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View Full Version : NEWS FLASH! Your dreams of importing a R32/34 are on lock-down



rubelcon
03-14-2006, 06:42 PM
R32 and R34 skylines are no longer legal to transport!

http://nicoclub.com/news.shtml

According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, the owner of Motorex, Nanahoshi Hiroaki, 33, was arrested Thursday and booked into the L.A. County Jail. He is being held on $1 Million bail.

Booking Details

Hiroaki's initial appearance is scheduled for Wednesday of this week.

Hiroaki and Motorex came to the recognition of Nissan enthusiasts in the US as they became the only Registered Importer legally authorized to legalize Skylines for US use. As Motorex was able to comply with stringent US crash-testing requirements, they petitioned the courts to protect their interest in the Skyline market by "locking out" other would-be importers from the list of necessary modifications.

Not only did this give Motorex a corner on the market for legal Skylines, it also allowed them to command a premium price for each legalized car. Motorex-prepped Skylines can fetch upwards of $50,000. While making loads of money, Motorex also made loads of enemies.

According to sources, the lease to the Motorex facility has been overdue for months, and is now locked out by the landlord.

The US Department of Transportation has offically rescinded importation eligibility for both the R32 and R34 Skylines, only 96-98 R33 Skylines are still eligible to be imported.

Stay tuned - We'll keep you updated on the latest news as it becomes available.

speedracer2169
03-14-2006, 06:51 PM
Dude that sucks

Blaze
03-14-2006, 07:17 PM
Hmmm...that's okay, I wanted an R33 anyway. O0
Does this mean prices will be coming down?

Blaze
03-14-2006, 07:21 PM
Wait, I think I missed something.
What is he being charged with?
Possession of a sick as car(s)?
Trafficing or ability to speed through traffic??

speedracer2169
03-14-2006, 07:35 PM
my guess is monopoly

rammsteinmatt
03-14-2006, 07:39 PM
Hmmm...that's okay, I wanted an R33 anyway. O0
Does this mean prices will be coming down?




blasphemy.......pure blasphemy

R34 or walk

DTunedEvoX
03-14-2006, 08:34 PM
Yeah I wonder what he was charged with ... 1 mill bail is a lot ...

ranmonbu
03-14-2006, 09:14 PM
If I was dreamin' of a huge, heavy, ultra-high performance refrigerator....I'd buy a Stainless-Steel Samsung model at Best Buy...and just say no to the million dollar bail and potential jail time....

chuckdashi
03-14-2006, 10:22 PM
i think this guy needs a mentor....

ranmonbu
03-14-2006, 10:55 PM
Chuckdashi...I'm hardly a "newbie" in terms of experience and knowledge. Post count has no meaning. And, I highly doubt I need a mentor...with 50,000 miles of Evo driving experience, 375,00 miles of driving experience, 43 years of life experience, a college degree, a six digit annual income, Moton DA's gettin' installed Thursday, and a sarcastic sense of humor...Don't assume NEWBIE = needs a mentor.* By the way...a Skyline is the equivalent of an ULTRA-HIGH PERFORMANCE REFRIGERATOR...BIG,* MASSIVE, POWERFUL, and COLD...LONG LIVE EVO'S...

j_nizzle
03-14-2006, 11:32 PM
this guy is in jail for stealing from people!!!

a few guys as some of you may know put down payments on skylines through motorex and have to this day not seen anything for their trouble. they have waited patiently for years in fact. the guy that is in jail now also owns a skyline. a black, r34 gtr v-spec nur edition with 18x9.5 volk te37's. he left it at shop a few months ago for a clutch install and tried to flee the country. what happened was the company that he used to bring the cars over to us shores went out of business and anyone else would charge way too much for the same labor. he decided it was ok to take people's money and run with it. i say he deserves what's coming. for those who he still owes money, payback is a bitch!!!

btw matt....r32 FTW!!!! same motor, lightest skyline body....and currently(naturally, since it's one of the oldest) the cheapest to buy.

rammsteinmatt
03-14-2006, 11:42 PM
btw matt....r32 FTW!!!! same motor, lightest skyline body....and currently(naturally, since it's one of the oldest) the cheapest to buy.


we all know that the RB26DETT is very capeable engine and can relatively make 500+ whp. when you have 500hp weight, whether its 3000 or 3500 is of rather little consequence. I particularly like the looks of the R34 the most of all skylines, hence my statement. could a RB26 put out 560bhp, so maybe high 400's to the wheels. of course. that is 2x the power of a stock evo, and the evo is pretty quick from the factory. unfortunately numbers get thrown around, 300whp there 400 bhp here 500 whp in LV, we often lose sight of just what those numbers mean. no matter how you look at it, 500 or so hp is a lot of power.

