registering jdm car in socal Options

[midengine3sgte]

anyone know where I can get a RHD Celica from japan registered in socal? In LA or Orange county. It's a GT4 WRC.

[j0e_p3t]

i dunno, but i really hope you get it done. and then let me drive it.

[94_st_hatchback]

hopefully you'll get this done!! but most likey, since cali is such a b**** on car laws, you wont get it done without spending a ridiculous amount of money!

[j0e_p3t]

hold up, do you already have the gt-four in your posession and now need to register it?! pics?

[midengine3sgte]

its here chillin in socal already but don't want it taken away from the cops if I get caught driving it around. I drive it around the block on the weekends to keep the fluids flowing.

[urbandork]

well if u get it registered let me know how and how much it costed i may just get a reall gt4 myself. currently i have everything but the awd. .. i even have the gauge cluster all set up with usdm speedo woot woot.

youve got to come to the next meet

[midengine3sgte]

when and where is the next meet?

[rjbibeau]

all forum field trip to cali! it's show and tell time

[MasonF]

Pics! I'll drive from Rancho to drive it.
But yeah, bring it to a meet when you get it registered.

[Silver94CelicaOw...]

Who/where did you buy it from?

[midengine3sgte]

the cars been at the house since late 2005 had to get some things worked on and get it painted replace some moldings and stuff. bought it from a friend that had a place in el monte at the time. but its hard to get complete cars from japan now he says but he's still trying to see what he can do.

[94_st_hatchback]

dude, get some pics!

[azian_advanced]

yes, pics please!

[FORGMANN]

im trying to keep tabs on all the st205s in US make sure you pm me sometime ..

i have already talked to other owner with st205 in OH . 90 MILES from me ..

i also have GT4 WRC (98 STYLE) ..

4 for sure in US ..i bet number is more like 6-8 .. 5 confirmed in North America ..

[Negative]

I know it may not be feasible for you but I know I would move to keep the car. Plenty of nice places to live besides Ca.

[doGGy]

So where are the pics of your Four?

[tomazws]

Where do you live, can I come visit you?.... and your car?

[CelicaST202]

its not going to be easy to register the car in CA unless you got alot of money to blow.

[Negative]

Why are we not seeing pictures of this car?

[95CelicaST]

Why are we not seeing pictures of this car?

Probably because the car doesn't exist. He logged in yesterday, but no response. The car does not exist.

This post has been edited by 95CelicaST: Mar 14, 2007 - 9:15 AM

[snapshotgt]

If no pics soon, thread will be locked down in 3...2...

[midengine3sgte]

how do you post pictures I'm having trouble

[DSToyo]

load them into photobucket.com, then copy the image link from there into a new post on here

[midengine3sgte]

here are a few pics
[img]
http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u275/mi...te/DSC03912.jpg[/img][img]
http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u275/mi.../DSC00142-1.jpg[/img]

[massbrandon]

WOW!!!!!!!!!! thanks for the pics

[Negative]

Better get it off the street before some cop sees it doesn't have stickers.

[94GT]

I've done some research on this. Assuming the previous owner didn't get a US VIN for it (JDM vins won't work), here's what you're going to need to do it by the book: The original bill of sale from Japan, and the customs release paperwork demonstrating that the bond was released on it at the port (or port of entry if it came through Mexico or Canada) and that it meets DOT/EPA standards. My guess is that it doesn't, so your next best bet is to start calling around until you find a DMV (doesn't have to be cali, it can be anywhere) that doesn't really know the rules and you could sweet talk your way into them issuing you a US vin. The less smog requirements they have, the less likely they are to even be knowledgeable about the DOT stuff as well, would be my guess (I'm not saying smog has anything to do with DOT, but the Oklahoma tag agency is far less likely to be savvy on the rules like a California DMV where many more people try to get grey market cars like Skylines registered). Once you get that done you can register it wherever you want, as long as they don't have an under the hood inspection or strict smog requirements. It might pass the sniffer, but the JDM motor doesn't have an EGR on it so it would fail the Cali visual. I recommend Wyoming or Oklahoma. Hopefully you've got some family or friends that live outside of Cali to help you out with this. I've got a really old thread on here about this, but you're already at least halfway there since you've got the car in the states. Start with step 4 on my writeup, and there are plenty of useful links for which laws apply at the bottom. Here's the link: Importing a GT-4 Link. Good luck, and let us know how everything turns out!

