overseas evo's

[travisgoldkuhl]

Is it possible to get a early generation evo from overseas and register it here in the states? I REALLY like the evo 4 and 5 How would someone go about pursuing one?

 

[Bud92gsx]

ITs what 20 year old vehicles, or 25 can be now imported..

 

[born2tune]

not as easy as you would think. there are many many rules to follow and every state carries an extra set of rules causing the federal law, state law and DMV rules to inter-collide and basically block you from importing such cars. Although not impossible, the first guideline that allows you to import any vehicle into the states is that you must be a registered vehicle collector, in which you pay a yearly fee to the government which grants you a "waiver" to import vehicles, the restriction is that you will NEVER operate these collection items under any US public road EVER. and you may not sell it to anybody that doesnt carry the same permissions as you.
along that is the vehicle purchase, shipping broker charges, port charges and all taxes applicable from the government.

Second option, rather popular (Im experienced with) is to buy the front clip/rear clip or any applicable clip (the car cut in half and put on pallet) with all or some parts on the pallet. this is NOT a vehicle purchase, rather a part purchase so it may be imported with ease. basically pay for the clip, the shipping and broker fees, either setup a company to ship the clip to you from the port or you can receive it and take it from there. (3k-10k average costs total). and swap the clip onto the chassis that you started with, my example being the mirage 4g, with the evo 4,5 or 6 clips.

and the more obscure way is to join the military forces, do a tour in japan, netherlands, europe or any country where there may be the models you desire, purchase it and go through the military channels to basically ship it in their own private cargo to the states, and register it as custom built or "other" because vins would not be a valid vin. Im in the military and this is by far the easiest and cheapest way to do it. many people will tell you that you cant do it this way but you just have to know how to get the right people to sign off on it.

 

[TSI_93]

You actually get to ship home 1 vehicle if you do an overseas tour. So that would be the way to go.

The hardest part would be registering it for street use in some states. Certain states you could just register it as a kit car and be done with it.


If the military route is not available, you can build one yourself if you have the money/time/knowledege. Get a Mirage and start working on the conversion.

 

[travisgoldkuhl]

Well that kind of sucks so other than building one i would have to find one that is already here
i had found this site and got my hopes up but was thinking it sounded to good to be true http://www.tradecarview.com/used_car/japan car/mitsubishi/lancer+evolution/?ps=100&so=1

 

[e85_4g63]

Ask your DMV.

 

[WES_393]

Not sure why everyone thinks its so hard. It's a ton of paperwork, a bunch if BS safety and emissions inspections, and then more paperwork at your DMV. Its not impossible if your serious about it. My buddy has a 1995 Celica GT-Four straight from Japan. It's fully registered and insured in Colorado. No restrictions, collectors papers, etc. Just remember, Canada can be your friend.

 

[TSI_93]

Problem with getting one from canada is that they didnt get mitsu's until late 90s or early 2000s. Even the ones you find there are grey imports.

 

[travisgoldkuhl]

What do you mean by "grey imports"

 

[russ96gst]

Not quite "black market" but not fully legal either.

 

[FIBA M - EC17PSE]

What do you mean by "grey imports"

Grey market means ### import, its used in the uk aswell,


And to the op you dont want an evo4 as there pistons suck and go all the time, if im correct cyl 4 is what goes, evo 5 is better but they still suck im my eyes

 

[WES_393]

^ Still a 4g63. You can always upgrade the pistons. You could even toss in some stock Evo 8 pistons/rods if you wanted.

 

[foxracing4500]

if I could import any vehicle to the states it would be the Mitsubishi FTO, why? well no one else has one or seen one.

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[WES_393]

It's just too bad they're wrong wheel drive.

 

[mike96]

You actually get to ship home 1 vehicle if you do an overseas tour. So that would be the way to go.

