Importing to USA, best place to Exp. from?

[POS VETT]

Importing into USA from Indonesia

All,

I'm new to this board and I have a rather big problem about importing into USA my 1982 Indonesian-specs FJ40. I went to the NHTSA site indicated in a previous post but, alas, I can't understand completely. FWIW, Indonesian-spec FJ40 does not have any emission equipments nor the defogger/defroster that was mentioned in the docket NHTSA-98-3715 and that's just one of the many items mentioned in there.

Could anyone shed a light on this ? Maybe someone who has done all the conversion/upgrade necessary to make it street legal in the US can chime in ? Also, it's RHD.

Any help is appreciated.

 

[StanCruiserMan]

I'm new to this board and I have a rather big problem about importing into USA my 1982 Indonesian-specs FJ40.

The easiest thing is simply to wait it out. Once it is 25 years old there will be little problem in bringing it over.

 

[POS VETT]

The easiest thing is simply to wait it out. Once it is 25 years old there will be little problem in bringing it over.

That is one possibility. Is it possible to bring it here sometime this year but wait a couple of years before having it registered ? Do you happen to know the differences between having it road legal now or in two years in the future ?

Thanks for the help, sorry for the many questions.

 

[alkaline747trio]

Conversion is stuck in my brain, but I kinda want a LHD 80 w/ all the goodies other countries got that we didn't without having to do it myself (lazy man's way out). What if I moved to Canada for a year, bought an imported 80 and then moved back here? Or had someone moving from there to buy and bring with, then buy from them here...hmm...?

 

[j7addict]

Canadians are only allowed to sell to relatives here, so you better find a Canadian relative. My sister was planning on moving to Canada, but she quit the idea

 

[rutbeer]

Moving to Canada won't get you an 80. They didn't get them originally and the one's they have are Japanese imports...which can't come here easily. If you want a left hand drive with all the goodies, you probably need to be looking at Ozzy land.

 

[rick_d]

rutbeer-

uhhh, Ozzy you mean Australia?

that would be a British Colony, right-hand-drive vehicles only

or is this somewhere where Ozzy Osbourne lives?

 

[rutbeer]

You are correct sir....my bad. New Zealand is RHD as well, isn't it? How about Venezuela then? Africa?

 

[roscoFJ73]

rutbeer-

uhhh, Ozzy you mean Australia?

that would be a British Colony, right-hand-drive vehicles only

or is this somewhere where Ozzy Osbourne lives?

Austria

 

[j7addict]

You are correct sir....my bad. New Zealand is RHD as well, isn't it? How about Venezuela then? Africa?

Try here:

List of left-driving countries and right-driving countries

 

[Greg_B]

That is in interesting read.

Thanks!

gb

 

[alkaline747trio]

RHD w/ Goodies...so would Australia be my friend? Is it easy or hard to import from Australia?

 

[Exiled]

RHD w/ Goodies...so would Australia be my friend? Is it easy or hard to import from Australia?

Same. Country of origin is not important, it's the US DOT and EPA's regulations that you have to comply with.

Importing a LHD Autana 80 series from Venezuela or a RHD 80 series from Australia is pretty much the same thing, you'll still have to go through a registered importer to get it in. RI's sometimes question the RHD and want to get more money for the conversion to LHD, so keep that in mind. Like I said at the very beginning of this thread, your best bets are Central America and Europe (diesel, LHD and options).

Even if you were to go with a gray market option (not advocating for you g-men lurkers, just mentioning), a RHD would attract a lot more attention.

Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[honk]

yeah but to me, a WA title and reg makes it all good

A valid state registration may not be sufficient to avoid big grief. Federal law overides state law generally, and if there were a report to either the DOT or the EPA of a vehicle being operated even with license that MAY not comply with federal law the agencies can and sometimes do investigate. If one of them finds that your car isn't OK by them they have the power to impound it until it is brought to compliance if possible or to destroy it if it is not made OK by them.

