i could give mine up for enough money >>

its lhd >>

-ParaNoiD+May 12, 2005 - 7:15 AM

Tempting.... very tempting...

-rockstarbass1+May 12, 2005 - 4:37 AM

I have also thought about that....flying over there by plane then buying the car..then coming back here with a transit (on a boat or something)..but guess it is not that easy (customs)

-ParaNoiD+May 12, 2005 - 12:15 PM

how much?

they arnt hard to find nor are they that expensive its just getting the leaglized DOT on the road thats the issue guys

since i live in canada and laws here looks to be less stricts than those in US...I think the best way is to wait til a 6gc GT-Four becomes a "collector's car" (15 years+ old)

in 4 years , '94 GT4 will be fully legalize to import here >> better find a LHD in france maybe....

Im wondering where's cheaper to buy one from a country who has LHD

If you wanna be exact, some will be legal in late 2008 (those cars that were produced in late 1993 but were 1994 models). >> I'm definitely planning to get one.

-HaRv3sTeR+May 13, 2005 - 2:18 PM

i can get around 21-23k $ for it here in Iceland hehe

but then the dollar is very low at the moment.

a new STi costs around 60k $ here

This post has been edited by ParaNoiD: May 13, 2005 - 4:58 PM

ok going back to our conversation. There is a good saying: Nothing is impossible and I usually live by it. It is a matter of figuring out how to beat the system because the house does not always win.
Fact is that any country will gladly let you through their port but then in US they are cranky about those things.

Some say that shipping gt-4 in parts is the best option. How do you take a big vehicle like that and ship it here? Taking engine out will guarantee the entrance in us unless they find contaminants (ie bugs and other alien plant/animal species) they you are totally screwed.

So the question stays: where does one need to go to send the car out or where does one go here so that the agency would take care of it for you.

I personally find it a better solution if you drag your shiney hiney to the country where you bought it from (ie UK-just an example because ports are right there). You then buy the vehicle (obviously that might take time, but i spotted at least 12 on UK ebay so if one is desperate he'll buy one asap). You then take the car to a mechanic and tell him to take the engine out. Next step still eludes me for I am not sure exactly how the car must be packaged, whether it is in a container or whatever. Either way now you have 2 pieces and somehow you need to "transport" them to the port, have them packaged (i guess or put in a container). BTW at this step it would be a good idea to send it to 2 different addresses to 2 different names, so that us customs wont give you problems associated with it. As the car is shipped and as the engine is shipped you fly back, go to customs in US (have no idea where they are at but whatever). You then need to have your car inspected and if they ask you where is the engine.. you better come up with a believable excuse (remember at this step it is crucial they let is slide so being world's greatest liar would be beneficial). Same thing with engine (suppose your friend picks it up). Now later steps are easy however there is a catch. I dont know how the cops are in your area but in NJ cops can pull you over for anything and can impound your car if they suspect anything. So LHD would definetly save you there. All gt-4 tags, vins, signs, other fancy shmancy identifiable stuff must come off. You then take your celi, strip the st/gt/celica/toyota, stick it on gt4, remove vin (just in case) and replace it with your car (must be a hatchback, unless you can find gt4 coupe, which i dont think there are any), swap licence plate and store your US version of celi in your backyard, burry it, cover it, whatever, as long as it does not hit the junk yards, where they have to register the vins with us gov-t, and clearly you dont want that. Now the trick is to do that without going over reasonable price.
3sgte swapped st204 =/=awd st205 so that is why we are having this conversation.

I think if I could fit into $12K I would go for it. tickets+mechanic+transport+shipment+taxes+transport+mechanic

There are occasions that I do like living in the UK........this post has made me realise this >>

Richard

as far as RHD or LHD goes, cops dont care. Like if you had a McLaren F1 with the seat in the middle and cops pulled you over.

they may not care however if your in a rhd car there more likly to be sceptical of it, oppose to a lhd where it would never cross there mind, unless you happen to get pulled over by a cop that knows what a gt-4 is.

and if u did get stoped by a cop who knew what a gt4 is he'd probly give u a thumbs up and ask for a ride.

Nj cop would probably do the following:
hmm so it is a lhd, must be illegal, let me check your VINs, pop the hood, the door, the windshield and everywhere else where you can find a VIN, then if he would not find one, he "HAS THE RIGHT" to impound your car right then and there according to "HAZARD TO HIGHWAY" clause. Then you are totally screwed.

