Quote:
Originally Posted by DJ 21o3
edit: ignore this post as I was proved wrong.
I am sure someone will add more detail but there is some legal bs that you can't legally import the vehicle unless it is exported straight out of the country of origin, which would be Japan.
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It was our understanding that if the seller of the vehicle in Canada had the original paperwork used to import it (Japanese Export De-Registration) it would be possible to import it into the US under the 25 year rule. The US needs some proof that the vehicle is 25 years old to the month and Canadian titles only show the year.
The problem with the handful that have come in from Canada is that they technically shouldn't be permitted yet, because even if they had the correct paperwork showing the month of manufacture, the earliest those '89s would meet the requirement is the summer. Who knows what is going to happen to them, because they were technically imported incorrectly. Despite the fact that they filed all the correct paperwork and followed the established processes, they didn't meet the month requirement and expecting the Federal Government to say, "oh well, you slipped it by us so it's our fault and you're good to go" may be expecting too much...
So, if a car from Canada doesn't have the original paperwork it doesn't mean it can't be imported. It just means that if the Canadian title shows it is a 1989, it could technically be a December '89, which means it could be imported after January 1st, 2015 because there is no way that it is less than 25 years old at that point.
Why import from Japan? I can think of a few very good reasons:
1. Far more availability
2. Outfits like ourselves can have it tuned here
3. You can fly out and drift it before we ship it (possibly in a competition)
The savings that can be had by getting a bunch of parts installed before it is shipped can literally offset the cost of shipping the car. If those parts are large like seats, roll cages, coilovers, differentials, aero parts, etc. this can result in a significant savings. As ridiculous as it sounds, we can ship a car to the US for not much more than a full aero kit...