Hooniverse Asks: Would You Ever Seriously Consider Importing a Grey Market Car? Which One?

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With so many cars available in the market is surprising that for some folks that’s just not enough. Here in the U.S., importing a car not originally intended to be sold here can be an ordeal that could range all the way from an annoying hand cramp from filling out a ton of forms to a federal police pursuit ending up with you in jail and your imported car a less than artistic cube whose driving days are over.
But that doesn’t stymie many and today we’d like to know if that many might possibly include you. Have you ever seriously considered bringing into the country you call home a car or truck that was never intended to turn a tire there? If so, what was the object of your intention, and did that plan ever pan out?
Image: ImportVehicleInfo

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  1. Kiefmo Avatar
    Kiefmo

    Absolutely, but the Skyline can go get stuffed. I’ve got a jonesing for a kei van to use as a commuter/runabout. The only thing that has kept me from seriously looking into it is parts availability. Many grey market imports share enough wear parts with US-market cars that it wouldn’t be a concern, but where do I get pads/rotors/filters for a Honda Acty?

    1. kogashiwa Avatar
      kogashiwa

      As long as you have the part number, any Honda dealer should be able to order the part.

      1. karonetwentyc Avatar
        karonetwentyc

        I’ve run into issues before where dealers refuse to order parts in one territory intended for same-model vehicles sold in another territory. The usual line involves product safety and emissions concerns.
        This was always particularly amusing to me when I was trying to order things like interior trim.

    2. karonetwentyc Avatar
      karonetwentyc

      Probably the same places that stock them for the original-design Vamos that I’d like to get my hands on.

    3. crank_case Avatar
      crank_case

      I still have a lust for a Kei Van. Some models were even sold here (Ireland) officially, including the Daihatsu Hijet and Suzuki Carry which was also rebadged as a Bedford Rascal. Bedford is UK/Irelands low rent GMC to its low rent Chevy (vauxhaul/opel) my Dad had a Daihatsu 850 Hijet which I used be allowed to drive on a large private property he was contracting on before I got my license, which is probably where the love of these comes from. These things make a smart car look stupid and unwieldy, narrower, tighter turning circle AND you can fit either a load of stuff in the van/truck versions or 6 people in a minibus version. Wouldn’t want to crash in one though!
      Would love the Skyline too though!

      1. karonetwentyc Avatar
        karonetwentyc

        Oh, God, the Bedford Rascal. I remember having to drive these (as well as the Suzuki Carry) on film shoots occasionally, lumping production gear between locations. Other than the driver also being the crumple zone, there’s a certain point you do not want to load them above or they become very top-heavy, even frighteningly so.
        I still remember when Dublin Corporation ran a fleet of Suzuki Carrys (or was it Daihatsu Hijets?) converted to street cleaner duty. Massive tanks on the back for spraying water and sucking up waste; used to see them all over City Centre in the early hours of the weekend mornings.

        1. crank_case Avatar
          crank_case

          Oh yeah, the HiJet was similar, you do not corner fast in them and your legs are only seperated from an impact by a thin sheet of metal, later carrys and HiJets went away from the “forward control” look, to having a little nose I think.
          I think it might have been HiJets that Dublin used, with Electric ones in the Phoenix Park, but they might have been Piaggio Porters, which are rebadged HiJets.

    4. dead_elvis, inc. Avatar
      dead_elvis, inc.

      Online.
      OK, OK, maybe not cheaply & easily, but it shouldn’t be that hard. Maybe look for something other than an Acty – I’ve seen a lot more Daihatsu kei trucks in the US than any other make (universities, corporate campuses – even the city of Seattle has a handful for property management/maintenance stuff in their parks dept).
      Hell, an old meter maid Cushman could be converted into a redneck kei without too much effort.

      1. Kiefmo Avatar
        Kiefmo

        But, you see… it has to be a Honda.
        Logic doesn’t enter in to the brand choice, only the decisions I’d have to make afterward.

        1. dead_elvis, inc. Avatar
          dead_elvis, inc.

          “has to be a Honda”
          I don’t think I’ve ever seen or heard that phrase before, even as a huge fan of their V4 motorcycles.

          1. karonetwentyc Avatar
            karonetwentyc

            As an aside, I noticed a few months back that Caltech’s fleet of Daihatsu Hijets (which they’d had for years) suddenly seemed to evaporate overnight.
            This has had me wondering as to where exactly they ended up. Theirs weren’t electric (from what I recall), so couldn’t be registered for street use in California. I suppose they could all have been scrapped, but that just seems like taking the easy way out.

