# Importing a Sunny?



## Biscuit (Mar 5, 2005)

I noticed that some of the Sunnys have AWD and such. And I noticed on ebay that some of the SR20 engines come with awd trannys. Sooo would it be worth it trying to import one over here and tuning it? It would be cool to have something that NOBODY has.


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## mille-16i (Jun 16, 2004)

Well some do have them only in Station Wagon form but to import a Sunny should not be that big of a deal would have to change head lights windshield and maybe the seatbelts depending on year I would go with a 87-88 myself that way you will avoid the auto belts. also the emissions would have to meet us specs but a junkyard trip can solve that. But at the same time you will have to figure cost of purchase 4wd saloon sunnys are not common place and the cost of shipment and any affiliated taxes and liscensing fees may run your bank dry. Also research your local laws to ensure what flaming hoops they want you to jump through.


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## SuperStock (Dec 31, 2003)

u can get regular belts in sedan/wagon bodies until 1989. sport coupes had em in 89-90 *for US/Canada(?) only
just to clarify

but for non-North American cars, probably the nearest LHD foreign market is the philippines. still not sure if they have rear discs, or AWD on their b12s.

an AWD sedan body will be like finding the Holy Grail


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## thecolonelcm (Mar 28, 2005)

I'm not sure whats involved in making them emissions compliant here, correct me if i'm wrong but i'm pretty sure that junkyards in the states will not let you leave w/ used emissions equipment.


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## SuperStock (Dec 31, 2003)

yup, then u gotta somehow get the car registered. seein as it would be identical to the US sentra, u might be able to register it as such, but u may run into trouble w/ the VIN. 

...or get the complete AWD drivetrain and everythin to make it work and go to town swappin it into a car already registered here. either way...
$pendy


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## Popkorn (Nov 16, 2003)

Trying to register a foriegn VIN in the US is almost impossible. Reasons being emissions, safety reasons like bumpers, seat belts even the type of glass in the windows. Forien models do not have NTSA standards and thus are not tested to see if they even meet NTSA standards. You even have to swap the speedo over to mph. 
Here is a rather lengthy post regarding importation. 
IMO, a half cut is your best bet.


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## Biscuit (Mar 5, 2005)

I got a price on one to have one imported...around 5k-6k bones. In SC the emissions doesnt bother me. Everybody around here goes around with half their exhaust systems on and nobody says anything about it. My maw used to work at the highway department and she said I could registered and everything as long as the car has lights and some other things. I could have it classified as a car that I made and so on and there I have a Sunny that nobody has. Gah I love SC. So I am thinking about selling my honda and sentra to get a sunny with the sr20det 4wd. Cuz the importer guy said I could get it that way if I wanted.


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## mille-16i (Jun 16, 2004)

You will need DOT aproved headlights and saftey glass and seatbelts and if you know what you are doing you can get used emmision equipment. or by a wrecked sentra and use its emmisions. also you can get a state assigned vin I have had many cars with state assigned vins(in washington state atleast). If you have reciepts for stuff they will let you pass also the sunny used the B12 chassis so it has passed all safety requirments crash test ect. And the speedo is a simple task just swap a usdm cluster in and exempt the mileage. Also the european (cept england) market is left hand drive so any b12 from there will work. Bottom line check out the legal requirments with your state before importing.


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## Putt-Putt B12 (Feb 25, 2005)

In addition you will have to pay for the ocean freight and to have someone file the US Customs entry for you, and pay the duty. Where is Spinnatown by the way? I have been all over that state (Used to be a sales guy and lived in Mt Pleasant) and don't remember that town....


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## DAniel62 (Jul 15, 2005)

Man are they that wanted there? When i bought one here everyone laughed at me and hey still do. Only cos its a sunny tho. I havnt seen many of thm around but i think u could pick thm up quite cheap from NZ but i dunno about what sort of standards u guys have there in comparison to us.


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## himilefrontier (Jan 21, 2003)

You can legally import any car over 25 years old into the US, but doing anything newer is extremely difficult.Usually it is restricted to models that were offered here new and then "Federalizing" them.


