Alright you experts...

[Axlerod]

There is a guy in a local club selling a JDM 1991 180SX, and claims that it is street legal - registered as a 180. He says that the 180SX was built from imported parts, but still uses the 1991 VIN. Also claims to have a legal JDM 1992 Civic Si-R as a daily driver. Anyways, you can all read for yourselves if you are so inclined:

http://forums.son240sx.ca/viewtopic.php?t=4843

I already asked JZ, who gave me some basic info, but does anyone else have any more insight as to what he may have done? Plain old liar?

[redbaron303]

He's an owner of an illegal grey market car at the minimum. If customs found out a "parts" car was on the road, they'd sieze it.

[aerocabin]

I know of 3 importers who have imported less than 15 year old cars by submitting false Customs declarations, it wouldn't surprise me if someone out east got the same idea.

Once again I must say, if there was a legitimate way to get less than 15 year old vehicles into Canada, then it would've been done many years ago and there would be alot more less-than-15 year old vehicles on the road.

How does he spend $16,000 to get the car into Canada. A decent RPS13 will cost you between $2000-5000 at auction. There is way too much shadiness going on in his posts. What a great loophole, it only cost him $16,000 to use it. He's obviously lying about the cost, which makes me believe he is selling for profit, which isn't that unlikely.

[spikeone]

Looks to me like he's the same type of guy as the one that imported illegal Skylines. Imported it, has false registration papers and now is trying to sell so he makes money out of all this. Just talking about "loopholes" should make any buyer stay away from such a car.

Talking about weilding a "car part" back together just shows you how "pro" these guys are. I would never drive in a car that was cut in half and then put back together and in no way is it legal anyway. There is a reason they let part cars in, it's for parts, it's not to restore them. And i'm pretty sure that the VIN would be declared in such a matter would wouldn't be able to register the car even if you tried.

[thumper]

someone please report this guy in. i would love to be there when customs turns his cars into ashtrays.

[redbaron303]

Just an ashtray.... that's one hell of an astray IMO

[Axlerod]

Alright, time to get a little more serious...

Firstly, and to this guy's credit, I talked to him on the phone the other night and he seemed like an alright guy. So at least as a person I like him.

Now, here is what I know for sure. He has a 1992 Civic registered at the MTO, with a 10 digit code in place of the VIN. I am assuming this is the code found on the chassis of the car. The 180SX is not registered under his name (dont ask how I know, I just do :wink, but that doesn't mean it's not registered.

From what people have told me, he has an Ontario ownership for both the Civic and the 180SX, with those names on it. As in, the ownership does not say rebuilt, nor is it purple (which I will double check - purple ownership in Ont. means rebuilt).

In Ontario you can build a car from parts, come into the MTO and speak with the commissioner. After you tell them where you bought the parts (mention Japan and they will ask for import forms) from, and a little about the car... they will have you sign an affidavit, and then you can legally register the car, so long as it passes a safety - no federal inspection required. However, if you do this your car will be registered as "rebuilt" and that becomes the model name. As of about a year and a half ago your ownership will also be purple.

The only way I could figure that he did this was that he had the parts imported by someone, bought them form those people here (or at least made up receipts so that it appears this way), assembled the car, got the affidavit, and then had either someone he knows at the MTO or someone who doesn't know the proper way (the people here in Windsor are very well versed, it being a border town) registered it for him.

The only proper way that the car can be registered as a 1991 180SX is if it is has papers from the RIV, right? This is the area I am unclear about... is there any possible way to have the car imported from the USA and be accepted by the RIV? the RIV knows nothing about imports from Japan, they tell me to call the CBSA - who just say there is no way he could have gotten the car here, but I know he DOES have it here.

He claims to have not used a Vehicle Import Form 1 or Form 3, and the car is not registered with the RIV.

I hope you guys can understand why I am so stuck on figuring this all out - it bugs me that all of us have to wait, while some people think they are above the law... or maybe they actually HAVE found a way and if so, we're all sitting here like chumps (though I don't think this is the case). Everyone else has just said, "why do you care so much? Just forget about it." Annnyways...

Any other ideas? :?

[aerocabin]

Perhaps it was a Customs officer's error. I know of two legal cars in Edmonton that have been released to the importer by Customs, but did not come with Form 1's. The importer is having big problems trying to get these papers now and Customs is threatening to take them back.

It is still very fishy that the guy says he spent $16000 on a car that could cost less than $7000 to import. Unless it's heavily modified, I can't see a 1991-1992 180SX costing more than $10000 to import.

Another option would be to import it for offroad use and then take advantage of the gaps of information between Federal and Provincial governments. Could you register the car as a kit car after it is imported for offroad use?

There seems to be alot of uninformed Customs agents and if you go further along the process, there are even more uninformed registration offices. It wouldn't surprise me if multiple errors can be made and some vehicles that aren't permissible under the legislation make it through to registration.