Registering japanese car

[rjsdxm]

Hey guys i need some help im purchasing a jdm spec integra type r from a friend in colorado. Only bad thing is he has no title for the vehicle he has a copy of the japanese title but has had lots of problems trying to register the vehicle in colorado. What steps would i need to take to get this thing registered in Ga im in Henry county. This deal is to good to pass up, and i wanna purchase this car, but i dont want to never be able to drive it and enjoy it neither. Anyone have any knowledge of where i should start. I see many japanese rhd cars driving around Ga Anyone know how they went about it, Thanks guys.

[SPOOLIN]

its to good to pass up because its not a good deal. You can import JDM Integra Type R's into the US for 5-8k in pretty decent condition but then you gotta go through the hassle. Im not saying to go break the law but just about the only way to do it is a VIN swap.

[DecoyOctopus]

how much is he selling it for?

[DecoyOctopus]

be prepared to go through hell and spend ALOT of money to get it taged....or you can just get another integra and do a vin swap.

[rjsdxm]

hes selling it for 14k its an 02 dc5 what about if i went ahead and registered it as a kit construction car?

[DecoyOctopus]

hes selling it for 14k its an 02 dc5 what about if i went ahead and registered it as a kit construction car?

i doubt you can do that..lol. do a vin swap off a crashed rsx with a clean title.

[rjsdxm]

I also wonder if i could do the same with the vin from a rsx?

[Vteckidd]

Titled dc5rs go for $25000-30000 so that's not a great deal IMO

[DecoyOctopus]

I also wonder if i could do the same with the vin from a rsx?

thats what I said.

[rjsdxm]

theres got to be an easy way to get this thing registered

[mocha latte cupcake]

state legalize yeah its not super bad, depends who you know and how long you're willing to wait... importers always tell you, "hey we'll put you in the right direction.." but don't do it cause they know its a lost cause and aren't willing to go through the hassle of it. Remember people make money off your "i don't know how this works" the whole process isn't mind numbingly terrible. search your local government pages and state as well as walk throughs. i found one for an MR2 from canada... also, getting a "canadian legalized car" is hella easier. so my best thing to tell you would be.... *ahem*

find a car that has been imported from japan to legalized in canada and then "legalize it" for here. Bada bing. -purejdm-

federal requires you being royalty... or a millionaire.

[Vteckidd]

theres got to be an easy way to get this thing registered

The short story is no there is no legal way to register it. If it's not fed legal it's ILLEGAL regardless If you get a state title or not.

Also Georgia recently passed a law that forbids titling cars with less than the 22 or whatever usdm vin characters (Jdm only has 16 or something)

you cannot title it through the state here at all and if you try the Feds can seize it an crush it if your friend imported it illegally.

The only way you can register it is paying someone an assload of money to to do it for you through some state loophole that gets you a state title in another state then you transfer it here. But even then they can reject it if it has less than the 2X usdm digits.

You pretty much have only one option: find a totalled rsx that wasn't reported to insurance and vin swap it, also federally illegal

[mocha latte cupcake]

The short story is no there is no legal way to register it. If it's not fed legal it's ILLEGAL regardless If you get a state title or not.

Also Georgia recently passed a law that forbids titling cars with less than the 22 or whatever usdm vin characters (Jdm only has 16 or something)

you cannot title it through the state here at all and if you try the Feds can seize it an crush it if your friend imported it illegally.

The only way you can register it is paying someone an assload of money to to do it for you through some state loophole that gets you a state title in another state then you transfer it here. But even then they can reject it if it has less than the 2X usdm digits.

You pretty much have only one option: find a totalled rsx that wasn't reported to insurance and vin swap it, also federally illegal

hooray South Carolina

[Vteckidd]

state legalize yeah its not super bad, depends who you know and how long you're willing to wait... importers always tell you, "hey we'll put you in the right direction.." but don't do it cause they know its a lost cause and aren't willing to go through the hassle of it. Remember people make money off your "i don't know how this works" the whole process isn't mind numbingly terrible. search your local government pages and state as well as walk throughs. i found one for an MR2 from canada... also, getting a "canadian legalized car" is hella easier. so my best thing to tell you would be.... *ahem*

find a car that has been imported from japan to legalized in canada and then "legalize it" for here. Bada bing. -purejdm-

federal requires you being royalty... or a millionaire.

only Canadian citizens can drive across the border , American cannot enter the USA with a Canadian car.

[mocha latte cupcake]

i shall investigate this cause my friend just recently brought back a RHD FD3S he got for 8k and he's a SC citizen non-military. til next time jm out.

