# An Idea For Legally Importing a S15 (long but interesting)



## jayman281 (Jan 9, 2009)

I'm going to try to keep this asfact-based as possible. I've been doing some research to a point to where I feel like my eyes are going to bleed. Despite all my best efforts, I have yet to get any good news for less than stupid amounts of money and more research for anything other than a show/off-road vehicle. I'm trying to drive daily and not worry about ANY level of law agency taking my ride. As much as I would love to give an limb and 1 of my kids for an R34, I've come to the conclusion that it won't happen unless I can get a handful of them here for safety testing. Unlike the folks that produce the 'Fast and Furious' line of movies, I don't have the time, money or twisted sense of personality to wreck a Skyline for any reason at all. The R33 thing doesn't sound too bad but just based off of looks I'd rather have a Sylvia. On top of that, I've realized that anybody that has one that wasn't modded by JK Technologies shouldn't even be driving them outside of a track or for maitenance/showroom purposes. They didn't share the specifics of the federal mods with anybody so if you have one by any other means then it is not legit in the eyes of federal agencies. I pray you don't get caught. I know that taking a car apart and reassembling it by no means makes it a 'kit' car. As long as it is put back together in ANY variation that was offered by the manufacturer then it is by no means a kit car. That might work for the state but I'm still looking for something to drive with no worries. I know that no importer can just bring a car here that is not on the list of authorized imports. If anyone claims they can guarantee it then a contract of full vehicle, shipment and 'modification' fees should be drawn up. If it's not on the list then it is not recognized as being safe on US roads and requires extensive testing and money before it can get there. 

This is where my idea comes in. There is no way to make any significant changes to a Skyline without down-grading it. And I know that the Sylvia has had just about everything done from the manufacturer as a S-spec, R-spec and even a Varietta. That all includes a SR20DE, SR20DET, 4-speed automatic, 5-speed manual, 6-speed manual, and a convertible. I have yet to find a S15 with a 6 cylinder engine as any option through Nissan, Autech or any company that would call it a production, limited, or special edition though. Would that be a significant enough change to the powerplant to class it as a kit car. As long long as it can be up and running within the 120 day window through customs I would like to think that it would be good. The only other massive changes that could even be made would be to make it a a front-wheel or all-wheel drive ride right? I know this is a lot but I'm serious about this. Folks can critique me all they want but I think everybody that has never gotten their ride out of customs might appreciate this and probably wish they would have thought about it before they lost all that money.


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## Shadao (Aug 14, 2007)

so whats your idea?

are you saying your gonna bring in a silvia but then just swap in a rb motor instead of the sr motor?

if thats your idea then why bother with the full silvia... if you want it purely for the looks then i can understand but if you want it for other reasons why not do this...

buy a s14 domestic... then buy a RB power plant and do a swap... 

then you dont have to worry about legality and you can still smoke vettes


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## sl33py240sx (Mar 24, 2009)

im having the same problem, do as the guy above me said, with a nice body kit(not a ricer one) you can get a better looking s14 than a imported s15 =)


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## jayman281 (Jan 9, 2009)

It's the 'rare' factor that has me. There's only so many over here and they probably shouldn't be. Even still folk sale them for $15K+ and that's limping. S14's are alright but even they can go for twice their value if not more because of folks that want a S15 but know they can't just go to a used car dealer. Heaven forbid someone does any form of mods. I know the process is a headeache but the S15 are going for $2-3 grand overseas untouched and a RB powerplant would be on my Christmas list any way. The actual theory is that for those who have gone out of there way to get these cars this might be it. Have one sent over without a motor and get an RB put in. This might actually classify the car a 'kit' since it was never offered in this platform. I'm still researching but I think kit cars are exempt from EPA and NHSTA criteria.


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## Shadao (Aug 14, 2007)

this idea of a kit car might work, but you still run the risk of losing your invested money...


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## bodykits (Apr 26, 2009)

LOL.... Very interesting.. keep it up..


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## sl33py240sx (Mar 24, 2009)

are you serious, they can go from 2 to 3 grand!? thats insane, around how much would it cost to import it to the U.S?


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## jayman281 (Jan 9, 2009)

Going with a domestic S14 leaves me with the issue of emissions. I don't think that is a problem with a kit car. I can't use my government ID to dodge breather checks forever and there is no way that a RB-anything is going to pass one over 500hp. Besides, I think the S15's looks are only beat out by a R34 in the aspect of a tuner but that's just me. 