    5. smokyburnout Avatar
      smokyburnout

      Kei trucks are common enough for farm/campus use that there are US resellers for parts, but they’re not as cheap as you would expect such tiny parts to be. Might be cheaper to stock up ahead of time on essential parts direct from Japan. Example:
      http://japanminitruckparts.com/honda/honda-front-brake-pads-ha5-ha6-ha7-hh5-hh6-hh7
      http://page10.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/m153338780
      Note to self: get into the kei truck parts import business.
      I actually saw a local, freshly road-registered Acty just last month!

      1. outback_ute Avatar
        outback_ute

        They sold a 4×4 version of the Carry here back in 2000, but I don’t believe there are too many around. I’ve thought it would be a good basis for a mini expedition vehicle!

        1. karonetwentyc Avatar
          karonetwentyc

          Unfortunately never available in 4WD, but if I could find one of the original Honda Vamos for sale at anything even resembling a decent price I’d be all over it.

  2. kogashiwa Avatar
    kogashiwa

    Not only would, but did – then again I’m in Canada. JDM cars are almost common here now but when I got mine it was still pretty novel. I had a ’90 MR2 G Limited (best car I’ve ever had), followed by a ’94 (I think? actually can’t recall the exact year) WRX. Stupidly sold the MR2 due to a lack of space – in fairness, I couldn’t even put a bicycle wheel in it anyplace except the passenger seat – and traded the WRX away mostly because I was worried about what could happen if/when it started having problems, although it never actually did. Made money on both of them. Definitely my two best automotive purchases and I will absolutely have another MR2 at some point. I’ll put up pix when I get home.

    1. karonetwentyc Avatar
      karonetwentyc

      Out of curiosity, did you handle the import yourself or buy from a dealer / broker?

      1. kogashiwa Avatar
        kogashiwa

        I bought from a broker both times. Just enough paperwork and hassle I really didn’t want to try it myself. I think now one of those brokers is out of business and the other is no longer operating in Canada – they were an Australian outfit. A lot of guys thought there was easy money in importing but it wasn’t so easy, apparently.

        1. karonetwentyc Avatar
          karonetwentyc

          Thanks, I do appreciate that. For the sake of clarity: this isn’t something that I’m looking at doing as a business, but would like to know some of the ins and outs so that I’m clear as to which parts of the process are held together with red tape and which ones are held together by rubber bands.
          There are a couple of cars I’m waiting for the clock to hit 25 years on that are already eligible for Canadian import. My plan is to try my hand at bringing one of them in from Canada to get a feel for the system, then move on to bringing something equally-qualifying in from Europe. It’ll be interesting to see which one attracts more scrutiny.

          1. kogashiwa Avatar
            kogashiwa

            Right, wasn’t assuming you wanted a business out of it, just mentioned it in passing.

          2. karonetwentyc Avatar
            karonetwentyc

            Understood. I was just bringing it up in case anyone else had something to add; figured I might as well be as clear about my intentions as possible.

    2. Ross Ballot Avatar
      Ross Ballot

      Yes! In for pics of the MR2

    3. kogashiwa Avatar
      kogashiwa

      OK picture spam 🙂

  3. karonetwentyc Avatar
    karonetwentyc

    Absolutely, and have done it in the past. However, I’ve yet to attempt bringing one of the ones that I’m interested in into the US.
    From what I can see, I’m going to have an interesting time of it; avoiding going the customs broker route is of interest to me so that I can see for myself exactly how convoluted the process is. This may end up being one of those things you only try once.

  4. dukeisduke Avatar
    dukeisduke

    Would a car like the Skyline technically be a grey market car? No version of the Skyline was sold in the US. When I think of grey market cars, I think back to the early ’80s, and cars like Mercedes-Benzes with 5.0 V8s, or the BMW 745i.

    1. karonetwentyc Avatar
      karonetwentyc

      If it’s a model that wasn’t originally offered here, that’s generally good enough to make it grey market.

    2. mdharrell Avatar

      Yes. If it’s imported legally, but outside the conventional manufacturer-approved channels, then that’s precisely the definition of grey market.
      What irritates me are instances where people instead import vehicles illegally (Hi there, Florida!) and call them grey market. If it’s here without proper Federal approval, then it’s black market.

      1. BigRedCaveTroll Avatar
        BigRedCaveTroll

        Does Washington have weird import laws? I ask that because I found this on the Seattle Craigslist and really want it, but I have no idea how they got a 2006 Nissan Patrol diesel into the U.S.: http://seattle.craigslist.org/est/cto/5472020429.html (I wouldn’t buy it because of the price first, second because of its potentially weird import status.)

        1. mdharrell Avatar

          Ah. I see. Another nice sidestepping of the question of Federal status via the phrase “…and approved for state use through DMV.” It’s not listed as exempt by NHTSA, so the short answer is that it was imported illegally or, even if it was brought here “temporarily” by, say, a tourist, it has remained here illegally.
          Many states don’t much care once it’s in the country. Here in WA it appears to come down to the mood of the person behind the counter at the privately operated licensing agencies that administer such matters on behalf of the Department of Licensing (WA doesn’t have a DMV, despite what the ad asserts). Federal enforcement is sporadic, but that doesn’t make it legal and it doesn’t mean that it can’t be seized and crushed without notice or compensation. Smuggled goods are still smuggled goods even after they’ve been here a while.

