so i've been looking at JDM dc5R's lately and i really want to have one sent to over here to the US and i was wondering if anyone has any experience with the matter? is it hard to get them legalized here, what about titles and registration? insurance? i need as much info as you guys can give me. thanks a lot!

ALSO! if you know of one for sale already in America please let me know!!! it will save me a lot of trouble

 

gspeedcorp.com or pm shorsh

 

There was a blue one for sale a little while ago.

 

I remember in 2004 someone had a Blue DC5 Type R imported and they had it registered and everything in Washington state. I was awestruck at that time.

 

http://forums.clubrsx.com/showthread...ghlight=type+r

hes got like 2 dc5r's for sale hit him up

 

shorsh is taking a break from personally importing cars, not sure for how long.

PM him, he will still be willing to help.

 

I see it around once in a while. breaks my neck every time.

 

That car is ridiculous! Hard to believe something that new made it here!

 

It was sold by Kansai Motorsports in Seattle. Super nice and the price was good too. I think they only wanted 23K.

 

thats the only one i've seen here in seattle. Someone needs to import more DC5R's. GET a FD2 and break everybody's necks. haha

 

Yea if u go thru the thread he also has a black dc5r not as low mileage as the white one but still mint and a little less money

He also has a real ctr that he did a k20 swap in with a ton of spoon goodies

 

I would sell my ITR for a new Civic Type R!

 

and its a SEDAN~~

 

That's a decent price for that black DC5!

 

I would like to know the same ? the OP posted. only i dont care about registration. I just want to get the car past customs. I live in cali. im just seeing what it would require to import a jdm car by myself. already got an export. need an importer? any help would be great.

 

^^ You could probably import it as a race only vehicle. It would be easier to get by customs but be off-road only.

 

^^ probably? Is it just as simple as telling the customs "off-road use only" & they just sign me off and give me my car? From my research it seems like it would not be that easy. how did you hear this? do you know anyone who did this first hand?

 

Yeah. I am surprised that it is still up there. I think the owner had a white JDM DC2R also.

 

Club RSX just picked up a blue dc5r with blue recaros thing is hotttttt

 

i thought about that but i really want it for a daily driver!
i was thinking about buying a totaled RSX and switching the VIN numbers

 

VIN # altering is a federal offense. Local kid got 1.5yrs for doing that to his "S13" 240sx.

If you are serious, do some reading:
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/CARS/RULES/IMPORT/

Anything is possible, it depends on how deep your wallet is. The hardest part will be to get a signed (letter headed) document from the manufacturer (in this case Honda) saying that structurally the vehicle being imported has an equivalent vehicle already inspected/tested and approved for road use by the NHTSA, and just needs to pass through a Registered Importer for DOT/NHTSA retrofit (brake lines, windshield, tires, emissions etc). If you do not get this, or there is no US counterpart, you must buy three, and crash test all (2 different front end, and 1 side impact). This is how MotoREX got the R33 GTR's over here in the late 90's. This is also how MotoREX got screwed, since they imported R32's and R34's using the R33 test results - NHTSA found out, and the owner of MotoREX is still in prison. In fact, if you look at the approved importer list for Japanese Domestic Market vehicles, you will find the 1996 R33 GTR.

As a side note, there are no DC2 ITR's, EK9 CTR's, S13 Silvias...etc on this list. This means, that all the JDM models you see driving on the streets, are in fact illegal. They do not have NHTSA certification, have not passed through a Registered Importer, and most likely have not been retrofitted to meet DOT standards. Doesn't mean they don't have a title and VIN#, you can take any car through a state inspection, and they don't do any cross-reference with the NHTSA database, but they are still technically illegal. In California in 2006, state police and FBI coordinated to impound and destroy (crush) all illegal 'JDM' cars. There were a handful of Hondas and Nissans if I remember correctly. Best part of all, is they billed the owners of each car for the destruction fees - roughly $4500. All the cars mentioned in the article were licensed and had VIN#'s, still does not make them legal.

List of all import cars legal for road use in the US that already have signed Manufacturer disclosures or crash testing:
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/CARS/RULES/...elig060109.pdf

If your car is not on this list, the NHTSA can impound your car, and bill you for all the processing fees and destruction fees. (and yes, there is no other option other than destruction, you cannot just export it and try and sell it)

 

just thought i'd share one of my favorite sites i like to browse from time to time...

http://www.cineaction.co.jp/japanese....cgi?mk=NISSAN

 

92 Type R So does that mean that you can import an R33 by just paying to have it shipped over?? Forgive the terrible question but because its on that list makes it legal...so all you have to do is get someone to ship one for you???

 

Yes, but it is a bit more detailed than that.

You purchase the R33 in Japan, ship it, use the customs docket # posted in the NHTSA link I provided above. The car sits in customs for ~1-3 months. They disposition it to a Registered Importer. The RI performs all the necessary modifications to make it DOT/NHTSA compliant - this will be between $7,000 and $18,000, depending on the state of the vehicle. This includes (but not limited to) windshield replacement with DOT glass, brake line replacement with DOT approved fittings, tires replaced with DOT compliant units (may already come with some - variable cost here), replace all external lighting with DOT compliant units, weld in front and rear reinforced bumper supports (part of the findings from the crash tests of MotoREX R33's), inspection (and possible replacement of) any emissions required components that are either faulty or missing (ie: don't ship the car with 4" straight piping w/o cats...). There are a handful of other items. RI fees vary, so do labor hours, but I would be surprised if you get it done for under $10k, that does not include the cost of shipping or the vehicle purchase price. Once the RI is done and the R33 has passed emissions, you pick it up with a VIN# assigned and registered with the NHTSA.

To make a car 100% road legal is not easy and is certainly not cheap. However, unless you do it that way, your car is liable to be impounded and crushed (at your expense) by the Gvt. If they were smart about it, they would start showing up to H-T meets and VIN checking all RHD cars with the NHTSA registered importer database. All of a sudden, JDM wouldn't be so cool.

 

haha, you make seem soo..... bad. and lets not jyxn it by saying "If they were smart about it, they would start showing up to H-T meets and VIN checking all RHD cars with the NHTSA registered importer database." haha