Importation of any JDM car from Canada into the US

[preludetocivic]

well i have gone everywhere and nobody seems to want to help. say i bought a 97 skyline (which as of right now is legal in the us) what do i have to do to get it here? is it easier to get it from canada than say, japan? or is the us just a complete pile of crap when it comes to importation of any jdm car? it seems like that for everything else!!! someone please help me. i have read the nhtsa and it doesn't help all that much. another route i was thinking about doing is the kit car route. getting a R32 and putting an RB26 in it. so it technically wouldn't be original and what not. can someone help me please???

[RHD180]

First of all, I don't know the laws in the US, but where do you figure that a "1997" skyline is legal? I'm pretty lost there. Is that just the one year they just will let flock in like a bunch of geese in november?

But anyway, don't expect to get a "1997" skyline into Canada then into the US. Cars here need to be 15 years old or older, unless you want to try and get into tricky stuff like track/show cars.

Goos luck with that.

[preludetocivic]

well 1996-1998 skylines are allowed to be imported into the us. motorex screwed around with the crash test info for the r32 and r34, so they are no longer legal. what about integras or accords (preferably euro type r), civics, rx-7s,etc. is it easier from canada than japan?

[Shadao]

if you want a civic or an integra or an rx-7 just buy one thats domestic...

and getting a car from canada doesnt make it any easier since the laws in the USA require the vehicle to be 25yrs or older...

using canada as a loop hole doesnt work, your better off trying that with mexico

[RHD180]

if you want a civic or an integra or an rx-7 just buy one thats domestic...

and getting a car from canada doesnt make it any easier since the laws in the USA require the vehicle to be 25yrs or older...

using canada as a loop hole doesnt work, your better off trying that with mexico

I think you said that as a joke...but....its actually not a bad thought.

[Shadao]

the border with mexico is much more secure than the one with canada so getting it through mexico would prolly be more difficult... and besides.... would you buy a car, any car if it came from mexico...

[jdmlight]

Mexico is not a possibility. They've baned all imports other than 98 models and plus hardly any JDM imports go into Mexico.

EDIT:
Here's a link:
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080302/used_cars.html

[Caithness]

You'll find better, cheaper cars in the USA than here in Canada.

The sad reality is that cars here are just plainly more expensive.

The only exception is the RHD's from Japan.

[DeviantRebel442]

i wonder if u can find a wrecked R34 in the US just like 2 Fast 2 Furious and import into canada....I WOULD BE SUCH A BALLER

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ivib_18Euk0

[Shadao]

Mexico is not a possibility. They've baned all imports other than 98 models and plus hardly any JDM imports go into Mexico.

EDIT:
Here's a link:
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080302/used_cars.html

mexico JUST banned all incoming vehicles unless they are 1998's but that doesnt mean you cant import from mexico... so there could be a possiblity you could find something there but not likely...

i think your best bet is to move out of the USA if you want a sweet JDM, and not much hassle getting one