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## blownb310 (Jun 10, 2002)

The B12's never came with SR20 engines in _any_ country. If your importer said he could get you a Sunny with AWD and an SR20DET, he is referring to a GTiR model. That is a hatchback though, not a sedan. Cool though. :thumbup:


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## Biscuit (Mar 5, 2005)

Well JDM engines inc are the ones importing it for me. So I might not have to go through customs with it. Probably the only people I would have to go through would be the DOT and getting the car registered. I could register it as a car that I built because my friend had a dune buggy and he had it registered as a car he built I think. Im just saying that in SC I DO BELEIVE as long as the car has headlights, turn signals, tail lights...then its all good. I will call up my DOT and ask them what the deal is. Its probably going to be hard but Im willing to do it....once I get some mooolah.


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## Putt-Putt B12 (Feb 25, 2005)

I have fond memories of the DMV and the drivers in Charleston. Property tax every year, recoupment surcharge on your insurance. That and the little old ladies that will wait for the last car to leave the light before pulling out onto the highway. Where is Spinnatown anyway?


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## Biscuit (Mar 5, 2005)

Spinnatown is what I call Jenkinsville. Every 5 minutes you see a car on spinners go down the road. I am thinking of selling my B12 and my Honda Aerodeck to get me that Sunny. I do hope to get the GTIR with the sr20det. That thing would flat haul ass especially if it is a lil hatchback. Does anybody have any pics of one so I would know what im gettin? I am determined to get one but I am going to have to sell my b12 and Honda Aerodeck to get it. And I dont care how much it takes to get it registered and street legal.


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## psuLemon (Apr 23, 2003)

you wont be able to import that car, well for not the 5-6k you think. First off, you need an RI to bring over the car (not the hard part) second you need a RI to do the legalization of the car, usually runs around 15K alone. Third the sunny is not one of the cars that have been passed to be imported, which means you would have to get at least three to be crash tested.

here is a list: http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/import/ELIG081905.html

granted you might be able to bring it over for a year on a HS-7 form, but it would be hard to prove that this car would be worthy.

go to www.dot.gov and read the section labeled importing a car.


lastly, the gtir is a motor, from the sunnys i have seen, they are most like coupes and sedan (i could be wrong based on year) but you might be thinking of the primera with is an awd car with the gtir (sr20det).


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## Nismo_NOR (Aug 12, 2004)

You can get AWD N13s from Germany or Scandinavia. I'm from Scandinavia but haven't seen many of them around. Only sedans were delivered here, in Norway atleast. In Germany I have seen only wagons.

If you want an AWD N13 hatchback, Japan is the place to look.

The GTi-R is a car, not a motor. It's a Nissan Sunny N14 (RNN14) hatchback.

I don't think the Primera came with both 4WD -and- turbo.


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## psuLemon (Apr 23, 2003)

Nismo_NOR said:


> You can get AWD N13s from Germany or Scandinavia. I'm from Scandinavia but haven't seen many of them around. Only sedans were delivered here, in Norway atleast. In Germany I have seen only wagons.
> 
> If you want an AWD N13 hatchback, Japan is the place to look.
> 
> ...


 considering he is in america, he wont be able to import these cars. The stupid US has too many restrictions. He might be able to bring it over on a HS-7 form for a year, but then it will have to be exported back at his expense. The only other thing he could do, it import it as a track or show car, but he has to show the significance of doing so and be approved by DOT to bring the car over which is extremely hard.


and with the GTI-R, you are right, but over here we distingush it as the sr20det GTI-R due to the independent throttle bodies. The same we call the other sr20det's as the avenir or the blue bird.


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## celm (Dec 15, 2003)

Biscuit said:


> I noticed that some of the Sunnys have AWD and such. And I noticed on ebay that some of the SR20 engines come with awd trannys. Sooo would it be worth it trying to import one over here and tuning it? It would be cool to have something that NOBODY has.


you can import a sunny.i have one and its my daily driver.if you want help contact me


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## celm (Dec 15, 2003)

psuLemon said:


> you wont be able to import that car, well for not the 5-6k you think. First off, you need an RI to bring over the car (not the hard part) second you need a RI to do the legalization of the car, usually runs around 15K alone. Third the sunny is not one of the cars that have been passed to be imported, which means you would have to get at least three to be crash tested.
> 
> here is a list: http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/import/ELIG081905.html
> 
> ...