        2. karonetwentyc Avatar
          karonetwentyc

          The short answer is that yes, Washington will register some things that wouldn’t normally be registered in other states. However, that doesn’t mean that it skirts Federal approval.
          However, I’d strongly recommend checking into the background of that vehicle before making a purchase. $20K is a lot of money to dump on something that you later find out is running around with the VIN from a 2006 Land Cruiser or similar.

  5. 0A5599 Avatar
    0A5599

    Jensen FF. Way ahead of its time with AWD. Also antilock brakes at a time when just having 4 wheel discs was a huge deal. And of course, powered by a big Chrysler engine.
    Even though RWD Interceptors were available as LHD or RHD depending on market, the transfer case on these FF cars would only fit as RHD configuration, so not sold in the US.
    http://www.simoncars.co.uk/jensen/slides/Jensen%20FF%20II%20reary.jpg

  6. smalleyxb122 Avatar
    smalleyxb122

    I have a dream of owning the full set of early ’90s kei sports cars. Cappuccino, Beat, and AZ-1.
    Maaaaybe adding a City Turbo as long as it still has its Motocompo.
    The AZ-1 is going to be the real bitch. They don’t come up for sale often, and when they do, they sell for outrageous prices. Cappuccinos and Beats are pretty attainable by comparison, but it’s also harder to justify the cost of importation when it is so significant in proportion to the vehicle’s value.
    Perhaps my Kei fleet dream will remain just that, but I’m really thinking about making that first acquisition (either a Beat or Cappuccino) in the next couple of years.

    1. crank_case Avatar
      crank_case

      Sat in a Cappucino once, I fitted..just. Wedged would be a more accurate word, could barely close the door and my knee was pushed right against it without a millimetre to spare. I was technically inside the car, but I was definitely not confortable, and felt a bit like the stomach of a fat man threating to pop the buttons of his shirt/jeans any moment if he just turns the wrong way. Gutted. 🙁

    2. Tomsk Avatar
      Tomsk

      I covet the hell out of the Beat. It’s like a pipsqueak first-gen NSX roadster, and also the last new car to which Soichiro Honda gave his (ceremonial) approval.

      1. karonetwentyc Avatar
        karonetwentyc

        They’re a fun little beast. On a related note, I’ve found myself becoming fond of the S660; looking forward to importing one in 2041. There’s a good side-by-side visual comparison of the Beat and S660 here.

        1. crank_case Avatar
          crank_case

          Honda, please an S1000, this car but with a 1.0 turbo for countries where Kei rules don’t apply, and a manual box. Please, pretty please.

    3. Citric Avatar
      Citric

      My biggest regret is that I didn’t get a chance to test drive a Beat when one showed up for sale in Melfort of all places.

  7. mdharrell Avatar

    :…and your imported car a less than artistic cube whose driving days are over.”
    I eliminated the middleman by importing precisely that in the first place.
    https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1458/26018582300_ea68889f4c.jpg

    1. CruisinTime Avatar
      CruisinTime

      Now with stone drive!

      1. JayP Avatar
        JayP

        Funny- one of the main ways thru my hometown is 11W… aka, Stone Drive.

      2. dead_elvis, inc. Avatar
        dead_elvis, inc.

        More than slightly appropriate for a geologist*.
        *probably inaccurate, but close enough for us laymen.

        1. mdharrell Avatar

          No, that’s quite accurate. I am a geologist.
          As for the stone drive, the rollers are industrial grindstones. I’ve got a couple of NOS spares but I’ve never been able to get Norton Abrasives to respond to my requests for a modern equivalent.
          https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7155/6648197205_148b004615_n.jpg

          1. dead_elvis, inc. Avatar
            dead_elvis, inc.

            Some enterprising Cuban enthusiasts manufacture their own brake shoes. I bet they could set you up with a lifetime worth of drive rollers. This shouldn’t conflict with your definition of modern. You’d have the market for handmade artisanal rollers & grindstones cornered.

          2. Rover 1 Avatar
            Rover 1

            It’s probably a liability issue.
            I imagine that they’re concerned that at the high speeds attained with European cars, that their product would be tested beyond it’s limits and could fail – perhaps explosively?
            Or not.

          3. Vairship Avatar
            Vairship

            If you fit three of those, you’ll have a Norton Speed Triple!

    2. 0A5599 Avatar
      0A5599

      It doesn’t run? Maybe you could swap in a ‘busa or LS to get it back on the road again.

