Anyone have any insight into what the process is for importing a vehicle from another country? My father-in-law has a car in Taiwan that he'd like to ship over here.

 

I don't think so, and importing cars to another country like USA! Really hard importing any Japanese cars to USA! I saw few times Nissan Skyline R33-R34 on South Cali! Very Rare! Maybe, your father in law had any Lexus and Infiniti no problem.

 

yup, if you want to make the car legal it will have to pass a lot of checks and such here, including crash test. not sure if it's easy at all?

 

VW Beetle enthusiasts sometimes take their US bugs over the border and have them upgraded or just do an 'exchange' for a modern Mexico bug and VIN Numbers are changed around as classic Beetles are a highly prized item down here, whereas the U.S. owners want to have a modern Beetle they can keep for much longer.

I think with the Skyline I remember reading something about only the R33 was allowed for some reason and no more importation of R32s or R34s.

 

He may as well sell it in Taiwan and buy something else here. To bring it here legally would be near impossible and cost way too much.

 

ShadyJC,

I don't know if this is an answer.

I know a few people who have driven their vehicles from Central or South America to Mexico for instance and all that is required is a special, easily-gotten permit at the border.

They then went up on shopping sprees in San Antonio, Texas and the only thing customs cared about was the their U.S. visas (no permits, nothing like Mexico) Didn't care about the cars at all or their plates. Mexicans go across daily in their vehicles. One can also get insurance on either side of the border.

 

hey shadyJC
the problem for you isnt importing the car,thats the easy part.the fact is you live in CA and the problem is CA may not transfer the title to your state.i know of JDM cars (not skylines) have been titled and everthing in CA but the guys who know how to do it dont say how