How Is This Possible?

[loki]

My favourite D:5 ad: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vFU8_Qh9EE

I even have a copy of it on my iPod.

...laura

that video solves the pronunciation puzzle.

[Green1]

L400 were introduced in '94, however L300's were continually being made by Mitsubishi until...'97 I think.

L300 is STILL in production, though you won't find the high spec ones anymore, mainly cargo-van variants
We even have one member on here with a 2001 L300 (though not in north america...)

As for the 15 year rule, it is applied at the border, not at registration. You can't get it passed customs until it is 15 years old to the month of manufacture, registration is irrelevant.

[konadog]

that video solves the pronunciation puzzle.

Mmmm, I listened to that add a bunch and got my wife to do the same and we both think that with the announcer's inflections and speed, it could still go either way... I like "del-ee-ka" myself and can hear that, but have to admit, the guy could well be saying "del-ick-a".

[marsgal42]

I hear it as "deh-rih-ka".

No idea what "takara" means. Nor "tanjo", which shows up in almost all Japanese car ads.

If you look at some of other ads it would appear Mitsubishi have given up trying to market the i to men.

...laura who would love to drive an i EV to work

[JMK]

I've got Babylon on my computer so I Ctrl-Left CLicked on those and got the following, does the answer make any sense?

Code: Select all

Takara Co., Ltd. was a Japanese toy company founded in 1955. Takara merged with another prominent Japanese toy company, Tomy Co., Ltd., on March 1, 2006. 

Tanjo
Tanjo is a short Japanese walking stick also known as tanbo. It is used as a weapon of self-defence in the martial art tanjojutsu. When the tanjo was still used as an actual walking stick its length varied from person to person. The modern day tanjo, however, is usually fixed at around 90 cm.

[mararmeisto]

As for the 15 year rule, it is applied at the border, not at registration. You can't get it passed customs until it is 15 years old to the month of manufacture, registration is irrelevant.

So, if I tried to import something not-15yrs-old, would it have to sit down at the pier in Vancouver until it cleared customs?

[Green1]

So, if I tried to import something not-15yrs-old, would it have to sit down at the pier in Vancouver until it cleared customs?

Only if you are both very rich and very lucky... Customs charges a LOT of money for storage, they also have a tendancy to sieze vehicles that aren't yet 15 years old and auction them off (with a condition that the vehicle must leave the country and is not eligible for import, even if it is 15 years old by the time the auction happens)

My advice, don't try it. wait until you know it will be eligible before sticking it on a boat.

[jessef]

As for the 15 year rule, it is applied at the border, not at registration. You can't get it passed customs until it is 15 years old to the month of manufacture, registration is irrelevant.

So, if I tried to import something not-15yrs-old, would it have to sit down at the pier in Vancouver until it cleared customs?

Newer than-15yrs-old will get crushed.

I have seen them do it to 5 vehicles. It was pretty brutal. 3 of the owners were there.

On the 99.99999% chance than you are not in that category, you may have it shipped back to where it came from.

Other than these two outcomes, I have no documentation or facts to support people storing newer than 15yrs old vehicles at customs.

Jesse

[mararmeisto]

As for the 15 year rule, it is applied at the border, not at registration. You can't get it passed customs until it is 15 years old to the month of manufacture, registration is irrelevant.

So, if I tried to import something not-15yrs-old, would it have to sit down at the pier in Vancouver until it cleared customs?

Newer than-15yrs-old will get crushed.

I have seen them do it to 5 vehicles. It was pretty brutal. 3 of the owners were there.

On the 99.99999% chance than you are not in that category, you may have it shipped back to where it came from.

Other than these two outcomes, I have no documentation or facts to support people storing newer than 15yrs old vehicles at customs.

Jesse

O U C H H H H H H H H H ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

Good thing I'm only askin'....

[JMK]

Not to put too fine of a point on it, but I have been told (by reliable sources) that "fudged" Japan-side paperwork, has been, and is used to expedite the clearance of vehicles that are not 15 years old. Usually this pertains to a few months or less than a year however, and is akin to playing the odds in Vegas: some people enjoy the gamble and have a sense of satisfaction at winning. FWIW, apparently it is going on a lot more than most would think, and is not something that is commonly discussed as a 'how to' on a public forum.

This variant is also used in the USA by using Canada as a 'gateway' for mainly JDM Euro spec vehicles that are older than 15 years but not 25 years old. Although it is a commonly held belief that the chassis number, which becomes the VIN, contains a segment that identifies it as JDM in origin, I know this is not the case with the Euro Spec VW Corrado that we brought in last month from Japan and is already enjoying the unsolicited and unwanted attentions of many people south of the border.