Ever shipped a car from Japan to the West Coast?

[blackbolt94red]

Just curious if anyone has ever shipped a SVX or any car, from there to here? How difficult is it? How expensive? Is a container used? Very much in the dark but curious.

Thanks
bruce

[ensteele]

I tried for 2 years to get one into the US that was shipped to Canada. It is not something for the faint hearted. The car was finally sold out from under me after 2 years. After 911, the US makes it very difficult to do anything like that. A Canadan car is no problem, but if it came from Japan, it starts a whole new set of problems.

[redlinedeath]

its a PITA, mostly dealing with epa and us customs, they are VERY strict. and, if you dont pay the customs fee right away, the us government will confiscate your jdm wrx front clip... and auction it off at a gov. liquidation site. (that was a big waste of money for me) if you do end up doing this, make sure you watch whats going on with shipping like a hawk, where it is, estimated arrival, have your epa paperwork ready, etc.

[JaySVX]

Because only terrorists try to import cars from japan... The government is kinda retarded. Japan has standards way and well above us standards, most cars being taken off the road after 30-60k because they no longer satisfy their inspection requirements. Can you make a japanese car a canadian car, then make that canadian car a US car? Multi-step process, I know, but we have some canadian friends on the network that might be willing to help if it's possible.

[Wikedjuggalo]

Originally Posted by JaySVX

Because only terrorists try to import cars from japan... The government is kinda retarded. Japan has standards way and well above us standards, most cars being taken off the road after 30-60k because they no longer satisfy their inspection requirements. Can you make a japanese car a canadian car, then make that canadian car a US car? Multi-step process, I know, but we have some canadian friends on the network that might be willing to help if it's possible.

There is a Subaru SVX 4WS that is able to be directly imported from Japan. It was on an approved list of cars to import. Someone posted it on here somewhere.

[lhopp77]

Originally Posted by JaySVX

Because only terrorists try to import cars from japan... The government is kinda retarded. Japan has standards way and well above us standards, most cars being taken off the road after 30-60k because they no longer satisfy their inspection requirements. Can you make a japanese car a canadian car, then make that canadian car a US car? Multi-step process, I know, but we have some canadian friends on the network that might be willing to help if it's possible.

Not entirely correct. They actually have lower standards for many items including even glass. The reason low mileage cars are taken off the road is because of a backward tax on them. The older and more miles they have--the higher the taxes.

Lee

[Green1995SVX]

Originally Posted by Wikedjuggalo

There is a Subaru SVX 4WS that is able to be directly imported from Japan. It was on an approved list of cars to import. Someone posted it on here somewhere.

The SVX Version L is one of only a handful of cars that are approved to be imported for DISPLAY purposes only. It would never be road legal.

[Green1995SVX]

Originally Posted by lhopp77

Not entirely correct. They actually have lower standards for many items including even glass. The reason low mileage cars are taken off the road is because of a backward tax on them. The older and more miles they have--the higher the taxes.

Lee

That is correct. Their standards are lower in many cases. I once had a legacy bumper from Japan and there was essentially no crash bar in it at all. Just enough metal to support the structure of the bumper.

[blackbolt94red]

Well, I should have given more details, or come clean, depending on your point of view.

http://stock.jsptrading.com/gt40.html

This car absolulty facinates me, the left hand shift on a left hand drive car, that it was apparently at one time registered in California...and really just the original gt 40's in general.

Got to chuckle over some of the Japanese/English transmutations.......

I know nothing about GT Developments ltd. but it should be fun to find out if they are still in the biz.....

and on those nights when I wake up at 2:00 am and can't fall back to sleep, I imagine myself shifting with that left hand................bombing out to the west coast to watch them open the container and just driving the thing all the way home. What can I say, I'm a dreamer.........


PS: when the language pack box comes up, just hit cancel, the vid will play anyway.

[Green1995SVX]

If the car was originally registered in the USA, it may make things easier.

Mike