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Importing cars from Canada to US

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Old 12-08-2008, 04:22 PM
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Importing cars from Canada to US

does anyone know the Laws and regulations?



they seem to have WAY more Z's/classic/rare japanese vehicles and I was wondering what it would cost to get one into the US.

I'm actually hunting for a 180sx.


I searched already and it only comes up with "Importing a US car into canada" lol
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Old 12-08-2008, 04:40 PM
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It varies from state to state. If the vehicle was not available in the states, it's a lot harder to import here. I think it has to be modified to the US crash standards and also the emissions. Your best bet is to call the DMV office of your state and ask them.
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Old 12-08-2008, 05:01 PM
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From the DMV webpage-

Vehicles Purchased From Out of the Country

California has special requirements for vehicles imported from other countries (including Canada and Mexico). It may be very costly and in some cases impossible to modify these vehicles to meet California emission requirements and/or federal motor vehicle safety standards. For example, vehicles manufactured to be sold in Europe (gray market vehicles) less than two years old are not legal for registration or use in California.
For More Information Regarding...

* California residency and vehicle importation laws and requirements, contact the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) Technical Compliance Section at (916) 657-6795, or go to Buying an Out of State Vehicle.
* The California Smog check program, contact the Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR) at (800) 952-5210.
* California smog laws, gray market vehicles, and 49-state vehicles, contact the California Air Resources Board (ARB) at (800) 242-4450, by email at helpline@arb.ca.gov, or visit ARB online.
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Old 12-08-2008, 05:17 PM
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180sx, 240sx, Silvia eh its as rice as the civic now.
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Old 12-08-2008, 05:38 PM
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Originally Posted by DatsunKid
180sx, 240sx, Silvia eh its as rice as the civic now.

welp I want to build one of these.




180sx with a 280z front end
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Old 12-08-2008, 05:42 PM
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I would like to see that at other angles. And why would you get a 180sx to do that? Just get a 240sx in that case.
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Old 12-08-2008, 05:53 PM
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Originally Posted by DatsunKid
I would like to see that at other angles. And why would you get a 180sx to do that? Just get a 240sx in that case.

cause 180s usually already have an SR in them. lol they are cheaper than buying the swap/car
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Old 12-08-2008, 05:53 PM
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Originally Posted by KingDatsun1
welp I want to build one of these.




180sx with a 280z front end
you too, eh?
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Old 12-08-2008, 05:57 PM
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Old 12-08-2008, 05:57 PM
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Originally Posted by apollo
you too, eh?

lol huh? you don't like?
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Old 12-08-2008, 06:02 PM
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Eh I dont like it, lines dont match up. And Im no 180sx expert but dont they come with a ca18de.

Last edited by DatsunKid; 12-08-2008 at 06:08 PM.
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Old 12-08-2008, 06:07 PM
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Correction second gen 180sx comes with the sr20.
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Old 12-08-2008, 06:17 PM
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Originally Posted by KingDatsun1
lol huh? you don't like?
Pft, you kidding? I was implying that i want to do it to my 240SX. I love the coversion but it just needs my magic touch to shorten front end and keep the 240 dimensions. its too long. If you dont mind, you have any other pics of the conversion? Larger ones preffered of course
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Old 12-08-2008, 11:17 PM
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i asked about this very thing when i was up in washington and there its easy as pie to get a car into the states. my aunts 500,000 mile camry wagon was a canadian car and they said that they relly only check to see if it was truly a canadian car or if its some other type of car that was sent to canada to get into the US, of course theres an age limit to what this applies too but other than that it was all pretty much the same.

its even easier if we have the same car here, camry is an abundant car and there were atleast some 180sx cars in the states.

i dont understand why there arent more of the cars they have in canada here in the states. almost every car meets or exceeds our safety standards and most of the time surpass emissions especially if they are european
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Old 12-09-2008, 07:17 AM
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if the car has already been insured in canada it makes it alot easier. i know a guy that got a new skyline into the states by first bringing it to america, then importing it into canda to make it look like its been there b4, then importing back to america. it ended up costing 250,000, but he was the only one years ago with a new skyline in north america.
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Old 12-09-2008, 12:23 PM
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At that price is it even worth it though?

Anyway I do know old cars like the Zs at least in Ohio can be brought over really easy. I was looking at a 240Z earlier this year in Toledo that a guy had for sale and he had bought in in Canada and brought it back. He said there was pretty much no trouble. In that case though it's probably due to the fact that it's nearly the same as it was here, but I think that 25 years or whatever and it's cake to bring it here.
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Old 12-09-2008, 06:07 PM
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http://www.tamparacing.com/forums/ni...0sx-right.html

if anyone does get intrested
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Old 12-09-2008, 10:10 PM
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Wait? You want our rusty cars?!?
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Old 12-10-2008, 01:37 AM
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Actually I think the lines fits much better on that "Z Silvia" (First time I`ve ever seen one too.) Than on any other "mixed car" I`ve ever seen!

Theres just one thing I started thinking about, on the 280Z front youre going to need Z performance suspension, and on the 180SX rear you will need 180SX performance.. Not that this in itself is a problem, but how is the finished car going to react with 2 entirely built and separatedly designed suspensions that are years away from eachother and meant for each its individual car? Those few who already made their Z Silvia`s might have suspension and traction problems, the cars might not be usable as track cars at all, and be a iron-bed to drive. Rear end might have a lot of traction, but the front end could have crappy traction.
The SX and 280Z has entirely different weight distribution and each their respective suspensions has been built around the weight and design of the original base cars, and they do perform well individually, but how will they work together?

Not trying to pun anything here, thats the best looking front-rear conversion of any car that ive ever seen, and im sure you know heckuva lot more about cars than I do, if not as a question to ask yourself, treat it like a question I am asking out of pure curiosity

RvH
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Old 12-10-2008, 03:51 AM
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i think the best fit would be a 280zx front end on a s15... the body lines are dam near exact...
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Old 02-18-2011, 11:06 PM
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Originally Posted by KingDatsun1
yea thats my car it has sr20det the rps13 had sr20det and befor them it was ca18. I find my car looks alot better once a put side skirts and a read kit on it made the front match the rest more. To bad i couldnt tell you where anyone can get a kit like mine lol. some like it some hate it. i love the look front straight on mostly some angles do look weird but i love my car. Its funny when i search where to buy my kit i always come across ppl takign about mine its just that rare i got the only god dam one lol.
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