Hey how are y'all doing, I'm new here and just want to introduce myself. I'm currently station in Japan, and I was thinking of buying a 1997 Galant Vr4. Now the car costs $4500 but that's not a bad price considering it has 54000km on it. However there's this thought back in my mind saying, "Hmmm... Can I import it back to the states?" I know the import costs will be free of charge since I talked to a TMO personne (they are in charge of moving). Now I just need to know if I have to do any kind of modification once the car sets foot on U.S. soil, I know 95% that it will. The question is how much? If anyone can help me then that would be great.
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raptorWagon
Well-known member
Welcome, however this site deals with the 6th gen GVR4s, but PM Mante as he has imported a later VR4 and jumped through all the hoops to get it registered legally.
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Alright thank you, I will do that.
mitsuturbo
Well-known member
Quoting raptorreed:
Welcome, however this site deals with the 6th gen GVR4s, but PM Mante as he has imported a later VR4 and jumped through all the hoops to get it registered legally.
Mante did not import a car in the sense that this guy is asking about. Mante got his hands on an 8th gen that was deemed "parts only or salvage" and he fixed it. So, he went through a loophole. PMing him is likely going to be a waste of time.
Getting it thru customs is the hard part. Getting it through emissions is easy. There's no reason it shouldn't meet all the safety requirements as well, but the issue is that the Galant is not on the NHTSA or Customs list of approved/acceptable vehicles based on like models being sold in the USA, even though the 7g VR4 and LS are almost identical chassis, with airbags, seatbelts, bumpers, and everything else you'd expect. Unfortunately, only two mitsubishis are on the list i've found, and they're both 5th gens.
This may help guide you, as far as the NHTSA and their import guidelines are concerned.
click
click
Edit: i just found this as well.. NHTSA deemed the Lancer Evolution Tommi Makinen Edition RD- RHD as 100% ineligible for importation click
I've noticed a lot of porsche, bmw, and mercedes have been put on the "OK" list. Of course, i'm sure it's a money thing. Guys that want cars like those, and will pay the money to import them, usually have deep enough pockets to jump through all the bureaucratic hoops, which basically equivocates to buying your way through it. Why would a Porsche 959 be allowed but not an Evo? Probably because the 959 cost about 8x as much, and the fees associated with getting one over here legally are a much smaller percentage of the cost of the vehicle. A drop in the bucket for someone rich enough to import a quarter million dollar car "just for show".
Welcome, however this site deals with the 6th gen GVR4s, but PM Mante as he has imported a later VR4 and jumped through all the hoops to get it registered legally.
Mante did not import a car in the sense that this guy is asking about. Mante got his hands on an 8th gen that was deemed "parts only or salvage" and he fixed it. So, he went through a loophole. PMing him is likely going to be a waste of time.
Getting it thru customs is the hard part. Getting it through emissions is easy. There's no reason it shouldn't meet all the safety requirements as well, but the issue is that the Galant is not on the NHTSA or Customs list of approved/acceptable vehicles based on like models being sold in the USA, even though the 7g VR4 and LS are almost identical chassis, with airbags, seatbelts, bumpers, and everything else you'd expect. Unfortunately, only two mitsubishis are on the list i've found, and they're both 5th gens.
This may help guide you, as far as the NHTSA and their import guidelines are concerned.
click
click
Edit: i just found this as well.. NHTSA deemed the Lancer Evolution Tommi Makinen Edition RD- RHD as 100% ineligible for importation click
I've noticed a lot of porsche, bmw, and mercedes have been put on the "OK" list. Of course, i'm sure it's a money thing. Guys that want cars like those, and will pay the money to import them, usually have deep enough pockets to jump through all the bureaucratic hoops, which basically equivocates to buying your way through it. Why would a Porsche 959 be allowed but not an Evo? Probably because the 959 cost about 8x as much, and the fees associated with getting one over here legally are a much smaller percentage of the cost of the vehicle. A drop in the bucket for someone rich enough to import a quarter million dollar car "just for show".
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Hmmm... I see your point. Well I'm sure there's a way around it but for now I'll just have to go back and ask the TMO guy again. Thanks for the info.
dsm1990tsi
Member
Welcome
DR1665
Well-known member
Something to think about...
1. Find a rougher specimen of the car you want in Japan. Evo, GVR4, etc.
2. Have it cut in half at the B-pillars and imported for parts.
3. Buy a nice shell (driveable or otherwise) once you get back.
4. Swap your mad tyte JDM bits to the USDM chassis.
It's been done. 97 GVR4 might not be "safe" or "clean" enough until it's 25 years old, but unless you have crazy strict emissions testing where you're going, you could probably be able to swap everything to a us VIN, ya know?
1. Find a rougher specimen of the car you want in Japan. Evo, GVR4, etc.
2. Have it cut in half at the B-pillars and imported for parts.
3. Buy a nice shell (driveable or otherwise) once you get back.
4. Swap your mad tyte JDM bits to the USDM chassis.
It's been done. 97 GVR4 might not be "safe" or "clean" enough until it's 25 years old, but unless you have crazy strict emissions testing where you're going, you could probably be able to swap everything to a us VIN, ya know?
