Dr. DC2

First, I would like to start off by saying I do not own an RHD Honda R or any grey market vehicle for that matter. But I’m pretty damn sure I know more about their legality than anyone on this site. I have spent the last 5 years researching importing grey market vehicles and how it has to be done to make one legal.

The first thing people always want to know is how to register a GMV. Almost ALL grey market vehicle owners (or the company that imported the chassis) paid someone at the DMV (someone who knew somebody who know somebody) a couple thousand (under the table) so they would write them a US title using the original 10 digit Japanese serial number. This is ILLEGAL. GMVs (grey market vehicles) must go through a rigorous process. Just because your CTR or ITR is STATE titled and STATE registered doesn’t make it legal. Most state DMV workers do not know the ins and outs of GMV FEDERAL requirements. (Federal meaning ALL 50 US states HAVE TO COMPLY)

First, a GMV must be imported for the purpose of being driven on US public roads. If you import a Honda ITR for track use, it can NEVER be registered and driven on public roads legally because it will be considered contraband (bringing it into the country for one reason then using it for another; track car then US public road car is a no no) So you import an ITR from a RI (Registered Importer) You pay them for shipping and yada yada, it comes into a port, and US customs must inspect the car. You must show proof of why it is being imported. You must then start the process of making your GMV comply with US standards (NHTSA, DOT, and EPA standards).

You’ll have to provide crash test ratings for your GMV's exact year, make and model to the NHTSA. Honda of Japan will NOT provide you with these crash ratings. You’ll have to provide the NHTSA with these. Meaning you’ll have to import several (4 or more ITRs of the same year/make/model or however many it takes to gather the information needed to meet the US safety crash standards.) All vehicles crashed must be converted to meet US safety standards: which require US Spec DOT approved seatbelts, airbags, door beams, glass, gauge cluster, head lights, tail lights, and front and rear bumper supports, just to name a FEW things) You’re looking at several thousand dollars PER car on top of you purchasing all these cars for the sole purpose of paying a crash test company to completely destroy them (this will also cost you THOUSANDS of dollars.) After all this, you will have your precious crash test ratings, the DOT will then REASSIGN your GMV a 17 digit US Vin and a US Title so you can register your GMV in any state legally. Nobody has ever done this with a CTR or Honda ITR. Without a 17 digit reassigned US Vin your GMV is ILLEGAL!

Then you’ll have to get your GMV EPA certified. This requires your GMV to be hooked up to one of the EPA's diagnostic smog whatchamacallits. Then they’ll have to install O2 sensor(s)/catalytic converter(s) and whatever else they need to make it meet the EPA minimum requirements for smog. Then you’ll get a fat bill and your GMV will then be EPA certified. This is a very watered down description. This process also cost several thousand dollars and a lot of work.

After all this, you’ve spent an ungodly amount of money on a 15 year old Honda. There’s a reason why nobody has done this, it is simply too expensive. And even if you were to spend all this damn money on making your GMV 100% legal, the DOT could still deny you the required 17 digit reassigned VIN and US Title. Why? Because they don’t have to let you bring in a GMV. They can simply deny your request because they don’t like the fact its RHD or because we already have an Acura Integra Type R, why do you really need an RHD one? They can simply deny your request and not give you a reason why. Then people always want to know how long this process takes. Well, nobody has ever done this but it would take several months and tens of thousands of dollars.

People also want to know what you have to do to get “them” to LET you register the car in the first place. As I previously mentioned, most GMV’s are titled and registered from money under the table at your local DMV. But don’t expect 10 digit serial numbered GMV's to get registered again. The DOT shut this **** down last year when they figured out that state DMV's were doing this. A lot of people tell me I don’t know what I’m talking about and they say they daily drive their 10 digit registered GMV every day and never have a problem. I’m not saying you can’t get away with a 10 digit VIN STATE registered and STATE titled GMV; plenty of people are getting away with it. I’m simply stating the FACTS. I’m not doing writing this to be arrogant; I’m doing it because I want to let people know what I know. I’ve spent countless hours on the phone with the DOT, NHTSA, and EPA along with several Registered Importers, DMV’s, and US Customs.

