Matvei27

By the way, SF-97 will get issued whether the car is export only or not. Here is a great example of a seized, export only car with a SF-97 that sold at auction: http://ricklevin.nextlot.com/public/lot/15048858 The BNR32 in question in this thread should not have had a "for domestic sale" SF-97 issued. It should instead have one stamped saying FOR EXPORT ONLY. Why this didn't happen, I don't know.

ITT: people thinking form SF-97 makes their car legal. It doesn't. It's a temporary title document you get when buying a seized car from auction. Nothing more, nothing less.

You still haven't answered if the car is 25 years old.

Public roads or not doesn't matter. It isn't a race car and wasn't imported as such (to do so you would have to have a car which was originally manufactured AS a race car, not converted). Again: And as I explained to you before 21 and 25 years are numbers that apply at the time of import...there is no grandfathering. So again, what year and month was this car manufactured? Call the EPA here: (734) 214-4100 and call DOT/NHTSA here: (202) 366-5291 Ask them. Seriously.

What does any of that have to do with legalizing a car? You have a state title. The car isn't compliant with NHTSA/DOT and EPA. It can't be, because it isn't 25 years old. So you have a state-legal car that isn't federally legal. Understand? This is the most common situation people with illegally imported cars find themselves in. Answer me again: In what year and month was this car originally manufactured?

Who specifically did you call then? The EPA, NHTSA/DOT, CBP, ICE? Is your car magically 25 years old now?

Nancy who? I already told you the form 97 was not supposed to be issued for this car as it doesn't comply with EPA or NHTSA regulations. All form 97 does is let the car stay here and let you get a title. It doesn't resolve your outstanding issues with the EPA and NHTSA. Call the EPA here: (734) 214-4100 and call DOT/NHTSA here: (202) 366-5291 then get back to me, OK?

It's funny because you were listening at first and then all of a sudden you decided it was too much of a hassle or cost to legalize the car so you decided then to take out your anger towards whomever sold you the car on me instead. Don't shoot the messenger. Here's the contact information for some Registered Importers, why don't you ask them? http://icsw.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/import/graymarket_RI_list120413.pdf More info: http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/import http://icsw.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/import/FAQ%20Site/index.html This one has the phone number for the DOT and EPA, you can call them too. http://www.cbp.gov/trade/basic-import-export/importing-car https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/218/~/requirements-for-importing-a-vehicle-%2F-vehicle-parts Some choice quotes:

Anyway, I don't care. Let your car get seized when you try and sell it or register it in another state. Whatever. I was trying to tell you how to fix your problem. Apparently you don't want to listen. You won't get very far with this car if you aren't willing to listen to people who have more experience than you. Especially with your engine building. I'm still waiting for you to show me a de-registration certificate, HS-7, and 3520-1. Every imported car has to have them. No exceptions.

You are an absolute idiot. The car isn't legal. Seriously. Listen to someone who actually imports cars. I am well aware of what form 97 does. Want to know what it doesn't do? Legalize cars. It never should have been issued for this car. You can only issue it for cars that can be used on public roads. This car cannot. It doesn't comply with any NHTSA or EPA regulations and it isn't exempt either because it wasn't imported when it was 25 years old. Are you seriously trying to argue with me about a car that was clearly seized and has an EPA judgement out against it? You can issue as many form 97s as you want, it doesn't change the fact that the car isn't legal in the eyes of the NHTSA or EPA. The car is supposed to be legal BEFORE it gets a form 97 after being auctioned.

Of course I do.

As a natural-born US citizen I can make fun of Americans. I don't know if the marrying cousins stereotype thing is really true though, I have never met someone who has done this.

You still don't learn anything do you. There are no exceptions to the import process. Go read form HS-7 and 3520-1 very carefully. The form you have means nothing other than that the vehicle was seized and is now government property. After that it should have been either exported or destroyed. The CBP reference is referring to when the vehicle was initially brought into the United States (illegally). It is not a document that legalizes the car. Where on the form does it say anything about that? I am going to ask you again: Why is the car not 25 years old? Why do you not have the de-registration certificate? Why do you not have a HS-7? Why do you not have a 3520-1? Why was this vehicle seized? Why is there an EPA judgement out against this car (typo aside)? All imported motor vehicles, whether 25 years old or less than 25 years old (and eligible for importation) need to have this paperwork. So where is it? If the vehicle was imported properly it never would've been seized and auctioned off in the first place. The only one here spreading misinformation is you. Why are you so stubborn? I gave you a simple solution: ship the car to Canada and back again. You need to take your anger out on the people who sold you the car, not me. I have nothing to gain from telling you that your car isn't legal. All I am trying to do here is educate you.

