Import to the US??

[mtjohn]

two things you have going against you and it's been mentioned already

1. uniqueness of the L300. You WILL be stopped and possibly requested for a vehicle inspection. This will happen for sure because you will have the one L300 within thousands of miles.

2. insurance. good luck if you get into an accident, 'knock on wood' especially a fatal one. You will be denied coverage and possibly sued.

I was optimistic that I could get the vehicle down here in a number of shipments, reassemble it (maybe with different engine) or something, get a "title for anything" and use it as a normal rig. So, in theory it would be seen as a kit car or just car parts shipped over the border. However I realize there are some holes in my theory, Even if it was to make it past the border (hardest part) I had not thought of the sellers not selling to a u.s. resident, and all of this banks entirely on the ability to get a "title for anything". The only potentially sound thought within that was that "maybe" it could be sent across the border.. maybe.. not driven though, I knew that would never fly..

Getting it across the border is possibly the most difficult part. The main one being finding someone gullible enough to sell their L300 to a US resident. It's their ass if their vehicle crosses the border. That's been discussed too. Someone wanted to drive their delica south and sell it. Coming back through customs would be a rollercoaster ride with a bad ending.

You have two options. Cough up the $7-10,000 and buy a real North American US Mitsu vanwagon converted to the L300 4x4 drivetrain/engine by coombs auto (mentioned as well) or buy a NA Mitsu vanwagon and convert it down there with parts.

I did not realize that anyone was selling these converted wagons, I had ran across this message board through alot of research and was trying to find any way to get one of these here, because afterall we have no smaller suv-type van thing here in the states, Most of these are kind of a joke, or they want 20k for something you will never want to take in the mountains. Afterall the most versatile suv we have is the hummer which is extremely inefficient and the new versions are street suv's if that.. (i dislike hummers very much) All of the trucks (try and find a new chevy luv size truck) have expanded dramatically in size, They are all huge and inefficient anymore, not to mention expensive to own and insure..

So, I have a few (hopefully last) questions then.. I have no problem with coughing up 7-10K I was actually planning on paying around that much anyways, So that's totally ok. My only questions are
1. Where is this seller's info, Is he a member on the message board? or can you tell me his website?
2. What year are the parts that are used? I am hoping for something that looks like a 95 or 96 delica space gear.
3. Is the 7-10K on top of the cost of the cost of buying the mitsu vanwagon, or is it typically included?

Thanks very much for the info, hopefully this will also help someone else down the road in their searching. I know I saw one of these north of tillamook, Oregon (with canadian plates) and I immediately knew I wanted one. I had no idea that my own country would have so many draconian laws preventing me from importing a vehicle "for my own protection". What a load of crap.

[glenn]

Hey mtjohn, I know I digress, but, I was just down on the Oregon Coast - was it me by any chance?

I love taking my Delica down south - I feel like a rock star! Here in the Vancouver area, people hardly look twice.

[Mr. Flibble]

So, I have a few (hopefully last) questions then.. I have no problem with coughing up 7-10K I was actually planning on paying around that much anyways, So that's totally ok. My only questions are
1. Where is this seller's info, Is he a member on the message board? or can you tell me his website?
2. What year are the parts that are used? I am hoping for something that looks like a 95 or 96 delica space gear.
3. Is the 7-10K on top of the cost of the cost of buying the mitsu vanwagon, or is it typically included?

Thanks very much for the info, hopefully this will also help someone else down the road in their searching. I know I saw one of these north of tillamook, Oregon (with canadian plates) and I immediately knew I wanted one. I had no idea that my own country would have so many draconian laws preventing me from importing a vehicle "for my own protection". What a load of crap.

You want Glenn at: http://ccautos.ca/sales.html

You are not likely to be able to get anything like a 94-96 Spacegear (L400). I am having enough trouble trying to import mine! You are much more likely to be able to get something like the L300 series.

[mtjohn]

Glenn, Unfortunately it wasn't your delica that I saw, although if it was stopped I would have been trying to figure out what it was because I find these quite compelling, so I imagine I would have ended up at this board either way. There just isn't anything like the delica's here, I have a friend that has a subaru, alot of people here think of those as multi function vehicles but even he thinks of it as a glorified station wagon.

So, I can see why people double-take those down here, because they are neat and quite unique. That one looks like a pretty slick setup also, What year and model is it? I am somewhat ignorant to this because I thought the L300 was a different series van entirely, I didn't realize that the 95-96's were L400's. Is the difference pretty much the years? the 95+ are L400 vs before 90 is L300's?

btw the one I saw was probably a 95-96 and it had a full advertising sticker set across it for a maid service, i think it was something like green maid service and they were running it on bio-deisel. If I recall correctly it was just north of gerabaldi, OR.

Mr. Flibble, Is there any reason that the L400 is harder to get across the border than the L300's? Is it just the cost of the conversion or is it the year? or just customs? I am wanting to get one that is similar to the picture you have in your signature, Is that a d400 or d300? What troubles are you running into trying to get this across the border? (curious to know what I could potentially be in for)

Thanks
John

[Mr. Flibble]

Mr. Flibble, Is there any reason that the L400 is harder to get across the border than the L300's? Is it just the cost of the conversion or is it the year? or just customs? I am wanting to get one that is similar to the picture you have in your signature, Is that a d400 or d300? What troubles are you running into trying to get this across the border? (curious to know what I could potentially be in for)

Thanks
John

Year, pure and simple. Mine is newer. Unless the vehicle is 25 years old, or modified to comply with the NHTSA rules, the only way you can bring it into the United States is illegally. Understand, depending on the state (and I don't know about Federal Rules in this regard) you could end up in PRISON. Yes, you might get away with a fine and having your vehicle seized, never mind having to have falsified your VIN for insurance purposes, which is a whole other charge...