As far as shipping, it depends on how well you want it secured. $2000-ish will probably slide off the boat. $4-6K provides no worries other than the time frame from what a friend of mine experienced. Anything above that and you might as well be bringing something in from Europe with some form of emblem that costs $20K just to fix scratched paint. It's however you want to and can afford to take it. The biggest problem doesn't arrive until it hits customs and that 120 day clock starts ticking. That's were the serious dollars come into play unless the car is on the approved imports list. I'm still not sure but I think kit cars are waived from all of that because they are not mass-produced. That's why the car would have to be engineless or it would have to come with a 6 cylinder motor. On top of that you would have to already have a registered importer up to speed and ready to make the vehicle servicable within that 4 months. Any form of SR20 is high risk for failure because you're probably just turning a S-spec into a R-spec or whatever the case may be and as I've found out is highly illegal in terms of having a FEDERALLY legit car. Keep in mind that federal laws supercede state laws any day of the week. So for those of you out riding dirty please don't piss anyone off. If they make that call on you then you won't even be given a chance of redeeming the car. On top of losing your car, you get a nice not so little fine of $50K too.


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## sl33py240sx (Mar 24, 2009)

holy crap dude, i never knew so much about importiong cars, thanks for all the info this is a very intresting topic, anyways, it does all sound pretty good until u get only four months to make it servicable, but what happens if you dont? do they take away your car? or can you pay for a little more time, anyways i was thinking about it and you and i may be better off moving to japan and not having to worry about the police =)


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## jayman281 (Jan 9, 2009)

No extra time allowed. 120 days is the absolute deadline. After that they usually try to auction your car as an 'export only' type sale that keeps someone from trying buy it over and over until it's legal. From what I'm getting out of it they usually save the vehicle destruction as a last resort if they can't make any money on it to cover so-called storage and processing fees. I still have hope though. Show and off-road cars have limits but kit cars are just as good as buying a Vette or VW Beetle.


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## Shadao (Aug 14, 2007)

one thing to keep in mind about the kit car idea is " what is considered a kit car "

im not 100% on how it is in the usa, but up here in canada a rolling chassis is considered a car... the only way to have it considered as a kit car would be having the frame, drive train, and ext/int panels shipped seperatly... then you put it back together... but even then the engine has to be from a different vehicle otherwise it is still considered to be a car, and not a kit car...

how ever doing the full dismantle can give you the option of having it called a " home build "

in any case be careful with your money as with importing vehicles you can lose it all


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## jayman281 (Jan 9, 2009)

I'm still researching the whole 'kit car' thing. An I can deal with the disassembling. As far as the assembly, it would incorporate a Skyline motor. That was never offered with the S-platform. I just read the EPA regulation and it is full of gray areas and loose interpretations. I'm going to have to call to see if my idea is even worth a try. If it's not then I'm going to try to get with JK Technologies to see if they are still allowed to do up R33's.


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## sl33py240sx (Mar 24, 2009)

well im confused when you say "the possibility of it being a kit car" does tht=at mean that when you ship it to the U.S the engine must be left wherever you bought the car at, cuz what im understanding is you can bring the car and the engine separately? as long as they dont come together it ok?


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## Shadao (Aug 14, 2007)

its more than just the engine...

the car usually can not be a rolling chassis...

so that means you have to have it fully dismantled...

the engine stipulation is if you have a fully dismantled car engine included it is considered to be a full car... even if you ship the engine speratly when you reassemble it the car is not a kit car because the engine was the same engine available from the factory... but if you swap in an RB it should be able to jump through the loop hole..


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## jayman281 (Jan 9, 2009)

That's what I got out of this hater at EPA. Now I'm trying to find out what exactly constitutes an 'assembled car' or 'rolling chassis' to see how many different shipments I'm looking at. I don't know if I'd have to have the frame stripped or if the lack of an engine, tranny, and wheels is good enough. I've already priced a shipped Nismo 6-speed tranny, a RB26, and some nice wheels. If it does then I would just throw in a body kit to reduce the the price for having the panels sent separate. Plus I have to see if the whole 120 day thing still applies. This is a headache and a half but for the devoted, it just might be worth it. If it comes down to it I might just try to get in touch with JK Technologies because it might just be cheaper. I'd rather pay $15-20K for an exotic tuner that I can keep until the end of time instead of something close to that amount that I might risk losing. In any case, the S14 is an absolute dead last resort.


