imported supra question...only for the supra pros.

[skubas4]

I have an important question that not many people know the answer to. OK, I am interested in a 93'-98' tt supra for sale in japan for really cheap! I was wondering if there was ANY way to convert it to an american "left-hand-drive" supra??? if so, where can this be done? I need the car to be like the standard US built supras, but just spend my extra money converting it from an imported model.
what is your best estimation on cost of the entire conversion including labor.. i really need to know some information on this subject... Thank you very much.....

[vtecthis]

After you buy the parts needed to convert it, do all the documentation, and the labor, you'll probably spend more than just buying one here

[Cyprus106]

Why not just leave it right hand drive. It's just the same but more 'unique'? It would probably be cheaper.
And then you have to factor in spending the money to get it legal here in the states from Japan, on top of that conversion, which is NOT cheap. I'd bet the farm you'd actually be saving money buying one here

[zerotosran]

it cost about 15k...
so if you have money...

i know this because i was trying to do with the skyline... and nobody here could done that in my area..

[Sketchy Crew Racer]

are u serious? Its possible, extremely too much work u might as well but a new fucking car together and keep the body lol!




I live in Japan and u should leave the steering wheel where its at and drive like that!

[Turbo Thoughts]

trust me... im no "supra pro" but i know a shitload about pretty much anything you'd want to ask about it.

one of the major problems with converting skylines, other than gettin a new interior (no one makes oem quality ones) is moving the steering column. its not JUST moving it but whats in the way. the turbos are on the passenger side(j) or our driver sides, which means just throwing a steering column there would have it melted down to gook after an hour's drive. you'd need to make heat shields and everything.

this is proobbllyy the same with the supra.

another major issue is the stock ecu and exaust tuning. they're baisically the reason a jdm car is faster than a usdm, except that they have higher models and superior construction and all that mumbo jumbo.

so, what im saying is using american pump gas (93 octane) would be kiling your engine, causing lots of detonation and knocks and pings galore. jdm engines are made to use jdm gas (100+ octane and a LOT cleaner and purer, ours is dilluted with shit that just happens to be in the pits where we get it out from)

ALSO, if you want it to be in US emissions specs, you're DETUNING it. MAKING IT WORSE.

so, if I was to import a supra from japan this is what i would do:

bribe my local gas station state inspectors to just pass me and blow off the converting my drivers side... i'd just make sure i drove to and from races with a passenger(or blow up doll, since who ever would want to destroy and detune a jdm supra would most definitely have one)

[klohiq]

Don't need a blow-up doll...you can drive right handers in the states legally...well you might still need that blow-up doll for other priorities :P

95% of all skyline owners in the us are still using them RHD. Hell even the postal service uses right hander SUVs and cars usually.

And I agree with everyone else...even though the car may be chump change to buy over in import land...here it's going to cost a lot just to get it imported and legal.

I imagine learning how to shift with my left hand will suck if I can ever afford an R33 :-/

[firefighter81]

Ok now I've spent ALOT of time researching importing cars. I spent nearly an hour on the phone with the EPA office. I learned alot of stuff through them.

1) If you want to import a car without too much difficulty it has to be SUBSTANTIALLY SIMILAR to a car already sold in the US. When I say SUBSTANTIALLY SIMILAR, I'm talking same engine, same body, all major components the same.

2) The car ABSOLUTELY MUST BE 100% STOCK when it arrives in the US! NO EXCEPTIONS if you want it easily legalized.

3) There is nothing illegal about owning a RHD vehicle, so why bother spending the money to convert it?

4) If the car meets the guidlines set by rule #1 above, it simply has to pass emmisions and be assigned a US VIN Number, which won't be difficult.

5) WTF are you smoking? Cars in Japan like the Supra/RX-7/Fairlady use the SAME ENGINE as we do here, it isn't tuned any different. Where do you think remanfactured japanese engines come from? And we put those in Civics and DSM's and Supras all the time.

So really the only few cars I can think of that would be worth importing with little hassle is a Mazda RX-7, a Toyota Supra, and a Nissan Fairlady.

