# No more importing Skylines except R33



## Nismo Skyline (May 2, 2002)

Straight from the Federal Register. So much for Motorex and anyone else trying to legally bring them in. You can read the whole thing online.

[Federal Register: November 28, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 227)]
[Notices] 
[Page 71375-71376]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr28no05-123] 

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA-2005-22654]


Notice of Tentative Decision To Partially Rescind Decision That 
Nonconforming 1990-1999 Nissan GTS and GTR Passenger Cars Are Eligible 
for Importation

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of tentative decision to partially rescind decision that 
nonconforming 1990-1999 Nissan GTS and GTR passenger cars are eligible 
for importation.

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SUMMARY: This document provides notice that NHTSA has tentatively 
decided to partially rescind its decision that 1990-1999 Nissan GTS and 
GTR passenger cars not originally manufactured to comply with all 
applicable Federal motor vehicle safety standards (FMVSS) are eligible 
for importation into the United States. If NHTSA makes this rescission, 
Nissan R33 model GTS and GTR passenger cars manufactured between 
January 1996 and June 1998 would be eligible for importation following 
the decision; the others would not be eligible for importation 
following the decision.

DATES: The closing date for comments on the tentative decision is 
December 28, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Comments should refer to the docket number and notice 
number, and be submitted to: Docket Management, Room PL-401, 400 
Seventh St., SW., Washington, DC 20590. [Docket hours are from 9 a.m. 
to 5 p.m.] Anyone is able to search the electronic form of all comments 
received into any of our dockets by the name of the individual 
submitting the comment (or signing the comment, if submitted on behalf 
of an association, business, labor union, etc.). You may review DOT's 
complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register published on 
April 11, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 70; Pages 19477-78) or you may visit 
http://dms.dot.gov.


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Coleman Sachs, Office of Vehicle 
Safety Compliance, NHTSA (202-366-3151).


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## XTCshri2222 (Feb 15, 2004)

easy loop hold, you can import anything if you know how. If you have the motor and drivetrain taken out of the car and shiped seperatly, It's a shell and motorset which will clear customs because it's just parts at that stage, get it shipped over and reassemble the thing and you got what ever you like.


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## ga16freak (Dec 31, 2004)

XTCshri2222 said:


> easy loop hold, you can import anything if you know how. If you have the motor and drivetrain taken out of the car and shiped seperatly, It's a shell and motorset which will clear customs because it's just parts at that stage, get it shipped over and reassemble the thing and you got what ever you like.


Yeah it might get past customs but it is still illegal. Try legallizing it and getting plates for it.


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## celm (Dec 15, 2003)

ga16freak said:


> Yeah it might get past customs but it is still illegal. Try legallizing it and getting plates for it.


how is it illegal??
you still have to fill out the 3520-1 form for the motor and still have to fill out the HS7 for the shell.how you think 1G racing imports the noble,as components cause an individual is allowed to buy parts and build/assemble a vehicle.and dont give me this Kit car crap,1g says that for the legality and for there marketing reasons but when you see a noble title,it a regular US title.And the noble was never a Kit car in europe.if you never imported anything auto releated,then keep your mouth shut


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## psuLemon (Apr 23, 2003)

celm said:


> how is it illegal??
> you still have to fill out the 3520-1 form for the motor and still have to fill out the HS7 for the shell.how you think 1G racing imports the noble,as components cause an individual is allowed to buy parts and build/assemble a vehicle.and dont give me this Kit car crap,1g says that for the legality and for there marketing reasons but when you see a noble title,it a regular US title.And the noble was never a Kit car in europe.if you never imported anything auto releated,then keep your mouth shut


did someone wake up on the wrong side of the bed today



Celm is right, they import the noble as a rolling chassis and restore all the parts when they get over here. you get DOT paperwork and you will get an HS-7 form. It will be Street legal, just not up to US legal standards, its a simple great market car.


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## ga16freak (Dec 31, 2004)

psuLemon said:


> did someone wake up on the wrong side of the bed today
> 
> 
> 
> Celm is right, they import the noble as a rolling chassis and restore all the parts when they get over here. you get DOT paperwork and you will get an HS-7 form. It will be Street legal, just not up to US legal standards, its a simple great market car.


