Just asking for a friend. And if they were why were they illegal?
were skylines ever illegal?
- Thread starter whtgt02vert
- Start date
I don't think they are illegal if you have the US Conversion, I think the big thing that makes them not street legal is the Emissions.
I believe there is a limit on how many you can import but they are not illegal. There are a ton of them in Wa and Florida.
I know this cause my friend used to have a business in importing a few Skylines and other cars until his rival turned him in for bringing in too many parts and cars that weren't legal. It wasn't a big deal, he didn't get in trouble, but I guess customs said it was too much.
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I believe the R34's are now illegal to import. The ones that are here now are legit, but I don't believe they're allowing anymore in the country. IIRC, there was a company in California importing them and fudging the process up to make them legal, and they got caught.
It was probably Motorex or MotorX, whatever it is. I think you're right about the R34s cause there aren't may of them here. I see tons of R32s and R33s but I only know of maybe 2 R34s in Wa.
i think it was a combo of emissions standards and crash test standards.
Out of all the cars that we could import I think they were one of the better bargains. If you were to try and bring a FPV Falcon over it would be nuts compared to what you could bring a Skyline over for.
They are in illegal to drive on public roads in the sense that they don't meet US emissions or crash testing standards. It's not that they couldn't pass, but they need extensive overhaul and it is quite expensive to get them road legal. There are quite a few here in the States but they have been converted by one of very few companies that were licensed to do so, all of which I believe are out of business now.
I think it went along the lines of companies having to bring them over, get them up to US and state spec and then let them be tested, including crash testing. Most of the time they weren't registered as Skylines but were considered new cars, much like the Corvette based Callaways aren't officially a Chevy once they are worked over.
I think it went along the lines of companies having to bring them over, get them up to US and state spec and then let them be tested, including crash testing. Most of the time they weren't registered as Skylines but were considered new cars, much like the Corvette based Callaways aren't officially a Chevy once they are worked over.
I think there were ways around converting them, that's why there were so many brought over. I don't think my friend converted any of the ones he brought over. I'll find out what specs they had to meat as I am curious now.
That is why some of the businesses that were doing it are out of business now, some people were doing it illegally.
there is some company now here in CA i think that brings over the body's then you find your own engine and its has to be registered as a kit car. but they dont supply the engine trans or somedeal i think the company was kaizo or something similar to that
SVTContique
New Member
They are legal up here. Just not the R34.
See tons of R32's and some R33's.
We also get imported Supras for really cheap as well. 2JZGTE FTW.
See tons of R32's and some R33's.
We also get imported Supras for really cheap as well. 2JZGTE FTW.
the only way to legally get them in is to
1. buy a shell and ship it here
2. buy a drivetrain
3. buy an interior.
Put all 3 together and get a vin from the DMV. If you bring an entire car over its considered imported. The 3 big segments make it legal.
1. buy a shell and ship it here
2. buy a drivetrain
3. buy an interior.
Put all 3 together and get a vin from the DMV. If you bring an entire car over its considered imported. The 3 big segments make it legal.
As already stated, they don't meet federal crash standards. The companies importing were getting around that by having them shipped offshore, disassembling them, bringing them onshore in pieces, then reassembling them as "kit cars" with new VINS, etc. It was a loophole in the process.
We never did that with my friends R33. Just brought it right in. That's why I want to ask him why exactly how he got shut down. I know their main thing they were bringing in was RB26s and everything was fine until customs said no more.
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i don't see the big deal about that car
They're just like Supras but with AWD. The RB26s make huge power easily, but the cars are average from the factory.
Yup.
Yup.
There were a few scams going on where the cars were being imported as "Off Road" use only for a while and were able to get in.
I spent 7+ years in Japan and owned a few right-hand drive Skylines. Being in the military many of us Skyline owners really wanted to bring our cars back stateside, but the costs to bring them up to U.S. crash & smog requirements was excessive to say the least.
I miss my old Skyline GT.
U.M.
skylines are the best, never the less... looking at your sig... it looks like you are heading in the right direction...
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