What branch of the military are you in where they let just you ship a vehicle home, please let me know so I can switch branches... I spent 3 years in Misawa Japan and as far as the Air Force was concerned you could only ship a vehicle back if you took one with you (believe me if I could have I would be driving a skyline right now). Problem was getting one over there to begin with, they made it such a pain in the @$$ it wasn't worth it. I know a couple of people that sent their vehicles there and one of them actually had his impounded and sent to the junkyard because it wouldn't pass their DMV inspection. Even then if you did get one over there and were able to sell it (because you would have to in order to bring something else back), the US government would only pay to have it shipped if you had all the import and shipping paperwork in-line and had it modified to conform to US standards which meant it had to be on the US import list here http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/import/elig101012.pdf . I came pretty close to having a 94 rx7 but the butt-head I was going to buy it from sold it to someone else before I could sell the EVO1 I had (he didn't want to wait 3 days)

 

[AshyBone]

Second option, rather popular (Im experienced with) is to buy the front clip/rear clip or any applicable clip (the car cut in half and put on pallet) with all or some parts on the pallet. this is NOT a vehicle purchase, rather a part purchase so it may be imported with ease. basically pay for the clip, the shipping and broker fees, either setup a company to ship the clip to you from the port or you can receive it and take it from there. (3k-10k average costs total). and swap the clip onto the chassis that you started with, my example being the mirage 4g, with the evo 4,5 or 6 clips.

and the more obscure way is to join the military forces, do a tour in japan, netherlands, europe or any country where there may be the models you desire, purchase it and go through the military channels to basically ship it in their own private cargo to the states, and register it as custom built or "other" because vins would not be a valid vin. Im in the military and this is by far the easiest and cheapest way to do it. many people will tell you that you cant do it this way but you just have to know how to get the right people to sign off on it.

First way: I Imported a front clip and lsd from japan for my 3000gt. I originally wanted the engine cause i was sick of rebuilding my current engine. I spent max $3k. I'm thinking $2800 for shipping and delivery and paperwork. Took maybe 3 weeks to get to a delivery bay and another week for me to figure out how to get it home since I don't have a truck. I've heard it's getting had to import clips now though so good luck.

Second Way: I almost joined the marines for this and only this reason. The recruitor told me guys go to japan and bring back RHD supras and skylines all the time. I just wanted a supra. This was when I was 18. I decided against it because I was taking the easy way out (marines... the easy way... ya) and I would rather get a supra on my own. But I know a couple of guys that did this successfully.

My friend in Maine told me there's a place that sells JDM RHD cars for cheap in canada close to him. He wants to start a business that he just buys a bunch of them for cheap and sells them in the states. He told me about a bunch of supras, FD RX7's, and some skylines but no early Evos.

 

[2gSpyder4g64]

First way:
My friend in Maine told me there's a place that sells JDM RHD cars for cheap in canada close to him. He wants to start a business that he just buys a bunch of them for cheap and sells them in the states. He told me about a bunch of supras, FD RX7's, and some skylines but no early Evos.

im not sure but i think you guys can only "legaly" import vehicles made in america ( canada, states, mexico, brazil, argentina ,etc.), i als ohead the guys that were importing skylines to the states, had to do front, and side impact tests aswell as light visibility and emission,s if the cars dont pass the standars you need to modify them, i think they had to waste 2 skylines to pass the side impact test. (they added a side imapct bar inside the door.)

 

[WES_393]

im not sure but i think you guys can only "legaly" import vehicles made in america ( canada, states, mexico, brazil, argentina ,etc.), i als ohead the guys that were importing skylines to the states, had to do front, and side impact tests aswell as light visibility and emission,s if the cars dont pass the standars you need to modify them, i think they had to waste 2 skylines to pass the side impact test. (they added a side imapct bar inside the door.)

I've also heard the theory that some cars have to be crash tested. I personally don't believe that ever happened. I have read/heard from numerous sources (including my friend with the Celica) that once your car is "Canadian", you only need to contact the manufacturer to see if the car complies with safety and emissions regulations of the country it is entering. If so, the country doing the inspections will give you two stickers: One for safety and one for emissions. If they are not up to date, you most often can have the car modified to meet regulations by a certified specialist. Then take your letters from the manufacturer, along with your two fancy door stickers, to the DMV of the state you wish to register the car. Easy as that.

Now as for Skylines, I have personally read the NHTSA report on the subject. With the exception of Skyline's that were imported before the report (mainly MOTOREX R33's), all Nissan Skyline's are permanently and irreparably banned from the United States. You will never ever ever get a Skyline past the border. If you do, it is illegal to even posses the car. The report claims this is due to a flaw with the front end that makes the car dangerous for pedestrians and drivers. However, it's obviously bureaucratic BS (thanks to MOTOREX for falsifying paperwork) since you can't even own one for off-road use.