when you have hp like that, the only thing weight deals with is how much you have to put into suspension to make it amazing

wj4
03-15-2006, 09:10 AM
wow...i always heard they were shady but never really knew what was going on. i just thought they went under because they couldnt pay bills...didnt know they tried to cut out competitors and all that. a friend of mine bought a skylne (forgot if it was r32 or r33) from them couple of yrs ago. his transaction went ok, i guess they didnt wanna mess with him since his dad owns a law firm.
i know a kid from high schol thats pretty rich and spoiled. he was the one who told me that moterex went under several months ago. he still brags about how his friend was the last person to successfully get a skyline from them.
off topic but is it me or all the skylines imported are all silver lol. at least the ones ive seen around here. and theres a kid at my campus (cal state northridge) with one...plate says "slo gtr" hehe

Absinthe
03-15-2006, 10:24 AM
we all know that the RB26DETT is very capeable engine and can relatively make 500+ whp. when you have 500hp weight, whether its 3000 or 3500 is of rather little consequence.

when you have hp like that, the only thing weight deals with is how much you have to put into suspension to make it amazing


Come on Matt your a bright guy with a lot of applied knowledge but that is stupid talk. Wieght affects everything you do in a car, brakes, suspension, tires, reliability, miliage etc. etc.

hksevo8
03-15-2006, 01:34 PM
If the authorities do not keep him in jail, i hear that the Chinese mafia is looking for him too......this guy did really bad business with alot of people. He was trully a scam artist from what I understand.

Don't worry though. Somewhere, someone will make these cars availible for import again.

Please try to stay on topic. This is not a discussion about how good or bad the skyline is or how heavy it is. We are talking about the prospects of importing of the car.........

Chris in SD
03-15-2006, 01:37 PM
For j_nizzle: Fk yo Skyline!

The new, world production, top technology, 100% US-legal GT-R will be here in the not too distant future. Don't mourn the R32-R34 versions.

j_nizzle
03-15-2006, 04:26 PM
hey chris!!! fk yo fast....and as for s4's my dad might actually get one over the m3 he was planning to get.

gofaster87
03-15-2006, 04:28 PM
we all know that the RB26DETT is very capeable engine and can relatively make 500+ whp. when you have 500hp weight, whether its 3000 or 3500 is of rather little consequence.

when you have hp like that, the only thing weight deals with is how much you have to put into suspension to make it amazing


Come on Matt your a bright guy with a lot of applied knowledge but that is stupid talk. Wieght affects everything you do in a car, brakes, suspension, tires, reliability, miliage etc. etc.
[/quote




we all know that the RB26DETT is very capeable engine and can relatively make 500+ whp. when you have 500hp weight, whether its 3000 or 3500 is of rather little consequence.

when you have hp like that, the only thing weight deals with is how much you have to put into suspension to make it amazing


Come on Matt your a bright guy with a lot of applied knowledge but that is stupid talk. Wieght affects everything you do in a car, brakes, suspension, tires, reliability, miliage etc. etc.


No comment

Miss Evo8
03-15-2006, 07:19 PM
Chuckdashi...I'm hardly a "newbie" in terms of experience and knowledge.* Post count has no meaning.* And, I highly doubt I need a mentor...with 50,000 miles of Evo driving experience, 375,00 miles of driving experience, 43 years of life experience, a college degree, a six digit annual income, Moton DA's gettin' installed Thursday, and a sarcastic sense of humor...Don't assume NEWBIE = needs a mentor.* By the way...a Skyline is the equivalent of an ULTRA-HIGH PERFORMANCE REFRIGERATOR...BIG,* MASSIVE, POWERFUL, and COLD...LONG LIVE EVO'S...


R U going to use those Motons at the track????

Skiracer
03-15-2006, 07:21 PM
$1million bail? Whom did he murder??

Chris in SD
03-15-2006, 09:33 PM
hey chris!!! fk yo fast....and as for s4's my dad might actually get one over the m3 he was planning to get.


My dad loves my S4... The next M3 (V8 version) looks like butt-crack.

DsmDriver
03-21-2006, 02:59 PM
Hmmm...that's okay, I wanted an R33 anyway. O0
Does this mean prices will be coming down?




blasphemy.......pure blasphemy

R34 or walk



No No R32 ... R34 if i had the money

Unstroked
02-05-2007, 08:39 AM
I am not trying to revive an old topic, but rather am looking for some feed back. First off, I love my evo and have absolutely no plans on getting rid of it. LOL... What I am trying to find out is if indeed the R34 is not legal to import anymore. I know in a previous post it was stated that it is not, but I have come across some businesses that say they can get an R34 and have it CA. street legal. Does anyone know if this is possible?

speedracer2169
02-05-2007, 08:43 AM
like it says before and if you search dot website r34 are not allowed to be brought in. they only way they pull it off is either bring itin peices and build it as a kit car or use dealer/dist/mfg plates

Unstroked
02-05-2007, 08:46 AM
I thought that even if you have a dealers plate you still have to have registration for the car showing that its legal or registered? If that were the case, everyone and their mom would start a business just to be able to own the car....