The best thing to do is shop around DMVs. Most of them have no clue what they are doing when it comes to this. You have all the right paperwork. What else are they asking for?

You are in denial, that's all I am going to say. The fact that you are getting defensive and refusing to listen or learn anything is evidence of that. Frankly, I don't care if your car is legal or not. But you should. I am doing you a favor by telling you it isn't. What you want to do about it is up to you. Sean might have worked at Motorex but he quit when they started doing shady stuff. If it was a Motorex car it would have a Motorex VIN and documents (including a letter from the NHTSA). Basically, what you are saying is since you are not an "evil" company doing something intentionally the law doesn't apply to you. I'm afraid that's not how it works in the real world. Your car isn't 25 years old. If it isn't 25 years old it isn't legal. You don't have a de-registration certificate, you don't have a HS-7, and you don't have a 3520-1. So your car isn't legal. But for some reason you are still grasping at straws trying to say this and that...I'm telling you it doesn't matter. CBP didn't process any paperwork relating to this car. There is no speculation here. Your car isn't legal. For some reason you can't get that through your head. Let it sink in: your car is not here legally. Go ask anyone else with experience on this. They will tell you the exact same thing. Yes, one digit off...you really think a BNR32 with a VIN one digit off out of tens of thousands made could've been in a judgement in the same place at the same time...come on man. They made 40,000 of them!

Read the links I sent you above. You can even ask Sean Morris (importavehicle.info is his site). He did the compliance work for Motorex back in the day (and also the Fast & Furious cars). Now he runs an import business for 25 year old cars... importavehicle.com He will tell you the exactly same thing I have.

Motorex was a RI/ICI who imported cars legally, by bringing them into compliance with FMVSS and EPA regulations. As stated above, since Motorex is gone there is no longer anyone who is capable of doing the work even though the 1996-1998 R33 still remains on the approved vehicles list for importation. Motorex has been gone for quite awhile now, but no RI has decided it is worth their time to figure out the work necessary and start doing it. There are no exceptions that apply to your situation. There are many agencies involved here: NHTSA, EPA, CBP, ICE, FBI, your state DMV, etc. Your form 97 doesn't make the car legal. It shouldn't have been issued in the first place, you know that because you know the car was supposed to be exported or destroyed yet somehow wasn't. The only forms that make a car legal are the HS-7 and 3520-1, neither of which you have. The only exception for road cars is if you are a foreign national (i.e. not a US citizen) you may temporarily import a non-conforming vehicle for up to 1 year. You may not sell it to anyone in the US during this time. At the end of the year the vehicle must be exported.

You can believe what you want but I assure you 100% the car is not here legally. Seriously. Listen to someone who knows more than you. I'm not arguing with you, I'm just telling you the truth and giving you advice on how to resolve the situation. If the car was legal it would be 25 years old. If the car was legal you would have a de-registration certificate. If the car was legal you would have a HS-7. If the car was legal you would have a 3520-1. You don't have any of those things and the car isn't 25 years old. Period. End of story. The fact that the car isn't 25 years old is evidence enough that it was not imported legally. The rest is irrelevant. It is not currently possible to import any Skyline into the United States that is less than 25 years old. The 1996-1998 R33 is technically eligible for importation by an ICI/RI (registered importer) but there is currently no registered importer who is capable of doing the work. There is technically a model of R34 on the Show&Display list, but the one listed on there doesn't actually exist (seriously) and even if it did, it wouldn't be EPA exempt (21 years) and Show&Display does not exempt from EPA so it is virtually useless. Please read more regarding the 25 year rule here: http://www.motoiq.com/MagazineArticles/ID/3198/Vehicle-Importation-Understanding-the-25-Year-Old-Rule.aspx http://www.importavehicle.info/2011/11/is-my-imported-car-legal.html http://jalopnik.com/how-an-imported-nissan-silvia-nearly-got-a-man-20-years-1684706334 So, in short, there is no way that a Dec 1990 R32 could have been legally imported into the United States. There are many ways to do it illegally, and only one way to do it legally. And that is to wait until the car is 25 years old down to the month. You have 8 months to go until the car can be legally imported.