Oh sorry about that, I thought it would be illeagal still because of not meeting up wtih DOT standards. I dont know what Clems problem is though all he had to do is explain it nicely just like you did. Are they considered "kit cars" if you ship them seperate that way? If so is that why they dont have to meet DOT standards?


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## ga16freak (Dec 31, 2004)

celm said:


> how is it illegal??
> you still have to fill out the 3520-1 form for the motor and still have to fill out the HS7 for the shell.how you think 1G racing imports the noble,as components cause an individual is allowed to buy parts and build/assemble a vehicle.and dont give me this Kit car crap,1g says that for the legality and for there marketing reasons but when you see a noble title,it a regular US title.And the noble was never a Kit car in europe.if you never imported anything auto releated,then keep your mouth shut


Jesus christ, calm down. I didnt know that they didnt have to comply with dot if you imported it that way. All you had to do was explain that to me, without an attitude. If you wanna get all pissy at me becuase i made a mistake make it a pm nextime.


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## psuLemon (Apr 23, 2003)

Its just a name and a way of importing, cuz you are technically importing the car as a rolling chasis, that is all. And you are installing the motors and etc. its just like when people build muscle car.


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## T66Snail (Aug 13, 2005)

well then don't try and sound like a know-it-all. :loser: 



ga16freak said:


> Jesus christ, calm down. I didnt know that they didnt have to comply with dot if you imported it that way. All you had to do was explain that to me, without an attitude. If you wanna get all pissy at me becuase i made a mistake make it a pm nextime.


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## KA24Tech (Feb 2, 2004)

I thought that would work to import them disassembled and then reassemble them as a "kit car". Thats why I have been shopping on Yahoo Japan looking at R31s like this;









...or I could legally import a DR30 RS-Turbo like I used to have and then pull the FJ20 and put an RB25 or something (I had transplanted an RB30 into mine when I was in Japan)

Troy


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## Vega (Oct 3, 2003)

Now i thought puting the two together or importing them seperately and puting them together was still not considered legal.... 

Can someone explain this to me in high detail? All i would want is the shell- i have my own custom rolling chassis out of tube frame. or would you need to use the skylien chassis for this to be legal-. i thought this was disscussed before and considered not legal.

What importer does this?

ect. ect. ect.


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## psuLemon (Apr 23, 2003)

to be legal, you just need to remove teh motor, tranny, transaxels and most of the parts and then you can bring it over as a rolling chasis. you still do the hs-7 form and get DOT approval, now this is legal but you wont comply with being a US legal car, but it will be legal to drive daily.


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## Vega (Oct 3, 2003)

how much do shells run?


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## psuLemon (Apr 23, 2003)

Vega said:


> how much do shells run?


hell if i know, you will have to do some research for that.


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## Vega (Oct 3, 2003)

how about ALL NISSIN LTD (not nissan nissin) any others you all know about?


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## blueboost (Jul 25, 2002)

If you could just pull the drivetrain etc.. out, then throw it all back in stateside, we'd see 1204491238 S15's and GTR's here already.

Call me a skeptic until I actually see someone with a Registration and replacement for US vin.


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## Vega (Oct 3, 2003)

that is exactly how i feel so does soem one have any REAL or HARD proof?


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## GTES-t (Jan 2, 2004)

It is illegal:
_"Motor vehicles" must comply with the Clean Air Act and may not be disassembled nor purchased in a disassembled form for the purposes of evading the Clean Air Act or the Imports regulations. In these situations the kit car body/chassis combination must be certified by the manufacturer, must be in a configuration which was previously certified by EPA_

Additionally, the 3520-1 Form has just been revised and code W now reads:
_code W - non-chassis-mounted engine to be used in a light-duty vehicle or light-duty truck or motorcycle which is currently covered by an EPA certificate or will be covered by an EPA certificate prior to introduction into commerce._

1G Racing legally imports Noble shells because they purchase the vehicle direct from the factory *prior* to assembly, and they do not include the engine/drivetrain. A US EPA certified engine/emissions combination is available.