Terry S
02-05-2007, 01:51 PM
They are probably letting you know that they can purchase an R34 for you that has already been legally brought here.

Terry S

Unstroked
02-05-2007, 02:16 PM
I have talked to 3 different places and they said that they can get me an R34 for around $45k street legal.... The price depends on what I want already on it from Japan....

Terenus
02-05-2007, 07:47 PM
ROFL $45k and street legal? Motorex sold them for $80! R34 for that price sounds shady.

Granny Shifter
02-05-2007, 08:00 PM
Okay, so if the legality of the R32's and R34's has been pulled... what do those with them do? Are they still legal? If you transfer ownership, does the registration move with it too?

Ricardon
02-05-2007, 08:18 PM
A car that was legally imported in the past will remain legal until it's crushed, totalled, or nuclear holocaust kills all but the cockroaches.

Granny Shifter
02-05-2007, 08:22 PM
Another question. If most of these Skylines are legalized in America are running lots of illegal mods, what happens when they get a ref ticket? Are they exempt or is their information available for the ref to work with?

Ricardon
02-06-2007, 03:29 PM
That's a good question. I haven't ever looked into whether or not they have emissions standars for these vehicles or not. I'm sure they would have to, then again that might not be part of the legalization process. Their biggest concern usually ends up being the crash test safety numbers. I think it's probably best to go ahead and figure out a way to get a dealer plate so you wouldn't have to worry about it. Afterall, how many bone stock Skylines have you seen in this country?

ASSALBERT
02-06-2007, 11:48 PM
ROFL $45k and street legal? Motorex sold them for $80! R34 for that price sounds shady.

japanese friend of mine has shipping containers and brought over a couple r34s a while back and sold each one for 40k

kimletrim
02-06-2007, 11:56 PM
ROFL $45k and street legal? Motorex sold them for $80! R34 for that price sounds shady.

japanese friend of mine has shipping containers and brought over a couple r34s a while back and sold each one for 40k


That doesn't make them street legal though, does it?

Ricardon
02-07-2007, 05:13 AM
Racetrack only or if you posess dealer plates...$40k is a fkng steal for an R34.

airforce1
02-07-2007, 07:09 AM
Once and for all, you cannot legally register an R32/33/34 that was not imported via Motorex, now a defunct company.* Move along folks.* Nothing new to see here.* Save your boners for the new skyline.

airforce1
02-07-2007, 07:10 AM
..

Unstroked
02-07-2007, 08:46 AM
I heard that even if you have a dealer plate on the car you still have to have registration on the car.* So question is, can you just get an illegal Skyline and slap a dealer plate on it and then drive it???* I don't think you can....* If you get pulled over what are you going to tell the cop???

AIRFORCE1 -* there is something to see here... You can own a Skyline in the U.S.

http://forums.nicoclub.com/zerothread/159216

Ricardon
02-07-2007, 02:47 PM
Once and for all, you cannot legally register an R32/33/34 that was not imported via Motorex, now a defunct company.* Move along folks.* Nothing new to see here.* Save your boners for the new skyline.


I'd do a little more research before using bolded large letters. It stings a little when someone does a simple google search and proves you wrong.

airforce1
02-07-2007, 05:05 PM
Rich, with all due respect, I have been doing extensive research on this as I was trying to buy and import a pristine R34 here from Germany.* I won't do it despite "promises" from registered importers on all the Skyline boards (automotive forums, NICO,etc) .* Here is why:

1.* Only skylines legal for both title and registration at the state AND federal level were from only one company:* Motorex.*
2.* Insurance is a bitch...if you are lucky to find a company who can do it.* Chubb and Progressive can do it I believe but at a very high premium.* Skylines are not exactly Toyota Camrys and anyone shady is willing to jack one.
3.* Every RI who has stepped up to the plate and promising bringing in Skylines on the cheap been given the bitch slap by skyline forum moderators and members after failing to come up empty handed.* There are numerous threads on this.
4.* Don't you think if skylines are able to be imported legally that we would be having this thread?* Don't you think we would have more skylines on the street?* The motorex debacle has given the skyline the proverbial "scarlet letter" by the DOT and EPA.

Bottom line is are you willing to fork over $40-$90K+ for an illegally registered car, high insurance rate, high theft factor, and deal with a potentially shady RI?

For me the answer is NO.