[silversol]

To people saying just do a vin swap! That is stupid on so many levels not only is illegal and risk loseing the car and jail time if caught! Do you really think its that its that easy to just find a rsx shell? Most cars that have been wrecked go through insurace and will have a salvage title that will have to be inspected to be put back on the road! So that will not work! Also they have vins on every thing all the body panels do you really think you can change them all and not get caught?

[silversol]

state legalize yeah its not super bad, depends who you know and how long you're willing to wait... importers always tell you, "hey we'll put you in the right direction.." but don't do it cause they know its a lost cause and aren't willing to go through the hassle of it. Remember people make money off your "i don't know how this works" the whole process isn't mind numbingly terrible. search your local government pages and state as well as walk throughs. i found one for an MR2 from canada... also, getting a "canadian legalized car" is hella easier. so my best thing to tell you would be.... *ahem*

find a car that has been imported from japan to legalized in canada and then "legalize it" for here. Bada bing. -purejdm-

federal requires you being royalty... or a millionaire.

The canada way will not work! i have a friend from qubec And from my understanding they do not have a title system like we do. That your tag and regestration is your title. That when you buy a used car you and the old owner have to go to the tag office together and transfer the tag!

[Vteckidd]

i shall investigate this cause my friend just recently brought back a RHD FD3S he got for 8k and he's a SC citizen non-military. til next time jm out.

They may have changed it but last customs official I talked to told me that any American coming across the boarder will be sent back if they have a rhd non nhtsa inspected vehicle. It's same as importing a car from japan no different.

Canadian citizens can drive across the boarder though, sell the car, and leave on a plane

[Vteckidd]

The canada way will not work! i have a friend from qubec And from my understanding they do not have a title system like we do. That your tag and regestration is your title. That when you buy a used car you and the old owner have to go to the tag office together and transfer the tag!

Also correct their "title" is the tag. But if theyhave the deregistration paperwork that's all the matters once it crosses the boarder

[Vteckidd]

To people saying just do a vin swap! That is stupid on so many levels not only is illegal and risk loseing the car and jail time if caught! Do you really think its that its that easy to just find a rsx shell? Most cars that have been wrecked go through insurace and will have a salvage title that will have to be inspected to be put back on the road! So that will not work! Also they have vins on every thing all the body panels do you really think you can change them all and not get caught?

Georgia officers couldn't tell you the difference between a s15 and a grand am. Only way you get caught is if youre in an accident or GSP really looks over the car and calls the Feds

state and local officers could give 2 shits.

But yes it's a risk always although a low one.

You can definetly go to jail that's for sure as it's federal law tampering with a vin number. I don't suggest it although I've owned cars that had it done.

If he's going to just keep it an drive it forever vin swapping only effects him. If he wants to sell it, you'll go to jail as it's a felony.

Like I said even then if you are involved in a multi car accident you can get FUCKED. The only way to insure it is through a vin number. So if your insurance company finds out they are insuring a non legal car they may decline your coverage AFTER you wreck

food for thought

[speedminded]

$15k + the headache and $$$ of unsuccessfully making it legal. Hrmm...I'd rather get a e46 M3 for $15-20k or less and have a cool car in the end lol!

[silversol]

Georgia officers couldn't tell you the difference between a s15 and a grand am. Only way you get caught is if youre in an accident or GSP really looks over the car and calls the Feds

state and local officers could give 2 shits.

But yes it's a risk always although a low one.

You can definetly go to jail that's for sure as it's federal law tampering with a vin number. I don't suggest it although I've owned cars that had it done.

If he's going to just keep it an drive it forever vin swapping only effects him. If he wants to sell it, you'll go to jail as it's a felony.

Like I said even then if you are involved in a multi car accident you can get FUCKED. The only way to insure it is through a vin number. So if your insurance company finds out they are insuring a non legal car they may decline your coverage AFTER you wreck

food for thought

we all know how cops treat import guys and with all the theft going on and all the other bs they deal with most cops are getting "wise" to this kinda crap. and im sure when your driveing a rhd car they are going to start looking for other stuff to ticket you with. Is it really worth the risk?

[Vteckidd]

I've owned 3 rhd cars. 2 Silvia Ks and 1 180sx. I've been pulled over 3 times in only one of the cars and cops always said some comment about it being from "England" wrote me a ticket and let me go

they never seemed interested in seeing if the vin actually matched or was in different spots etc. The ONLY 2 places that matter are the firewAll and the dash. If those vins are there local authorities don't car and can't tell you if it's right or wrong.

You'd have to REALLY piss a cop off and then he'd have to impound it and call Feds to investigate

[SPOOLIN]

lol, buy the engine, suspension and a fully loaded fire wall and convert one, it will be cheaper. lol

[speedminded]

I've owned 3 rhd cars. 2 Silvia Ks and 1 180sx. I've been pulled over 3 times in only one of the cars and cops always said some comment about it being from "England" wrote me a ticket and let me go

they never seemed interested in seeing if the vin actually matched or was in different spots etc. The ONLY 2 places that matter are the firewAll and the dash. If those vins are there local authorities don't car and can't tell you if it's right or wrong.