[doGGy]

Get damaged GT - cut the damn VIN from it, drill out the Chasis table from it. Cut the damn JDM vin out from the Firewall - weld your USDM GT vin in put the GT chasis table instead of the GT4 table - and ready set go. Easy as cake. And its NOT stealing or somthing - its just the way to get GT4 registered and drivible without any problems i guess.

[playr158]

hahaha smart man doggy is

[CelicaST202]

Get damaged GT - cut the damn VIN from it, drill out the Chasis table from it. Cut the damn JDM vin out from the Firewall - weld your USDM GT vin in put the GT chasis table instead of the GT4 table - and ready set go. Easy as cake. And its NOT stealing or somthing - its just the way to get GT4 registered and drivible without any problems i guess.

hahah good try it aint gonna work because its RHD

[daazndood]

wow that thing is sweeeeet! a real jdm gt-4 in the united states. if only i lived closer to you dammit i wanna check it out

[j0e_p3t]

sexiness. so cal meet at your place!

[Silver94CelicaOw...]

Get damaged GT - cut the damn VIN from it, drill out the Chasis table from it. Cut the damn JDM vin out from the Firewall - weld your USDM GT vin in put the GT chasis table instead of the GT4 table - and ready set go. Easy as cake. And its NOT stealing or somthing - its just the way to get GT4 registered and drivible without any problems i guess.

hahah good try it aint gonna work because its RHD

Actually it will work.

Take it to a service center/garage for a state inspection instead of a state run inspection center, preferably one that you know personally or one that is car savvy and does work on performance cars. If they ask, make up a story that you converted it to RHD/AWD with all japaneese OEM parts. Done.

They'll think its cool as hell, and I'm positive that it would go through without them suspecting any foul play on the part of a VIN number.


The hardest part is finding the damn thing. Getting it registered is much easier than people make it out to be!

[CelicaST202]

CA is totally different otherwise everybody would have GT-4s

[snapshotgt]

Very clean st205 Add some high beam projectors when you get a chance.

[MasonF]

My God that thing is sexy...has anyone commented on it on the rare occasions you take it out?
Nice MKII turbo as well.

This post has been edited by MasonF: Mar 14, 2007 - 11:07 PM

[doGGy]

Get damaged GT - cut the damn VIN from it, drill out the Chasis table from it. Cut the damn JDM vin out from the Firewall - weld your USDM GT vin in put the GT chasis table instead of the GT4 table - and ready set go. Easy as cake. And its NOT stealing or somthing - its just the way to get GT4 registered and drivible without any problems i guess.

hahah good try it aint gonna work because its RHD

SO RHD conversion is Iligal in US?? What about all the Tegs and CRX with RHD??

If it aint gonna work with RHD - convert it to LHD, its an easy way anyways. If i had to do somthing like this (register a car in US that i was dreaming of) i would just go and do this way.

[Negative]

No RHD is not ilegal here. Maybe in Cali where actually liking your car is damn near illegal LOL. There are some guys here in TX that could get it done for you.

[Silver94CelicaOw...]

I still maintain that creativity is the only limitation to getting a car road legal.

I'm positive that you could find a way to get it done in SoCal, especially if the USDM car that "donates" its VIN is pre OBD-II changeover. Emissions testing for OBD-0 and OBD-I are infinately easier.

[Green_MachToy]

I will check with my neighbor who works for DMV.

[midengine3sgte]

cool thanks guys for all the help and I'll keep you all posted.
I'll try to put more pics

[j0e_p3t]

I will check with my neighbor who works for DMV.

off topic, but can you also find out what we'd have to do in order to legally swap a usdm v6 into our celica?

[GMan]

> j0e_p3t
> '95 ST Hatchback
> Joined Dec 8, '05
> From torrance/carson, ca
> off topic, but can you also find out what we'd have to do in order to legally swap a
> usdm v6 into our celica?

A USDM V6 the same year or Newer than the engine in the car is legal ?
All the smog eq must be swapped.

A Legal V6 swap in CA has been done in a 5th gen.
Adrian from AllTrac.net All about SBCelicaGT
http://alltrac.net/phpBB2/profile.php?mode...ofile&u=218

page under construction.
http://mechanicalanarchy.com/

# midengine3sgte
# '94 GT-4 Hatchback
# From LA COUNTY CALIFORNIA USA
# anyone know where I can get a RHD Celica from japan registered in socal? In LA or Orange county.

Can U look into registering it as a Kit car ? :-)
There must be a procedure ? Maybe in a smaller CA town ?

# It's a GT4 WRC.

Very cool car. I have seen an ST205 registered as a US ST Celica. :-)
RHD swap and a repaint. It was out of NH though where there were no emisssions tests.

Regards;