# Legalize skylines as a kit car?



## Guest (Nov 17, 2002)

Is it possible to legalize skylines as kit cars in CA?
I know the R33 GTS is only like $8,000 from japan, + maybe $1500 for shipping and such...

Also the R34 GTR and other skylines are way cheaper just look up japanese car importers in yahoo.com or www.bestjapancar.com

Anyone know if this has been done? without going though Motorex, perhaps as registering it as a kit car? i think nitous express registered their S15 in texas like that, any help would be appreciated

THANKs
-ted


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## Nismo Skyline (May 2, 2002)

If you want to talk about going around motorex, then please go to Freshalloy. They love to talk all about it. They have been going over it for 3 years and no other importer has done it yet.

California is the hardest place around to keep any car registered. I seriously doubt that they would let you register it as a kit car when they already know about skylines.

Feel free to post anything you want, but I will lock threads that turn into a bash fest or a bunch of whining about how much skylines cost in the USA.


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## Katana200sx (May 13, 2002)

Nismo Skyline said:


> *If you want to talk about going around motorex, then please go to Freshalloy. They love to talk all about it. They have been going over it for 3 years and no other importer has done it yet.
> 
> California is the hardest place around to keep any car registered. I seriously doubt that they would let you register it as a kit car when they already know about skylines.
> 
> Feel free to post anything you want, but I will lock threads that turn into a bash fest or a bunch of whining about how much skylines cost in the USA. *


he wasn't bashing motorex. just trying to find a way around having to pay out the ass for a skyline. motorex has to do alot of stuff to the cars they bring over to make them legal in ca....but take my state for instance. there is no emissions testing or even any inspection. so as long as the car supposedly runs you can register it. i'm not even sure that sc cares that japan's crash standards don't meet us spec..which yet another thing motorex has to fix w/the skylines. they do a very good job, but all that work they have to do costs alot of money which is why they are so damn expensive in the us. like i said..he was just looking for another option.


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## V i V i D 200sx (Sep 17, 2002)

wow.


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## Katana200sx (May 13, 2002)

what?


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## Guest (Dec 9, 2002)

motorex is doesnt charge high because it cost alot to make it meet us specs, they charge alot cuz who else is gonna do it? motorex has a momnopoly on jdm car registering. Rumor says they have an inside connection with the govt in which they pay them off. It takes at most 6500 to reinforce and meet us standards. so the rest u are paying them is going into their pockets. heck, id be the same id i were them! thees no where else that can register jdm cars! if we didnt have to got trough them and pay an arm and a leg, everyone and their grandmas would roll in a skyline seeing they only cost around 12000 for a 1998 r34 gtr........not trying to offend ne one but it juss my .02 cents


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## Guest (Dec 9, 2002)

california wont let u register it a kit car for sure! We tried with a 1993 jdm twin turbo supra and they denied us and had a great laugh! if only it were that easy!


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## RB26_not_R26B (Nov 21, 2002)

While some of your rant may be true, that is, I'm sure MotoRex makes enough to cover its bills and then a little extra, I think you've been listening to some jealous people who've tried to do the same sort of thing and failed. MotoRex has a deal with Nissan not the US Gov. Not to mention, it would cost them quite a bit to crash test 5 of each generation skyline in order to verify for the DOT that they do meet standards. Plus, Japan doesn't have emissions standards, at least that we'd recognize, so adding all the green standards we have here would cost a bit too. So your cost of $6500 is a bit ridiculous. Also, check around. Look at other companies that do the same sort of thing OUTSIDE the Us. ProSpec for instance in the UK. Their prices are right on with MotoRex's. And where you got that a 1998 R34 would be $12K I don't know either. Hell, here, a 1993 RX7 can still cost you more than that. While it's true that the cost of a Skyline in Japan is far less than it is here, it's also true that by the time it passes through tariffs and taxes and transport by sea that there's quite a bit of money that has to be tacked on JUST to break even let alone make any sort of profit. I'd bet MotoRex makes a good $10K or so on the cars, but, then, they do a lot of work to them, besides, if they were $10K here, every Honda riceboy would be driving one, and I'm sure none of us want to see an R34 done like that. Hell, I just shudder at the mere thought of one with primer spots and black plastic hoods that are modeled to have that 'carbon fiber look' and 8foot unpainted aluminum tri-plane wings on the broken trunk.. *shudder*


