Importing Japanese cars
Thread Starter
1999 Civic Driver
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 370
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From: Newmarket, ON, Canada
Importing Japanese cars
Has anyone been to japanesevehicles.com? These seem like bargoons until you see that the best deals are on RHD cars where the steering wheel is on the right side.
Has anyone imported any of these cars before? Are there emissions standards issues you had to deal with? Is it easy to change the car from RHD to LHD? Would the mileage shown be legit?
Has anyone imported any of these cars before? Are there emissions standards issues you had to deal with? Is it easy to change the car from RHD to LHD? Would the mileage shown be legit?
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2004
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I did a search on this issue a while ago. Looks like it ia a pain in a... to make JDM car legall.
here a link to JDM used car seller in Japan. Click on "the Unated States" link there.
http://www.j-garage.com/imports.htm
It is known that it isn't that hard to convert RHD to LHD. All that you need is totalled LHD vehicle.
here a link to JDM used car seller in Japan. Click on "the Unated States" link there.
http://www.j-garage.com/imports.htm
It is known that it isn't that hard to convert RHD to LHD. All that you need is totalled LHD vehicle.
Zc powered ED9
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 900
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From: The 607: Ithaca, NY
Why the hell would you swap it from RHD to LHD?
Importing and registering is not hard,just takes some patience/paperwork.
Milage on Japanese cars is low so don;t be surprised about that.
They have different emissions standards over there and it is very expensive to own/operate/maintain a vehicle over there,hene why there is such low milage.
Importing and registering is not hard,just takes some patience/paperwork.
Milage on Japanese cars is low so don;t be surprised about that.
They have different emissions standards over there and it is very expensive to own/operate/maintain a vehicle over there,hene why there is such low milage.
it's my D in a B
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 24,787
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From: Your Mom's House
usually its very difficult to register a foreign-market car in the US. I've heard of them giving you a one or two year period in which the car can be legally driven on US roads, and when that term is up, there is no option to renew... you've got to sell the car or impound it. Its very difficult to imagine that being worth it. 
:edit: also, it would be retarded to import a civic or any other car that shares platforms in the US. If you want to import something, import something totally unavailable here. i.e. if you want an r33 skyline, import it... if you want a jdm accord, buy a TSX and modify accordingly (no pun intended).
:edit: also, it would be retarded to import a civic or any other car that shares platforms in the US. If you want to import something, import something totally unavailable here. i.e. if you want an r33 skyline, import it... if you want a jdm accord, buy a TSX and modify accordingly (no pun intended).
5-finger discount :rick:
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 412
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From: Toronto, Canada
As far as i know the only car that you can legally import to canada are the Skylines from motoRex b/c they have been crash tested. Although I have seen more than a couple '89 R-32 GT-R's in ontario, mississauga and ottawa i think. Check AutoTrader.ca
What JDM car were you thinking of importing?
What JDM car were you thinking of importing?
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 411
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Originally Posted by white_n_slow
usually its very difficult to register a foreign-market car in the US. I've heard of them giving you a one or two year period in which the car can be legally driven on US roads, and when that term is up, there is no option to renew... you've got to sell the car or impound it. Its very difficult to imagine that being worth it.
:edit: also, it would be retarded to import a civic or any other car that shares platforms in the US. If you want to import something, import something totally unavailable here. i.e. if you want an r33 skyline, import it... if you want a jdm accord, buy a TSX and modify accordingly (no pun intended).
:edit: also, it would be retarded to import a civic or any other car that shares platforms in the US. If you want to import something, import something totally unavailable here. i.e. if you want an r33 skyline, import it... if you want a jdm accord, buy a TSX and modify accordingly (no pun intended).
it's my D in a B
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 24,787
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From: Your Mom's House
Originally Posted by sibiryk
Even cars share same platforms they are different. Quality of JDM cars and USDM is different. When I bought my Accord 1998 here I could clearly see that it's not really the same as JDM quality. Something unavailable would be a risk. What if a car got a body damage. In this case repaire would take much longer time and more money.
And no kidding, driving any imported car would be expensive for any kind of repair. I'd assume anyone willing to fork out the cash for a jdm rarity would have taken that into consideration.
Joined: Jan 2004
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From: Bethlehem PA
ex: say I were to buy this car http://www.japanesevehicles.com/tcl/...ehicleId=46479
and get it imported to the U.S.
Are we not allowed to drive a RHD car on the roads?
and get it imported to the U.S.
Are we not allowed to drive a RHD car on the roads?