Still wanting my Skyline... what about a 1981 R30?

[deevergote]

That's right. I would settle for an R30... preferably the 200hp turbo I4.

Now, all the research I've done has suggested that either 20 or 25 years old is doable... technically not bound by many rules and regulations regarding safety and emissions.


If it's doable, I would love to make that a goal. Hell, if it's 25 years, and I can't do it for another 2, I'll look for the better 1983 model!


The rules are a jumble though. I know a few of you guys have looked into such things. Has anyone found any definitive answers on what cars are exempt? Is it anything older than 25 years? I'm lost... and I don't want to get my hopes up.

[93EXaesthetic]

pics please.

[deevergote]

Not a GT-R, and not the stuff wet dreams are made of... but still a Skyline. Still sporty. Still RWD turbo. If it's exempt from the safety and emissions laws, I'm thinking it should cost me about $4000 for everything, with luck. $2000 for the car, $1000 to ship, and $1000 for customs. Those are straight outta my butt figures, but they seem slightly inflated to me... which means I might pay a lot less! OR a lot more... I think I'd do $4000 for that though. It's unique enough to be interesting...

[93EXaesthetic]

not bad but im feeling this one better..i beleive its an 8th generation...and may be easier if not cheaper to find

[deevergote]

ANY GT-R will be insanely expensive. Anything pre-R32 in the GT-R trim is nearly impossible to get. I've heard stories of people nearly losing limbs (literally) trying to import them. To date, there are no older GT-Rs on American soil.

[phatdoughnut]

There is one, but it was a conversion. Not real. I talked to chris about getting one

I can get those, and they're more than 25 years old, so they're a breeze to bring into the states.

From another AD member who lives in japan and ships stuff here regularly

It's easy for someone to look at the market value of the cars here in Japan and then berate chris for price gouging.


The problem is that most people have no idea of the nickle and diming that occurs with exporting. Every single time you add someone into the logistics process, its going to cost you at least $100.

It goes something like this:
Cars cost
5% tax
$100 Auction fee
$150-200 transport fee (if bought at a non-local auction)
$450 Agent Fee
$260 Document Fee (Sometimes waived)
$2600 Container flat rate
$450 Fuel Surcharge (per container)
$1200 Japan side Terminal Handling/Customs/Xray/Loading fees
$260 Document Charge
$110 USDM Terminal Handling
$100-200 Customs clearance/xray
2.5% tariff


When I ship containers of parts I am nailed with even more fees, but that is not applicable in this case. The drastic amount of overhead involved with exporting usually leads to accident/high miliage cars having their odometers rolled and/or repaired, and being sold as 'virgin' to the foriegn buyers.

I see so much shady shit happen here it has convinced me to leave exporting on the side and pursue a career with Toyota.


My 2 yen.

[lil_dcb7]

ANY GT-R will be insanely expensive. Anything pre-R32 in the GT-R trim is nearly impossible to get. I've heard stories of people nearly losing limbs (literally) trying to import them. To date, there are no older GT-Rs on American soil.

there was one in southern california that some dude was trying to sell desperately on ebay. if i remember correctly, it was in san diego. it was a 1971 GTR. Personally i didnt like it. i thought it was ugly..

but i dig that R30 deev, you know me, sucker for those 80s cars Look what im driving

[deevergote]

Yeah, there is one conversion... it was in Super Street a couple months ago. Nice car, albeit a bit rough...

And OUCH on those numbers! I read somewhere that a container was like $1000...

['93accordse]

my dad is over there now, he wants to bring his r34 back with him next year, but he said the freight costs alone were gonna be over $6000 not to mention all the bs that car would be tied up in once it hit american soil. He used to own an r30 i believe though, his first skyline was when i was younger and i remember it vaguely, but something about the r30 seems nostalgic, id have to see it from behind though, i remember the tails on his first skyline.

[HenRoc]

I'd get the wagon. Since thats rarely seen it would be a one off import.

[deevergote]

If I found a wagon, I would definitely give it a shot... Sadly though, the wagon had funky tails, no turbo, and no 6 cylinder option (not that the 6 was worth a damn anyway...)

[Night Wolf]

I want the 89 skyline lol

[NAiL05]

my dad is over there now, he wants to bring his r34 back with him next year, but he said the freight costs alone were gonna be over $6000 not to mention all the bs that car would be tied up in once it hit american soil. He used to own an r30 i believe though, his first skyline was when i was younger and i remember it vaguely, but something about the r30 seems nostalgic, id have to see it from behind though, i remember the tails on his first skyline.

Make friends with people in the Army then get them to ship it over...Thats what everyone is doing nowadays =P. Anyway deev that looks like an R31 to me for some reason? And they came with the rb20det or something like that. One of my friends in Aus has an r31. Its pretty nice If i can find pics of it ill post it up.

[HenRoc]

If I found a wagon, I would definitely give it a shot... Sadly though, the wagon had funky tails, no turbo, and no 6 cylinder option (not that the 6 was worth a damn anyway...)

Swap?

[deevergote]

R31s are commonly called "the Skyline nobody liked". They're the first with the RB (RB20) but they went more for the luxury than sport... basically, they might as well be Maximas. R32 went back to sport, and the R33 got a little too big... that was remedied with the R34.


I don't want to modify a 25 year old JDM car TOO heavily. It's not like a classic American car where I can rebuild it from the ground up straight out of the JC Whitney catalog! Though an RB26 would be kickass... I'd probably just have the body fully restored, thoroughly clean the engine, and reupholster the interior if needed (and I'm sure it will be needed!)
Finding a clutch, spark plugs, and other replacement parts might be tough though...