What i've been warning people about $250k fine and possible 20 years for "importing" a Silvia.

http://www.clarionledger.com/story/mslife/2015/02/06/nissan-silvia-why-illegal-united-states/22975801/?from=global&sessionKey&autologin

All to "protect" dealerships. There is no skirting the rules, there is no "loopholes" to find. It's do you want to risk this or do you want to do it right. This is IMO an example of that law being insane. Who is he harming by importing this car? Nobody. It's just there because someone (dealerships) bribed someone (congress) into making the import law an outrageous number of years.

He is, however, an idiot who thought he found some secret special method to have a Silvia in the US. I've been warning people like this on other sites and they refuse to accept fact now I have repercussions to show them.

This is a contender for the greatest crime/punishment imbalance I've ever heard of in a modern democratic society

I don't think protecting dealerships has anything to do with it. It's whether a car meets EPA and DOT requirements.

stuart in mn wrote: I don't think protecting dealerships has anything to do with it. It's whether a car meets EPA and DOT requirements.

Meanwhile, how many 70s/80s V8-powered cars that have been ghetto-converted to RHD for delivering mail are in use?

Interesting. In the '60s I knew a guy who had relatives in Germany. He was self employed and took about a month off each year and went to Germany. While there he would buy a new 911 on the factory delivery plan. He'd drive the car in Germany then have it shipped back to the US. He'd then sell his one year old 911 at enough markup to help pay for his trip. He was so meticulous with his cars you'd think they were just off the showroom floor at one year old.

Another guy in our SCCA region and his wife tried to pay for a trip to Germany by buying and driving a pair of Mercedes Benz in one trip. However they made the mistake of buying two of those colors the Europeans like but are not popular here. They had a heck of a time selling either one and probably lost money on each.

stuart in mn wrote: I don't think protecting dealerships has anything to do with it. It's whether a car meets EPA and DOT requirements.

No, because passing 25 years doesn't make the car any safer and you can bring them in then just fine.

stuart in mn wrote: I don't think protecting dealerships has anything to do with it. It's whether a car meets EPA and DOT requirements.

Merc dealerships in the 80s and gray imports are why the 25 year rule exists. It was an act passed specifically to protect dealerships for German makes. Importing a car from Germany was cheaper than buying one in the US and on top of it the cars were lighter and much more powerful in some cases. A 928 for example had about 100 more horsepower.

I think the act had even Mercedes in the title of the law. I forget what it was called.

Rupert wrote: Interesting. In the '60s I knew a guy who had relatives in Germany. He was self employed and took about a month off each year and went to Germany. While there he would buy a new 911 on the factory delivery plan. He'd drive the car in Germany then have it shipped back to the US. He'd then sell his one year old 911 at enough markup to help pay for his trip. He was so meticulous with his cars you'd think they were just off the showroom floor at one year old.

While I was in college it became the thing for professors to vacation in Europe for the summer while driving a Mercedes they had bought upon arrival from the factory. They would ship it back as a used car and obviously saved a lot of money.

From wikipedia if there was any doubt:

The grey market was successful enough that it ate significantly into the business of Mercedes-Benz of North America and their dealers. The corporation launched a successful million-dollar congressional lobbying effort to stop private importation of vehicles not officially intended for the U.S. market.[17] An organisation called AICA (Automotive Importers Compliance Association) was formed by importers in California, Florida, New York, Texas, and elsewhere to counter some of these actions by Mercedes lobbyists, but the Motor Vehicle Safety Compliance Act was passed in 1988, effectively ending private import of grey-market vehicles to the United States.

"successful million-dollar congressional bribery effort" Fixed that for them.

Meanwhile the rest of the world requires Europeon safety standards (aside canada). Free flow of used cars between those countries as well. The only reason it was different here is because of Mercedes Benz lobbyists.

In reply to kanaric: Don't you just love it! Bribery almost always works with the government.

Rupert wrote: In reply to kanaric: Don't you just love it! Bribery almost always works with the government.

What's funny is marijuana legalization is steadily becoming a thing and this is even more of a victimless crime. Maybe because he has more pounds of illegal substance? lol.

spitfirebill wrote:

Rupert wrote: Interesting. In the '60s I knew a guy who had relatives in Germany. He was self employed and took about a month off each year and went to Germany. While there he would buy a new 911 on the factory delivery plan. He'd drive the car in Germany then have it shipped back to the US. He'd then sell his one year old 911 at enough markup to help pay for his trip. He was so meticulous with his cars you'd think they were just off the showroom floor at one year old.

While I was in college it became the thing for professors to vacation in Europe for the summer while driving a Mercedes they had bought upon arrival from the factory. They would ship it back as a used car and obviously saved a lot of money.

Of course, European delivery is a legit thing. As long as you take delivery of a US-spec car.

"It has a unique aerodynamic frame, chrome detailing, and turbo-charged engine. In other words, it's very fast."

Even if the Silvia had a frame (it doesn't) I highly doubt it would be very aerodynamic as it is usually not exposed to much wind, what with being under/inside the car and all. Even Ferrari uses tunnels and panels to direct airflow under the car, not a frame.

And chrome detailing makes it very fast? In what way precisely? How does that work?

"The Nissan 240sx is the closest thing to a Silvia in the United States."

IIRC, the 240sx WAS a Silvia in the US. Not close, exactly the same. Different engine and options, but same car.

"the wide headlights slope inward from the sides and combine with lower fog lights to give the driver high visibility in sub-par conditions."