The other route, is to pay around $200,000 to $2,000,000 to allow L400s to pass the NHTSA and EPA regulations as I mentioned before. Or, you can wait 25 years. You could of course, lobby the government, but good luck beating out Detroit.

The most important thing you can do is very closely read each and every clause in this PDF:

http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/import/hs799short.pdf

Note: You are very UNLIKELY to get the "letter" from Mitsubishi because that "letter" would make them legally liable for any accidents that did not meet the NHTSA standards.

[Mr. Flibble]

Also, I should add, that there are NO legally registered Delicas in the state of Washington. *NOT A SINGLE ONE*

Everyone you have ever seen is either Canadian or Illegal. (Modified Delica's are not registered as Delica's, but as other vehicles - this is VIN dependent.)

[mtjohn]

Any idea what the minimum modifications are for a vehicle to be considered as a different one?

The places I can think of a Vin being are on the frame, engine and potentially inside the door jam. I wonder if the engine was changed and the body placed on a different frame if it would qualify as a different rig.

I was honestly wondering if I could go up to canada, buy a delica, dissasemble it, ship the engine and trans elsewhere and trailer the parts over the border and reassemble it on a different frame in the states, and register it as the vehicle the frame came from. I suppose it depends on what percentage they require of different autos to be considered a different vehicle. I know I see these vw bugs that have had most parts removed short of the frame and they are legally driving around, Not sure how they are registered though..

These laws are such a crappy deal, and clearly designed without the consumer in mind..
John

[Mr. Flibble]

The modifications to the vehicle depend on the crash-test results. Other than those, they are the same as the modifications for Canada.

However, you must first pay to have the Delica's tested, which will cost a huge amount of money.

Note the other ideas you have about the VIN etc are illegal. The VIN on a JDM is NOT North American compliant. Thus, if you switched the VIN, it would no longer be registered as a Delica. That is illegal.


EDIT: clarification, the VIN on a JDM will INSTANTLY show as invalid at the DMV. The number starts with a J. Only JDM vehicles have this. The DMV will have to take extra steps to register it, it will get noticed. Plus, the number length is not Compatible with the US system.

[Mr. Flibble]

Some additional Details to how I can import my L400 to the United States:

NONRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

A vehicle registered in a country other than the United States may be imported for personal use by a non-resident of the United States for a period not to exceed one year. The vehicle cannot be sold while in the United States and must be exported within one year from the date of entry. This period cannot be extended under any circumstances. The importer’s passport number and the name of the country that issued the passport must be supplied on the HS-7 Declaration form. Use Box 5 on the HS-7 Declaration form.

Note, this may only apply to me with my TN-Status. I may NOT be able to renew it after a year. We shall see. (It might not even apply to me due to my temporary status in the United States, I am still working on this).

[Mr. Flibble]

Here is an additional document that you NEED TO READ IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING TRYING TO GET A DELICA IMPORTED INTO THE UNITED STATES

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q= ... XulAWumWEg (VEHICLE IMPORTATION GUIDELINES).


From the PDF, the following paragraph is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, please take note:

To be imported free of restriction, a motor vehicle less than 25 years old must be originally
manufactured to comply with all applicable Federal motor vehicle safety standards (FMVSS)
and bear a label certifying such compliance that is permanently affixed by the vehicle’s original
manufacturer. A motor vehicle that bears a label certifying compliance with all applicable
Canadian motor vehicle safety standards (CMVSS), but not with the FMVSS, can still be
imported as a conforming motor vehicle under Box 2B on the HS-7 Declaration form to be
presented to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (Customs) at the time of entry if the following
requirements are met:

- The vehicle is being imported for personal use and not for resale;

- The vehicle is not a salvage vehicle, a repaired salvage vehicle, or a reconstructed
vehicle;

- The importer obtains a letter from the vehicle’s original manufacturer, on the
manufacturer’s letterhead (and not that of a franchised dealer), identifying the vehicle by
vehicle identification number (VIN) and stating that the vehicle conforms to all
applicable FMVSS except for the labeling requirements of Standards Nos. 101 Controls
and Displays and 110 Tire Selection and Rims or 120 Tire Selection and Rims for Motor
Vehicles other than Passenger Cars, and/or the specifications of Standard No. 108
Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment, relating to daytime running
lamps.

[Mr. Flibble]

Hello Friends !!!
How are you all my buddy .....This is an extremely difficult subject to get information on...nothing in print....and I have repeatedly searched. Law is "supposed" to change, but no set date yet. I believe you MUST do it

It is unlikely that the law will change. Unfortunately I probably know more about these laws than anyone else on the forum as I have been trying to import my Delica L400 for a year.

The reason people do it illegally is that is is borderline impossible to do it legally. See my references to the NHTSA documents above.

[psilosin]

lol spambot got you to bite.

[Mr. Flibble]

lol spambot got you to bite.

Actually, I reported the posts and then replied to be polite in case I was wrong.

[psilosin]

Actually, it is still funny.

[FalcoColumbarius]

Mr. Flibble, you asked if this guy was real. Well, I suppose it depends on what your concept of reality is. 2005 Toyota from USA? More like Faisalabad in Pakistan. Thanks for posting the reports, it's been dispatched.

Falco.