Seizing skylines - Zilvia.net Forums | Nissan 240SX (Silvia) and Z (Fairlady) Car Forum

*wangan_cruiser* · 03-03-2011, 08:02 PM

Jalopnik: Obsessed With The Cult Of Cars

Full size
CAR CRIME

Feds launch new crackdown against Nissan Skyline owners

Justin Hyde — The owner of one of the nation's largest forums for Nissan Skyline fans got a call three weeks ago from his wife, telling him that Homeland Security agents were on their doorstep looking to seize his Skylines. Their goal? "To get them off the road."

Since Nissan never legally sold the Skyline in the United States, those that are in the country had to pass a maze of federal standards for emissions and safety, including crash tests. Thanks to the failure of an importer who didn't perform the proper test, only a small run of Skylines from 1996 to 1998 can be legally brought to the United States, and many that were originally OK'd for import later had their papers pulled. Those cars are contraband as far as the U.S. government cares — even if they were considered legal when their current owners bought them — and there's nothing current owners can do to make them legal

The proprietor of the SkylineOwners USA says he was expecting the worst when he got home on Feb. 11, but found just two Immigrations and Customs agents. What was more confusing was the agent's info:

It was evident that someone somewhere had passed on some bum scoop, that I was running a business with the sole intent of trafficking illegal non-conforming vehicles into the U.S. by the dozens. In addition they were under the assumption that I possessed a warehouse where I kept all of the vehicles and also did all my automotive repair and modification work at.

The owner, known as Vandrel, had just two Skylines; one that's old enough to be exempt from vehicle import rules, and another for which he had extensive paperwork. After their visit, the customs agents called Vandrel back to say his second Skyline had been deemed illicit, and they would return to seize it on Tuesday.

But when they came back, Vandrel had a surprise for them:

I made it very clear that my intent was to retain ownership for the time being and export the vehicle from the country, and that I had already made arrangements for a sale to be conducted as well as export of the vehicle, which of course shocked them completely since all past Skylines seized were not owned by someone who carried the ability to execute an export on the spot. With no car and no material items left in my possession that would cause me to worry about being questioned or investigated by the federal government any further, I now have nothing to lose by challenging them and I intend to do so to the fullest of my abilities and resources.

The move has motivated the Skyline community, but also raised the eternal question of whether such pursuits are the best use of government resources. We've left a message with Homeland Security, but the answer to why agents are tracking down every last Skyline may be the ages-old one: Because they can.

Pure_JDM · 03-03-2011, 08:11 PM

That's ballin. Not the taken Skyline part, but the instant exporting of the second one.

BustedS13 · 03-03-2011, 08:32 PM

our government loves to waste time on silly bullshit. i feel like this kind of thing, the war on drugs, speeding tickets... are easy ways for government workers to do a job without putting themselves in harm's way.

Sumslapper · 03-03-2011, 08:35 PM

No wonder I've been seeing a lot of skylines popping up for sale.

SinGarage · 03-03-2011, 09:08 PM

This really sucks as for the people who would actually love to import one for really "off road use only". Been thinking about getting as strictly as a track car but even my import/export agents don't even want to touch it with a 10 ft pole. It is a lot easier bringing in full race GT2/GT3 Cup car from Germany than a Skyline. Go figure.

RiversideS13 · 03-03-2011, 09:59 PM

waste of our tax money...

lflkajfj12123 · 03-03-2011, 10:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BustedS13

our government loves to waste time on silly bullshit. i feel like this kind of thing, the war on drugs, speeding tickets... are easy ways for government workers to do a job without putting themselves in harm's way.

which means that every job the government does besides run the military is unnecessary. viva la ayn rand 2011

nismolvr · 03-03-2011, 10:10 PM

HLS is wasting valuable resources on the wrong witch hunt. Its messed up , . I personally got fired because I was the only US citizen with legal documentation working with a construction crew that consisted of 98% illegals! . Whats even worse , It was @ an AFB in California. I complained about unsafe working conditions a couple of times . I worked on the Base for six months last year and ,I show up to work the first week of the year , @ check point they told me ,USAF was OK with me working there , that wasnt a prob . It was my employer who declined me working for them. Guess I wasnt falling inline like the rest.No dis respect to the illegals they work hard , hell I do to .I have a family just like them. All Im saying is Americans should hire Americans. Before anyone says Im Racist against Illegals , How Can I be when Im Mexican/American myself?