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## Shadao (Aug 14, 2007)

an assemlbed car is a full car

a rolling chassis is a full car minus engine and tranny, but still has all the suspension and wheels.... hence rolling chassis

youd prolly have to dismantle it down to just the body, then ship it, seperatly from the rest of the stuff.... since you are goin with the RB it should make things a lil easier


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## sl33py240sx (Mar 24, 2009)

that sounds like a lot of shipping money and time having to wait for the whole engine and accessories, i have a question, when does your 120 day time start? once you recieve the engine? or can you have the engine and once you receive the frame your time starts?, which part is the part that causes the time to start?


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## Shadao (Aug 14, 2007)

the 120 day thing, i believe; is only for full vehicles...


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## sl33py240sx (Mar 24, 2009)

damn, its a shit load of work but i think it can be done, as for me i think im better off moving to japan and living there, are the rules the same in Canada?


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## jayman281 (Jan 9, 2009)

I doubt they're anywhere near as anal. I've been trying to figure out who I can talk to about a stripped chassis. He was very brief and half-assed jumbled but I want to say the EPA guy said something about the VIN. I know it's not for everybody but if I can get a chassis minus the motor, tranny, wheels (if need be) and the bulk of it's body panels then I would like to think that there is no way in hell finished product would even add up to anything like a S15. The chassis and steering assembly would be the only thing original from the manufacturer. The FEDs would never see anything near a car as a whole until it was completed and ready for registration. I refuse to believe that the government eliminated any possible loop whole. I'm in the military and I've seen things that should have even come close to happening without rediculous consciquences and loop wholes made produced miracles. I just cant see any form of our government being that cut and dry for something so seemingly mindless.


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## sl33py240sx (Mar 24, 2009)

its a whole lot of work but i know it will be well worth it, how i hate our govt. why must they ban good cars and only allow the super crapy as ones that we have here, y cant we buy a good car that actully works, its BS! if it was only about removing the engine i would have no problem, i would just swap it for a RB26DETT, but your talking about removing the whole drive train too?


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## jayman281 (Jan 9, 2009)

As far as the countdown, I want to say it starts when the part most recognized as a vehicle hits customs. So probably receiving the chassis is the biggest issue. I'm still trying to figure out just how much if anything at all could be removed from a chassis (body panels and etc.) would be enough to not be considered a vehicle. Hell, it would be a project car anyway. I've already found enough stuff to build the whole damn car up, replacing everyting but the chassis. If that is allowed, it would be cheaper since you wouldn't have to pay for all the federal crap or the sensitive shipping of a whole car. That would also take out the headache of meeting that lame deadline too. On top of that, once you have the basics to drive it you would probably be less inclined to take care of or maintain things you plan to replace anyway.


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## Shadao (Aug 14, 2007)

you being in the military can make things easier... just go get posted in japan for a couple years buy an s15 and then bring it back with you... 

people have done this before who are in the military


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## jayman281 (Jan 9, 2009)

The only way it would bypass customs is in the back of a military plane going straight to a military base. I still want a DAILY driver that is legal on a FEDERAL level. Keep in mind the only imports authorized for the streets 24/7 are on the approved import list. Nothing recognized as a S15 is on the list. I check it almost daily.


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## sl33py240sx (Mar 24, 2009)

so it sounds like even if you are lucky enuf to bring a dismanteled s15 its not gunna look very much like one onceyour finished or perform like one?


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## jayman281 (Jan 9, 2009)

In a sense of motor swapping, body work and overall customizing it would be more like something out of a magazine. It would still suite all purposes though. Those tuner mag cars are all trailer queens and track stars. As long as they are documented as being used in those fashions they are good in the eyes of the law. I want one that would bring home some show room trophies, put dicks in the dirt and haul my kids to the park.


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## sl33py240sx (Mar 24, 2009)

yes sir i understand, so what engine does the s15 originally come with that the govt. is so disapproving of?


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## Shadao (Aug 14, 2007)

its not the engine persay... no skyline engine will ever pass california emissions testing... its impossible

the problem is automotive protectionism...

there is NO way to have a federally legal imported vehicle... you can exemptions but that doesnt make it legal...

also you only need the vehicle to be state legal for your state... even if you travel around the country as long as your car is state legal for your state you are fine...


