[wvonkessler]

Gentlepeople:

I know that any number of folks that are online have imported bodies and/or parts that are not NHTSA/EPA/USDT approved as whole vehicle imports.

From what I can tell, if you just import a body/chassis, you will not run afoul of the EPA because this is a kit car, and you add your own engine and transmission.

So, my questions are: 1. Can you import just a body without engine and transmission (but everything else) into the U.S.? If you do, do you run afoul of any of the above folks?

2. Can you import an engine and transmission into the U.S.? If you do, do you you run afoul of any of the above folks?

3. If you put it all together, do you run afoul of the above folks?

For an example, purely hypothetical, VW manufactures the orginal Rabbit in South Africa and sells it for less than $10,000.00 U.S.. Can I import the body without engine/transmission? Can I put a U.S. spec engine in it and register it as a kitcar? Can I put a South African spec engine in it and register it as a kitcar? Etc. Etc.

If you could give me your purely hypothetical answers, and what I can, and cannot get away with with, hypothetically, it would be greatly appreciated.

TIA,

Wilson

 

[Bruce]

It's pretty clear you can import the parts. Whether or not you can register the car once you have it built is up to your state. Some have "kit car" exemptions, some don't. Remember that to be eligible for SCCA rallying, it must be a production-based car...so a "kit car" registration might cause some complications.

Whether all of the above is legal under FEDERAL law is another question altogether. Federal laws about importing vehicles are really complex, and there are a number of loopholes. On the other hand, once it has a state registration, who would be likely to check it?

Bruce

 

[BimmerMan]

Gee, Wilson, you just need a buddy with an auto dealer license who can, for a small fee, hook you up with a dealer plate to run on the car. Hypothetically.



Brian Flanagan
G2 #842 BMW 323is:7

 

[John Vanlandingham]

>Gentlepeople:
>
>I know that any number of folks that are online have
>imported bodies and/or parts that are not NHTSA/EPA/USDT
>approved as whole vehicle imports.
>
>From what I can tell, if you just import a body/chassis, you
>will not run afoul of the EPA because this is a kit car, and
>you add your own engine and transmission.

Wrong.
>
>So, my questions are: 1. Can you import just a body without
>engine and transmission (but everything else) into the U.S.?
>If you do, do you run afoul of any of the above folks?

EPA, inexplicably
>
>2. Can you import an engine and transmission into the U.S.?
>If you do, do you you run afoul of any of the above folks?


Yes been doing it for 15 years, duty under 2.5%
>
>3. If you put it all together, do you run afoul of the above
>folks?
>
>For an example, purely hypothetical, VW manufactures the
>orginal Rabbit in South Africa and sells it for less than
>$10,000.00 U.S.. Can I import the body without
>engine/transmission? Can I put a U.S. spec engine in it and
>register it as a kitcar? Can I put a South African spec
>engine in it and register it as a kitcar? Etc. Etc.
>
>If you could give me your purely hypothetical answers, and
>what I can, and cannot get away with with, hypothetically,
>it would be greatly appreciated.
>
>TIA,
>
>Wilson

A smart person would choose a shell that is here already, and import the way beeeechin powerplants we don't get. bodyshells and body parts suffer sometimes in the woods and ought to be readily and cheaply replaceable.
















John Vanlandingham