Capt Kim







"We get a thousand Skyline questions here, most of which are some form of:

a) I have a fat savings account, I want a Skyline. Where can I get one?
b) I found an auction for a Skyline - Can I buy it and register it?
c) My friend's brother's cousin has a Skyline, and it's registered in Florida!
d) This shop says their Skylines are registered and titled in the US, so how is that a problem?

From - http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/....html

I. Importing a Nissan Skyline.

The Nissan Skyline was not originally manufactured to comply with all applicable FMVSS. Such a vehicle that is less than 25 years old can only be lawfully imported into the U.S. if (1) it is determined eligible for importation by NHTSA and (2) it is imported by an RI or by a person who has a contract with an RI to bring the vehicle into compliance with all applicable FMVSS within 120 days of entry.

Import eligibility decisions are made on a make, model, and model year basis. NHTSA has determined that the 1990-1999 versions of the RHD Nissan GTS and GTR (“Skyline”) are eligible for importation and has assigned vehicle eligibility number VCP-17 to those vehicles. (The import eligibility number is to be entered on the HS-7 Declaration form that is to be given to Customs at the time of entry, and alerts Customs that the vehicle may be lawfully imported by an RI or by a person who has a contract with an RI, even though the vehicle is not certified by its manufacturer as complying with all applicable FMVSS.)

To learn the modifications the petitioner stated were needed to conform to the 1990-1999 Skyline to the FMVSS, you should go to the DOT Docket website at http://dms.dot.gov and enter docket number 5507 in the appropriate block on the simple search screen. A list of RIs can be found on our website at http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/import. You should consult the importers on that list to see whether any are willing to conform the vehicle that you seek to import to all applicable safety and bumper standards, and if so, what they would charge for that work.

If you decide to import the vehicle, one potential complicating factor is that the RI who petitioned NHTSA to determine the 1990-1999 model Skyline eligible for importation requested, and was granted, confidentiality with respect to the modifications needed to conform to the vehicle to certain of the standards. As a consequence, that importer (Motorex of Gardena, CA) has claimed a proprietary interest in the modifications covered by the confidentiality grant. This does not preclude other RIs from attempting to modify the vehicle. However, should those importers not gain access to the modifications covered by the grant confidentiality, they will have to demonstrate to the agency, at the time they submit a conformity certification package for a Skyline, that they have made equivalent modifications that permit the vehicle to comply with the standards covered by the confidentiality grant.

Please note that we determined the vehicle eligible for importation based on its capability of being modified to comply with all applicable standards. We did not approve Motorex, or any other RI as the “exclusive” importer of the vehicle. As previously indicated, another RI is free to import the vehicle, but will have to demonstrate in the conformity package submitted to the agency to obtain release of the conformance bond furnished at the time of importation that the vehicle has been brought into conformity with all applicable standards, including those covered by the grant of confidentiality to Motorex.

You should note that if you were to import the vehicle, the necessary modifications would have to be made by an RI, and that importer would have to certify to us that the vehicle conforms to all applicable FMVSS in effect on its date of manufacture before the vehicle could be released to be licensed or registered for on-road use. One of the reasons that an RI is required to import and modify a vehicle that was not originally manufactured to comply with all applicable FMVSS is because the RI stands in the stead of the vehicle’s original manufacturer to provide the vehicle’s owner with notification and remedy in the event that the vehicle is determined to contain a safety-related defect or a noncompliance with an applicable safety standard. Because the original manufacturer would not be responsible for the vehicle being in the U.S., it would have no legal obligation to perform this import safety responsibility.

Questions regarding modifications to conform the vehicle to applicable emissions standards should be directed to the EPA."

More good reading:

http://tyndago.googlepages.com/gt-rlegalization
http://nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/import/ELIG010906.html
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=109370
http://www.nissanclub.com/forums/r33-nissan-skyline-discussion/234517-r33-imported-japan.html
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=109370
http://forums.nicoclub.com/zerothread?id=159216&page=1
http://forums.nicoclub.com/zerothread/177780
http://forums.nicoclub.com/zerothread/159216
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=328260
http://forums.nicoclub.com/zerothread/189030

Ricardon
02-07-2007, 11:36 PM
I'll totally agree with you on the point that there are a TON of people that will say they can do it and then just snatch your money. Ala Motorex? hehehe. Yeah, caught me when I had sand in my vag, sorry for coming off harsh. Point is, that it's very possible to bring certain Skylines in legally, but it's VERY VERY VERY difficult to find people who can/will. Since you are over in Japan right now (you're still there right?) check and see if there is anyone on that side of the pond that can point people in the right direction with a contact here in the states that will do it? Was it a hassle for you to bring the EVO over there? I mean, did you have to do anything to make the US car legal for Japanese roads?