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## jayman281 (Jan 9, 2009)

You can have an import that get the 'thumbs up' from the government. It just has to meet the minimum NHTSA regulations as a production vehicle. The biggest thing is crash testing (I can't imagine how a Dodge Prowler passsed this one). That alone probably requires the demise of at least a handful of good cars. On top of that, there is emissions, driver and possibly passenger airbags, shatter resistant glass, and a speedometer that has MPH readout. You have to provide proof possitive that all tests and modifications have been done to 1 vehicle that would make it okay to import other vehicles as long as all required mods are done within 120 days. If a federal agency catches you without the federal documents then kiss your ride goodbye. It can be registered in all 50 states. Without the federal paperwork then it's no good. I don't think customs, replicas and kit cars have to go through all that crap because they are not production vehicles. Even with familiar bodies and frames they are usually lacking a ton of crap that any other car would have. Despite their appearance, they are modeled as the year assembled. That's how some people have gotten some imports here. However, reassembling the same production car is just that--reassembling. If enough parts are frankensteined together from different cars and custom parts can you honestly call that a production car? That's what my idea is all about.


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## Shadao (Aug 14, 2007)

i can tell you how cars like the prowler are able to pass regulations.... and you are gonna flip your lid

automanufactures self certify there own vehicles... thats why they(domestics) have produced SHIT for the past 20+yrs... there is no private company that is certifying vehicles... so when they say " this car is safe " it is considered safe, even if its not... ie ford exploders, pinto's etc etc etc thats why there are recalls on just about every domestic piece of crap made... they also self certify emmisions testing... sure in there lab they can produce the results that they want us to hear, but really now how many brand new vehicles would actually pass an emmisions test.... who knows


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## jayman281 (Jan 9, 2009)

You have a good point. Recently, a couple of those little RC-looking, eco-friendly cars were crash tested by a federal agency and failed horribly. I'm sure there is at least 250K of those cars in ciculation already too. They can say what they want to but I'd take a roll cage and a 6 point harness over airbags any day of the week.


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## Shadao (Aug 14, 2007)

air bags were designed to save people who do not wear there seatbelts... which is why the fatality rate didntdrop off as much as they expected when they came out... it did lowerthe fatality rate of people not wearing seat belts though


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## jayman281 (Jan 9, 2009)

I'm thinking my idea is being crapped on. Some federal hater made mention of the chassis being trademarked or registered to a production vehicle or some BS like that. I don't know why Uncle Sam would even care anyway. It's not like these cars are just NOT SAFE. Most tuner cars are better equipped to keep folks alive in my book. Between better braking, chassis reinforcements, seatbelts, handling, roll resistance and a lack of the shotgun they call an air bag I would rather be in one any day of the week. Folks hit walls on a track doing well over 100 and walk away with little to no injuries. Yet, if you put a roll cage in a car then it is automatically not street legal. Auto insurance companies would probably drop medical coverage because more folks would probably live to collect if they're cars had half the stuff that most tuners and fanatics do to their cars.


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## Shadao (Aug 14, 2007)

its all about automotive domestic protectionism now....


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## jayman281 (Jan 9, 2009)

I just got word that I'm going to Japan after I leave Korea now. I know it'll be a long time out but I'll at least have a chance to get a R33 and send it back the right way. Uncle Sam is going to be picking up the tab for the shipping too so that's more money to play around with once it's here. Now I just have to pray that JK Technologies is still up and running in about 5 years and hope they are still allowed to do it.


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## sl33py240sx (Mar 24, 2009)

so your not getting the s15? r33 is just as good if not better. how much are you getting it for?


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## jayman281 (Jan 9, 2009)

I don't know but probably cheap as hell. I'll actually be in Japan and not somewhere waiting on shipping or looking for someone that just might have what I'm looking for. There was a 2 1/2 year period of GT-R's and GT-S's that are covered under the legal imports list. The vehicles that JK Technologies tested were from that span. It's a shame that they got caught trying to pawn off that all GT-R's were identical. The quickest in the world are R32's and the most coveted are R34's. I'm surprised that they didn't keep the blanket coverage on all R33's though. I wonder what's the difference if any. It doesn't matter. As much as I'd rather have the S15, my headaches and financial status in regards to the whole situation have been cut down to a 1/3 of what it was. I know I can get a R33 here that would be legal in every single aspect of the word fresh out of the gate until the mods roll in. I know what years to look for. I know I'm looking at $15Kish roughly depending on JK Technologies. They will be my on concern. Nobody else know what exactly they did and with exactly what parts to make it pass emission as far as the actual smoke check and federally regulated devices. They kept it to themselves.


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