Is this for real?

Is Jap Imports really able to import japanese cars to the US to be street legal? Cause they have awesome prices!

www.japimportsusa.com

no. they cant. motorex...and rb....only. thats it.

Yeah, I'd say that site is definitly a scam. Looking at their cars, the white R33 is a car that a legitimate japanese exporter was selling a few months back, someone copies those pics, put it 'for sale' on eBay and now this site has copied them from there!

I'd stay away from them and report them. It's even got a copied background from the Initial D cartoon, something else they didn't get permission to use I'm sure!

It's a clever site to be sure. Notice that they say their cars meet EPA and DOT standards for safety and emissions, not that they are CERTIFIED by either the EPA or DOT. That's the important part.

Can't somebody send a copy of this to the DOT, or alert them to it somehow? It's a flat out, no-bones about it SCAM! Selling cars as street legal when they're not is fraud.

It's a clever site to be sure. Notice that they say their cars meet EPA and DOT standards for safety and emissions, not that they are CERTIFIED by either the EPA or DOT. That's the important part.

Can't somebody send a copy of this to the DOT, or alert them to it somehow? It's a flat out, no-bones about it SCAM! Selling cars as street legal when they're not is fraud.

Thanks for the heads up guys, i knew they were to good to be true (better prices than RB and Motorex). O well, thanks anyways.

Hey I saw an R31 for sale for $10K.... it was a Japanese guy selling it here in So.Cal... would that be legal?

Hey I saw an R31 for sale for $10K.... it was a Japanese guy selling it here in So.Cal... would that be legal?

Has it been certified/ legalized? A pretty simple question to ask the fella and would answer all your questions.

This guy claims all his cars are legal and he seems to know alot. Because he said Silvias arent crash tested so they cant be imported. He might be legit. :eek7:

Has it been certified/ legalized? A pretty simple question to ask the fella and would answer all your questions.

LoL... I guess that would be the obvious thing to do, huh? But what I'm wondering is... how did all these people get these cars over here? I talked to one guy who sells non-street-legal 180sx's and SILVIA's here in So.Cal.... isn't that a Federal Offense? What's up?

I don't think an R31 would be legal. It was never crash tested or approved for import into the States.

The simplist way I've found to tell if a vehicle is legal or not is to go to http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov./cars/rules/import/ and check out the vehicle eligibility list. If it's not on that list, then it CAN'T be imported. Simple as that. It doesn't matter how reasurring a salesman is at to the legality of a particular car; not on list, not legal.

The one exception to this are cars that were the SAME MODEL as cars that were sold in the United States (not similiar...too much of a gray area there for the government) that were imported as right-hand drive. If a car in question was imported before 2001, then it could likely be legal. But in 2001, they changed the laws so that RHD cars are not considered to automatically be as safe as LHD models sold in the U.S. So that means, as of right now, the only RHD car you can only import is a 1990 to 1999 Skyline GTS or GTR (which brings to mind questions of how Motorex is going to get 2000 and newer R34's legalized, but that's another thread...)

So that means, as of right now, the only RHD car you can only import is a 1990 to 1999 Skyline GTS or GTR (which brings to mind questions of how Motorex is going to get 2000 and newer R34's legalized, but that's another thread...)

Actually, it's 96-up that can't be imported now. I remember thinking it was just the R34s too, but some R33s are also included because Motorex doesn't have a way to install OBDII.

So basically you can buy a JDM Supra and it would be legal?

Hey that was one of the sites I was looking into! So are you telling me that the cars they are selling are phony or just that they can't convert the vehicles for US use? Is Bafta phony as well?

At the very least they can't be converted for US use. That's enough for me, but they may also be fraud cars.

VQuick- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that any GTR or GTS between 1990 and 1999 can be imported. It's either the DOT or the EPA (I think the EPA) that insists on updating the OBDII system. Ahhh...the joy of dealing with multiple goverment agencies.

SVT Focus- No, you'll notice that I said that IN 2001 THEY CHANGED THE LAWS SO THAT RHD CARS ARE NOT CONSIDERED SIMILIAR TO LHD CARS. Unless it's been crash tested (like the Skyline's were), you can't just bring in a RHD because it's LHD equivalent was sold in America.
If you can find somebody that imported a JDM Supra prior to that law change, and the Supra met other DOT, EPA, and NHTSA requirements (which I don't know enough about Supra's sold in either America or Japan to EVEN hazard a guess on that one) then you could buy their car. The government won't change laws then require you to get rid of your car, but they will change laws to prevent any others from coming into the country.

