# GTR importation into the U.S.A. is offically ended.



## bnr34vspec2 (Jul 20, 2001)

We all see this coming, and now is offical. It is a sad day for U.S. GTR enthusiasts.

The owner of Motorex, the guy who made GTR importation into the U.S. possible, was arrested by the Los Angeles county Sheriff 2 days ago, for fraud or possibly some other crime he committed, because his bail is 1 million USD.

http://app4.lasd.org/iic/details.cfm?qwert='.2$^[email protected]


The lease to the Motorex facility was overdue for months, it is now locked out by the landlord.

The U.S. department of transportation, has offically rescind import eligibility for the R32 and R34, only 96-98 R33 is still allow to be imported.

At the end, however great the GTR is, it is not worth all these.

Life goes on and we are all looking forward to the Infiniti GTR.


----------



## skyline69_uk (Jan 6, 2005)

Bummer


----------



## Guest (Mar 10, 2006)

busted in the CPT!


----------



## 99gsr-t (Mar 10, 2006)

Thats a sad thing to hear...but there's many other places to get them!


----------



## stealth (Jul 6, 2004)

Just not in the US


----------



## leon (Dec 1, 2005)

only R33??? Why ?? what is the difference??? because the yanks like the R33 look so they let them in???


----------



## LAURENCE (Jan 4, 2005)

Weren't RBMotoring becoming/were a Registered Importer?

Does anyone know where everything started going wrong with Motorex?

It is such a shame this has happened, the GTR Tuning World would have been really helped out by USA's involvement (e.g. Supra Tuning), and I personally would of loved to have one day been directly involved in working with GTR's in USA.


----------



## jasonchiu (Mar 8, 2006)

damm 1 mill bail! shit! who knows what he did fully?


----------



## JDM driftER (Sep 14, 2005)

What about skyline-imports.com or skylinerevolution.com? Ive talked to the guy from skyline revolution before. Are they no longer allowed either?


----------



## GTRJack (Aug 27, 2005)

WHY R33??! What's wrong with the R32 and R34 (which I think it's the best of them all) ??? 

There are some guys who has imported R32 GTR's to the US. I think they know how to do it legally. He's got a forum at: http://www.jdmsupercars.com


----------



## psd1 (May 15, 2004)

99gsr-t said:


> Thats a sad thing to hear...but there's many other places to get them!


Nice first post? Is this Hiro posting from jail???


----------



## Neale (May 3, 2005)

If you only liked the R34, and money was no objects could you not import and R34 shell, just slam in some 33 internals when your in the US?


----------



## RBnemesis13B (Dec 26, 2005)

Yea what about RB-Motoring? Thought they were authorized to import GT-Rs to the U.S. And really why only the BCNR33? Can anyone make sense of this?


----------



## sexy gtr (Jul 17, 2005)

psd1 said:


> Nice first post? Is this Hiro posting from jail???



LOL 

do they have Internet in jails?

but i am sure you can import skylines in some states in the us with all the DOT/EPA restrictions,


----------



## Bean (Oct 12, 2001)

33s will be OK since that's the one they actually crash tested....


----------



## gtrlux (Mar 8, 2006)

I would be interseted how Apexi USA will restructure thier GTR34 parts sale in the US,as thier Showcar is a white GTR34?! . . and was ment for publicity purpose.


----------



## bnr34vspec2 (Jul 20, 2001)

leon said:


> only R33??? Why ?? what is the difference??? because the yanks like the R33 look so they let them in???


Only 96'+ because those came with dual airbags.

No newer then 98' because all 99'+ cars in the U.S. needs a U.S. only OBD2 computer, it is a monitoring computer required by the U.S. government, and Japanese spec cars don't have them.

And like Bean mention, Motorex only crashed tested an R33 has something to do with it.


----------



## bnr34vspec2 (Jul 20, 2001)

LAURENCE said:


> Weren't RBMotoring becoming/were a Registered Importer?


I think they tried, but the high difficulty and the low profit margin probably made them lost interest.



LAURENCE said:


> Does anyone know where everything started going wrong with Motorex?


It went wrong since the beginning, it takes the U.S. government many years to catch up to them.


----------



## bnr34vspec2 (Jul 20, 2001)

JDM driftER said:


> What about skyline-imports.com or skylinerevolution.com? Ive talked to the guy from skyline revolution before. Are they no longer allowed either?





GTRJack said:


> WHY R33??! What's wrong with the R32 and R34 (which I think it's the best of them all) ???
> 
> There are some guys who has imported R32 GTR's to the US. I think they know how to do it legally. He's got a forum at: http://www.jdmsupercars.com


Motorex was the only company that can legalized a GTR legally. All other companies that claimed they can do it, does them illegally. There are always ways to get around the law. The government might be slow, but eventually they will knock on your door, and this is where your car going to end up:

http://forums.freshalloy.com/ubbthr...8072995&page=1&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=&fpart=1


----------



## bnr34vspec2 (Jul 20, 2001)

Neale said:


> If you only liked the R34, and money was no objects could you not import and R34 shell, just slam in some 33 internals when your in the US?


That is one very common illegal way to have a GTR in the U.S.

If money is no object to someone, I don't think a GTR is desirable to that person. Especially with all that hassle involve with having one in the U.S. If someone is going to take on that hassle, at least do it to a worthy car like a Mclaren F1.


----------



## bnr34vspec2 (Jul 20, 2001)

Bean said:


> 33s will be OK since that's the one they actually crash tested....