      1. mdharrell Avatar

        Nope. I imported it as a parts car and a parts car it shall remain. If I turn it into a runner, then I’ll just need to get another parts car for my former parts car. I’ve been down that road before.

        1. 0A5599 Avatar
          0A5599

          You haven’t been down that road in the parts car.

          1. mdharrell Avatar

            Well, I did once coast it down my driveway.

          2. dead_elvis, inc. Avatar
            dead_elvis, inc.

            I’m picturing a scenario akin to this.
            http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01728/flintstone-car_1728691a.gif

          3. mdharrell Avatar

            Close, only substantially slower and without a necktie.

  8. Papa Van Twee Avatar
    Papa Van Twee

    I had a 1983 Plmouth Sapporo Technica (digital dash, it talked, etc soooooooo fahnsey). I would love to find one, but the only one left in the states seems to be an automatic.If I could find an equivalent model, looking in Europe first of course, because I don’t want RHD unless I have to.

    1. karonetwentyc Avatar
      karonetwentyc

      I’d love to lay my hands on another Galant Lambda-based Dodge Challenger. My grandfather bought one new at Christmas in 1979, fully-loaded. Drove it many times while visiting family in the US over the years, and really liked it. Still haven’t fully-forgiven the family member that it was ultimately passed down to for not paying the parking tickets that she managed to accrue with it, consequently getting it towed, and never springing it from impound. I believe it was, sadly, cubed after that.

      1. Papa Van Twee Avatar
        Papa Van Twee

        They have them out there, it’s just that the Technica was limited in the first place, and these things were known to turn into rust dust, so I believe it when they say only one of them is left.
        http://v4musclebike.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=6545&stc=1&d=1350011703
        It has Challenger wheels, but that’s what the paint looked like.
        http://v4musclebike.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=6546&stc=1&d=1350012224
        Clean engine bay
        http://v4musclebike.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=6547&stc=1&d=1350012224
        Those seats. I still want those seats.
        http://v4musclebike.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=6548&stc=1&d=1350012224
        Digital dash, check. Wonky Digital radio, check.
        http://v4musclebike.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=6549&stc=1&d=1350012224
        Nothing more exciting to a teenage boy than all those LEDs… well almost nothing.

        1. karonetwentyc Avatar
          karonetwentyc

          If this one’s a 2.6 with the automatic, then it’s more or less a dead ringer for the one my grandfather had. Not him or his car.

    2. mdharrell Avatar

      I rather enjoy RHD in the US. Drive-thru parking booths and the like can be a bit awkward without a passenger, but overall it’s a hoot.

      1. karonetwentyc Avatar
        karonetwentyc

        If ex-Dispatch Jeep experience is anything to go by, RHD in the US makes the old prank of going through the drive-through in reverse even more confusing for the person at the service window.

      2. Cool_Cadillac_Cat Avatar
        Cool_Cadillac_Cat

        You could always back-through.
        When a friend of mine in HS and I would go through the Wendy’s drive-through, he’d back through so I could do the transaction.
        ’77 MK1 Golf, BTW. Baby blue in color, and it took abuse remarkably well.
        One time they asked us to not come back if we weren’t going to use the drive-thru going forward.
        I still can’t see why it matters, but meh, whatever.

  9. Andrew_theS2kBore Avatar
    Andrew_theS2kBore

    Because this is Hooniverse, where it’s ok to love interesting but objectively terrible cars, I can admit that I have seriously considered bringing in a Toyota Sera… then slapping a turbo on it, because I’m a ricer at heart.
    https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/zhsranwtegil8fdzbkzg.jpg

    1. karonetwentyc Avatar
      karonetwentyc

      Absolutely worth it for the Sera’s party trick.

      1. dead_elvis, inc. Avatar
        dead_elvis, inc.

        Toyota Paseo/Subaru SVX/Nissan 240SX/Mazda MX-3 mashup with Lambo doors?!

        1. kogashiwa Avatar
          kogashiwa

          They are pretty much a Paseo under the skin, if I recall correctly.

          1. dead_elvis, inc. Avatar
            dead_elvis, inc.

            My sole memory of a Paseo is from 1991ish. A college friend got one new (birthday, xmas or maybe it was an early graduation present). During the first month she had it, she picked up her boyfriend after he’d been out at the bars all night, and he puked on himself en route home. The passenger seat (dark blue or grey) had a nicely bleached out section as a result.

          2. Andrew_theS2kBore Avatar
            Andrew_theS2kBore

            Yep, in all its 1.5l, 108hp, fwd glory. Fortunately, there are turbo versions of that engine, so conversions are easy, and a 4AGE Blacktop will drop in with minimal modification if you’re an N/A diehard.

        2. karonetwentyc Avatar
          karonetwentyc

          I will absolutely agree that there is a Paseo / 240SX resemblance there… But I think that the Sera was out a year or two before the SVX. Could be wrong about that, though.