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## Guest (Dec 11, 2002)

I am not bashing motorex for their high prices, heck, id be the same if i were them! But, u got ta think, do u seriously think all cars imported are bought legitimetly? Im pretty sure some are stolen and shipped over here seing they sell them without any legal documentation of the buying transaction from the real owner. I am also pretty sure the owners of motorex have plenty of money themselves. It takes money to make money! I can see them paying 20,000 for each skyline, times 5= 100,000. Plus other expenses = a total of 150,000 at the most? 150,000 is not much to these guyes and take no time to get back. As for meeting the DOT standards by reinforcing and etc. it does not cost no more than 6500 to detune and place bumper brackets behind the bumper unless the parts they are using is made from 24k gold. I do not know for sure the exact cost but im pretty sure the money they are spending is chump change. I mean who would even throw down a big bux just to make money in the long run unless that money is of little value to them? I dont want to see everyone and their mothers with skylines but i would like to see a couple of em'. As for u not wanting to see them "riced out" why do u hate on people for their own style? Im pretty sure a couple of years ago u guys were all into whut u call rice now also. just because all this jdm hype is coming up does not mean u have the right to hate. U can have your own opinions but keep em to yourself. Im pretty sure when this jdm hype blows over them youll move on to .........i dunno.......kdm(as in the koreans such as kias, ang etc.)


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## Katana200sx (May 13, 2002)

u make it sound like motorex is the freakin mafia. the guy posts on here..so pm him and ask all what is done to legalize. ive never seen them sell a car for $150,000. more like 89k. the only reason i personally would try to find a way around motorex is bc south carolina doesn't emissions test or do an inspection. if i lived in a state that did those things i would for sure go to motorex.


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## RB26_not_R26B (Nov 21, 2002)

ekb18c5 said:


> *. As for u not wanting to see them "riced out" why do u hate on people for their own style? Im pretty sure a couple of years ago u guys were all into whut u call rice now also. just because all this jdm hype is coming up does not mean u have the right to hate. U can have your own opinions but keep em to yourself. Im pretty sure when this jdm hype blows over them youll move on to .........i dunno.......kdm(as in the koreans such as kias, ang etc.) *


Hate? I don't hate. And I don't hate style. JDM is one thing, putting $900+ into an oversized aluminum wing with no proven aerodynamic value what so ever when their car is falling apart with rust holes and they have a loud exhaust sound because they need a new system not because they have a performance pipe.. That's something else. As for rice, I personally never was. I don't believe in advertising all the performance parts I've got on my car. The car's performance is advertising enough. Everyone's free to have their own style, don't get me wrong. I just think there's a certain unwritten code that goes along with owning something like a Skyline. You own one, you're 'cursed' so to speak. You've just gotten yourself a very high maintenance 'girl friend' so to speak. It'd be like dating a super model. You think she looks that good using Dollar Store cosmetics and clothing? No. Same goes for the Skyline. Whereas in this case we're talking about performance rather than pure appearance, the point's still the same. 

Also, I don't hate by any means. Dislike some 'trends' that are prevalent locally? Yes. Hate? No. It's all good in the end, JDM, ADM, EDM, so on and so forth. Either way, it all boils down to this: MotoRex is the only source at the moment for legally registered Skylines. If you don't think their price is fair, then exercise your right as a consumer and don't buy. You can always, (at least as far as I'm aware), still buy the car, import it via MotoRex or some other legal method, and then register it 'Show Only' which means you can drive it ~2500 miles/year or so while leaving it JDM stock.

Also, I'm not claiming you're bashing MotoRex. I agree that for the price they charge for even R32's, that we, as consumers of their products, have a right to ask questions and have them honestly answered. I have seen more than a few people try and ask a simple question regarding MotoRex and their price only to be told to go elsewhere if they were going to bash.. Well, asking if there's alternatives isn't bashing. It's simply looking for an alternative. Let's face it, even if you have a billion dollars in your wallet, $95K is still a lot of money..


