importing a car?

[sLoWnStEaDy]

OK... I have been tryin to decide what i want to do with a little money i will be getting. I was going to buy a sport bike but just picked up a crappy 200CC "sport bike" last night for $100 from some dude in a hurry to head ot Chicago that needed gas money (got the title and both keys). it's gay but at abou 80MPG i will not complain...

ANYWAYS... I was thinking about buying that "11 second Trans Am" but for a couple years i have been wanting a RHD vehicle and i stumbled across some REALLY cheap cars that are actualy in good driving shape and everything. I am wondering if anyone knows how much of a PITA it is to get one of these vehicles and get it titles/liscensed/insured here...?

couple examples of the cars i am looking at. these are all running/driving:

1992 RX7, 100K, 5spd, aftermarket wheels/exhaust/turbo etc... $2700
1996 BMW 525i, 4dr, auto 50K, black/black... $2100
1989 Supra, turbo, auto, 110K, GREAT shape, black, targa... $1050
1997 Subaru Legacy GT-TRB, turbo, 5spd, AWD, exhaust, tint, 98K... $1250
1995 Skyline GTS-T (RB25), auto, black, 30K, stock... $1320
1994 300ZX, twin turbo, 5spd, 85K, T-top, black... $2300

I am only looking at cars under $3K and i have made it through about 15% of their inventory.

[SaNdMaNsSi]

You'll easily be paying 5-10 times that amount just to get it titled in the US. Most often the titles run between 15-25,000 by the time you are done, not to mention it will take at least 6 months for all the background checks and gov't BS before they even begin the paperwork in this country. I couldve easily picked myself up an R34 when I was living in Australia, but the price of getting it titled here would be just as much as I paid for the car itself. Until a better method comes along, you probably shouldnt bother. Unless of course you don't drive the car on the road and only use it for shows, then all you'd have to pay is import duties from whatever country. There is of course that idea that started in someone's basement that you can take a simillar vehicle and just change VIN tags which is one of the most retarded ideas of all time that would never work...

[sLoWnStEaDy]

I was worried about that...

The cars would cost about $500-$700 to ge them to the U.S. and they come with a bunch of paper work and all that jazz. How hard/expensive is it to get a canadian titled car transfered to the US? I ask because i know a guy that had an R34 imported to canada and it was liscensed/registered and it didn't cost him anymore than his other cars... so i could transfer it to him in canada then have it tranfered back to me in the US if that would be easier/cheaper...

If all else fails i will just get one and drive around with an "In Transit" sticker in my window like i did on the old fiero for like 18 months ;). I also think i heard something about getting an import titled as a "kit car" or something? IDK, at the moment i am emailing some people on EBAY that are selling imported vehicles which are already title here in the US...

[CivicPRO]

Well from What I know, if u import it through straight to the U.S. the best place to do it would be california. But u shuld just look at Canadian sites that have the cars there already in canada and all u have to pay for is the car value. Then the registration and other stuff will be much easier. Redlineimports I heard was good, my friend got an RHD 97 RX7 for $15,000 on there.

[sLoWnStEaDy]

I think i will just get one "knowing" i will never get it titled or anything, may be just be a race car or somethin.... IDK, i just need to experience a RHD, turbo, manual trans!!

here are a few examples, the RX7 is the most expensive at $2700
http://imgplace.com/image_bin/574/5a32000ae986efde614f209c9f051b1e.jpg.th.jpg (http://imgplace.com/image/view/5a32000ae986efde614f209c9f051b1e) http://imgplace.com/image_bin/2685/8b642110e729a710b0b9cfe37041060b.jpg.th.jpg (http://imgplace.com/image/view/8b642110e729a710b0b9cfe37041060b) http://imgplace.com/image_bin/5057/9d955a69308cc94ee4a158251e588422.jpg.th.jpg (http://imgplace.com/image/view/9d955a69308cc94ee4a158251e588422) http://imgplace.com/image_bin/250/35d5825e799bdcdece475d744d640093.jpg.th.jpg (http://imgplace.com/image/view/35d5825e799bdcdece475d744d640093) http://imgplace.com/image_bin/5609/2def026e1c0e7d107a10c6fec876ac37.jpg.th.jpg (http://imgplace.com/image/view/2def026e1c0e7d107a10c6fec876ac37) http://imgplace.com/image_bin/4791/5719c64978c4b088f07525e25bac353e.jpg.th.jpg (http://imgplace.com/image/view/5719c64978c4b088f07525e25bac353e) http://imgplace.com/image_bin/4241/af04caae5e19d8679a2038cb113966ab.jpg.th.jpg (http://imgplace.com/image/view/af04caae5e19d8679a2038cb113966ab) http://imgplace.com/image_bin/2500/eae8b039605d2b66becd389ad43faa74.jpg.th.jpg (http://imgplace.com/image/view/eae8b039605d2b66becd389ad43faa74) http://imgplace.com/image_bin/5815/56b51302477e20272c69f3866627f586.jpg.th.jpg (http://imgplace.com/image/view/56b51302477e20272c69f3866627f586) http://imgplace.com/image_bin/6044/50c571e9c683767d78782cdebad5ac29.jpg.th.jpg (http://imgplace.com/image/view/50c571e9c683767d78782cdebad5ac29) http://imgplace.com/image_bin/2466/a9172dbac6706aeb42c8e9eb1f1f4133.jpg.th.jpg (http://imgplace.com/image/view/a9172dbac6706aeb42c8e9eb1f1f4133) http://imgplace.com/image_bin/2758/146e19faa92ca22562e28cf4efc8b6f0.jpg.th.jpg (http://imgplace.com/image/view/146e19faa92ca22562e28cf4efc8b6f0) http://imgplace.com/image_bin/9359/87ea63914e85166be807d3f476d7d6f7.jpg.th.jpg (http://imgplace.com/image/view/87ea63914e85166be807d3f476d7d6f7) http://imgplace.com/image_bin/7415/58a2410023c54c0830991c1ab8247242.jpg.th.jpg (http://imgplace.com/image/view/58a2410023c54c0830991c1ab8247242)

[NorwalkCav2nv]

actually. importing through florida is pretty good too. just know the right people before you start doing it though. i know of several people who import r32's into canada and bring them through wisconsin.