Unless an imported Skyline has a Certificate of Conformity, it is not US street legal and a violation of the Clean Air Act.


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## Vega (Oct 3, 2003)

well what if i wanted to import a shell just to make a fiberglass body made off of it? Or does someone already make fiberglass bodies of the Nissan Skyline?


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## celm (Dec 15, 2003)

i guess you havent seen a noble up close here in the state ,oh i forgot you live in UK the nobles not OBD2


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## celm (Dec 15, 2003)

blueboost said:


> If you could just pull the drivetrain etc.. out, then throw it all back in stateside, we'd see 1204491238 S15's and GTR's here already.
> 
> Call me a skeptic until I actually see someone with a Registration and replacement for US vin.


this is a picture of a Pulsar GTIR title,the gtir chassis code starts off as RNN14.








if it was a silvia s15 it will starts S15
if its a GTR32 it will be BNR32
gtr33 will be BCNR33
gtr34 will start BNR34


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## celm (Dec 15, 2003)

oh please you think shops are going to stop selling these motors. and you think people are going to stop putting RB26 and SR20 DET motors in there US 240


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## celm (Dec 15, 2003)

GTES-t said:


> A US EPA certified engine/emissions combination is available.
> 
> QUOTE]
> 
> the Twin turbo ford V6 that they use is not EPa certified the NON turbo V6 is.same as the SR20 DE was avaialble in the US and was EPA certified but the SR20 DET was never available here and that motor is not EPA certified


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## Vega (Oct 3, 2003)

celm said:


> GTES-t said:
> 
> 
> > A US EPA certified engine/emissions combination is available.
> ...


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## celm (Dec 15, 2003)

Vega said:


> celm said:
> 
> 
> > So is this legal or what?
> ...


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## blueboost (Jul 25, 2002)

celm said:


> this is a picture of a Pulsar GTIR title,the gtir chassis code starts off as RNN14.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


yes, the ECR33 you see on that vin is because its a GTS or GTS-T as apposed to a GTR.


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## neogeon (Nov 30, 2005)

Does anyone know WHY the government did this? It seems kind of stupid and I don't see any upside to it at all. Its not enough they make you jump through hoops to import it but now they want to ban it all together? Somehow I feel this decision shouldn't last long because there is just no real justification for it. Politicians need to be shot in the face, promptly.


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## psuLemon (Apr 23, 2003)

neogeon said:


> Does anyone know WHY the government did this? It seems kind of stupid and I don't see any upside to it at all. Its not enough they make you jump through hoops to import it but now they want to ban it all together? Somehow I feel this decision shouldn't last long because there is just no real justification for it. Politicians need to be shot in the face, promptly.


This decision will last, its not easy to amend laws. It takes a lot more time then just making a law. The govt is just stict on what can be imported because all the tree huggers and safety regulators. Our govt doesn't give a shit bout imported cars. They drive their US compliance high end cars. Really do some bloody research before posting, you will understand the govt and this issue a lot more.


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## r34skylineguy (Dec 20, 2005)

how is it illegal man because i live in alabama and i work for skyline america and we git in skylines and silvias all the time amtter of fact i have a skyline for sale right now its a r34 gtr vspec


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## neogeon (Nov 30, 2005)

r34skylineguy said:


> how is it illegal man because i live in alabama and i work for skyline america and we git in skylines and silvias all the time amtter of fact i have a skyline for sale right now its a r34 gtr vspec












So i guess that legislation doesnt hold that much water then. Theres always a way with this kind of stuff, i mean, theres always a point where a car is no longer considered a car and its only parts or even scrap metal, you dont see VIN numbers on your toaster made from scrap metal do you? no, so there must be a certain point of dissasembly where it becomes parts that you build yourself into a car and then its no different from that ferrari kit car you made from a fiero or a custom tubing chassis you made and put a body on it. PSULemon, you act like you own the universe and know everything but what you dont know is how much redtape there is in the US government and how "innocent until proven guilty" keeps most laws from being enforced. If the government wont pay to fix streets, why the hell would they waste their time to prevent cars from entering the US? Even if that bill does exist, people are lazy (government) and getting around it is only a matter of time to figure out a loophole.


