Importing vehicles - What can you get?

[duddley]

i guess FDs and GTRs are available under SIVs as well. first STi appeared in 1993 didnt it?

maybe its just me, but 25k seems like a lot for an R32. dont get me wrong i love them and all that, but yeah. could get alot of car for that money.

i guess its the collector tax

I remember the old days when seeing an r32 GTR meant reaching for the tissue box, now they just seem to be everywhere.

[rollaholic]

I guess an AE86 would fall under the special catagory?

you mean SIVs? they might have made too many to qualify.

but they are well past the 20 year limit, so you can bring them in and comply normally.

hard to find one that doesnt need lots of rust repairs though, or rust repairs re-doing.

[4agepwr]

Can someone explain the 3 digit code before the chassis number? If you found a car vehicle that had more digts than this and it was possibly 20 years old can it be registered here? Also can you import the car if it is say 19 years and 10 months old and wait for its 20th birthday to register it here.

[Leon]

Also can you import the car if it is say 19 years and 10 months old and wait for its 20th birthday to register it here.

yes you can

[Jdawg]

Can someone explain the 3 digit code before the chassis number? If you found a car vehicle that had more digts than this and it was possibly 20 years old can it be registered here? Also can you import the car if it is say 19 years and 10 months old and wait for its 20th birthday to register it here.

The 3 digit code is the Emmissions compliance the car was built to meet. 3 digits are from roughly 2004 on, most JDM it is a bit later for the performance models.
eg E-ST205 = "E" is the code and is only single digit. Wait until 20 years old.
eg DBA-AZE156H = "DBA" is 3 digit and is OK.
Read here: http://www.nzta.govt.nz/vehicle/importi ... japan.html

[Looonie]

Also can you import the car if it is say 19 years and 10 months old and wait for its 20th birthday to register it here.

yes you can

How far can that theory be taken?

ie. importing JZX100's (1996-2000) now and putting them in a shed until they turn 20 then registering them on the road...

[Leon]

Also can you import the car if it is say 19 years and 10 months old and wait for its 20th birthday to register it here.

yes you can

How far can that theory be taken?

ie. importing JZX100's (1996-2000) now and putting them in a shed until they turn 20 then registering them on the road...

Take it as far as you want ... you can import anything you want whenever you want. The rule doesn't control importing, just compliance for road use

[Looonie]

Good to know, Thanks Leon.

I was under the impression vehicles were tagged at the port with an importation date and that affected its ability to be complied/registered.

I guess that would have been more for incoming standards/regulations and a concern if imported vehicles were on a delayed boat and missed a cutoff at the point of implementation of frontal impact standards of emissions standards.

[iOnic]

I'd be more worries about laws changing if I was importing a vehicle to comply in a few years based on the laws of today.