 

[AshyBone]

Like Wes said there's no way your going to get an old skyline legal in the States unless you break $90G's for the GT-R. My friend was saying he wouldn't be bringing skylines over unless he got a request and money up front. No test whats so ever would get a 90's skyline legal in the States.

 

[Kalub]

I'm in Korea with the Army, and what Mike96 is true. Joining the military isn't a catch-all freebie. In fact I know two ignorant people who purchased, and attempted to ship home Skylines (R33, R32) only to have them impounded and crushed; never to be seen again.

 

[necrotopsy]

the R32 GT-S (the RWD) is legal to be imported in america. that's the only one that motorex did all the proper testing on.

 

[mike96]

I've also heard the theory that some cars have to be crash tested. I personally don't believe that ever happened. I have read/heard from numerous sources (including my friend with the Celica) that once your car is "Canadian", you only need to contact the manufacturer to see if the car complies with safety and emissions regulations of the country it is entering. If so, the country doing the inspections will give you two stickers: One for safety and one for emissions. If they are not up to date, you most often can have the car modified to meet regulations by a certified specialist. Then take your letters from the manufacturer, along with your two fancy door stickers, to the DMV of the state you wish to register the car. Easy as that.

Now as for Skylines, I have personally read the NHTSA report on the subject. With the exception of Skyline's that were imported before the report (mainly MOTOREX R33's), all Nissan Skyline's are permanently and irreparably banned from the United States. You will never ever ever get a Skyline past the border. If you do, it is illegal to even posses the car. The report claims this is due to a flaw with the front end that makes the car dangerous for pedestrians and drivers. However, it's obviously bureaucratic BS (thanks to MOTOREX for falsifying paperwork) since you can't even own one for off-road use.

If there is a Like model in the U.S. (JDM Celica = USDM Celica, JDM EVO5 = USDM Mirage) then the car doesn't have to be crash tested. You just have to have the documentation from the manufacture stating that the two cars are the structurally the same. As for the Canada import thing I have no idea.

I dont what you are saying about the Skyline is entirely true... Otherwise the NHTSA would have removed the Skyline from the import list all together. The 96 and 97 R33 was the only Chassis that Motorex had crash tested and they claimed to the NHTSA that "ALL" R32, R33 and R34 skylines were the same (that was their other f-up BTW). NHTSA docket NHTSA-2005-22654 explains why.

im not sure but i think you guys can only "legaly" import vehicles made in america ( canada, states, mexico, brazil, argentina ,etc.), i als ohead the guys that were importing skylines to the states, had to do front, and side impact tests aswell as light visibility and emission,s if the cars dont pass the standars you need to modify them, i think they had to waste 2 skylines to pass the side impact test. (they added a side imapct bar inside the door.)

Like Wes said there's no way your going to get an old skyline legal in the States unless you break $90G's for the GT-R. My friend was saying he wouldn't be bringing skylines over unless he got a request and money up front. No test whats so ever would get a 90's skyline legal in the States.

the R32 GT-S (the RWD) is legal to be imported in america. that's the only one that motorex did all the proper testing on.

You guys most not like to look at links that are posted.... If you check that link there are quite a few cars that were never manufactured for "in the states". Technically you can still import the skyline. But you can "Legally" only import a 96 or 97 R33. The problem is finding an importer that will import a skyline because of the crap that Motorex pulled. Most importers wont touch them.

I have been doing a bit of research into this, mostly because I am interested in becoming a registered importer. There are a couple of ways to legally import a car.

Easiest way is to stick with a car that is on that list, they have already been tested and there is documentation on what needs to be done to make it conform, you get with a registered importer and have it done. The next is to find a car that is similar to the one you want to import and find out from the manufacture if it is structurally the same. If it is than you can have the manufacture send you a letter saying so and have one imported for inspection. The NHSTA will look it over and tell you what needs to be done to make it conform. You then have to have a registered importer do the mods and send in documentation showing that the modifications have been done or find one that is willing to sign off on you doing the mods yourself (good luck with that). This is one of the two places where Motorex f-ed up, they were recycling the documentation to the NHTSA and were telling them the mods were being done when they really weren't. The last is that there is a "catch all" importation authorization that can potentially let you import any vehicle but to do it legally could take a very, very long time (years).

