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Old 01-13-2010, 07:29 AM   #1
SineWaveSurfer
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Question HELP!!! Import my '98 Altezza RS200 to USA

Ho-kai.

Here's the deal. I'm a Marine currently stationed in Okinawa, Japan (..rah?) and I own a '98 Toyota Altezza RS200. It has about 102,000 km on it (about 63,750 miles) and is in kick-ass condition. I'll be done paying it off Oct 2010 (paid about $6,500 total, including JCI, Road Tax, 1 year of Insurance, and a 6 month warranty, so it was about $5K for the car itself. Not a bad deal).

Thus far, I have added ZERO (zip, zilch, nothing, nada) aftermarket parts to this car, but the temptation is there. Beliiiieeeeve me... The Heating Coils were replaced back in November, along with the spark plugs, for about $810. The starter went out back in September, but that was covered by warranty (barely). Other than that, it's in great shape.

I'm set to rotate off this island in about a year, around Dec 2010/Jan 2011 timeframe, and I REALLY want to bring this car back to the states. I've done a bit of research on my own and I aware of the fact that this car will need to be modified slightly in order to conform to DOT and EPA standards. While I'm not wealthy, I do have a year to save up money and deal with that bit of "red tape" to get it back.

The one hiccup I've encountered along the way that could end my entire plan is the crash test. For safety reasons, my car needs to be slammed into a wall at various speeds to see if it's safe enough to be street legal. One guy at a registered importer known as Right Hand Drive Japan located in southern California said that the crash test alone would cost anywhere between $30K and $100K. Needless to say, I don't have that kind of cash.

The only way it seems that I can bypass this is by getting a letter written by some Toyota America representative saying that the Altezza is manufactured to be identical to the IS300 in everyway, aside from the 3S-GE 4 cyl. BEAMS engine and RHD steering wheel, which would make their crash test ratings identical as well. Call me crazy, but I think the Head Shed people at Toyota have bigger and better things to do than write that letter, although I'm sure they would have every intention of "getting to it later." However, it is worth noting that the 2001 IS300 did get stellar ratings in its crash test results.

Instead of embarking on this journey blind, alone, and ultimately broke, I think it's safe to assume someone, or some business, encountered this problem long ago and found a way to get around it. There are, afterall, street legal Altezzas for sale in the US (I think the total count is up to 3 now). However, whenever I look for help or "case studies" online for such a solution, I come up with nothing. No success stories of how people were able to import their beloved Altezzas from another country back to the USA.

There seems to be a HUGE information gap out there. There are sites that sell Japanese cars direct from auctions in Japan, back to the states at a discount, there are a few private dealers stateside who sell Altezzas, and there then is the vague NHTSA rule book for what is and isn't allowed, but no specific advice or guidance on the "in between" part.

This leads me to youz guys. Does anyone know a guy who knows a guy who sorta knows a guy who actually brought an Altezza from Japan (or any other country) to the States and was actually able to make it steet legal?

I'm not interested in making this a Kit Car or Show Car. I want to be able to drive this thing down I-10 or I-5 or The PCH without having to worry about The Man holding me down for having an "illegal" car.

Any and all information pertaining to this matter is greatly appreciated. I would appreciate it even more if you shared it with me.

Please feel free to post responses on this forum or send your pearls of wisdom directly to me at pillin_ssj4@hotmail.

Domo
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Old 03-31-2010, 07:54 PM   #2
chooch79
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Re: HELP!!! Import my '98 Altezza RS200 to USA

Did you find out any information on the import process? I am stationed at Yokota and I am looking into doing the same as you with my tezza
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Old 04-17-2010, 01:19 AM   #3
SineWaveSurfer
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Re: HELP!!! Import my '98 Altezza RS200 to USA

Not much progress really. I talked to some a registered importer back in the states called Right Hand Drive Japan. I figured that, given their name, they would be the subject matter experts. I was sorely disappointed. The guy must have had a bad day or something because he didn't want to help out with anything. But one helpful piece of advice that he did give me was that the one part of the process that keeps most people from importing is the crash test ratings.

Basically, whatever car you're trying to import has to be slammed into a wall at different speeds in different scenarios in order to figure out whether or not it's safe enough to drive on US roads. The costs for these tests can be anywhere from $30K to $100K.

BUT, it is possible to bypass that part IF the manufacturer makes a statement in writing, saying that the US version (i.e. Lexus is200/300) and Toyota Altezza are structurally identical, except for the steering wheel being in a different spot. I did some digging around and found that those cars were manufactured at the same time in the same plant in Japan, so there's a pretty good chance that they are similar enough to by-pass the crash tests.

Normally, "petitioning" the manufacturer for this statement is part of the leg work that a registered importer would do, along with all minor mods that need to be done to the car (new fenders, bumpers, exhaust system, glass, etc...) and whatever customs fees that might be involved with the process.
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Old 09-04-2010, 03:36 PM   #4
HandsomeR0b
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Re: HELP!!! Import my '98 Altezza RS200 to USA

Hey, any luck on the import process?
I was looking into the same thing when I was living in Canada, trrying to bring an R34 Skyline down, but it was the same deal. That model of car had to be smashed into things a certain number of times before they'd allow it on US roads.
I hope you've figured a way through. We were going to pull the engine and tranny out, then ship it over the border as a "parts car". But then you'd need a trip permit every time you wanted to go cruise.
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