          1. dead_elvis, inc. Avatar
            dead_elvis, inc.

            The SVX inclusion was just my gut reaction to the side windows. Looks like it’s not anything like the set up on SVX doors.
            Now I’ve lost all interest.

          2. karonetwentyc Avatar
            karonetwentyc

            Think of it as an opportunity to convert to 2CV-style front windows.

      2. Rover 1 Avatar
        Rover 1

        And Gordon Murray is quite open in stating that the Sera gave him the design for the McLaren F1’s doors. Unlike the McLaren though, the Sera doesn’t have anywhere where 24K gold foil is used as a heat reflective lining.
        http://40.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6e9e1lhHl1rz99jgo24_r1_1280.jpg

  10. ptschett Avatar
    ptschett

    I’d import a Porsche 959 if I won the Powerball, but that remains unlikely. Otherwise I don’t have much for grey-market aspirations; I chafe a little at our not having the worldwide-except-US Ranger, but my Dakota is going to be fine till after that and/or the Jeep pickup goes on sale.

  11. ramLlama Avatar
    ramLlama

    Yes, and I will once I have the time and funds to do so.
    JDM: I really, really want to import a Mazda Eunos Cosmo. I am also amenable to Kei vans.
    Euro: Volvo 480, and maybe a Skoda or Tatra

    1. mdharrell Avatar

      My 66 GL obligates me to approve of any plan that would increase the number of Dutch Volvos in the US.

    2. karonetwentyc Avatar
      karonetwentyc

      If you’re going for a Skoda, allow me to suggest the S110R. Great fun.
      I believe that the Skodas sold in Canada (which effectively means only the Estelle) are eligible for US import.

  12. crank_case Avatar
    crank_case

    I tried importing a JDM AW11 MR2 Supercharger in the past. I know the US got the supercharger model so no big deal, but Ireland only got the NA model and I fancied the extra torque, so rocked up to my local import specialist, which were all the rage during the boom years(no 25 year rule here so loads came in). Slapped down 2000 Euro deposit for a 6000 euro car. It was my perfect spec, late model, manual, t-bar roof, leather, white on gunmetal grey and some nice aftermarket alloys and waited for the boat to arrive…
    ..and waited
    ..and waited
    So I decided to pay the importer a visit to express my impatience, only to find an empty premises. The importer had done one or two stupid deals and had lost a load of money, so shut up shop and did a runner with lots of peoples deposits. Moral of the story, imports can be awesome, but do your homework in advance and only deal with reputable importers/shipping companies.

      1. karonetwentyc Avatar
        karonetwentyc

        Always thought these were quite pretty for what’s basically a rather angular car, and looking at them can see where Subaru might have got the idea for some of the lines on the XT / XT6 from.
        As an aside, there were a half-dozen or so of these sitting out baking in the sun behind a garage in Los Angeles 15 or 16 years ago. Never was able to make contact with anyone at the property they were on; I would have loved to have at least found out what they were doing there.

        1. Rover 1 Avatar
          Rover 1

          That is interesting. We know of only a few that have been on-off imports to the US. Once sorted, they drive really well and those looks attract attention as there’s more than a hint of the Delta at the front, and everyone seems to know those off computer games. Compared to any other 1976 cars, particularly from the US, there’ s no comparison. I’ll never be selling mine.

          1. karonetwentyc Avatar
            karonetwentyc

            When I saw the cars, they had been sitting for a very long time – tyres down and rotted, paint baked off from UV exposure, interiors shot – essentially, fairly standard desert rot. Wasn’t able to get right up to them to get a really good look; I was checking everything out from the other side of a fence.
            My best guess is that these may have been a batch of cars that were brought in with the intent of adapting them to US requirements prior to sale – in effect, someone may have been trying to do the same thing with the Lancias that weren’t sold here as CX Automotive had done with the Citroën CX (and later XM).
            Where I’m not totally certain about that theory is that Lancia was selling cars in the US until about 1982, so it’s hard to imagine someone intending to do this while they still had a presence in country. However, given that the Gamma was produced until around 1985, there is a window of opportunity after Lancia’s departure but prior to the 1988 Mercedes Law which would have potentially rendered them unregisterable.
            Total speculation on my behalf, I admit. But it could explain things somewhat.

          2. Rover 1 Avatar
            Rover 1

            I can’t help but wonder what happened to them. The factory was looking at turbo efi versions when the withdrawal from the US happened. Maybe they were the last factory development cars?