This is why the Silvia is so special? That is worth going to jail over? Sloped headlights? Really?

Who wrote this article? My 3 year old could have done better.

Ya the article is obviously written by someone equal to CNN or Forbes car articles. Remember tha CNN F1 turbo article

kanaric wrote: Ya the article is obviously written by someone equal to CNN or Forbes car articles. Remember tha CNN F1 turbo article

Got the choice quotes here before it was edited:

http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/off-topic-discussion/power-belts-self-powered-steam-turbos/68719/page1/

Yeah, once you pass the 25 year mark it's wide open; import anything you want. Under 25 years, it's my understanding that about the only way to get the car here is for it to be limited production and have historic etc value, as I understand it if you bring a car in this way it can't ever be licensed for street use here in the Great Satan even if it passes the 25 year mark.

$250k fine and 20 years for grey market importing of one vehicle? That's pretty damn dumb. It's not like the guy was making a habit of it, unless there is something that was left out of the story. Naw, that never happens...

On RHD: when I worked for Subaru they imported RHD Imprezas which otherwise were built to US specs and IIRC when Subaru went in with Isuzu to build the plant here in Indiana (SIA, Subaru Isuzu America) they built RHD cars for mail carriers. Later on, when Isuzu pulled out of the States (except for medium duty trucks) Subaru bought out their half of the plant. Same thing with Jeep Cherokees and Wranglers, they made a bunch of them RHD just for that market and those were of course built here. They exported them to RHD countries as well, IIRC the Liberty was built RHD for export but I've never seen one used here as a mail vehicle.

Curmudgeon wrote: Yeah, once you pass the 25 year mark it's wide open; import anything you want. Under 25 years, it's my understanding that about the only way to get the car here is for it to be limited production and have historic etc value, as I understand it if you bring a car in this way it can't ever be licensed for street use here in the Great Satan even if it passes the 25 year mark. $250k fine and 20 years for grey market importing of one vehicle? That's pretty damn dumb. It's not like the guy was making a habit of it, unless there is something that was left out of the story. Naw, that never happens... On RHD: when I worked for Subaru they imported RHD Imprezas which otherwise were built to US specs and IIRC when Subaru went in with Isuzu to build the plant here in Indiana (SIA, Subaru Isuzu America) they built RHD cars for mail carriers. Later on, when Isuzu pulled out of the States (except for medium duty trucks) Subaru bought out their half of the plant. Same thing with Jeep Cherokees and Wranglers, they made a bunch of them RHD just for that market and those were of course built here. They exported them to RHD countries as well, IIRC the Liberty was built RHD for export but I've never seen one used here as a mail vehicle.

Ya the driver side of the car I think has nothing to do with the legality of it because i've seen post office people buy jeeps that were RHD before even.

More government regulation idiocy. As usual its all about money.

GameboyRMH wrote:

stuart in mn wrote: I don't think protecting dealerships has anything to do with it. It's whether a car meets EPA and DOT requirements.

Meanwhile, how many 70s/80s V8-powered cars that have been ghetto-converted to RHD for delivering mail are in use?

Not sure, but maybe a less than a dozen? In the whole country?

I really doubt any mail deliverer is drining a +30 year old car.

On the bright side when he gets out his car will be legal.

In reply to alfadriver:

You've never been out West have you?

alfadriver wrote:

GameboyRMH wrote:

stuart in mn wrote: I don't think protecting dealerships has anything to do with it. It's whether a car meets EPA and DOT requirements.

Meanwhile, how many 70s/80s V8-powered cars that have been ghetto-converted to RHD for delivering mail are in use?

Not sure, but maybe a less than a dozen? In the whole country? I really doubt any mail deliverer is drining a +30 year old car.

Ok, not RHD then, but there are plenty of '70s/'80s cars on the road that have more outdated safety and pollute more. Nobody's hitting them with quarter-million-dollar fines or putting them in jail for 2 decades.

There's hundreds of RHD Jeep Cherokees in the US brought over by the government from the Japanese market.

"Lead by Example" does not apply to this country/industry.

Appleseed wrote: In reply to alfadriver: You've never been out West have you?

No, growing up in Idaho Falls means that I've never been, nor ever go back out west.

Which means that the modern mail cars I've seen are an illusion. I've not seen a 80's era mail van since the 90's.

GameboyRMH wrote:

alfadriver wrote:

GameboyRMH wrote:

stuart in mn wrote: I don't think protecting dealerships has anything to do with it. It's whether a car meets EPA and DOT requirements.

Meanwhile, how many 70s/80s V8-powered cars that have been ghetto-converted to RHD for delivering mail are in use?

Not sure, but maybe a less than a dozen? In the whole country? I really doubt any mail deliverer is drining a +30 year old car.

Ok, not RHD then, but there are plenty of '70s/'80s cars on the road that have more outdated safety and pollute more. Nobody's hitting them with quarter-million-dollar fines or putting them in jail for 2 decades.

Well, there are a few things about that. First, the number of them are not nearly as high as you imply. Yes, there are some, but there are not massive amounts of them out there- we are talking 30-40 year old cars, afterall. Back in the 70's, I don't recall seeing many 30's or 40's cars around, either. (edit)- where I've seen the highest number of cars from the 70's and 80's has been Puerto Rico- by a HUGE margin. And even there, they are still a very small part of the overall fleet.

Second- there's a difference when you are talking a legal car when it was sold vs. one that has never been legal in the US.

It's easy to change the law- talk to your congressman.