Hi Bean


----------



## 99gsr-t (Mar 10, 2006)

The cars are imported into california and stay there. Problem is calf. has different admistion/safty standards then other states. so therefore if you get them imported and transport them to another state that does not have as striked or no admistion standards you can get them approved. Then after its been registered for 2-3 years and you move, say california, the admistion's board has to approve it as a streetable car because another state has already approved it for more than 2-3 years. But the problem is that many states have these standard....but thankfully not the one that i live in!

just thought i'd share cause this is what many people that i know have done with skylines and silvia's


----------



## Bean (Oct 12, 2001)

bnr34vspec2 said:


> Hi Bean


Hi Jeff - how's it going ?


----------



## impreziv (Jan 29, 2006)

bnr34vspec2 said:


> If someone is going to take on that hassle, at least do it to a worthy car like a Mclaren F1.



haha. motorex was scoring between 150% and 300% profit on R34s. anyone interested in a McF1, has no interest in driving it on the street. all the McF1s are currently owned by their eternal owners, and they will be passed down to their grandkid's grandkids.


----------



## mko9 (Jun 15, 2005)

NHTSA -99-5507, dated 19 Jan 2000, made it legal to import '90-'99 GTR and GTS. 

The bankruptcy of Motorex should have nothing to do with the legality of importing Skylines. If you read through the document, it says that unspecified structural modifications were made prior to safety testing. The trick is having someone know and do those unspecified structural modifications

My plan is to buy one while I am here in the UK, and hope it is all straightened out by the time I head back to the US.


----------



## impreziv (Jan 29, 2006)

mko9 said:


> NHTSA -99-5507, dated 19 Jan 2000, made it legal to import '90-'99 GTR and GTS.
> 
> The bankruptcy of Motorex should have nothing to do with the legality of importing Skylines. If you read through the document, it says that unspecified structural modifications were made prior to safety testing. The trick is having someone know and do those unspecified structural modifications
> 
> My plan is to buy one while I am here in the UK, and hope it is all straightened out by the time I head back to the US.


the legalization of 90-99 skylines was commissioned by motorex. they did crashtest data on R33s only. they convinced the US gov that all 3 chassis were the same. so the government allowed r32s r33s and r34s. 

the government realized that the 3 chassis were different, and motorex was conning them. motorex went out of business because the government axed their law.. not the other way around.

now the US government is allowing 96-98 GTRs, only because they are the closest to meeting US DOT specs at the time of their manufacturing. the R34s need too much structural modification, and the R32s need airbags. the 95 R33 is not allowed, cause it needs a passenger airbag.

the only hopes you have of getting a UK GTR in the US, is that someone else will start up a company to legalize it for you. youre best off getting a 96-98 if you have plans of bringing a GTR home.


----------



## mko9 (Jun 15, 2005)

I'll be damned. This link explains it a little better (http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/import/FAQ Site/pages/page10.html). I thought I had read this link thoroughly before, but I missed the part about 1 Jan 96 - 30 Jun 98. The fact remains that the NHTSA has not banned the import of the R33, yet (at least according to their website - no new info). Also, Motorex and J.K. Technologies do not have an exclusive right to do the necessary conversion work. Any registered importer is authorized to do the work. Motorex and J.K Technologies are under no obligation to tell them what work is required.

Fortunately, I was already looking at cars in that timeframe.


----------



## Amaru (Aug 24, 2004)

Seems like a sore point as 96+ models require ODB-II which is basically non existant for the Skyline. A few people think the 1995 model should be allowed as you can pick some up with passanger airbags (factory option) and dont require OBD-II. However the NHTSA doesnt recognise this fact and believes you can only get dual airbags on 96+ models.

The R32 and R34 will probably never see legal importing days in America again. The fact they have never been crash tested, coupled with Motorex holding proprietary information as to what needs to be changed means its simply too much work. Maybe someone can buy the compliance package information from Hiro in return for posting his bail, then all they need to do is crash test the thing...


----------



## bnr34vspec2 (Jul 20, 2001)

Bean said:


> Hi Jeff - how's it going ?


I am doing fantastic!! I hope everything is going well with you  I am very happy that I am not part of this huge ugly mess!  

I think I am the ONLY guy in the entire world that is 100% truely glad from going from a Nur to an Impreza


----------



## psd1 (May 15, 2004)

bnr34vspec2 said:


> I am doing fantastic!! I hope everything is going well with you  I am very happy that I am not part of this huge ugly mess!
> 
> I think I am the ONLY guy in the entire world that is 100% truely glad from going from a Nur to an Impreza


Why? Your car had an approved VIN tag right? I dont understand! Nice to see ya around again though!


----------



## yUkz2daIZZO (May 5, 2004)

well that sucks, my friend went with motorex and his car was kept for almost 2 years, but i guess he will never see it ever again. that sucks.


----------



## bnr34vspec (Mar 15, 2006)

Looks like Hiro is a free man..... 

Case No.: P143307190 

Court Name: COMPTON MUNICIPAL COURT 
Court Address: 200 W. COMPTON BOULEVARD Court City: COMPTON 

Bail Amount: 0 Fine Amount: .00 

Court Date: Sentence Date: 03/10/2006 Number of days Sentenced: 0 

Disposition Code: DISM Disposition Description: DISMISSED


----------



## DCD (Jun 28, 2001)

Hi Jeff, nice to see you post

Looks like you got out of it in time. Good for you. 

New GTR is soon on its way....a little more patience and everyone will be happy


----------



## Blow Dog (Sep 4, 2001)

http://www.thenittygrittyfiles.org/hirofiles/


----------



## bnr34vspec2 (Jul 20, 2001)

DCD said:


> Hi Jeff, nice to see you post
> 
> Looks like you got out of it in time. Good for you.
> 
> New GTR is soon on its way....a little more patience and everyone will be happy


Thank you for the kind words Dino, we need to catch up sometime, is been too long


----------

