DJAxle

Alright so I have the opportunity to purchase a JDM EG6 SiR from a guy in California with 70000 miles (111000 kilometers). He has it titled and insured with no problem passing the sniffer test at the smog shop every year. He said it is DOT and EPA approved. I have a few questions.

How do I make sure this is a legit SiR? I dont want a rhd converted hatch.

How do I convice my bank to let me take out a loan for this car? kbb value for a 1993 Si hatch is only $3,000, and the value for a good SiR here is $10,000-$15,000. I tried looking for a japanese equivalent of kbb, no luck.

Thanks for your help guys.

jbpnoman

First off, you get proof that it's DOT and EPA approved. Hint: it probably isn't. If it is, he'll have a boatload of paperwork to prove it.

Second, check ALL of the VIN stamps. There are a few of them. They should all match, and they should all have Japanese characters on them.

Third, you don't. Every bank I've talked to has a limit to how old a car can be, and that's for their own protection. If you default on the loan, they take the car and sell it to recoup their lost money. The market for an EG6 SiR isn't big enough for them to take that risk. You would most likely have to take the loan out as a personal loan.

doctorake

If you are trying to get it legal in the USA, you can not. If you are in Canada I have no idea but it seems like you can.

Information on Grey Market Vehicles
https://honda-tech.com/forums/acura-integra-type-r-8/importing-grey-market-vehicle-facts-whats-legal-whats-not-2805656/


You will have to pay cash.

jbpnoman

It's possible to legalize in the States, but it involves buying a few of the same car (all the way down to the same trim level) so a few federal and state government agencies can throw them into walls to see how safe they are, how they test emissions-wise, and all that other fun stuff. You'll also need a FAT bankroll (last I checked, in the area of $100k for the testing). Since you aren't a big name in the car industry, you'll also need to expect the process to take a few years.

doctorake

Yeah, motorex did it for the R33 skyline and now you can still import them and make the changes to make them legal.

If anyone is seriously going to import an EG6 and drive it legally in the US just wait until it is 25 years old.

jbpnoman

They kind of did it for the R33. They did it for the absolute base trim (HR33, GTS), but none of the others, and tried to use that cert to get GT-R's and other higher trims through. The feds responded by snapping back all of those certs that had been awarded. That's why R33's are still getting randomly taken and impounded by the government with no warrants - they don't need one, and it's on the owner to figure out all the paperwork and legal drama to get their car back.

doctorake

From what I read that is sort of right. I dunno about the different models. I read that they got the R33 through and then conned the NHSTA claiming the chassis on the R32 and R34 were the same. NHSTA issued VINs for some of each car. Then the hugs crackdown came from drugs and unpaid bills and what not.

All the Motorex cars that were issued VINS are fully legal and can not be impounded, some customers got cars that were not finished and did not get vins, those are the ones that have been crushed. Some were R33s. If you go look at the NHSTA site you can find that the R33 is still able to be legally converted since Motorex did that one correctly.


This is just what I read though, I have no interest in trying to import one this way. I will wait until they are 25 years old and much easier to import.