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## psuLemon (Apr 23, 2003)

neogeon said:


> So i guess that legislation doesnt hold that much water then. Theres always a way with this kind of stuff, i mean, theres always a point where a car is no longer considered a car and its only parts or even scrap metal, you dont see VIN numbers on your toaster made from scrap metal do you? no, so there must be a certain point of dissasembly where it becomes parts that you build yourself into a car and then its no different from that ferrari kit car you made from a fiero or a custom tubing chassis you made and put a body on it. PSULemon, you act like you own the universe and know everything but what you dont know is how much redtape there is in the US government and how "innocent until proven guilty" keeps most laws from being enforced. If the government wont pay to fix streets, why the hell would they waste their time to prevent cars from entering the US? Even if that bill does exist, people are lazy (government) and getting around it is only a matter of time to figure out a loophole.


 Yes, i know the loopholes i have told you them many times, actually read the shit i post. I know the govt wont always get you, but dont tell peole how to do illegal stuff on this forum, its against the rules. Yes we all know teh Vin trick, but its for retards that want to risk inprisionment. I do not know everything, but have researched this topic for 3 years. Oh and the innocence is true, but if you cop gets suspicious, he can get your car impounded if you dont show proper paperwork.







r34skylineguy said:


> how is it illegal man because i live in alabama and i work for skyline america and we git in skylines and silvias all the time amtter of fact i have a skyline for sale right now its a r34 gtr vspec


If youre skylines and silvias are street legal, produce the paperwork. I DOT approval, the NHTSA paperwork, the HS-7 form. The fact that you prolly bring them in as a rolling chasis doesn't make the US legal, but as a chasis car you can make the able to be a DD. That has been established many times. I told everyone how to do it. There is a big difference btw the two. When you bring over a car on a HS-7 form you can not sell the car, give the car as a gift or anything else pretty much.


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## r34skylineguy (Dec 20, 2005)

psuLemon said:


> Yes, i know the loopholes i have told you them many times, actually read the shit i post. I know the govt wont always get you, but dont tell peole how to do illegal stuff on this forum, its against the rules. Yes we all know teh Vin trick, but its for retards that want to risk inprisionment. I do not know everything, but have researched this topic for 3 years. Oh and the innocence is true, but if you cop gets suspicious, he can get your car impounded if you dont show proper paperwork.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


all of our nissan skylines and silvias come into the u.s as a complete vehicle and my boss has all the cars run through customs and all the legal paperwork on every car if there is sumthin that needs to be altered to u.s specs we alter them and have customs and epa go through it all of our cars are legal with all paper work and titles


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## psuLemon (Apr 23, 2003)

r34skylineguy said:


> all of our nissan skylines and silvias come into the u.s as a complete vehicle and my boss has all the cars run through customs and all the legal paperwork on every car if there is sumthin that needs to be altered to u.s specs we alter them and have customs and epa go through it all of our cars are legal with all paper work and titles


photo copy and scan please, i call BS until we see it. No offense towards you or your boss, Companies and people alike claim this all the time and can't provide the paper work.


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## r34skylineguy (Dec 20, 2005)

psuLemon said:


> photo copy and scan please, i call BS until we see it. No offense towards you or your boss, Companies and people alike claim this all the time and can't provide the paper work.


i personally cant provide the paperwork u would have to contact my boss about that i do have the pictures of the silvia i have for sale. and my r34 that is for sale is on the frontpage on www.zenmotorsports.com
to contatc my boss got to www.skylineamerica.net


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## GTES-t (Jan 2, 2004)

From your Skyline America site:


> IN THE EFFORT to clarify the services and procedures we follow at SKYLINE AMERICA please study the below Overview:
> 
> 2) I do not dismantle or do anything illegal in the importation of "off-road" only vehicles. I merely import them, and obtain a US Title. The only "street-legal" skyline which I can acquire is the 1995 R33 GTR. Everything else, including all other Skylines, must be done "off-road".


Now how does that not sound like a BS "US Legal" import. 

