Illegally imported Defender 110 seized, crushed by CBP at Baltimore Port

[rick_d]

2010 the rules changed for engines and EPA forms are now required with quite a bit of the vehicle history to import. In the past the "forklift use" was the most common importation exclusion. Now, 21 year old minimum passenger vehicle is the only straight in import class (you cannot even bring in a forklift engine). Looking at the paperwork, other engines simply get blocked. No 1hd-FTE can be imported if truly declared on paperwork and therefore are contraband.

The whole "25 year rule" as i understand it is a market protection policy based on Mercedes et al lobbing to protect new cars sales. Safety, epa bullshiat, etc are all just wrong and have no basis in reality. New Rovers, or Hondas, or Yotas for world market have all the goodies we use in the US. The cars and trucks are safe to operate and per vintage certainly the diesels would pass local passenger car and truck standards for the year produced. It is a high profile sting operation which everyone here should be pissed that federal government is enforcing this. Ideally, all of the community here in mud and elsewhere should be writing their representatives and tearing homeland security a new one for the rover roundup.

Toyota won't even sell us a 1hdt/hz timing belt in the US, best of luck getting anything except current production prius crap in the future. We could get cut off folks. Hell, I have been trying to source mechanical parts for a 2F which have gone obsolete. 1FZ-FE is next.

 

[Mr Tibbs]

2010 the rules changed for engines and EPA forms are now required with quite a bit of the vehicle history to import. In the past the "forklift use" was the most common importation exclusion. Now, 21 year old minimum passenger vehicle is the only straight in import class (you cannot even bring in a forklift engine). Looking at the paperwork, other engines simply get blocked. No 1hd-FTE can be imported if truly declared on paperwork and therefore are contraband.

The whole "25 year rule" as i understand it is a market protection policy based on Mercedes et al lobbing to protect new cars sales. Safety, epa bullshiat, etc are all just wrong and have no basis in reality. New Rovers, or Hondas, or Yotas for world market have all the goodies we use in the US. The cars and trucks are safe to operate and per vintage certainly the diesels would pass local passenger car and truck standards for the year produced. It is a high profile sting operation which everyone here should be pissed that federal government is enforcing this. Ideally, all of the community here in mud and elsewhere should be writing their representatives and tearing homeland security a new one for the rover roundup.

Toyota won't even sell us a 1hdt/hz timing belt in the US, best of luck getting anything except current production prius crap in the future. We could get cut off folks. Hell, I have been trying to source mechanical parts for a 2F which have gone obsolete. 1FZ-FE is next.

Wait, so if I understand you correctly it is currently illegal to import a newer engine as well as a vehicle?? So say something like the D4D diesel engine from Toyota is illegal to import??

 

[rick_d]

http://www.epa.gov/otaq/imports/documents/3520-1.pdf

code "E" works for hd-t's, 1990-1995 production BUT you MUST provide the vehicle donor info, so in 2014 a 1995 donor (and engine number cross reference) will not fly. This is why many half cuts are dead. David in Atlanta's dreams of hdt-fte half cuts are.......suspect.
(which is crap because before 2010 you could import all you wanted)

HD-FT are 1995-1997 production, HD-FTE are 1997-2005(?), D4D are late model post 2000.

Are you sure you can BS your way through customs with this form and a common rail engine???????????

form is Jan 2014 version.

If you do not have this correctly filled out, you are DOA importing an engine even from Canada

PS. My emissions here are measured by opacity production with a top limit of 30% under load. My 1991 hd-t makes 1.5%. My 2004 passat with 50% of the miles and standard NAS VW import makes 4.5%.

 

[rick_d]

...and any transplant engine kills an import. OE installation only even on the 25 year old rule.

We should all be mad as hell over this. Call tomorrow your local rep.

 

[Sam Stewart]

Yes illegal to import a D4D. There are people doing it though. Mostly in states that have VERY relaxed emissions laws... Like states that have no inspections...

