how would i leagally drive a skyline in the USA?

Question

i know its a left hand drive, but what do i need exactly in order to drive this thing around without gettin it impounded or shipped back?

why do i always get the guy whos an *** to answer? i just want to know the forms and any other info needed. is it that damn hard to get a serious answer anymore?

Answer 1

The laws changed at the end of 2005 regarding which skylines are eligible for importation to the USA,
The ONLY model of skyline that is eligible now is the 96-98 R33 GTR/GTS. The R32 and R34 are no longer eligible to be brought in for STREET use, but can be brought in as a race/showcar. If brought in as a race/show car they can NEVER be made street legal.
Motorex have been closed down and fined vast amounts by the USA govt, so you'd have no luck getting one from them, plus they were overpriced anyways, and most of the cars they had there were impounded, making alot of people out of pocket, and fighting to keep their cars.
Anyone can import their own skyline. its not difficult. You must make sure the model you want is on the eligible list, and have a good importer and ICI. The biggest problem for private importers, who want to bring in a car themselves, for their own use is they have to pay a customs bond of THREE TIMES the value of the car, before it will be released to them. This is returned after a year if all your paperwork etc is in order, but its alot of money to have to front up with at once.
Apart from that you will need a skyline mechanic in the usa who will be able to work on the car, to bring it up to usa standards.
There are some states that have strict emission standards, that just will not allow skylines. Its all to do with the OBDII system, or lack of, on the skylines. From memory they're Cali, Penn, mass and rhode island.
Hope this has helped some.

Answer 2

I assume you are referring to the Nissan Skyline, and mean right hand drive, or a motor vehicle designed to be driven on the left side of the road, as they do in Japan.
You don't have to be a postman to drive a right-hand drive car in most of the United States. If it's old enough, in most states you may not need an inspection. However, if you're thinking of importing a fairly new car, the cost of modifying it to meet U S emission and safety standards will be prohibitive.

Answer 3

You need to satisfy both DOT and NHTSA regulations for imported vehicles.

I forget some items but these are required:
-Records of documented satisfactory crash test ratings
-Air bags on cars (I believe) post 1996.
-Pass smog test with Americanized emissions systems(up to date egr systems, evac systems, catalytic converters, etc.)
-DOT approved window glass
-DOT approved head, tail, and corner lights

And some other junk. The easiest way to do this is to purchase one already legalized for American use. No more Skylines will be imported after this. Prices will skyrocket. It's almost an investment in my opinion.

Answer 4

here's the pricelist I had emailed me when I was thinking about getting one(about a year ago so the prices may have changed slightly)

Used Skyline GTR34

GT-R V SPEC II - $88,000
GT-R VSPEC - $80,000
GT-R - $78,000

New Skyline GTR34
GT-R V SPEC II - $95,000
GT-R -$93,000

Now this is shipped to the USA and totally street legal!!!
contact me if you want info on the other models.

Answer 5

i would go to the highway patrol in your area and ask them what you need to do to get the vehicle street legal in the USA. i know when we used to build cars we would have to have them inspect them whether they were salvage or hotrods.

sweet car what motor does it have? is it all wheel drive or rwd?

dont listen to these pansies who dont appreciate a fast car

Answer 6

you need to park it