Then people ask “was it hard to insure?” If you get a reassigned 17 digit VIN and US Title then it would be like insuring any US spec car. But with a 10 digit Japanese serial number STATE registered car, it could be difficult. If you have a state titled/registered 10 digit GMV that’s insured and you get in a wreck you could be in trouble. If the local authorities that visit the crash site notice your car is RHD and doesn’t have a 17 digit VIN, and they know the FEDERAL standards for GMV’s, your insurance could deny you every penny of what your cars worth because its not suppose to be on US roads. I know there’s a lot of “ifs” and I’m sure there have been several insurance claims on illegal GMV’s that went smoothly, but this technically could happen.

Then it’s always “what company did you buy the GMV from?” There are plenty of Japanese style "autotraders" and a handful of Registered Importers that can help you get one over to our shores. Buying a GMV and bringing it to a US port is the easy part. Making it legal for US roads is something NOBODY has done. (with the exception of cars that are elligable)

A foreign vehicle that is imported without a motor is brought through customs as an “automobile part.” Bringing in a chassis (as an automobile part) and installing a motor is ILLEGAL; even if it was only driven OFF public roads.(Not that your track car is going to be impounded unless you’re driving it on public roads) This falls under the contraband rule. I’m not saying you and your STATE registered GMV will get caught, I’m saying if you do get caught, you’re looking at your precious car getting impounded and getting handed over to US customs. That will entitle your GMV getting crushed and you’ll be given several thousand dollars worth of fees. Thinking about doing a VIN swap? That’s a 3 to 5 year felony. Is a CTR or rhd ITR worth jail time? No, it’s not. Thinking about driving it around on a dealer plate? That’s illegal as well.

Why do I know these things? Because I’ve wanted a Honda Integra Type R since I was 10 years old; so I feel your pain. However, there is a light at the end of the tunnel! When a vehicle (even foreign) becomes 25 years old, it will be considered a “classic car” and can LEGALLY be imported into the US without meeting all these crazy safety/smog standards. So you can be like me and wait for the classic car rule, or get a little ballsy and drive your illegally titled and registered GMV. I’m not telling you what you should and shouldn’t do, I’m just trying to let you know the risk you’re taking.

To wrap this up, there is not a single Honda ITR or CTR in this country that is legally driving on public roads. There are going to be a lot of people who tell me I’m wrong and I don’t know what I’m talking about, and that’s fine. I know the laws and regulations regarding importing grey market vehicles. These are not opinions, they are the facts. If anyone has any questions regarding grey market vehicles please feel free to ask and I’ll do my best to answer. This is a very brief explanation of the lengthy process. If I were to type up every detail, it would be several pages of information.

-Andrew Golseth

BlueIntegraBoy

iTrader: (5)

Great information. Hopefully this is a thread to end all "how to register RHD" threads. This should be a sticky on the ITR, Integra, and 92-00 Civic forums.

11 more years to go...

Dr. DC2

this was my goal

jdmek9ctr

Good info

thundernoodle

i wonder if someone with deep enough pockets would see a market opening with crash testing ctrs and itrs and legally selling them here....

Dr. DC2

Ive thought the same thing. But you have to understand, it would take a huge investment to make this happen. And like i said, you could still be denied even after all the money and work you put into it! Its a big gamble

thundernoodle

time to hit the lottery then lol

92TypeR

Assuming you would attempt to recoup the money invested in crash testing and retrofitting each ITR/CTR, you would be looking at around $25,000 per car. A mint example maybe close to $30,000. I don’t know a single person who would pay that much for a 15 year old Honda, since in 10 years you can import them without any retrofitting or dealing with an RI.

I’ve brought over a few cars using the 25 year rule (see sig), and it is quick and painless. We looked into applying to be an RI, and after all the licensing and bonding ($500,000 bond), it wasn’t worth it. That would be the only way for ME to control the importing and retrofitting of GMV’s. All the testing and standards would still require outside contracting to both the Gvt. and testing centers.

The other way to illegally register a GMV is as a ‘Mail Car’. This is how a series of Skylines were brought into the Florida area a few years ago. For the same reasons as Dr. DC2 listed, this is also considered contraband, unless you actually deliver mail in it, and only use it to deliver mail.

Nor is there a SiR Civic, Accord-R, etc. From the list I’ve seen, the only RHD Honda that has passed successfully through an RI and is registered with the NHTSA is a ’95 Accord Wagon (or something silly like that).

Good post Dr. DC2. It is good to know other people out there do their research

Dr. DC2

Thank you sir. I see you know a thing or two as well! And I was just using the CTR and rhd ITR as examples because thats what most people ask about. Basically if its not on the US Spec "conforming list" then its a pain in the *** to bring over for street use!

thundernoodle

IIrc there is a company that sells accord wagons for mail cars in washington state.

thundernoodle

http://www.righthanddrivejapan.com/v...honda.php&C=21

94eg!

iTrader: (2)

Sorry to go off subject, but does anybody have a link or know the in's and out's of legalizing JDM motor swaps?