          3. karonetwentyc Avatar
            karonetwentyc

            I’ve wondered the same myself. Six or so cars is more than someone would normally bring in at once for personal use, so these ones were almost certainly business-related.
            Pure speculation as to what may have happened: the cars came in somewhere around the timeframe that Fiat & Lancia pulled out of the US, and with no manufacturer support for them they sat unregistered for x number of years. This in turn may have killed any business venture that was looking at Federalising them.
            Meanwhile, during the time that they sat, the Mercedes Law passed, banning imports of vehicles under 25 years old. Since these were unregistered prior to the Mercedes Law being enacted, they were caught in limbo – legally in the country, but unable to be registered.
            No idea whatever happened to the cars; the last time I saw them would have been in 2008 or so, but they were still there mouldering away.

          4. Rover 1 Avatar
            Rover 1

            That’s about the time I got mine, (though I’m not in the US), and as far as I know, no-one in the Lancia forums or clubs knows about them. Do you have this address available or can you check if the place still exists ?

          5. karonetwentyc Avatar
            karonetwentyc

            Unfortunately, I don’t know the exact address, though I do have a rough idea of where they were stored. We’ve also just moved halfway across the country, so I can’t even go cruise around the area I seem to remember them being in and try to narrow it down that way.
            Let me do some digging on Google Maps this weekend; if I can come up with something that looks familiar, I’ll post an update here. Just don’t want to send anyone on a wild goose chase due to my memory, though, which I thoroughly admit is sometimes not the best.

          6. Rover 1 Avatar
            Rover 1

            Thank you on behalf of myself and Gammisti everywhere. 🙂

          7. karonetwentyc Avatar
            karonetwentyc

            Okay… Progress report. Of sorts.
            I’m basically failing at tacking this down to a specific location. Here’s what I’m running up against:
            1) My own memory. For faces, it’s quite good. For trivia, typically decent. For what I had for breakfast, largely-useless. You might be able to see the problem that’s been forming.
            2) There are three or four possible locations I can select based on what I recall my movements around the time might have been. However, from looking at Google Maps / Earth, I can’t definitively pick one or the other – I can only say ‘this looks about right, sort of like that other place’.
            3) Part of the problem with 2) above is that there are features that look different to how I remember them, and while I don’t want to second-guess myself, this does compound the issue – buildings and landmarks seem to have changed, so I’m not even sure if I’m remembering the locations accurately even if they seem right.
            I can put together what I have later on in the week, but really don’t want to send anyone on a wild goose chase, either. Apologies for the delay, but this has turned out to be more difficult to compile than I thought it would.

          8. Rover 1 Avatar
            Rover 1

            Any and all of your efforts are much appreciated. 🙂

          9. karonetwentyc Avatar
            karonetwentyc

            As is your understanding 🙂 I am doing my best here; just have to warn that it may be more crap than even I expected!

    1. The Real Number_Six Avatar
      The Real Number_Six

      The CB400 is really, really good. You know, just to confirm that you do want one.

    2. BigRedCaveTroll Avatar
      BigRedCaveTroll

      I would love to have a 4 cylinder 250cc bike just for the noise.

    3. dead_elvis, inc. Avatar
      dead_elvis, inc.

      Because I love Yamaha parallel twins, and the TDM just isn’t as lovely (neither nekkid enough and lacks Ducati-esque frame):
      http://www.arnold-talmon.com/images/trx850.jpg

      1. The Real Number_Six Avatar
        The Real Number_Six

        The TDM is chronically underrated. Interestingly, KTM are bringing out a range of parallel-twin 800cc bikes, and a TDM-alike appears to be one of them. Of course, back when the TDM was sold in the US for a nanosecond, it was resoundingly ignored…as are most useful bikes in our markets.

        1. dead_elvis, inc. Avatar
          dead_elvis, inc.

          Back when the TDM was new, I couldn’t quite flat-foot one.
          I can now, and it’s not because I got taller.

          1. The Real Number_Six Avatar
            The Real Number_Six

            Thicker boot soles?

          2. dead_elvis, inc. Avatar
            dead_elvis, inc.

            Sure, let’s go with that.

    1. karonetwentyc Avatar
      karonetwentyc

      A fine choice. However, in a similar vein, I would have to go with the Peugeot 505 Dangel.

      1. Rover 1 Avatar
        Rover 1

        So named because you can see that’s what it’s mechanicals are doing?

  13. Alff Avatar
    Alff

    I can think of a lada cars I’d like to bring in.

    1. karonetwentyc Avatar
      karonetwentyc

      Yugo for it. Vazever you want to do is Oka by me!

      1. mdharrell Avatar

        Oh, not ZIS again.

        1. karonetwentyc Avatar
          karonetwentyc

          When the opportunity presents itself, I can Niva resist.

          1. The Real Number_Six Avatar
            The Real Number_Six

            Gaz this thread, quick!

          2. karonetwentyc Avatar
            karonetwentyc

            Samara time, perhaps?

        2. Vairship Avatar
          Vairship

          Don’t be ZILly!

