Silvia legal in America?

E34lover

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Today I was arguing with my friend about whether or not a Nissan Silvia could legally imported, and registered. I know that in the US we never got the Silvia but I would think S13 and 14 Silvias would be so closely related to the S13 and 14 240sx that you could do import it without lots of modifications. Just simple stuff like changing the lights in the car. Is it legal or not? Also I'm not talking in California, I'm talking about in Texas.
 
Yes, but it's not worth it at all. It would cost you out the ass to import one, and then even more out the ass to change it from "similar to the 240SX" to "legal to drive on US roads".

You might as well just buy a Silvia body kit/front clip and an SR20 (or keep the better KA in) and make it a "US Silvia" like everyone else does, if you really have to.
 
while we may have gotten both the S13 RPS13 and S14 chassis in the states the differences between the 240SX we got and the Silvia as sold in japan are large enough that it does not count as the same car. Now if you were to buy a 240SX and then find a same year same color Silvia from japan and swap vins (illegal like woah) you could just say it is heavilly modified and probably register it in one of those states with no visiual inspection but as for just importing a silvia and registering it you are SOL
 
The S14 240SX body is nearly the same as the S14 Silvia. The headlights of the S13 Silvia were too low to be sold in the US, which is the reason for the S13 240SX coupe being a Silvia body with a 180SX front section.
 
Is this why all European manufacturers has to crapify their models to be able to sell them in America, then?
 
The s14 silvia is road legal in america. My cousin's friend is currently doing a skyline engine swap with his s15 in San Jose.
 
The s14 silvia is road legal in america.
I tried to google this for a citation, but I ended up drowning in wikkid dorifto websites instead. I forgot that putting "silvia" in any web search has pretty much the same effect as putting "donkey show" in.

What Skyline motor? Please say RB26, because swapping in any lower amounts to silliness... and not the good kind.
 
The s14 silvia is road legal in america.

No it's not. The S13 S14 and RPS13 chassis were sold here so you can buy one and convert it to S14 Silvia spec but you cannot go buy a RHD JDM S14 Silvia and register it as a road car in the states. if you go HERE you can get the whole list of cars the NHTSA will allow to be imported and legalized for road use(no S14 but 1994 Escort Cosworth and R33 GTR/GTS are legal). If you want to learn more about importing the car of your choice you can learn all about it HERE
 
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On a similar note, there's a guy who lives somewhere in my neighborhood with a RHD R34 Skyline.
 
Is this why all European manufacturers has to crapify their models to be able to sell them in America, then?

Yes. What do you think Acura is for? All the Honda models which need to be modified to be imported.
 
Skylines and Silvias are nice and legal (and relatively cheap) here in Australia. :mrgreen::dance:
 
damn that really bothers me... I mean there are soo many restrictions on cars in the US I mean only if are nation loved cars as much as some European countries it would be different. It's like there are so... many laws in this here "free country". /hippie rant/ We gotta band together maaan against the government maaan. I wish we could like have a place where like a group of people could have services and people would buy those services or the products of those services for some sort of paper that shows they have worked and done a service.
 
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damn that really bothers me... I mean there are soo many restrictions on cars in the US I mean only if are nation loved cars as much as some European countries it would be different. It's like there are so... many laws in this here "free country". /hippie rant/ We gotta band together maaan against the government maaan. I wish we could like have a place where like a group of people could have services and people would buy those services or the products of those services for some sort of paper that shows they have worked and done a service.

:?
 
Anyway, to answer ahpadt's question, we in the US usually blame E34lover's state for most cars not making it over here, and if they do, becoming shittified.
 
Yes :( our state's officials go around with their head up their ass thinking hybrids are "the way of the future...." *cough* *cough* *cough* *cough* oh man sorry about that ever since I've moved to California my throats been hurting because of all the smugness in the air. Actually one thing I have found to like is the fact insurance is very cheap. The most expensive plan recommended by progressive is still 800 dollars cheaper than the min. insurance recommended by progressive in Texas, and Tennessee. So in those two states it's about 2000-2400 dollars more a year than in California.
 
Well, the worst part (and the most crippling part) is that your legislators gush about "the way of the future" while still having ridiculously antiquated regulations. And since a car company can't just say "oh, well we're just not going to sell the car or let anyone drive the car in California", CARB is pretty much federal law.

EDIT: You never answered my question about the Skyline motor! :mad:
 
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