I'm going to be stationed in Misawa Japan at the US Air Force Base for 2-4 years, while I'm over there I am going to enjoy driving Skylines that sell for very cheap (GTR models are still kinda pricey $7k for R32, $12k for R33, and $16k+ for R34) GTS-T models are pretty cheap ($2k for R32, $4k for R33, and $10k for R34). When I come back to the states the Air Force will ship 2 vehicles and all my belongings for free. So I'm going to bring back a Supra ($10k for TT) and probably an RX-7 (considering they are only around $4k there). I've done my homework, I know what it takes to get them legal (in most cases it's as simple as fitting a catalytic convertor). Also since HKS stuff is so cheap over there, I'm gonna send home parts whenever I get them and have them waiting for me back at my parent's house when I come back so they will be ready to be installed).

Sorry about the long post, but just wanted to get you guys away from thinking it's impossible to import a Supra. It's not, it's not even that hard.

Jason Garrett
A1C USAF

[klohiq]

I believe most rhd cars will not be considered SUBSTANTIALLY SIMILAR to an american lhd car :-/.

I read that at one of the many importation sites I was at and since all the crap is reversed I can see why they don't necessarily consider them similar even if they are almost the same thing.

Also there is different tuning on the Supra in Japan as it puts out approx 274 hp (nearly all cars besides limited edition models are around that range in japan) and the american version produces something like 320hp. The 274 might just be what they say in specs and it's actually the same as the us spec 320 hp, but I'm not sure. Other things might be needed to pass emissions like changing the ecu programming.

[RookieGTR]

Engine codes for the supra/rx7/fairlady are the same in Japan, America, UK, Australia, BUT the output is DIFFERENT. They are tuned differently. Firefighter I dont kno what you ve been smoking but you are wrong.

Secondly, calling EPA is great, but thats only 1/2 of the battle. better start calling the DOT offices next. Thats the one thats going to drive up the cost to import your car, providing the crash test papers for a RHD car even though its similar to the LHD american version in every possible way. How do you obtain the crash test papers? Nissan, Toyota, Mazda etc wont give it to you. You have to crash at least 3 cars and hope the numbers passes DOT standards or you could buy it off of Motorex or whatnot.

Converting a car from RHD to LHD does not cost 15,000. It costs 15,000 to have the car modified to pass EPA standards and DOT standards.

If you re trying to pass the car off as an LHD american version so that you dont have to provide the crash papers, good luck. But keep in mind, if customs wont release your car because you didnt pass DOT standards, you have ac ouple months to either a) modify it to meet the standards or b) have it crushed at YOUR expense or c) have it shipped out of the states at YOUR expense.

[firefighter81]

Ok, I did some more research, found a list of cars that the DOT considers "substantially similar" for the Supra I'll admit, I jumped the gun, and I was wrong. The 3rd Gen RX-7 is on their list of legal to import cars, as well as a Skyline. So is a frikken Ford Escort RS (Cosworth) which I don't really understand, but it's on there. In order to get a new car on the list you have to purchase like 3 of the cars, and crash 2 of them, along with countless hours of paperwork, etc.

So right now, the Supra isn't legally importable, unless you wanna be the first. The difference between the JSpec and USpec Supras are the exhaust cam and the turbocharger, made for slightly more low end torque, and less power overall. So, looks like I'm importing an RX-7 when I come back, but who knows, in 4 years (when I will be coming back from Japan) maybe Supras and Evo's, etc. will be in the NHTSA's list.

[RookieGTR]

Originally posted by firefighter81
In order to get a new car on the list you have to purchase like 3 of the cars, and crash 2 of them, along with countless hours of paperwork, etc.

3 cars ASSUMING you pass DOT standards.

Firefighter, you are in the military so you MIGHT have one advantage over civilians. You MAY NOT have to provide the DOT papers. I don't recall whether it was in this forum or another, but a guy tried to import a car thats NOT on the DOT "substantially similar" list; I think it was a silvia. But because he was in the Army for a couple years, he used his connections to "sneak" the car in to US without a glitch.

[supra_vision]

it can be done and it has been done! theres a guy in hawaii who has a jp spec supra tt and i plan to take my 96 supra tt with me when i leave japan

[flyinMKIV]

Buy the car and send it to Titan Motorsports down in orlando, FL. They do really good work so I'm told. If they refuse to convert it, just buy a Supra over here and save your money trying to convert the japan model

[phatdex]

Get the Ford Escort Cosworth if ur allowed to! Bloody beasts they are!