          1. karonetwentyc Avatar
            karonetwentyc

            But ZILliness is far preferable to Volgarity!

          2. Vairship Avatar
            Vairship

            It’s quite KAMAZing!

          3. karonetwentyc Avatar
            karonetwentyc

            Hey, I UAZ going to use that one myself!

    2. Tiberiuswise Avatar

      Be sure to get someone to Escort you through the process. Cos worth it.

  14. Tomsk Avatar
    Tomsk

    I’d probably go for a WB-series Statesman Caprice, an executive sedan sold through Holden dealers in the early 1980s.
    http://gallery.oldholden.com/d/109465-1/DSCF1243cropped.JPG

    1. The Real Number_Six Avatar
      The Real Number_Six

      No car has ever screamed “Brougham” more than this.

      1. karonetwentyc Avatar
        karonetwentyc

        Mazda Roadpacer, perhaps? All of the Holden heritage, but with the added benefit of a rotary…

    2. Alff Avatar
      Alff

      I must be getting old… I really like this.

      1. Rover 1 Avatar
        Rover 1

        You wouldn’t if you drove one. A torqueless 1300cc rotary trying to motivate a body designed for 4 to 5 litre V8s, and through a GM400 auto. No performance and awful, single digit mpg.

        1. outback_ute Avatar
          outback_ute

          I think Alff was referring to the WB! They are quite the facelift from the original HQ model Statesman.

          1. Rover 1 Avatar
            Rover 1

            Ah yes, my comment should be beneath the Mazda Roadpacer.

          2. karonetwentyc Avatar
            karonetwentyc

            Saw the comment as I was scrolling by. Trust me, we’re on the same page as regards its… Qualities.

          3. Rover 1 Avatar
            Rover 1

            But there’s another idea. Try and find one of the few Isuzu Statesmans left and go to JDM club gatherings with it. There were only 274 to start with so it might be hard but it might be worth it.
            http://cdn.snsimg.carview.co.jp/minkara/userstorage/000/011/471/048/ec71a63bf4.jpg
            http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3547/3472309765_713822f119_b.jpg
            http://wasabicars.com/blog/pictures/isuzu-statesman-deville5.jpg
            https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3457/3863968395_8313cee03a_z.jpg?zz=1

        2. Alff Avatar
          Alff

          I’m not contemplating the rotary version. A 5 liter would suffice.

  15. hove102 Avatar
    hove102

    This.
    I have wanted a Vanagon DoKa Syncro for as long as I can remember. To me this is the ultimate iteration of the Vanagon and it’s a shame that they sold them right across the US-Canada border but never on my side. One of these with a 1.9 TDI or EJ20x swap is the dream vehicle for sure, plus most of the parts are the same as the USDM Vanagon and there’s enough aftermarket support here that owning one would be feasible.
    Now if I could just find $50K…

    1. dead_elvis, inc. Avatar
      dead_elvis, inc.

      There are a few in the Seattle area. I drool every time I see one.
      Stuff an SVX mill in there & I’m all set.

  16. Krautwursten Avatar
    Krautwursten

    For a lot of American cars the grey market is the only market. Classics anyway, but even more recently no one was daft enough to sell Crown Vics and the like here officially. Luckily our bureaucracy doesn’t put particularly many obstacles in your way, the main points are to get an emissions group assigned (or tested if necessary) for taxing and sometimes to switch out your red turn signals for ambers and/or adding a rear fog light. The actual reasons I avoid American cars don’t have to do with their legal status, but more so with their running costs and practicality (size).

  17. Cool_Cadillac_Cat Avatar
    Cool_Cadillac_Cat

    I have a pretty serious jones for one of these, since I saw them back in 2005, when down undah for a month.
    LS motor, effectively a four-door El Camino with ‘Vette power. I’m down with that.
    This one needs different wheels, but that’s easy.

    1. Jeff Glucker Avatar
      Jeff Glucker

      A company in Colorado converts GTOs into Holden Utes…

      1. Cool_Cadillac_Cat Avatar
        Cool_Cadillac_Cat

        Yeah, but I want the four-door one, ’cause I likes mines biggah.
        That, and RHD.

    2. Rover 1 Avatar
      Rover 1

      A four door AWD LS powered Camino…

  18. Jeff Glucker Avatar
    Jeff Glucker

    The Wombat is a grey market car. It says Non-USA right on the title.
    Also, in the future, I’ll hopefully flip the HoonTruck for partial payment on a Defender 110…

  19. Maymar Avatar
    Maymar

    I’m blaming Rusty for this, but I should be in the UK in the fall, and there’s a small part of me that wants to skip a rental car for something with almost no MOT left and shipping it back home after. Of course, I’d have no where to put it, and it’s just an all-around bad idea, which makes it a worthwhile idea.
    But yes, just in general, with Canada’s aforementioned 15 year import laws, I very much want to take advantage of that in some capacity.

