Is this for real?

[SVT_FOCUS]

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

www.japimportsusa.com

[oi_boy]

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

[GTES-t]

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!

[TuxedoCartman]

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.

[SVT_FOCUS]

Originally Posted by TuxedoCartman

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.

[1viadrft]

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

[RazorGTR]

Originally Posted by 1viadrft

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.

[SVT_FOCUS]

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.

[1viadrft]

Originally Posted by RazorGTR

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?

[TuxedoCartman]

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...)

[VQuick]

Originally Posted by TuxedoCartman

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.

[SVT_FOCUS]

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

[PapoSwing]

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?

[TuxedoCartman]

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]

Originally Posted by TuxedoCartman

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.