ST205 in the US?

Meurz

Meurz

New member
Be prepared to pay a bit more moneys then.. Example: Lots of cheap people brought RHD's here, which sell for 5k euro or less. A decent LHD is 15k+ euro. Afaik this price range applies to other LHD countries as well, though I have to admit I'm not actively following the prices throughout Europe. Most 205's from the UK (UKDM and JDM) are trashed, so I'd go for an overnight from Japan import - if you go RHD.
 
underscore

underscore

Well-known member
RHD isn't a big deal, but if I could have my RC as LHD I would.

83841":2si960lc said:
underscore":2si960lc said:
Just a heads up, cars imported to Canada no longer get Canadian VIN's, they keep the JDM VIN. Also if your insurance is anything like ours then once a vehicle has been in a place/out of it's registered area for X amount of time the insurance has to be changed or it's invalid. Finally if the insurance is in one persons name but it is being driven by another person too much, the insurance is invalid. That's how it works in BC anyways (Alberta is close to the same, so a lot of the Albertans driving around here have no insurance...), so unless you want to risk screwing over yourself and whoever the car is registered to in Canada you may as well swap a VIN from a 202 and run that risk instead.
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Agree...but how does your insurance know that the vehicle has been out of its registered area for X amount of time??? Unless your getting tickets left and right....And it is illegal to drive around without insurance and liability is dirt cheap. Yes imported cars keep the JDM VIN which makes the car more authentic (thats how i see it) lol...... and if you do have the time to do a swap that would solve your problems, then again will you swap the RHD too and also it wouldnt be true JDM no more......
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Well for starters it had to cross a border to leave, also when you're in an accident the insurance agencies start asking around if they suspect anything. Ie if the car is in California being driven by a Californian and the RO is still in Calgary and the car is insured in Calgary, they can either see when that car crossed the border or ask around in California (neighbors, coworkers, etc) how long they've been seeing this car around for. If the car is reg'd in Calgary and is crashed in BC and the RO also owns/lives/works in BC then they'll find out how long the car has been in BC. If it's here too long, you have no insurance. That's why I ALWAYS get underinsured motorist protection, cause Albertans also can't drive for shit on top of barely/not having insurance :lol:
 
underscore

underscore

Well-known member
Maybe the ones that stay over there are better, but the Albertans that come to my town are the worst drivers imaginable. They're either way too slow or drive like massive assholes, there's no in between haha
 
8

83841

New member
underscore":2i6dfna5 said:
RHD isn't a big deal, but if I could have my RC as LHD I would.

83841":2i6dfna5 said:
underscore":2i6dfna5 said:
Just a heads up, cars imported to Canada no longer get Canadian VIN's, they keep the JDM VIN. Also if your insurance is anything like ours then once a vehicle has been in a place/out of it's registered area for X amount of time the insurance has to be changed or it's invalid. Finally if the insurance is in one persons name but it is being driven by another person too much, the insurance is invalid. That's how it works in BC anyways (Alberta is close to the same, so a lot of the Albertans driving around here have no insurance...), so unless you want to risk screwing over yourself and whoever the car is registered to in Canada you may as well swap a VIN from a 202 and run that risk instead.
Click to expand...

Agree...but how does your insurance know that the vehicle has been out of its registered area for X amount of time??? Unless your getting tickets left and right....And it is illegal to drive around without insurance and liability is dirt cheap. Yes imported cars keep the JDM VIN which makes the car more authentic (thats how i see it) lol...... and if you do have the time to do a swap that would solve your problems, then again will you swap the RHD too and also it wouldnt be true JDM no more......
Click to expand...

Well for starters it had to cross a border to leave, also when you're in an accident the insurance agencies start asking around if they suspect anything. Ie if the car is in California being driven by a Californian and the RO is still in Calgary and the car is insured in Calgary, they can either see when that car crossed the border or ask around in California (neighbors, coworkers, etc) how long they've been seeing this car around for. If the car is reg'd in Calgary and is crashed in BC and the RO also owns/lives/works in BC then they'll find out how long the car has been in BC. If it's here too long, you have no insurance. That's why I ALWAYS get underinsured motorist protection, cause Albertans also can't drive for shit on top of barely/not having insurance :lol:
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it works out for me, since i have dual citizenship and have a DL for both Cali and Alberta. When i do get pulled over with the st205 i tell the cop im just visiting. No issues and usually cop lets me go with a warning. Then again its not my daily driver.
 
8

83841

New member
underscore":21bitom3 said:
Maybe the ones that stay over there are better, but the Albertans that come to my town are the worst drivers imaginable. They're either way too slow or drive like massive assholes, there's no in between haha
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Yes your right the ones stay are better, we send the bad ones out to where they belong. :shock:
 
L

lumbercis

Moderator
It's not legal. No if's, ands, or buts. Do a google search for "impounded skyline" and you'll find out why. All those guys swore their cars were legal too. Everyone thinks they're smarter than the feds...they're not.