Ok either way.. where can i find a company in US that could import a gt-4 without engine. Everytime i use google most of searches tell you addresses in UK. I need here in america.

Go to www.evolutionimports.com pple. Ask them all the questions you want.

-pokemeintheeye+May 16, 2005 - 10:56 PM

they got a RHD 95' GT4 with 37,000miles for 19,000$ !!!

And a TT Supra for $23000...

-macavely+May 11, 2005 - 2:24 AM

That would still be nice, but i prolly wouldnt only drive it on weekends..

well I emailed them. They claim that the gt-4 they have is us street legal so i asked them if it was modified to be dot-approved etc..

sadly because I have to pay for my college I can not risk buying the vehicle, even though i have the money. sigh again...

What is the last year they made the GT-FOUR? I have seen, I think 2, members on here with a 99 GT-FOUR, atleast accordding to the member ride thing.

Everyone is talking about a 94-95 GT-FOUR, why not try to get a 99 when you are at it? (if they actually made them in 99).

19 000$ is just a tiny bit more than I had to pay for my 99 ST (AT200).. So that price is not bad at all (I'm in Norway though, land of taxes).

I could kill someone to get a nice GT-FOUR for 19 000$ >>

the point is most of us want to get gt-4 non-dot apptoved, because of headlights and performance etc, a true JDM look.

on average ebay of other countries offers our dream for under $7K. According to some shipping companies it is 1K to ship it to US+tax at customs. so technically for 19K you could get 2 of them here, it is only a matter of "HOW"

if you can prove that there is an equivelant car here in the states, DOT can approve a car for registering..in the case of a gt-4, this might be possible..It has the same chassis as a USDM Celica...Chassis codes...the only difference in the code is the awd/fwd classification...chassis, which DOT sees as safety is covered..now for the engine. MR2 Turbo also had a 3sgte..engine covered...get it passed emissions testing and you're good to roll!!

-yarik83+May 17, 2005 - 8:44 AM

The tax and fees are the most expensive part. From what I hear customs is very weary about releasing whole imported cars. And passing emissions is no problem my 3rd gen 3s passed easy.

-richgt4+May 14, 2005 - 12:25 PM
yeah, i don't blame you

and on top of gt-fours

you guys have top gear and fifth gear!! >>

the 95,96 gt'4 sell at about 7k in japan but for some reasion a 98 gt-4 costs twice the price and more !!!!!!!!!

evvery time i look thinking i might get a newer one i'm just amazed at the price for a nearly stock car just 3 year newer than mine......

With russian import taxes taken off my car only cost $2500 in japan ! now thats a good price >> just a shame with shipping and taxes anothe 10k was added >>

If you were in the military you could bring cars over here. I was in kuwait looking at cars that you could buy and have the military import. People stationed in germany bring over cars all the time. You can get bmws cheap.

I'm in, and I've looked into that. All the BMW's that you can buy in Germany through AAFES are already US spec models. That's why there is no trouble importing them (military just pays shipping costs, doesn't cut any red tape). If you just go to some dealership wherever you get stationed and try and ship some car back (even if the military ships it for you), customs will still stop it for DOT inspection. Example: A friend of mine is stationed in Japan flying F-16's. If he buys a car to bring back over, it HAS to be US spec purchased through AAFES or it will get bonded, just like anyone else's car. I've tried...

ya i dont recommend trying to bring a gt four in through Canada. the laws might not be astrict or whatever a couple people have said, but unless you know someone that can change some documents and do it ILLEGALLY, the car wont get through customs. seeing as in Canada, any car that is 15 years or older is able to be imported from another country, lots of car are being shipped over here, and there are quite a few companies that will handle the paperwork and all the problems with getting a car over here, but none of them will try to bring a car in illegally, so you would have to know someone in japan for it to work

Ahhh Canada... >>

well heres what i have come up with.

once you have managed to bring over a gt4 in same color and everything as what you own you get to do some dirty work.

bring the car over as a custom, you can only drive so many miles therefore you purchase another gauge cluster. swap over vins from your celi take the headlights and what ever else you feel is needed to pass the inspection of your "custom" show car. now part out that bia to every last screw then ditch whats left. (junkyard or what ever, cut it up so its just random metal parts)

either roll your extra odometer or drive with it in for a few thousand miles to make it look like the car is being used for just car shows. now swap them out and use the "fake" odometer when inpsection time rolls around along with anything else like your headlights (if you want to go that far).

This post has been edited by Sev408: May 31, 2005 - 10:40 PM