6G Celicas Forums

I searched the site for a while and didn't find a topic about it so... if I was interested in importing a GT-4 to the United States as opposed to simply swapping a 3sgte engine into a GT or ST what would I need to do (besides obviously buy the car and bring it here). I am aware of the cost to bring something like that overseas however I have a few questions.
#1 Would the car be street legal?
-With the car being right hand drive and probably from the UK would it be road legal?
#2 If not what would I need to do to make it road legal?
-Simple as emissions checks or complete conversion to LHD?

Obviously the money isn't there right now, however just a thought for the future...

Go to this link: Importing a 6GC
It will show you all you need.

Thank you for linking me to the search engine which I had already used and found nothing.

No.

LOL!

hahahaha theres your answer, thread completed

wow it did work for me.

type +gt4 +importing +customs (type it with plus signs)

http://www.6gc.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=3216

http://www.6gc.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=35328

http://www.6gc.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=8389

the only reason many people here posted in a way like it seems not helpful is because you will have to wait another 10 years to be able to import it. So better start saving.

By that time, most people will lose interest, and cars will be older.

So to basically everybody has seen this thread come up so many times... you would not believe it.

The search engine has a feature that by putting the + by the word, it brings those specific words combinations

GL.

Thank you for actually giving me the specific and direct answer I was looking for. I had assumed the question had been asked before however didn't immediately find a thread for it.
I was asking because that is one of my two favorite cars (the other being a 1998 Royal Sapphire Pearl Supra), and the route that my career will take me in 10 years I will be able to afford both, however the restriction lies with the GT-4. I was unclear whether its simply because of RHD or because it simply suffers from the same syndrome the R-34 Skyline does.
Thank you for the answer and I appreciate it.

To the others, I'm sorry about this since you've seen it before, I'm new to the site, looked around, and figured that this would be the best place to ask the question.

I've been thinking, why not go over to japan. Find yourself a Nice GT-4 and take it apart jotting down where this and that goes untill all you have is a shell. Then once you have just the shell with nothing on it. Send it back to the US. When they check it, its pretty much just a heap of metal along with parts here and there. Im sure you can get away with it and then back to the states assemble it again. Then go to the local DMV and register a different celica such as your current one same color ect and bam Drive your GT-4 everyday. When the cops pull you over its a celica and you can tell people that you did a RHD conversion on it. Of course this only works if you have tons of money and the time to kill since I doubt anyone of you are willing to spend a month over seas taking a car apart and then shipping it back over. Might as well just ship yourself with the shell.

Sounds like your on to something. lol. It would also be a great way to get to know the car in detail inside and out and you could write the book on gt4's and their parts and repair.
A little ridiculous but still a valid solution to the problem of getting them here.

anything improbable is always possible. We all talk about how impossible it is to import a gt4 to united states. Yes and no. No because probability of you successfully doing it is very very very low due to us customs. Yes because there are car import agencies who, for the right price will import it for you. Dont ask me how because I dont know. All I do know is that for the price of using such agency you can probably buy yourself 3 celicas and swap 3sgtes into each with lots of money to spend on body work etc. Last time I checked price for such imported beauty was something like 25K.

I think that Lil Joe is actually in the process of doing this for when he's stationed back from Okinawa. He posted some good info on how to do this too... IIRC it involved chopping the car up and importing it in pieces as a kit, and reassembling it stateside. As to it's street legal-ness, I have no idea. Personally, as much as I love our cars, I don't think that the time and excessive expense is worth it. I know that's blasphemous, but it's true. For the same $$ or less you can get a faster AWD turbo car w/less miles on it. That's just my opinion though. If you're rolling in cash and have the determination, know-how and resources, why not?

Subaru = end of story.

I hate to say it but as a former WRX owner this statement is true. For the money you'd spend getting a GT4 stateside you could buy yourself an STi or Evo with plenty of goodies that will outperform the Celica by a longshot. I'd love a GT4 as well, but it's just not going to happen. If you really want the speed and look then either turbocharge your 5sfe, swap a 3sgte, get the GT4 front end, and just run FWD and possibly get a limited slip setup to manage the power. There's plenty of turbo FWD cars out there and they're plenty of fun to drive.

Or just buy a ST165 or ST185 and call it good, plenty of those around.

I'd take a WRX any old day. But then lately I'm just feeling disenchanted by my Celica

go to Canada and import it here, register it here and drive it to the US with a canadian plate and registration. That I guess is the simplest solution to all.

couldn't you take a registered car from canada and make change it to US registration? i was thinking about moving up there for a year and buying a gtfour and taking it down with me to the states. i've been talking to an importer and they told me they could ship the shell and motor separately but i'd have to reinstall everything for about 12k or so. but there are so many things from it. and i certainly dont want to pay any frickin' penalties.

come on... a trip to the north once a year to renew registration is worth it for driving a gt4.

i dont know. just looking for possibilities

This post has been edited by block: Jan 22, 2009 - 8:30 AM

you guys know doc.tweak can convert your 6gc to awd for like 10k or something, he posted it in here a long time ago.

This post has been edited by TRD-Corolla: Jan 22, 2009 - 9:16 AM