All this crap applies if you are trying to import a FULL CAR.How you think 1g racing imports the Noble which is a British or S.african car.As an individual you are allowed to buy parts and assemble or build a car


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## psuLemon (Apr 23, 2003)

celm said:


> All this crap applies if you are trying to import a FULL CAR.How you think 1g racing imports the Noble which is a British or S.african car.As an individual you are allowed to buy parts and assemble or build a car


 really, i never would have guessed. 


Read and you will see that this thread is about importing a Sunny, which is a full car in japan. its the b14 over there. i have proven you wrong in the skyline thread multiple threads, dont bring that shit in this thread and clutter it up to.


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## celm (Dec 15, 2003)

psuLemon said:


> really, i never would have guessed.
> 
> 
> Read and you will see that this thread is about importing a Sunny, which is a full car in japan. its the b14 over there. i have proven you wrong in the skyline thread multiple threads, dont bring that shit in this thread and clutter it up to.


YOU DO NOT GET IT DO YOU!!!
no dumb ass its not a B14 its a RNN14 for the sunny/pulsar GTIR.teh gtir is my daily driver.YES RHD GTi-R.titled ,reg and insured under its VIN of RNN14-53690.How you think people get JDM cars into teh country.It not illegal to buy parts and build a car.meaning wet behind the ears,the car comes to US with drive train removed and all put into a container.container clears and put everything back together.and what do you know about importing,you are Forum educated,you never imported anything auto related and you drive a 2dr sentra
mine


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## psuLemon (Apr 23, 2003)

just cause i haven't imported a car, doesn't mean i dont know what i am talkin bout. Yes, i know the Kit car trick, its another loop hole as many LI people know. That is how a lot of cars have been brought into the US. This doesn't apply to skylines, as they are a big harder to do.

i will admit i am wrong bout the chasis code. But finding loop holes isn't something everyone knows how to do.


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## celm (Dec 15, 2003)

psuLemon said:


> just cause i haven't imported a car, doesn't mean i dont know what i am talkin bout. Yes, i know the Kit car trick, its another loop hole as many LI people know. That is how a lot of cars have been brought into the US. This doesn't apply to skylines, as they are a big harder to do.
> 
> i will admit i am wrong bout the chasis code. But finding loop holes isn't something everyone knows how to do.


i am going to stay civil with you.but when you said this"That is how a lot of cars have been brought into the US. This doesn't apply to skylines, as they are a big harder to do.".they are not a bit harder to do.when it comes to any non US car,the EPA,DOT all look at it as an automobile,not a skyline,evo,aristo what ever trim.they look at it as a non US car.and the cars i titled dont say KIT or salvage on the title.it says what it is and its vin from the firewall on teh title.


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## SuperStock (Dec 31, 2003)

heres somethin civil:

that sunny is hawt as hell :idhitit:


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## psuLemon (Apr 23, 2003)

SuperStock said:


> heres somethin civil:
> 
> that sunny is hawt as hell :idhitit:


 dont worry, celm and I had a lot of build anomousity from other threads. We took it to PM and settled our differences. But yea, you can bring them over as a rolling chasis and then reinstall the motor and transaxle. So listen to celm. he knows what he is talkin bout. mine is more directed towards skylines as that is where my knowledge base if from.


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## celm (Dec 15, 2003)

psuLemon said:


> dont worry, celm and I had a lot of build anomousity from other threads. We took it to PM and settled our differences. But yea, you can bring them over as a rolling chasis and then reinstall the motor and transaxle. So listen to celm. he knows what he is talkin bout. mine is more directed towards skylines as that is where my knowledge base if from.


 :cheers: cheers mate


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## DAniel62 (Jul 15, 2005)

Take my Sunny! im sick of fucken around with it! Its got no engine but is good as and real tidy.


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## Biscuit (Mar 5, 2005)

SR20DET AWD???


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## psuLemon (Apr 23, 2003)

Biscuit said:


> SR20DET AWD???


yes, this is true.


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## SuperStock (Dec 31, 2003)

celm, was your GTI-R an open n shut case, as far as importing/federalizing?


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## DAniel62 (Jul 15, 2005)

Biscuit said:


> SR20DET AWD???


What mine? Nah lol its just a peice of shit really. Original engine was GA15 SOHC Carb but blew it up and now i have a GA15 DOHC Carb to put in but i cant be fucked doing all that now. Im just gonna buy a new car already done. Probly just leave it in the padock. for the rest of its life.


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