There are people in this country who have discovered the hard way that their pollyannaist ideas of the law and their rights were very much in error. Some of those occupy federal prisons for their perfidy.

So import a greyish vehicle and live a life of paranoic fear of your neighbors and every person who passes you by with a cellphone and a resentful or authoritarian attitude. Are the few more MPGs of a diesel worth all of that in addition to the exhorbitant cost of just obtaining the vehicle?

 

[honk]

Oh, and BTW, there are blocks on the required EPA form 3520-1 titled "Importation of Motor Vehicles and Motor Vehicle Engines Subject to Federal air Pollution Regulations" and DOT form HS-7 title too long for me to type out which pertain to bringing in engines only.

When you go to the U.S. Customs gate with either a vehicle or an engine less than 25 years old they'll be waiting for you.

 

[mallred]

I was at customs today for clarifaction on this, The DOT is 25 years or older for exemption and 21 years for EPA for emissions ,For importing from Canada. Customs will except a letter stating what the manifacture says is needed to bring it up to standards that were ineffect on the day of production using the vin # for either deptment of anything newer than 25 years DOT and 21 years EPA FOR PERSONEL IMPORTATION TO THE U.S. by showing receipts of the being work completed. This means you get the work done in Canada. For example chips and windsheilds seat belts ect. No RI required. The RI is required if you are going to have the work done in the U.S. This does not preceed what each state requires. Their new pamplet is very clear on this. Commercial importation of vehicals does require a RI.

I have read in EPA rulings that 1988 and newer diesels imported to Canada are to be considered to be up to US standards, but Customs does not execpt this yet and requires the letter. I also read in my reasearch in the EPAs website that they do not reconize the letter as of 1997. Some what confusing.

Another interesting fact I got is that when you do import you must get a copy of the form 7501, if you do not you will not be able to register it in your state and Customs does not keep any paperwork on the import and has no record of you importing it. People have lost this and have to import it all over again.

This is what I got today when I crossed into the Montana from Alberta.

 

[canadian bum]

In Canada it is 15 years or older, so maybe you should try up here.

 

[sponger16]

http://www.goo-net-exchange.com/usedcars/TOYOTA/LAND_CRUISER_40/700080206630140130001/index.html

http://www.austousa.com/Information...on=false&minprice=&price=&cid=0&sidx=0&eidx=2

Been looking at importing a bj42 or 46 from Australia or Japan. And I've been talking to two importers one in long beach a guy named Elvin and one guy from Australia that imports to Seattle. Australia to Seattle is 3000 shipping and Japan to long beach is 5500! The trucks in aus are cheaper and cheaper to ship the japan trucks are super expensive and more expensive to ship and I'm seeing bj42s on eBay for 15,000. Why am I importing again? I thought importing would save me money but if I can get a diesel truck already registered in Arizona for the same price what's the point. Any thoughts?


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[Jan-78FJ40]

http://www.goo-net-exchange.com/usedcars/TOYOTA/LAND_CRUISER_40/700080206630140130001/index.html

http://www.austousa.com/Information...on=false&minprice=&price=&cid=0&sidx=0&eidx=2

Been looking at importing a bj42 or 46 from Australia or Japan. And I've been talking to two importers one in long beach a guy named Elvin and one guy from Australia that imports to Seattle. Australia to Seattle is 3000 shipping and Japan to long beach is 5500! The trucks in aus are cheaper and cheaper to ship the japan trucks are super expensive and more expensive to ship and I'm seeing bj42s on eBay for 15,000. Why am I importing again? I thought importing would save me money but if I can get a diesel truck already registered in Arizona for the same price what's the point. Any thoughts?


Sent from my iPhone using IH8MUD Forum

Holy thread revival...
Many things have changed from 9 years ago. The number of diesel LCs in the US is one of them.

 

[desertbuckeye]

Jan,
I know I wasnt in the LC business back in '05, maybe Sponger wasnt either. An update on peoples experiences and luck getting diesel cruisers in the states would certainly be helpful!