The de-reg certificate is the document Japan issues when the car is exported. It serves as a title, kind of. It's something you technically should still have if the car was imported legally. Technically if you are buying an imported JDM car those are the three things you should ask to see, the de-reg certificate, the HS-7, and the 3520-1. You want all 3. You aren't liable in the sense that you won't be charged for anything since you weren't the importer. But the car can still be seized anyway. An importer went to jail over a S15 a month or two ago...the car was seized and original importer was charged. They don't care how many down the chain you are in terms of seizing it. Kaizo...they were a business and sold cars to various people that weren't legally imported...the people at Kaizo were charged and the cars were seized from their various owners, many of whom had no idea that the cars weren't legal.

Go read up on Kaizo. ICE doesn't care. They will give you one of two options. Option one is crush it. Option 2 is export immediately within 30 days to a country NOT in North America. You want to avoid this. So you go to Canada and come back, this time with the correct documents. You are going to need to put some sort of working engine and emissions equipment on this car to do that, though. How you want to do that is up to you, but the easiest is to get ahold of a stock RB26 and put it in for now. So, do you have the de-registration certificate? At least you have a real Louisiana title. That's a start. Seems to me like all you need to do is put an engine in this car and send it to Canada, then bring it back.

You don't have a case. It wasn't acquired legally. Trust me. ICE doesn't want to hear your complaints that you thought you were buying a legit car. Go read up on Kaizo. The original importer was the only one charged with a crime, but everyone else still had their cars seized. Not fun. You need either the de-reg certificate, a non-bonded (real) title, or both. Export to Canada, then bring it back and import properly. Problem solved. edit: Regarding form 97, it never should have been issued. They used form 97 to "launder" the car and then get a bonded title. Strictly technically speaking it might be easier to install a stock RB26 and remove your built engine then reinstall later. At minimum you need to make it "look" relatively stock and definitely you need to put back on a cat. But if you're willing to risk it just forget about the engine...to be honest no one is going to look at it especially at a land border crossing. Install a cat. You'll be fine. It's not the best option, but I don't see what else you can really do.

No. A gray market vehicle is a legally imported vehicle that was not originally intended for sale in the United States. Here is the actual EPA regulation: A vehicle is exempted if it has been 21 years or more since its original production year and it is in its original unmodified condition. Vehicles in any condition may be excluded if they were manufactured prior to the year in which EPA's regulations for the class of vehicle took effect. Vehicles at least 21 years old with replacement engines are not eligible for this exemption unless they contain equivalent or newer EPA certified engines and emission control systems. Upon entry, the importer must file an EPA Form 3520-1 with Customs and declare code "E" on the form. If the car has the original engine and you have not removed emissions related equipment you have nothing to worry about. It is more tricky if the engine has been replaced with a different model. (i.e. SR20DET swap into a CA18 car).

Technically it would remain a black market car. A grey market car is one that was legally imported. Regarding the modification thing...no one really knows what it means. In my opinion it mainly has to do with removing emissions related equipment. The 25 year thing is of much more importance than that. To be honest most shipments aren't even inspected with anything more than an x-ray. They aren't going around popping hoods looking for modifications and then deciding whether they are okay or not. They're looking at whether the paperwork you submitted establishes that the car is 25 years old and legal for import.

It's still the original engine so I imagine you will be fine on that end. The legal wording is "in original configuration" which mainly applies to emissions related equipment. Are you running with no cat and screamer outlets? No? Good. You'll probably be fine. Regarding the EPA/NHTSA paperwork: Yes, they can enforce it even in 100 years from now. The car isn't legally in the country. Even when it turns 25 nothing will change. You need a HS-7 and 3520-1 that have been approved by CBP. You would know it was done because you would have a copy of them. An importer will give you these when you buy the car. They are not done to receive a title/registration. They are submitted in order to legally allow the car to enter the country. You cannot clear customs (legally) without them. The only reason some states ask to see them is because if you can't produce them they know the car is not legally in the United States. In theory in the situation you are in at the moment ICE/FBI could seize the car at any time. That situation will continue even after the car is 25 years old. A title does not make a car legal. Florida will issue a title to anything that moves...that doesn't make it federally legal. You may also have difficulty selling the car or registering it in another state without the proper paperwork. Some won't ask to see it. Some will. It will be difficult to sell the car without it, too. I don't think you are likely to get caught or get your car seized until you try and sell it. That's when this kind of stuff comes back to haunt people. But, in your situation it can be easily resolved by exporting and reimporting in December. It's not like a R34 where it won't be legal until at minimum 2023. Do you have the original de-registration certificate? Did you convert the bonded title to a regular title? If you have either or both sorted you should be able to export and reimport in order to obtain a valid HS-7 and 3520-1. Then your car will be 100% federally legal and you won't ever have to worry about anything and you will be able to sell it in the future.