Importing a diesel/JDM help.

[Gyrocapt]

Hi everyone. Newbie here looking for some help. I am looking to replace my FJ with something that has four doors and windows before my kids kill me. I have always loved Land Cruisers (one of the few toyotas I have never owned) and gave decided to get one. Only problem is that I have my mind made up to get a 1996 LC that I found in Canada. Usually not a big deal but this one is a JDM with right and drive and a turbo diesel. No EPA sticker on it as it was from japan. I have been researching this exhaustively and found some docket numbers for these from NHTSA but the only thing i can't get a straight answer on is whether the EPA will let me do this. I have found out that if I remove the engine and tranny out of it I can bring it in as a "vehicle assembly" I can bring it in and title it that way and then if I happen to "find" a motor somewhere later no one will ever know. Sounds like a pain and kinda shady.
Anyone out there have any experience or input on bringing one of these into the states?
Thanks in advance for any advice anyone here may have.

 

[amaurer]

You should ask this in the diesel/JDM section, lots more importing expertise there.

The short answer, IMO, is that you cannot buy that vehicle. The longer answer is that you need to do more research, and that vehicle will still be a LOT of work to import. Importing is always a pain, but that will be a special flavor of headache.

NHTSA approval is good, but you will not convince the EPA. If you try to bring it in, they'll ask for the infamous "Toyota Letter", which Toyota will not give you. I also think you'd get whacked by the NHTSA - while it is possible to import CDN vehicles without an exemption, prexisting approvals for JDMs are far far rarer, so I'd be a little shocked if there was a valid approval already for it. Be very aware that it doesn't matter to the US that the vehicle is in Canada right now, as far as they're concerned its a Japanese truck that you're importing. So if NHTSA has "approved" models built to CDN standards that doesn't mean anything for trucks built for the JDM market.

Virtually everyone here waits for the 21/25 year exemptions to import. So you can have that truck in 2021.

 

[96r50]

I'm not sure where you found a 1996 JDM truck in Canada since it is a year too young to be here (15 year minimum). Are you sure it was a RHD JDM? Where was it, if you don't mind me asking?

Why not just buy a US LC? It's the same chassis with a few minor differences/options, and a decent gas engine, and no importation hassles. The Lexus versions (LX450, LX470) can usually be found with low miles.