 

[derelict]

...and any transplant engine kills an import. OE installation only even on the 25 year old rule.

We should all be mad as hell over this. Call tomorrow your local rep.

Mad about what? Spend 15 minutes on that site and you will see that they have been pushing the envelope for years. It was only a matter of time. Frame swaps and illegal motors came in all of the time. It was only a matter of time until the government caught on to it.

 

[jhanley]

Rovers don't vote

so true.......

 

[wardharris]

http://www.epa.gov/otaq/imports/documents/3520-1.pdf

code "E" works for hd-t's, 1990-1995 production BUT you MUST provide the vehicle donor info, so in 2014 a 1995 donor (and engine number cross reference) will not fly. This is why many half cuts are dead. David in Atlanta's dreams of hdt-fte half cuts are.......suspect.
(which is crap because before 2010 you could import all you wanted)

HD-FT are 1995-1997 production, HD-FTE are 1997-2005(?), D4D are late model post 2000.

Are you sure you can BS your way through customs with this form and a common rail engine???????????

form is Jan 2014 version.

If you do not have this correctly filled out, you are DOA importing an engine even from Canada

Yes illegal to import a D4D. There are people doing it though. Mostly in states that have VERY relaxed emissions laws... Like states that have no inspections...

Rick/Sam -
Thanks for confirming my prior research and conclusions. Unfortunately, my busy mind produces more questions than answers.......

1. Will Department of Homeland Security come after you if you happen to own an engine that COULD be older or younger than 21 years? What if you have a 1HZ but cannot document the age or donor vehicle? It could be a 1990 or a 2014 - from an old Coaster bus in Australia or brand new, in a crate as ordered for a mine truck.
2. If it was imported before 2010 and there is no source vehicle documentation, will they haul it off to the scrap yard?
3. If the motor is installed in a running vehicle, will they take the whole thing off for shredding?
4. Seems like the most likely path to DHS calling is if you are ratted out (a la Lowenbrau) or are a large scale/notorious operator with a web page detailing their offering? - Like some folks doing OEM 4 and 8 cylinder diesel installs, using half-cuts from Asia/Pacific region.
5. Regarding people who have built businesses (and delivered some very nice installs) using under 21 year old motors - those motors are being imported into USA, subject to the EPA from provided above, correct? State emission laws come later - its the EPA / CBP / DHS SWAT team, not the title clerks I would worry about.
6. With all this BS, should one even aspire to own a non USA certified motor in their truck?

Depressing....

 

[wardharris]

Also, it appears that there are no secrets anymore. Not only can the NSA keep track of my video rentals (hell, Amazon and Netflix already can do that), but there is also a way to see/search all imports into USA via DHS/CBP. See sample report below for a "live" import to USA, no doubt for trans-shipment to another country. This information can be purchased on a subscription basis.

HZ76, HZ79 and lotsa parts, including engines.

 

[Gun Runner 5]

I just hope the NSA realizes I am only on those porn sights for 2-3 minutes and that is only because I am waiting for the next episode of Law and Order to come on.

 

[wardharris]

I just hope the NSA realizes I am only on those porn sights for 2-3 minutes and that is only because I am waiting for the next episode of Law and Order to come on.

Any more, this is my definition of porn, and I stay longer than 2 or 3 minutes.....usually in tears.

 

[snobdds]

Well I know of one company bringing in D4D, 1HD-FTE, and 1VD-FTV for their swaps.

I guess it can be done for the right price...

 

[rick_d]

Look at the epa import form. Unless you younger than 21 year old engine cleared customs before june 2010 when the paperwork changed there is a problem. And before 2010 engine swaps were easy for rover/cruiser/ etc. that one form killed it.

 

[Sam Stewart]

Well I know of one company bringing in D4D, 1HD-FTE, and 1VD-FTV for their swaps.

I guess it can be done for the right price...