Anyways , I dropted a dime on all of em . Called HLS and pointed them in the right direction.Beggining with the Crappy Union who accepts everybodys paperwork a legal citizenship Documentation, they dont check shit as long as they charge their initiation and monthly fees , theyre happy ,so Contractors assume everything is in order, and yes even USAF gets in on it because they work on the base! . They all look the other way when its convenient.Its only during election time , when media and politicians ride the anti-Illegal alien wave to get votes.Govmnt needs to prosecute and dish out heavy fines to companies who employ illegal aliens, hell theyre the ones who benefit the most.

anyways I havent heard from them, its been 2 months and nothing , everybody still working there.How convenient. But its fucked up to hear they taken a new endeavor against imported Skylines. WTF is wrong with our GOVmnt? Didnt mean to jack this thread....seriously.
Way to go HLS Guys Im out of a job cause you guys arent doing yours!
And now you want the Skylines ,.... Really:ghey:

FRpilot · 03-03-2011, 11:27 PM

i'm sure people who must absolutely own a certain model skyline... r32, r33, r34, that is not legal will resist as much as they can until they run out of resources..

i'm not one of those so if i could afford it and wanted it i will just get a r35.. not a skyline blah blah blah.. close enough and legal.

HyperTek · 03-03-2011, 11:31 PM

I wish HLS would concentrate more on busting illegal immigration and human trafficking.

Im honestly wondering if there was some Fast and furious influence on this, like do they think owners import these cars for the sole consent of street racing?

I LUV MY S13 · 03-04-2011, 12:29 AM

14 Trillion in debt, and this is a concern...?

ESmorz · 03-04-2011, 12:32 AM

If Ayn Rand were alive today she'd drive a Subaru.

*exitspeed* · 03-04-2011, 09:01 AM

Scott Walker needs to become president and put and end to this BS. Wasting fuckin tax payers dollars on BS.

sidewaysil80 · 03-04-2011, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BustedS13

i feel like the war on drugs is an easy way for government workers to do a job without putting themselves in harm's way.

by far the dumbest thing i've ever read on this site...how many cops, fed's agents have been wounded/killed via drug related crimes or investigations?

BUT i do aggree this is a complete waste of govt. funds and resources.

UtahKouki · 03-04-2011, 12:44 PM

This is a complete waste of manpower and resources. Glad to hear ur sticking it to the man!

tricky_ab · 03-04-2011, 01:20 PM

Move to Canada if you want a Skyline!

I'm laughing at the fact that the government has a insanely huge debt to deal with, and they are wasting their time with cars sitting in people's garages doing no harm.

Oh and high five for sticking it to them!

gearhead55 · 03-04-2011, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by s0apgun

which means that every job the government does besides run the military is unnecessary. viva la ayn rand 2011

oh i hope your joking. Ayn rand's bullshit is as pie-in-the-sky, theoretical, and unrealistic as pure communism.

And the whole skyline situation is gay as aids. If i read it correctly you can't even have a GTR as a dedicated track car that's never street driven? wtf is that bullshit.

lflkajfj12123 · 03-04-2011, 09:27 PM

but...

would you pick communism over ayn rand?

240Shwag · 03-04-2011, 09:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by I LUV MY S13

14 Trillion in debt, and this is a concern...?

I guess you don't realize why we are 14 trillion dollars in debt...

Shit like this goes on in every single section of the government.

Om1kron · 03-04-2011, 09:49 PM

isn't this thread already on zilvia somewhere?

gearhead55 · 03-04-2011, 11:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by s0apgun

but...

would you pick communism over ayn rand?

good point. lemme see how success treats me and in about ten years i'll get back to you.

Jav1997GSX · 03-04-2011, 11:48 PM

14,206,385,220,157 dollars in debt and this is what we spend money on, no wonder were in the situation where in stupid government making stupid choices in gov. spending

Chrischeezer · 03-05-2011, 12:08 AM

a kid named Chris

screaming6 · 03-05-2011, 09:35 AM

this is bull, complete waste of manpower. we can look for skylines but cant find osama bin laden?

False about all previously seized skylines not being able to be exported. My friend down here in S. Florida had two skylines as well, r32 and r34 and when he got a letter and some HLS agents went to his shop he immediately arranged to have them shipped to barbados the same week and kept one and sold the other. Then imported a s15....lol

tricky_ab · 03-06-2011, 07:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chrischeezer

a kid named Chris

I'm following this for sure!