SVT Focus- No, you'll notice that I said that IN 2001 THEY CHANGED THE LAWS SO THAT RHD CARS ARE NOT CONSIDERED SIMILIAR TO LHD CARS. Unless it's been crash tested (like the Skyline's were), you can't just bring in a RHD because it's LHD equivalent was sold in America.
If you can find somebody that imported a JDM Supra prior to that law change, and the Supra met other DOT, EPA, and NHTSA requirements (which I don't know enough about Supra's sold in either America or Japan to EVEN hazard a guess on that one) then you could buy their car. The government won't change laws then require you to get rid of your car, but they will change laws to prevent any others from coming into the country.

Ok, thanks. Time to go JDM Supra hunting.

Ok, thanks. Time to go JDM Supra hunting.


This getting OT, but why?
The JDM cars are no differnt than the US spec cars in terms of performance or spec level.

Yeah, but they make the FASTEST mail delivery vehicles out there!!! :biggrin:

The JDM cars are no differnt than the US spec cars in terms of performance or spec level.
They are different in other ways. Side impact...headlight focus....5mph bumpers...emissions....etc. I think it is kind of weird the way you can get your car inspected in Japan....and they KNOW that the next day the car will be sitting lower to the ground....will have NO cat converter....may have a totally different engine....will have different tires....AND they could care less. In the states you take your cat off and you are in deep kimchee!

They are different in other ways. Side impact...headlight focus....5mph bumpers...emissions....etc. I think it is kind of weird the way you can get your car inspected in Japan....and they KNOW that the next day the car will be sitting lower to the ground....will have NO cat converter....may have a totally different engine....will have different tires....AND they could care less. In the states you take your cat off and you are in deep kimchee!

Well, to play Devil's advocate, there's so many people in Japan that to pay close attention to every single car would be a serious endevour. I'm sure THEIR government can think of better things to do with tax payer dollars than harrass a minority of the car driving public.

Also, there's a lot of states in America that don't even require the inspections they have in Japan. In Kansas, you could buy a brand new car one day, yank the cats, slam it to the ground, and put all the go-fast bits you want under the hood the next day, and nobody will ever say a thing to you. Hell, even the inspections we have in Missouri are ridiculous (Are your windshield wipers, brake pads, and tires in good condition? You pass...)

Hey that was one of the sites I was looking into! So are you telling me that the cars they are selling are phony or just that they can't convert the vehicles for US use? Is Bafta phony as well?

The cars themselves might not be phony, but they definitely can't legalize them for you.

Actually, there are quite a few JDM models that were watered-down to fit USDM specs in terms of performance.

If they can't legalize them, then why doesn't anyone shut them down? I mean I really was hoping they were legit! They got some other nice cars I was looking into. This Blows!

Oh and another thing, who is JDM? What is their site?

I think they are legit....you just can't drive the cars legally after you get them. That's just a minor problem.

JDM is short for the term- Japanese Domestic Market (aka. Skyline, Silvia)

Actually, there are quite a few JDM models that were watered-down to fit USDM specs in terms of performance.

No shit :rolleyes:

If they can't legalize them, then why doesn't anyone shut them down? I mean I really was hoping they were legit! They got some other nice cars I was looking into. This Blows!

They don't have to legalize the cars. They're just selling them. Legalization is your problem.

Yeah, VQuick, but they are implying that their cars are street legal. That's not right.

Yeah, VQuick, but they are implying that their cars are street legal. That's not right.

yes, they replied to my emails saying they are 100 % street legal, bs.

Yeah, VQuick, but they are implying that their cars are street legal. That's not right.
THAT would be correct. They are deceptive in their business dealings.

screw that man, that's another scam as we all know... and geez, i know i've seen the same cars on other websites. Oh yeah, they're 2 freakin' expensive too. 36.000 for a skyline GTS T ?? hell NO!!! that car costs around 500.000 or 700.000 yens.

screw that man, that's another scam as we all know... and geez, i know i've seen the same cars on other websites. Oh yeah, they're 2 freakin' expensive too. 36.000 for a skyline GTS T ?? hell NO!!! that car costs around 500.000 or 700.000 yens.

Tru dat