[sLoWnStEaDy]

i talked to the company that is selling the cars. They said pretty much the only way to do it would be for them to dismantle the car and ship it in two seperate crates then i would have to build it and register it as a "kit car".

I also think they said as long as it is for off-road use i can have it imported but if by chance the "government" (don't remember the branch) gets a hold of it that most likely i would have to export it right back out... I wish i knew some people who did this so i could get some advice from someone who HAS done it. I mean i plan to spend like $2500-$3K and the cars i am looking at are about $1300-$2300 so.... IDK i will probably have to let this dream die unless i find and talk to someone with experience...

[Stutz]

That rx7 is nice droooooooooool

[sLoWnStEaDy]

hell yeah!! and for $2700!!!
Too bad they sold it this morning...

http://imgplace.com/image_bin/5332/49466255633c433a3120600c8c99a9d1.jpg.th.jpg (http://imgplace.com/image/view/49466255633c433a3120600c8c99a9d1) http://imgplace.com/image_bin/3966/dacb562f42a9274617a2ea88b4dd772c.jpg.th.jpg (http://imgplace.com/image/view/dacb562f42a9274617a2ea88b4dd772c) http://imgplace.com/image_bin/2567/9a66abd603e63512b653a404af73e23e.jpg.th.jpg (http://imgplace.com/image/view/9a66abd603e63512b653a404af73e23e) http://imgplace.com/image_bin/9094/fe69ab4dcb04760dc5e75b542fe6bf0d.jpg.th.jpg (http://imgplace.com/image/view/fe69ab4dcb04760dc5e75b542fe6bf0d) http://imgplace.com/image_bin/9468/fa0ddadd28a8fbfcb7901b15e65140fa.jpg.th.jpg (http://imgplace.com/image/view/fa0ddadd28a8fbfcb7901b15e65140fa) http://imgplace.com/image_bin/636/e540db4fadf1238f96d042b75cac376f.jpg.th.jpg (http://imgplace.com/image/view/e540db4fadf1238f96d042b75cac376f) http://imgplace.com/image_bin/8545/087c63d58b136e0c347cbb29d4c2b62c.jpg.th.jpg (http://imgplace.com/image/view/087c63d58b136e0c347cbb29d4c2b62c) http://imgplace.com/image_bin/5585/5c7c9bd08f51179bcfaef98957b0af9a.jpg.th.jpg (http://imgplace.com/image/view/5c7c9bd08f51179bcfaef98957b0af9a) http://imgplace.com/image_bin/4862/4b7d3a911630f8ef2ca52eee4bc0cd08.jpg.th.jpg (http://imgplace.com/image/view/4b7d3a911630f8ef2ca52eee4bc0cd08) http://imgplace.com/image_bin/1025/5988595958539d01722662b00a38c7c2.jpg.th.jpg (http://imgplace.com/image/view/5988595958539d01722662b00a38c7c2) http://imgplace.com/image_bin/6819/1a6430d910e4a06fd74da857af81cb1f.jpg.th.jpg (http://imgplace.com/image/view/1a6430d910e4a06fd74da857af81cb1f)

[sLoWnStEaDy]

one of the few non-turbo cars i like...

http://imgplace.com/image_bin/7030/91068115ab4be58474f054fb1e7bfdb0.jpg.th.jpg (http://imgplace.com/image/view/91068115ab4be58474f054fb1e7bfdb0) http://imgplace.com/image_bin/8014/4ed88bdd8f89186eac19c3b92e2f04ba.jpg.th.jpg (http://imgplace.com/image/view/4ed88bdd8f89186eac19c3b92e2f04ba) http://imgplace.com/image_bin/7232/1a7853d8d390884c93f7a0e8581ce5b4.jpg.th.jpg (http://imgplace.com/image/view/1a7853d8d390884c93f7a0e8581ce5b4) http://imgplace.com/image_bin/8240/a58ec8a4b60215f768be5212293170bd.jpg.th.jpg (http://imgplace.com/image/view/a58ec8a4b60215f768be5212293170bd) http://imgplace.com/image_bin/5070/8465eae117da8d56f48d0c1493861fff.jpg.th.jpg (http://imgplace.com/image/view/8465eae117da8d56f48d0c1493861fff) http://imgplace.com/image_bin/4780/5b05849178602830606ff3b0f73eb1b8.jpg.th.jpg (http://imgplace.com/image/view/5b05849178602830606ff3b0f73eb1b8) http://imgplace.com/image_bin/4626/c5ddf79e049df703ee08e74c47b26135.jpg.th.jpg (http://imgplace.com/image/view/c5ddf79e049df703ee08e74c47b26135) http://imgplace.com/image_bin/6110/a8e8d93bbe90115ecd04da5a322a56d8.jpg.th.jpg (http://imgplace.com/image/view/a8e8d93bbe90115ecd04da5a322a56d8)

[BlownPony306]

Steering wheels are all on the wrong side.