R34’s years ago that they’d be legal as well, that is where things get sticky. When Motorex originally petitioned to the NHTSA to obtain approval to import Skylines they jumped through all the hoops the government required except one, crash testing. Most people did not learn of what Motorex did until the following of their shut down by the government and one would have to ask the question, WHY? Where Motorex screwed the pooch was the crash testing of Skylines to obtain a stamp of approval from the NHTSA on it’s safety compliance package to meet FMVSS. The law requires non-conforming vehicles not approved for import to be crash tested and have the subsequent data approved by the NHTSA before the vehicles can be cleared for import, sounds easy right? Motorex did in fact hire a company to conduct crash testing, however, they only crash tested one car, a R33, and the submitted data was then approved. All good and well? Not so much. The approval that Motorex pushed through the NHTSA was that R32’s, 33’s and 34’s were to be imported and the crash testing data from the R33 was used for all 3 models under a “substantially similar” clause that was later challenged in 2006 when the VCP-17 approval of Skyline imports for R32’s, 33’s and 34’s was reconsidered by the NHTSA. It was decided that the 3 models were far too different and the fact that there was no crash test data to support the R32’s and R34’s sealed their fate and got them removed from the non-conforming approval list at the NHTSA. The approval for import was later redesignated VCP-32 and only covered 1996-1998 R33’s both GTS and GTR varients. In a nutshell, only specific Skylines can be imported as of 2006 and there’s still a constant uphill battle over OBDII that still has yet to see the end of the tunnel."

Like I said... I'm not super in it... but you can import I guess a 96-98 r33 because it was crash tested.

Now the EPA crap and all, meh.

reply to thegeek
You can import the Skyline now....

Head over to your Infiniti dealer and pick up a G37. Or your used car lot and pick up a G35 or a G37.

Yeah don't play dumb... everyone knows we are talking about the R32, R33, and R34.

reply to tehsafty
»www.japanoid.com/
»www.maxoverdrive.ca/

Just move to Canada, we can have them when they are 15 years old.
See them all over Vancouver.

Eat your heart out!

reply to thegeek
Signed. I would like to import other cars that are not Skylines.

reply to thegeek
I thought you can import them, but then i noticed that all those cars were over 15 years old.

Importing cars is expensive as usually foreign cars are more expense in the their domestic markets than they are here.

I would want to import Ford Mondeo from Europe, just to confuse people here and show that Ford can make nice cars.

Other than that I want Audi Avant that is not sold in US for some unknown reason.
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Semper Fi