If you want to do it illegally, the easiest way seems to be to live in florida where they will state register just about anything. Or register it in a rural county where they don't have the time or resources to figure out what it is, and probably don't care.

If there's such a demand for these, someone should get a shop to make AWD conversion kits for ST204s. ATS successfully did an AWD conversion and said a swap kit didn't look like it would be too hard to make. But I'm not sure they saw much demand for it. Do a "group buy" list and get about 10 people that want a swap kit and then call ATS and see if you can get them to make one.

If you really don't care about legality, you could do a VIN swap, as long as you're okay with doing a little prison time if you get caught.

J.
 
underscore

underscore

Well-known member
83841":1x7cji0m said:
it works out for me, since i have dual citizenship and have a DL for both Cali and Alberta. When i do get pulled over with the st205 i tell the cop im just visiting. No issues and usually cop lets me go with a warning. Then again its not my daily driver.
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Your insurance is likely invalid though, I'd hate to see what would happen if you get hit/hit someone.
 
A

Awesome-Trac

New member
just buy two celica's...one ST205 and another Celica GT....remove the vin from the GT and put it on the 205! Once smog/registration is due switch vins back and there you go the solution to your problems :D "DO AT YOUR OWN RISK"
 
S

sammyw

New member
awesome-trac":kh3fqift said:
just buy two celica's...one ST205 and another Celica GT....remove the vin from the GT and put it on the 205! Once smog/registration is due switch vins back and there you go the solution to your problems :D "DO AT YOUR OWN RISK"
Click to expand...

For all of you considering this, even a little bit, isn't vin swapping a felony?
 
8

83841

New member
underscore":2gmnzizk said:
83841":2gmnzizk said:
it works out for me, since i have dual citizenship and have a DL for both Cali and Alberta. When i do get pulled over with the st205 i tell the cop im just visiting. No issues and usually cop lets me go with a warning. Then again its not my daily driver.
Click to expand...

Your insurance is likely invalid though, I'd hate to see what would happen if you get hit/hit someone.
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Invalid? Ha! Didnt you know that they dont offer full coverage in Alberta for imported vehicles....ask anyone in Alberta that has a RHD 90% only have liability...so what difference does it make? And in California if you get hit you go through there insurance.....if they have no insurance then I'm screwed.....then I'd have to sue and go through a long process. But that's what you have to go through to own something rare.....that's why it's not my daily driver... Plus the st205 is not really an eye catcher like the skylines....
 
underscore

underscore

Well-known member
Because it's been out of Alberta for too long the Alberta insurance likely won't do shit if you're at fault. Even if you're not at fault, you could still get screwed depending on how it works in Cali.

sammyw":21px65jo said:
awesome-trac":21px65jo said:
just buy two celica's...one ST205 and another Celica GT....remove the vin from the GT and put it on the 205! Once smog/registration is due switch vins back and there you go the solution to your problems :D "DO AT YOUR OWN RISK"
Click to expand...

For all of you considering this, even a little bit, isn't vin swapping a felony?
Click to expand...

Plus you have to get a 205 in the country.
 
8

83841

New member
Alberta insurance will not be able to tell how long the vehicle has been out of the country because when you cross the border they track your passport not your car... Plus the borders are more worried about terrorists, firearms, illegal immagrants and drugs coming through the border then what type of car you have and how longs it's been out for, border patrol has better things to do.

Insurance wouldn't care cuz you'd only have liability....
 
A

Awesome-Trac

New member
sammyw":8ggi4dt8 said:
awesome-trac":8ggi4dt8 said:
just buy two celica's...one ST205 and another Celica GT....remove the vin from the GT and put it on the 205! Once smog/registration is due switch vins back and there you go the solution to your problems :D "DO AT YOUR OWN RISK"
Click to expand...

For all of you considering this, even a little bit, isn't vin swapping a felony?
Click to expand...

yup it sure is a felony...its like stealing a car "so do it at your own risk"
 
8

83841

New member
awesome-trac":els7k5y3 said:
sammyw":els7k5y3 said:
awesome-trac":els7k5y3 said:
just buy two celica's...one ST205 and another Celica GT....remove the vin from the GT and put it on the 205! Once smog/registration is due switch vins back and there you go the solution to your problems :D "DO AT YOUR OWN RISK"
Click to expand...

For all of you considering this, even a little bit, isn't vin swapping a felony?
Click to expand...

yup it sure is a felony...its like stealing a car "so do it at your own risk"
Click to expand...


I guess motor swap is the most legit way?
 
A

Awesome-Trac

New member
a swap is the most legit way but if the vehicle doesnt reach DOT standards then its NO BUENO like registering a car, most be in DMV database
 
2

2nd88'Alltrac

New member
If you want to register a car without emissions get a po box in Wyoming. Then register your car there. You don't even have to have cats or falsifiers. You could be throwing codes and smoke for days and your car will still pass.
 
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