I do as well. Not going to name any names since we're discussing the legality of the matter. However, my understanding is that the vehicles are still registered with the original VIN and only done so in states where there is no emissions or inspections. Therefore, the vehicle is not ever inspected, the EPA doesn't know what engine is in it, and everyone lives happily ever after.

As for what they would do? I have no idea. Impound the vehicle? Possibly? Not let you register it? Likely. Would they crush your truck because it has an "illegal" swap? Probably not. Most likely they would impound said vehicle and either you would not be able to retrieve it, or they would make you pay some outrageous fee (or fine) to get it back. Then, as previously stated, you would have to make it emissions compliant again before it could be registered.

I'm no expert by any means, and I'm certainly no lawyer or anything like that so take what I say with a grain of salt. Just from previous experience and many, many, many, many, MANY, discussions with similarly minded and similarly disgruntled Toyota enthusiasts, it is neither practical or affordable to do any of the things we are discussing here. As far as I'm concerned, as long as I live in this country (a retirement home in Costa Rica has been discussed with the wife), I will drive legally purchased Toyotas and not modify them in a way that would subject them to being taken away or crushed, and therefore wasting all my money and time invested. Now when those D4D Hilux's and Prado's get past that 25 year mark, then we'll talk... Assuming the laws don't change again by then of course...

 

[derelict]

Rick/Sam -
Thanks for confirming my prior research and conclusions. Unfortunately, my busy mind produces more questions than answers.......
Depressing....

The motor number will give you a good idea of year of the motor. As long as the motor is older than 21 years old, you should be fine. They are not going after motor swaps in general. What they are looking for are the people who were having these newer, non conforming motors installed overseas and then brought in under the cover of them being in an older truck. Catch here is that the truck might not even be as old as they said on the declarations. To bring the truck in, it must be original and 25 or older. They were not and were, more than likely, powered by motors that are too young to be here (but no one seems to be bringing that up). They caught on to this due to a shady dealer that was raided a little more than a year ago. It is not depressing if you have a paper trail. If you swap a 2F for a 2H, you are okay. If you swap a gas motor for a diesel, it needs to be a motor newer than what is currently in there and if it is an imported motor, that motor needs to be older than 21 years old.

 

[derelict]

Also, it appears that there are no secrets anymore. Not only can the NSA keep track of my video rentals (hell, Amazon and Netflix already can do that), but there is also a way to see/search all imports into USA via DHS/CBP. See sample report below for a "live" import to USA, no doubt for trans-shipment to another country. This information can be purchased on a subscription basis.

HZ76, HZ79 and lotsa parts, including engines.

View attachment 920165

This is cool. Allows you to see where your stuff is. Out of curiosity, where are those trucks going?

 

[OGBeno]

Any more, this is my definition of porn, and I stay longer than 2 or 3 minutes.....usually in tears.

View attachment 920184

I've been applying to work there for a bit now. Unfortunately, they give preference to British, Spanish, and Portuguese nationals.

 

[Gun Runner 5]

I've been applying to work there for a bit now. Unfortunately, they give preference to British, Spanish, and Portuguese nationals.

Considering your Turkish heritage and the fact that you have been in Georgia long enough to pick up some redneck traits
that would make you a Turkish Redneck and surely Toyota would like to have one of them on staff to balance things out.
The Toyota engineers have probably never heard the term "hold my beer and watch this."

 

[wardharris]

I've been applying to work there for a bit now. Unfortunately, they give preference to British, Spanish, and Portuguese nationals.

I sincerely hope you are successful, so I can come visit. Practice your posh accent. If Mike Myers can do it, you can do it.

 

[wardharris]

This is cool. Allows you to see where your stuff is. Out of curiosity, where are those trucks going?

The service only reports import data. It is possible that the 76, 79 and crate motors are destined for USA mine use, but (methinks) it is more likely they are headed elsewhere. The principal in this transaction is a Canadian Toyota dealer.

If exported from USA, that movement will not show on this report.