03-03-2011, 08:02 PM	#1
wangan_cruiser kouki man Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: downtown oakland,ca Age: 39 Posts: 3,535 Trader Rating: (36) Feedback Score: 36 reviews	Seizing skylines Jalopnik: Obsessed With The Cult Of Cars Full size CAR CRIME Feds launch new crackdown against Nissan Skyline owners Justin Hyde — The owner of one of the nation's largest forums for Nissan Skyline fans got a call three weeks ago from his wife, telling him that Homeland Security agents were on their doorstep looking to seize his Skylines. Their goal? "To get them off the road." Since Nissan never legally sold the Skyline in the United States, those that are in the country had to pass a maze of federal standards for emissions and safety, including crash tests. Thanks to the failure of an importer who didn't perform the proper test, only a small run of Skylines from 1996 to 1998 can be legally brought to the United States, and many that were originally OK'd for import later had their papers pulled. Those cars are contraband as far as the U.S. government cares — even if they were considered legal when their current owners bought them — and there's nothing current owners can do to make them legal The proprietor of the SkylineOwners USA says he was expecting the worst when he got home on Feb. 11, but found just two Immigrations and Customs agents. What was more confusing was the agent's info: It was evident that someone somewhere had passed on some bum scoop, that I was running a business with the sole intent of trafficking illegal non-conforming vehicles into the U.S. by the dozens. In addition they were under the assumption that I possessed a warehouse where I kept all of the vehicles and also did all my automotive repair and modification work at. The owner, known as Vandrel, had just two Skylines; one that's old enough to be exempt from vehicle import rules, and another for which he had extensive paperwork. After their visit, the customs agents called Vandrel back to say his second Skyline had been deemed illicit, and they would return to seize it on Tuesday. But when they came back, Vandrel had a surprise for them: I made it very clear that my intent was to retain ownership for the time being and export the vehicle from the country, and that I had already made arrangements for a sale to be conducted as well as export of the vehicle, which of course shocked them completely since all past Skylines seized were not owned by someone who carried the ability to execute an export on the spot. With no car and no material items left in my possession that would cause me to worry about being questioned or investigated by the federal government any further, I now have nothing to lose by challenging them and I intend to do so to the fullest of my abilities and resources. The move has motivated the Skyline community, but also raised the eternal question of whether such pursuits are the best use of government resources. We've left a message with Homeland Security, but the answer to why agents are tracking down every last Skyline may be the ages-old one: Because they can.

03-03-2011, 08:32 PM	#3
BustedS13 Post Whore! Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Phoenix AZ Age: 39 Posts: 10,287 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	our government loves to waste time on silly bullshit. i feel like this kind of thing, the war on drugs, speeding tickets... are easy ways for government workers to do a job without putting themselves in harm's way. __________________

03-03-2011, 10:10 PM	#8
nismolvr Zilvia Junkie Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Modesto,California Posts: 355 Trader Rating: (3) Feedback Score: 3 reviews	HLS fighting Terrorism HLS is wasting valuable resources on the wrong witch hunt. Its messed up , . I personally got fired because I was the only US citizen with legal documentation working with a construction crew that consisted of 98% illegals! . Whats even worse , It was @ an AFB in California. I complained about unsafe working conditions a couple of times . I worked on the Base for six months last year and ,I show up to work the first week of the year , @ check point they told me ,USAF was OK with me working there , that wasnt a prob . It was my employer who declined me working for them. Guess I wasnt falling inline like the rest.No dis respect to the illegals they work hard , hell I do to .I have a family just like them. All Im saying is Americans should hire Americans. Before anyone says Im Racist against Illegals , How Can I be when Im Mexican/American myself? Anyways , I dropted a dime on all of em . Called HLS and pointed them in the right direction.Beggining with the Crappy Union who accepts everybodys paperwork a legal citizenship Documentation, they dont check shit as long as they charge their initiation and monthly fees , theyre happy ,so Contractors assume everything is in order, and yes even USAF gets in on it because they work on the base! . They all look the other way when its convenient.Its only during election time , when media and politicians ride the anti-Illegal alien wave to get votes.Govmnt needs to prosecute and dish out heavy fines to companies who employ illegal aliens, hell theyre the ones who benefit the most. anyways I havent heard from them, its been 2 months and nothing , everybody still working there.How convenient. But its fucked up to hear they taken a new endeavor against imported Skylines. WTF is wrong with our GOVmnt? Didnt mean to jack this thread....seriously. Way to go HLS Guys Im out of a job cause you guys arent doing yours! And now you want the Skylines ,.... Really:ghey: __________________

