Questions:

1. Anyone ever import a car from Canada?
2. What are the actual differences between the two?
3. What the hell was I thinking when I drove it down from Canada.


HAHA. So the story.

My aunt had a 240sx (had a post in member pics with it) and wanted to give it away. I told her I wanted it and decided to fly up and drive down. I talked to three DMV people and they all said you just needed the pink slip blah blah and it's a-ok(yea right). So thinking that I went up and drove it down to California. Got to Michigan and they said I need to "import" the car through customs and needed a letter of compliance and such (I was thinking, I sure as hell don't want to drive 5 hours back to my aunts house and need to fly back to Cali), but he said I can just drive it, but it wont be able to be registered.

I said ok no problem, drove down to Cali in 48 hours.

Went to DMV they tell me I need to customs papers and said my pink slip isn't the right one, yet they don't know exactly what they need.(stupid f*cks with no info, they said it was slightly bigger than my paper with more info)

So I said ok and called Nissan USA. First time they told me ok blah blah vin number and said I'll mail you the letter then one week. Four weeks later no letter, I call again. They do the same thing, but this time they called back saying it didn't meet the smog requirement or whatever blah blah of USA.

I was like.... They said to call a dealer and I'm guessing they can do a retrofit of some equipment to make it meet the standards. However, the car probably isnt worth the **** going on it.


So anyone have any experience with this, cuz it sure as hell seems that no one else that gets paid to know what to do, know what to do.

So my choice I think is to pay up the *** to change whatever, strip a car and swap whatever over, strip my car and sell it for parts, or fly the car over a cliff and call it a day. (Or maybe get full coverage and fly it over a cliff)

 

Yeah pretty much it won't pass. I remember my friend imported a honda from Canada, went through mad trouble to get it in, it passed though because all the smog emissions needed came on the car.
The problem you have is with your particular VIN number. It is basically stating that the car doesn't have whatever parts needed for smog, or for streetl egal use. If I were you sell it all as a parts car since you took the time to drive it down.

 

Bloody hell, but they did say that it could be retrofited or some thing of the sort.

That is what I heard.

Yea well sell for parts or track it...

 

What year is the car? If it's a 95 or below, then it might be the EGR system in question (which plays a role in emissions; looks like it was discontinued in '96). I don't see why a retrofit couldn't be possible, as both the Canadian and U.S. platforms are, more or less, the same. Perhaps just a matter of a few parts and some wiring. The only possible exception I can think about is the portion of cars slated for California Emissions, which can be identified by a character in the VIN (I'm not sure which one, as I don't have a copy of the FSM infront of me at the moment). Anyway, I have no clue, but it's an idea.

 

mm it's a 93, but yea a retrofit seems to be the best option if not the only. I'm scared some dealer is going to put one over on me (I know some ****, but not that much ****). Thanks for the chime-in.

 

It really shouldn't be any major pain.

Find one of these guys parting out a 93, and take the emissions crap off of it and put it on your car.

 

Canadian models didn't come with the AIV I believe.... There will be problems with the vacuum lines. You will need to go over the FSM......