So "your" $53K R34 is not road legal, that's a very expensive lawn display.
And the reason I say "your," R34, is because you say you own it. But when asked for scans of "your" paperwork, you refer someone to your "boss." Who has a Hotmail account for business?! And you also refer them to a site that has pics of "your" R34, which are pics from the Japanese Auction House.

Yeah, "your" info is screaming BS!


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## psuLemon (Apr 23, 2003)

GTES-t said:


> From your Skyline America site:
> 
> Now how does that not sound like a BS "US Legal" import.
> 
> ...


Thank you.



That is why i call :bs: so much... honestly guys, if you can't back your shit up with proof stop talking. Your skylines aren't legal. We only had one way to make the US street legal, but now we can only bring them in as a rolling chasis. End of story.


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## Vega (Oct 3, 2003)

ok what is cosidered a rolling chassis?


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## DSMPOWERED (Sep 20, 2005)

The other side of this that hasn't been mentioned is where local and state authorities come into play. The definition of a "kit car" varies wildly from state to state. 

Furthermore, the education of BMV workers and law enforcement varies wildly in regards to these issues. In Ohio, our BMV workers have little to no knowledge of even USDM cars, while, in contrast, California educates its personnel on these issues throroughly. Also, remember that the vast majority of shipping containers enter and leave this country uninspected. For the most part, your container holds whatever you say it holds. Ports in the midwest are much less likely to worry about this shit than those on the coasts.


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## neogeon (Nov 30, 2005)

DSMPOWERED said:


> The other side of this that hasn't been mentioned is where local and state authorities come into play. The definition of a "kit car" varies wildly from state to state.
> 
> Furthermore, the education of BMV workers and law enforcement varies wildly in regards to these issues. In Ohio, our BMV workers have little to no knowledge of even USDM cars, while, in contrast, California educates its personnel on these issues throroughly. Also, remember that the vast majority of shipping containers enter and leave this country uninspected. For the most part, your container holds whatever you say it holds. Ports in the midwest are much less likely to worry about this shit than those on the coasts.


good point, thats what i've been trying to say, people outside of california and big cities likely will have no idea what a skyline is or if its legal or not in the US. Also, an R32 is very sleeper and could easily be mistaken for a maxima or something and an R33 could be mistaken for a chevy impala SS (the new ones) with a bodykit. I know this because every now and then i see an impala SS at the right angle and im like "dude! skyline!, no wait, domestic lame rip off, nevermind"


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## psuLemon (Apr 23, 2003)

neogeon said:


> good point, thats what i've been trying to say, people outside of california and big cities likely will have no idea what a skyline is or if its legal or not in the US. Also, an R32 is very sleeper and could easily be mistaken for a maxima or something and an R33 could be mistaken for a chevy impala SS (the new ones) with a bodykit. I know this because every now and then i see an impala SS at the right angle and im like "dude! skyline!, no wait, domestic lame rip off, nevermind"


This is always the case. yes i know a lot of people dont know what a skyline is, but people have been caught, just based on the fact that its a RHD car. Even if you dont do anything wrong, if a cop gets suspicious of that being legal, he will pull you over and ask for paperwork. Now if you say its a Max and lets say that is his DD and he calls BS, you could be in trouble. I am saying dont preach that on the forums, bc its illegal. I told you how to bring it over. People like Celm have more extensive knowledge as he owns a GTIR. You cut the whole car, engine, tranny, transaxel,s lights, seates and pretty much eveything bare, and it will be considered a rolling chasis. Then import the other stuff in another box, and re assemble in the States.


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## celm (Dec 15, 2003)

i love what sean morris wrote here.its on fresh alloys:


The DOT wont do anything about the illegal people. 

Its EASIER for them to sit at their desks and go after people trying to do it legitimately.

What a total of about 100 cars over 6 years.

I have been giving them information, pictures, etc since 1999 and they do nothing.

Quote me on that.... 

--------------------
Sean Morris 

http://forums.freshalloy.com/ubbthr...lposts&Main=68036994&Search=true#Post68037002

This tells you how small of an issue grey market cars are to the DOT,they do have other issues that *cough* fill there pockets with $ *cough* they attend to :thumbup:


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