03-03-2011, 11:31 PM	#10
HyperTek Post Whore! Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Cali Posts: 13,224 Trader Rating: (3) Feedback Score: 3 reviews	I wish HLS would concentrate more on busting illegal immigration and human trafficking. Im honestly wondering if there was some Fast and furious influence on this, like do they think owners import these cars for the sole consent of street racing? __________________ Keep it Classy

03-04-2011, 12:29 AM	#11
I LUV MY S13 Post Whore! Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Norwalk, Los Angeles Age: 34 Posts: 3,349 Trader Rating: (35) Rides Gallery: I LUV MY S13 Feedback Score: 35 reviews	14 Trillion in debt, and this is a concern...? __________________ -Jorge

03-03-2011, 08:11 PM	#2
Pure_JDM Zilvia Addict Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Denham Springs, LA Posts: 814 Trader Rating: (2) Feedback Score: 2 reviews	That's ballin. Not the taken Skyline part, but the instant exporting of the second one.

03-03-2011, 08:35 PM	#4
Sumslapper Zilvia FREAK! Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Ventura County, CA Posts: 1,162 Trader Rating: (5) Feedback Score: 5 reviews	No wonder I've been seeing a lot of skylines popping up for sale.

03-03-2011, 09:08 PM	#5
SinGarage Zilvia Addict Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: 818 SoCal Age: 47 Posts: 674 Trader Rating: (11) Feedback Score: 11 reviews	This really sucks as for the people who would actually love to import one for really "off road use only". Been thinking about getting as strictly as a track car but even my import/export agents don't even want to touch it with a 10 ft pole. It is a lot easier bringing in full race GT2/GT3 Cup car from Germany than a Skyline. Go figure.

03-03-2011, 09:59 PM	#6
RiversideS13 Zilvia FREAK! Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Diamond Bar, CA Age: 42 Posts: 1,545 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	waste of our tax money...

03-04-2011, 12:32 AM	#12
ESmorz Post Whore! Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: It Looks Like A Dong Posts: 6,902 Trader Rating: (2) Feedback Score: 2 reviews	If Ayn Rand were alive today she'd drive a Subaru. __________________

03-04-2011, 09:01 AM	#13
exitspeed aWingThing.com Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Milwaukee, WI Age: 44 Posts: 20,900 Trader Rating: (1) Feedback Score: 1 reviews	Scott Walker needs to become president and put and end to this BS. Wasting fuckin tax payers dollars on BS. __________________ What I do for a living...www.mhrussell.com

03-04-2011, 12:44 PM	#15
UtahKouki Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Utah Age: 39 Posts: 25 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	This is a complete waste of manpower and resources. Glad to hear ur sticking it to the man!

03-04-2011, 01:20 PM	#16
tricky_ab Post Whore! Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: It's dark, and hell is hot! Posts: 9,414 Trader Rating: (23) Feedback Score: 23 reviews	Move to Canada if you want a Skyline! I'm laughing at the fact that the government has a insanely huge debt to deal with, and they are wasting their time with cars sitting in people's garages doing no harm. Oh and high five for sticking it to them!

03-04-2011, 09:27 PM	#18
lflkajfj12123 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: 　　　　　　　　 Posts: 8,483 Trader Rating: (20) Feedback Score: 20 reviews	but... would you pick communism over ayn rand?

03-04-2011, 09:49 PM	#20
Om1kron Post Whore! Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Granada Hills, CA Age: 43 Posts: 6,990 Trader Rating: (15) Feedback Score: 15 reviews	isn't this thread already on zilvia somewhere? __________________ Wayne Edwards https://om1kron.blogspot.com

03-04-2011, 11:48 PM	#22
Jav1997GSX Zilvia Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: N NJ Age: 34 Posts: 270 Trader Rating: (6) Feedback Score: 6 reviews	14,206,385,220,157 dollars in debt and this is what we spend money on, no wonder were in the situation where in stupid government making stupid choices in gov. spending

03-05-2011, 12:08 AM	#23
Chrischeezer Zilvia FREAK! Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: earth Age: 40 Posts: 1,406 Trader Rating: (2) Feedback Score: 2 reviews	a kid named Chris __________________

03-05-2011, 09:35 AM	#24
screaming6 Zilvia Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: coral springs Posts: 157 Trader Rating: (1) Feedback Score: 1 reviews	this is bull, complete waste of manpower. we can look for skylines but cant find osama bin laden? False about all previously seized skylines not being able to be exported. My friend down here in S. Florida had two skylines as well, r32 and r34 and when he got a letter and some HLS agents went to his shop he immediately arranged to have them shipped to barbados the same week and kept one and sold the other. Then imported a s15....lol