Easiest way to get an older EVO over here would be buy a half cut car and do the conversion to a mirage yourself. Or you can join the military, get stationed in Japan and do it yourself. The only downfall to it is that you will be stuck with the cars that are on the NHTSA list. That is what I was going to do with the RX7. There are places in Japan (Tokyo, Hachinohe, and probably places in Okinawa) that you can go to and have the cars inspected, documentation sent to the NHTSA and get your bill of lading and bring it back to the states.

 

[born2tune]

I dont what you are saying about the Skyline is entirely true... Otherwise the NHTSA would have removed the Skyline from the import list all together. The 96 and 97 R33 was the only Chassis that Motorex had crash tested and they claimed to the NHTSA that "ALL" R32, R33 and R34 skylines were the same (that was their other f-up BTW). NHTSA docket NHTSA-2005-22654 explains why.

Well I have to explain another variable about this situation. the cars may or may not need to have proof of structural integrity, depends the state that you are attempting to register it.
The next variable is that the US states DMV's that require structural proof only require the vehicle to pass the minimum safety requirements for the year it was made. I.E. (if it is a 1975 civic it just has to have pass the minimum/equivalent of 1975 US safety requirements, not a 2007 multi-airbag requirements ) therefore it may be street legal and insurable.

Secondly I would like to add that chassis codes such as JDM CT9A & USDM CT9A are in fact NOT the same. the JDM version has structural braces to stiffen up the chassis where as the USDM doesnt. also the JDM version fails USDM requirements due to no crash bars, rear or front and the lack of an EGR system. THIS is why Mitsubishi never bothered wasting more money in previous versions on crash tests and EGR systems only to comply with the US's stringent safety laws.

The EVO mentioned above when compared to the JDM is inferior, the USDM version lost the AYC system because the EGR wouldnt fit. the JDM version has the AYC system in the rear whereas the USDM version had to have the EGR system put somewhere... where the AYC would have been. also that is why the USDM version has the bigger bumpers to accommodate heavy, ugly re-enforcement but the JDM doesnt need it, Basically to different Structural items under the same Chassis CODE!

 

[TSI_93]

The only way to get it done the military route is 1) Take a car with you, 2) sell that car 3) Buy another car you want 4) get around "has to be on import list" rule. I know a battle buddy of mine that brought a evo TME (6.5) back from germany saying it was just a lancer.

 

[mike96]

Well I have to explain another variable about this situation. the cars may or may not need to have proof of structural integrity, depends the state that you are attempting to register it.
The next variable is that the US states DMV's that require structural proof only require the vehicle to pass the minimum safety requirements for the year it was made. I.E. (if it is a 1975 civic it just has to have pass the minimum/equivalent of 1975 US safety requirements, not a 2007 multi-airbag requirements ) therefore it may be street legal and insurable.

I think you are reading over the only truly important variable to having a car from outside of the US brought over... Legally Before the car can even be released to the person or business that purchased it for import it has to either be (A.) have already been inspected by the NHTSA and be on the "list of approved vehicles for US import". Or B. have the car inspected by the NHTSA (which by the way if you didn’t already know stands for National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) and have them sign off on allowing your car to be imported to the US Legally. So before it even gets to your individual state where you will have to have it inspected AGAIN to ensure it meets your state safety requirements US customs and the National traffic safety office have to look your car over before you can even take it out of the port it came in from.

Secondly I would like to add that chassis codes such as JDM CT9A & USDM CT9A are in fact NOT the same. the JDM version has structural braces to stiffen up the chassis where as the USDM doesnt. also the JDM version fails USDM requirements due to no crash bars, rear or front and the lack of an EGR system. THIS is why Mitsubishi never bothered wasting more money in previous versions on crash tests and EGR systems only to comply with the US's stringent safety laws.

Yea... That’s why I said that you need a letter from the manufacture stating that the chassis is structurally the same or close enough that it can be made to meet US standards. I do apologize I did not specify that part before. but all the letter does is keep you from having to have 6 cars crash tested just to see if the chassis meats US safety standards. You still need to have it inspected to ensure the rest of it can be modified to conform to US standards.