    1. Rover 1 Avatar
      Rover 1

      Aren’t you impinging on MD Harrell’s business model by doing that?

      1. Maymar Avatar
        Maymar

        I feel like the esteemed Professor Harrell would reject something like an MG F as too new and complex.

        1. mdharrell Avatar

          True, but otherwise the more the merrier.

  20. smokyburnout Avatar
    smokyburnout

    seriously consider? probably not for a long time.
    idly consider while wasting time online…?
    http://picture1.goo-net.com/7000570064/30151116/J/70005700643015111600200.jpg

    1. Vairship Avatar
      Vairship

      The only Mitsuoka that isn’t hideous!

    1. crank_case Avatar
      crank_case

      205s are starting to shoot up in price pretty rapidly in recent times. They’re still affordable, but it’s relative, they used to be banger money, totally unwanted “old cars”. I bought mine for €900, spent €600 getting various things sorted on it, I would have spent more but my friendly local mechanic told me to stop putting any more in at that point because he didn’t reckon it was worth it for such a cheap car as there was no corriosion and the fundamentals were sorted anyway (it flew through its roadworthiness test). I hooned it all over Irelands southern coasts and mountains for two years until it developed electrical issues that I couldn’t get sorted at the time. In terms of smiles per $, one of my better buys. 🙂

  21. wunno sev Avatar
    wunno sev

    i want one a lot
    but with a manual and cloth seats
    http://www.carsbase.com/photo/Mercedes_Benz-E_Class_Coupe_C124_mp35_pic_76751.jpg

    1. Rover 1 Avatar
      Rover 1

      and a turbodiesel?

      1. wunno sev Avatar
        wunno sev

        no. i’m not really taken with diesels, tbh – the aesthetics just don’t work for me.

  22. Rover 1 Avatar
    Rover 1

    Available ex Europe in LHD, who wouldn’t want a 6 speed manual V6 pillarless hardtop 2+2 coupe minivan with a galvanised spaceframe and plastic body panels. Oh, and a glass and aluminium roof with the world’s largest sunroof.
    http://bestcarmag.com/sites/default/files/4455236Renault-avantime-44.jpg
    http://bestcarmag.com/sites/default/files/6485793renault-avantime-01-659×439.jpg
    The Renault Avantime.

    1. crank_case Avatar
      crank_case

      I don’t fully get these tbh, they just seem like less practical Espace that’s hard to get out of in narrow parking bays in some ways. I understand even less why you’d want a manual, they seem to be about just schmoozing about. The only way my brain can make sens of these is: it’s a personal luxury car in the mould of a Caddilac Eldorado, it’s just been raised and truncated.

      1. Rover 1 Avatar
        Rover 1

        Yes, an easy to park short big coupe with a high driving position to see past SUVs, and those doors are on special double hinges to aid in tight parks.
        And those odd looks.
        That’s why I want one..

  23. Rover 1 Avatar
    Rover 1

    The last RWD MG, engine parts at your Ford dealer. MG ZT260 Estate
    V8 manual wagon with MG badges. Or get the last Rover V8,the 75Tourer, the same car with more chrome and an auto.
    http://www.mg-cars.org.uk/racing/xpower/presspics/pic00015.jpg
    http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s–P-dCSWo9–/uv78j0qr6gi0j9b9tqrr.jpg

  24. Rover 1 Avatar
    Rover 1

    Lancia Thema 8.32. just so you can open the hood and say to onlookers, ‘ Why, yes.That there is a Ferrari V8 hooked up to a manual transmission in a sedan.”
    And then close the hood and drive off before they find out which wheels are driven and that it’s only the little 3.0 l V8, but linger long enough so they can see the hand-stitched Poltrona Frau ‘leather covers everything’ interior. Rev the engine out in the gears as you leave and don’t forget to deploy the rear spoiler hidden in the trunklid.
    Bonus points for getting one of the few, (maybe only one?), 8.32 Estates handmade for the Agnelli family.
    http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GgYSlsvoUQs/U3pMnZAWxNI/AAAAAAARF-Q/wfjjReN4Yvs/s1600/Lancia-Thema-832-Ferrari-0.jpg
    http://bonnier.imgix.net/lancia-thema-sw-04-6gKN-vRsfUHrBLVGGEih6w.jpg?auto=format&ixjsv=1.0.24&w=960

  25. SlowJoeCrow Avatar
    SlowJoeCrow

    I have a whole list of stuff I want. Land Rovers, Kei trucks., Kei cars, Citroens, Rovers, RWD Ford Escorts and a BMW 2000 Touring just to mess with people’s heads. Also a TVR would be fun, although I always remember Clarkson’s line about owning a TVR is like having a pet bear, all good fun until it tears your head off.