Has anyone here ever done it legitly? i've heard everything from jdm motors being impossible to register to people registering them easily. what's the deal?

 

i have a friend that told me about some guy with a jdm motor and he took it to the smog ref and the ref passed him don't know what to tell ya

 

dont worry about regestering. my friend bought a jdm engine from osaka motors 2 years ago. the smog refs dont really check most of them are to busy trying to do as many cars as possible in a day. if your really worried try to make friends with one.

 

so it can be done?

 

obviously

 

legally, no. But if you get lucky and they dont check what exact engine it is, then yes.

 

that's the only way? legit wise?

 

Dang, such stories...well, lemme tell you about Southern Cali, like Los Angeles area. Don't try to take your car here, hehe, these guys know whats up. As far as right now, JDM motors can only be registered to the car, if it came in that car. If that wasn't possible, then why are there so many japanese imported engines shops around here in SoCal? What do we do when we blow a motor? Hehe. Now, if you're talking about registering a B series in an EG or something, it has to be USDM and of course newer than the car. Refs around here make you set up appointments, so I dont know if that "refs try to get as many cars out of there as fast as they can" thing is true. I think theres also some **** about the motor having to have been a CA certified motor, and not from out of state. Meaning something like the motor has to be from another car that was bought and sold in CA. Not sure about that tho'. Might as well just go to AZ or NV where the smog laws are not their primary concern, and get everything taken care of over there and then bring the car into the states. That's just my know-it-all statement for the day, say whatever U want, hehe. Also, if you can drop a motor in, in a day, then why not just register some USDM similar motor in your car, then get the JDM one U want that has more power, and the cops won't hassle you if they see that sticker. The sticker doesn't say exactly what motor you have, it just says stuff like DOHC 1.8 liter, it don't say anything about VTEC or non-VTEC, or stuff. So hint hint. And I also heard about people bringing in RHD cars, and swapping vins, plates, and everything onto that car, and saying that they just chopped the front end off of a RHD clip and welded it onto their own car. So heads up maybe to all those RHD cars in Super Street that say they did that. Maybe its just a coverup. Anyone can get receipts and **** from homies saying they did bodywork and stuff to make the car RHD. Who in the hell wants to race all over the place in a car that was chopped in half? Very stupid idea, and I don't think these "car professionals" would even think about doing that.

 

id say get ur JDM swap done in a more smog friendly state like MO..all they care about is if there is a cat. in there..my son in law is in the military..and did a JDM swap there..and my daughter brought it back to calif. and register d it..seems like the CA DMV really leans back to help out military people out

 

True, military personnel seem to get nice perks

 

Yes, it can be done. It has to be at least the same year of the car or newer. you must have all the stock emissions stuff that is on your car hooked up. There are several people on here with a Bar sticker and a JDM engine. There is a guy in the EF forum who just got his crx Bar sticker with a 95 JDM B18c. This was in Sacrmamento. IT all depends on where you go and where you live.