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## Guest (Dec 11, 2002)

i am not trying to say they are bad people im just sayin I THINK they can get their cars for much cheaper than they actually sell them for! I didnt say they sell ONE for 150,000, i said they prolly get 5 for 150000. And its not just emmissions motorex do, also U.S vin for it also! I doubt there is another way around motorex's way anywayz!!!


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## Nismo Skyline (May 2, 2002)

Guys,

this is getting close to all of the crap that goes on at FA. I don't want that here and won't have it here. If this discussion gets too far out there I will lock it.

I am not a big motorex lover, but all the speculating and bashing gets really old. Have a look at some of the threads that go on for pages about what it costs to import on FA. Do your home work and you will see that motorex isn't making a killing on each car. They had to crash a bunch of cars and those DOT tests are not cheap.

Just remember that they are a Business, not a charity. The first goal of any business if to turn a PROFIT. If you do not make a profit, then you go BROKE. If they are selling cars, then the pricing is right (supply and demand), if they have lots of cars and no customers, the price is too high. Since they are selling cars, they must be doing something right.


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## Guest (Dec 11, 2002)

i guess so! well lets drop this subject then!


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## Guest (Dec 11, 2002)

rb26 not r26b

*It'd be like dating a super model. You think she looks that good using Dollar Store cosmetics and clothing?* 

I date girls for their personality, not their looks! Whats wrong with dollar store cosmetic so to speak? U think when big companies like spoon or hks came out people didnt just atomatically loved them? whos said it had to be expensive to be good? and hey if u like and got the money for a 900 dollar wing with no real purpose, buy it, whutever floats ur boat i say!
If had 1 billion dollars in my wallet, 95,000 is nothing! I could live of of the interest of the billion and live like a king! When u get a billion dollars tell me if 100,000 is alot. U wonder why millionaire popstars buy million dollar homes and 6 digit cars? Now compare a million to a billion....and u'll see.....


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## RB26_not_R26B (Nov 21, 2002)

The cost of the add on doesn't make it wrong, the point was that they put more money into things like that than making sure the car was solid to begin with. A rusty trunk lid is not going to support that wing for long.. And what's the point of having some spiffy chrome wheels if the rust strips hanging out from under your fenders are about to slit your Kuhmos? 

As for the girl reference, wasn't about 'cost' again. The simple fact is, we all know you get what you pay for. You think someone making a living off their looks the way a super model does would risk their skin to less than the best cosmetics? Same for a skyline, are you going to use less than the best hardware on it? But you're right, if it floats your boat, go for it. *shrug*

The last thing, if $95K is nothing to a millionaire or billionaire, go ask one for half that much. Bet they tell you to kiss off.. If it WEREN'T something to them, they'd hand it over without thinking wouldn't they? Yes, they may pay quite a bit for their houses and cars, but I bet you, none of them paid more than original sticker price for a Skyline..


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## Guest (Dec 12, 2002)

All cars are solid, its whut u do to it that makes it fall apart! They may chose to drill holes and place a wing, whereas us may rev your motor pass the rev limiter and strain your engine. I mean, how long does it take to rust holes through ur trunk. Compare that to how easy it is to crashing your car racing or blowing your motor reving. Im saying if u build your motor to withstand the high rpms then it wont mess up, if u take the extra steps to seal your holes with a sealant then it wont rust at all. 

u dont always get whut u pay for tho! 

Tell me, whut is the differece between real spoon sw388 and rota slipstreams? They both weigh the same and look the same but one cost twice as much. My friend bought spoon side mirrors for his car and they cracked the next week! All spoon really is is a name stamped on generic made rims. But like some people they are willing to pay the full price for the rims, and some people chose not to.
The last thing is, when a bum asks u for change, do u always give them some? u may occassionally but not all the time! If i had 100 dollars in my pocket, i wouldnt just give a dollar away! but when i find something i like for a dollar, i am quick to pick it up not even thinking about the dollar. Why do u think they fork over millions of dollars when they could build the same house for much cheaper using generic parts? When it comes to spending money, u would rather spend it on crap like air fresheners than giving it to a stranger.


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## stealthb14 (Apr 30, 2002)

I've seen just about enough here. This has digressed off topic, and Nismo Skyline did warn you that this thread would be locked if this BS continues, and since it has, this thread is closed. Any questions? Contact me via AIM or E-mail ([email protected])


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