Our Nevada DMV says under no circumstances can a JDM swap be legalized for use on public roads based upon federal law. Of course they couldn't produce anything in writing about this. They pretty much told me to go "F" myself. Got just the same response when I sent the main DMV an e-mail..

I ask because my friends 92 Civic w/ JDM B16A was black listed during a swap inspection. The car has all emissions equipment hooked up, and it passes the tail-pipe test. Now he has to get a USDM motor to re-register the car...

92TypeR

This may have changed since I read the EPA rules regarding engine transplants, but back in the early 2000's I read that the engine being installed must be of the same model year or newer *OR* documentation must be provided to the inspecting officer that the appropriate emissions equipment is installed to bring the transplanted engine to the same level of emissions standards as the vehicle model year.

For OBD2+ vehicles, this process is easy since they will plug into your diagnostic port and verify no emissions related faults are present.

If you have an OBD1 or older car, a visual inspection is required to verify compliance.

get RIGHT

Good info!

Just a n00b

ahhh yes, the classic car rule. saw a really old audi quattro one day, asked the owner if he went through the safety stuff. he said he waited till the car was 25 years old then imported it. it's a smart move good info-article, should be stickied in ALL forums

Samuraij

I learn so much from Dr. DC2.

thundernoodle

this should be FAq'd

Tyrant_007

iTrader: (1)

Great info Golseth! Thanks for compiling it all to one thread!

Is the same process for legally registering a JDM vehicle, the same for vehicles from the UK, other European countries, or even Australia? And a question within that question would be that since *most* those countries can legally drive grey market vehicles, could you then import a grey market vehicle from one of those other countries into our country according to that countries import process? Or do the vehicles being imported get imported only as if they were coming from the country of origin? Just thought you might have a little knowledge of this as well.
Thanks!

Samuraij

This info should be stickied.

BlueIntegraBoy

iTrader: (5)

As far as waiting 25 years to import a car. How is that process done? Do you just contact an exporter to put a car in a container and have it shipped?

Samuraij

So basically any and all "street legal" Gray Market Vehicles in the US are here illegally? I know state legal and federally legal are 2 different things, but if they're state legal and not federally legal then how are people allowed to register them with the DMV?

BlueIntegraBoy

iTrader: (5)

Did you not read OP's first post?

92TypeR

The process is for any non-conforming/non-compliant vehicle. A definition of said vehicle would be any vehicle not certified by the EPA and NHTSA/DOT as conforming to all emissions and safety standards.

Basically, if it wasn't sold here, the EPA and DOT never tested them, therefore it is non-conforming.

There are certain cars that are sold overseas that are identical to the cars sold here. These cars are usually certified by the manufacturer that there are no differences between the USDM version and the globally marketed version. Having the manufacturer certify the car is identical is another way to import a vehicle legally. This would not work with most JDM cars because of simple things like windcreen thickness, headlamps, and crash/safety beams, and you would never get a letter from Honda of Japan even if you requested one.

For a list of cars that are non-conforming, but eligible to import through a RI:
http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/import/elig123109.pdf

Quoting the above document:

Dr. DC2

yes, it's the same process. notice how I used the term grey market vehicle not jdm specific. this and what 92typer said

this should be on all threads! if a mod feels the same feel free to do so!

racebum

i've done a jdm swap in a car that's now registered in vegas. you must convert the engine to run on the usdm ecu, the scan tool must be able to access the car. it's different with each motor but with a b18c for example you need the usdm oil pump, cfs, vtec solenoid and some way to get the evap purge working correctly. the usdm itr manifold or some port for it to plug into , you also would need a rare usdm p73-a02, a03 or a04 ecu to run the engine. this is the only way you can get a jdm swap registered in nevada. there may even be some technicality on it not being legal but no one at any motor vehicle department has given my bud any trouble.


now about the op and the subject. what i don't get is why this data isn't pooled. motorex did the testing for r33's years back but no one seems to be able to use the data....why? the itr could be done with a group of people that open up importing. why isn't it? 40-50 guys who chip in a few hundred each could pull it off. what am i missing here?

yes i agree this should be a sticky, we should hit up knightsport or another car loving mod & see if they will do it. GK also may be a thought since he's an itr lover