You'd have to REALLY piss a cop off and then he'd have to impound it and call Feds to investigate

It's highly unlikely an LEO will ever check a VIN as long as the registration is up to date. If the dash matches the registration then it's golden but if for some reason it doesn't, like with a dash swap, they'll read the door jamb and you better hope that matches the registration lol!

Low rent body shops rarely tape off the fender VIN for resprays and I've never seen a LEO pop a hood to look at the firewall. Hell, I always had my VIN covered with a black card so it looked like there wasn't even a VIN spot. Only twice was I asked about it and they didn't even have me remove the card when I said it was to prevent anyone from cutting a key with the VIN. Play it cool and typically it's not a problem...it's all about how you present yourself and how you speak to them anyways.

[K20Z1]

is it the blue dc5r ? its ClubRSX owner's car lol

[DecoyOctopus]

I bought a car...guy lost the title to it, but he had a DA shell with a title, swapped the vins and everything was good...lol. I didn't know til I noticed the firewall and the doorjam/dash vin number is different. Got pulled over in the car many times, the cop checked it out (he said a car was stolen in the area with the same description, owning a honda FTL lol.) and he checked the dash and doorjam, they matched the title/registration, and it was all good.

If you're trying to do it the cheapest way....buy a totaled rsx shell (MAKE SURE it's not reported) and do the vin swap, or buy a good rsx shell and swap the vins.

[K20Z1]

just buy a rsx...... and save u trouble.. i mean its not like a camry vs a ferrari

[rjsdxm]

LoL i will tell you, and i know for sure that the Ga police are not too intrested in the vin number issue. The only agency that is really big about stolen cars, and stolen vins would be Atlanta PD. Again it is a big time felony to do so though, and it is a great big risk no matter what. I see RHD cars driving around in Atlanta all the time, and they are always registered properly im guessing they must have a title for the car already.

[rjsdxm]

just buy a rsx...... and save u trouble.. i mean its not like a camry vs a ferrari

LoL to me its a big difference ive owned an rsx and completley modded it, and having a real dc5 would be a whole different world.

[Vteckidd]

It's Chris dyes car? I wouldn't buy it cause he's a supreme douche bag and his wife is a raging bitch

and no there's only 2 motorex cars in the state of ga all other rhd cars are illegal

[rjsdxm]

Well i dunno about all that, But i can promise you that the 2 cars that i saw were legal

[speedminded]

Well i dunno about all that, But i can promise you that the 2 cars that i saw were legal

What two cars?

[K20Z1]

ill congratulate u when u have completely registered it legally

[Vteckidd]

Well i dunno about all that, But i can promise you that the 2 cars that i saw were legal

To my knowledge there is 1 motorex r34 and 1 motorex r33 ( that I believed was wrecked ). There might have been a motorex r32 but I can't remember

if it wasn't one of those cars it was ILLEGAL

[DecoyOctopus]

To my knowledge there is 1 motorex r34 and 1 motorex r33 ( that I believed was wrecked ). There might have been a motorex r32 but I can't remember

if it wasn't one of those cars it was ILLEGAL

Are rhd converted cars illegal?

[Vteckidd]

Converted? No as their shells and frames still meet nhtsa guidelines and specifications

main thing is firewall thickness , dot approved glass, door beams, a pulled strength, airbags when applicable, dot obd2 compliant

[Vteckidd]

I should clarify

cars older than 25 years iirc can be imported legally so you can see an old mini Cooper and it's legal to be here but

ctr, itr, Silvia, skyline unless it's motorex, civic, etc are all federally ILLEGAL regardless of their state title designation

[DecoyOctopus]

I should clarify

cars older than 25 years iirc can be imported legally so you can see an old mini Cooper and it's legal to be here but

ctr, itr, Silvia, skyline unless it's motorex, civic, etc are all federally ILLEGAL regardless of their state title designation

I have another question...lol. If you import one, can you use it as a track car? LEGALLY? (i know it sounds stupid)

[speedminded]

I should clarify

cars older than 25 years iirc can be imported legally so you can see an old mini Cooper and it's legal to be here but

ctr, itr, Silvia, skyline unless it's motorex, civic, etc are all federally ILLEGAL regardless of their state title designation

Yeppp once a vehicle hits 25 years old it's legal to import and is emissions exempt.

The R33 is the only federally legal skyline under 25 years old, other than the very few (like under 5?) Motorex R34's that managed to illegally get papers but the feds allowed the owners to keep them.