Date sent: Tue, 21 Sep 1999 23:14:58 -0700 (PDT) From: Christopher gibb To: landcruisers@tlca.org Subject: New Law regarding Importation of NON-USA Vehicles Send reply to: landcruisers@tlca.org Hey Folks, Was reading the list today and realized that maybe not all members have been informed of a new law regarding the importation of vehicles that were never intended for sale in the USA(i.e. the 70 series LC). A more complete description of the law can be found in the September 20, 1999 issue of AUTOWEEK. the basic idea is as follows: The NHTSA has decided that if you yourself(not an importer or company) import the vehicle it does not have to meet the safety standards set for vehicles of that year. It will be classified as a show/display vehicle with mileage limited to 2500 per year(the feds have the right to check this). The vehicle must meet EPA emissions regulations for emissions for it year of manufacture. No vehicle over 25 years old. According to the rule, the importer must convince the NHTSA that the vehicle is of historical or technical value. Vehicles given as examples include cars like the McLaren F1(240 mph top speed), Porsches or Ferraris that were never sold in this country. To find out more or to start importing your very own 70 series, contact the director, Office of Vehicle Safety compliance(NSA-32), NHTSA, Room 6111, 400 7th St. SW, Washington DC 20590. That is all I know. My source is as listed above. this magazine seems to be correct much of the time. the Law went into effect Aug. 13. Regards, Chris Gibb tlca 7109 65 fj45 From: ja76565@erols.com Date sent: Wed, 01 Dec 1999 21:21:14 -0500 To: dtlc@helios.net Subject: Re: [DTLC] Remedial Land Cruising Send reply to: dtlc@helios.net > Hello All, > > I am a beginner wanting to learn as much as I can about diesel land > cruisers. Unfortunately I truly know nothing. No piece of information is too > basic! I am very willing to read and explore the web and libraries, etc. Can > anyone (or everyone) provide me with pointers to web information or other > sources so I can start understanding things like....... > > BJ70, BJ60, HJ60, 3Bs, 2H ??? Any pointers to a place that explains > differences in these? > > I don't own a land cruiser yet. I would like to try to figure out what > model would be best for me, most dependable, easiest to find parts for, what > is average purchase cost, most comfortable on road, most able off road, etc. > > I live in the Oregon, USA and have seen several DTLC's from Canada. Any > pointers or experience with what the potential import issues would be. Any > ideas? > > Any other information or pointers to info would be greatly appreciated. > > Thanks again for you time and effort!! > > Best Regards, > Andrew Bodley > andrew@bodley.net > KD7CWV Andrew: Joe Sokol here, Alexandria, VA. Back in July of this year, I flew to British Columbia, Canada and bought a 1982 BJ-42. Importing it was no problem at all. I used an outfit called Valley Cars and RV's in Spokane, Washington. It cost $836. The seller coordinated the importation in advance, and I drove thru a border entry point serviced by Valley Car. I simply picked up the importation paperwork and showed it to the Canadian and US border guards when I crossed from Canada into the US ... about 1AM. About 8 hours later, on a Sunday, I went to the Valley Car office in Spokane to finalize the importation. They took a couple pictures of the cruiser, verified the VIN, and took my money. I was on my way in 30 minutes. If you want to import a diesel, you'll need to find an import dealer like Valley who can assist you. When you get the cruiser back into your state, you'll probably need to get a state inspection in order to get license plates. (The guy I bought my BJ from let me drive home on his plates. When I got mine, I mailed his back.) Unlike gas engines, diesels don't have to meet a particular emission standard in the US ... so there's no problem there. Canadian vehicle glass meets US safety specs ... so there's no problem there. Depending on the year, you'll probably need seat belts, and the cruiser will need to pass a state safety inspection ... lights, brakes, exhaust leaks, etc. The inspector I took my cruiser to was so impressed at its condition, and the fact that it was a diesel cruiser (he had never seen one) that I was in and out in 10 minutes--on the way to vehicle registration to get my permanent plates. No where in the process did anyone ask me for proof of insurance, but I had it just in case. In other words, I'd recommend you check your policy to verify that it insures you in any car you drive. If it does not, get insurance on the vehicle before you show up to buy it. I hauled butt, about 2,700 miles, back to DC over the July 4th weekend. Averaged about 75mph. Not one problem with the diesel, it ran strong and continues to run strong. Hope this helps. If I can help anymore, drop me a line. Joe '82 BJ-42/'95 JT-80 "Bodley, Andrew" wrote: From: ja76565@erols.com Date sent: Thu, 02 Dec 1999 00:07:48 -0500 To: dtlc@helios.net Subject: Re: [DTLC] Remedial Land Cruising Send reply to: dtlc@helios.net Aarons family wrote: > Goodness gracious! Holy shit! That sounds easy. Do you think they would do > this with a newer HJ75, HZJ75, or a new HZJ78 - all non Canada spec? How do > you call Valley Car? Charlie > (509) 922-7004 ask for Deena Greene. Give her the model, year, VIN, etc. and she might be able to get you started--I think she has access to an importation reference book or something. Non-Canadian spec ... may be other issues, I don't know. Joe Sokol Alexandria, VA '82 BJ-42/'95 JT '80 From: "woodmansee" To: Subject: Re: [DTLC] how can I import.... Date: Tue, 5 Aug 2003 09:35:32 -0500 Reply-To: dtlc@helios.net wow did this topic explode it has come up before on the list and i have been biting my tongue and not responding mainly because i have rehashed how to get things in so many times i am tired of all the nay saying that still goes on. i am going to rant now for a while and then i promise i will FOREVER hold my peace (piece?) on this subject. 1.) importing into Canada from Rest Of World (ROW for short) point blank period cannot be done UNLESS it is 15 years old or older as per production date on door sill tag OR UNLESS the vehicle was originally manufactured for the US market. this is why the boom in available xJ7xs and others is they are now 15 years old, and people are choosing Japan because they are for the most part cleaner and they area almost always way low in KMs. 2.) vehicles imported into Canada from the ROW CANNOT be imported into the US under the rules that govern importing Canadian vehicle because the vehicle was not originally manufactured for the Canadian market, and both the door sill tag and the VIN will give away any vehicle's country of origin to any unsuspecting RI, customs officer, or dept. of motor vehicles. 3.) importing into the US, well, we all know the 25 year old or older rule as per the production date on the door sill tag. 4.) importing a vehicle originally manufactured for the Canadian market into the US as per DOT. this is easy, safety standards were so similar that's why the DOT made it is so easy, you can try to obtain a letter from the manufacturer or just use an RI which runs about $300 to $500 USD, they look over the vehicle to make sure it meets DOT, usually modification required are only slight, in the case of a Canadian certified Cruiser the only mod necessary is swapping the odometer over to miles, many RIs let this slide though, or instead of swapping it out they will specifically label the odometer and trip odometer so even the most stupid person can tell it is in KM. 5.) importing a vehicle originally manufactured for the Canadian market into the US as per EPA. Canadian spec'd vehicles must still meet EPA. as per the EPA, ANY Canadian spec'd vehicle 1989 or newer meets US emissions period because that was when Canada changed their emissions requirements to be the same as or in many cases now more strict than the US. if the vehicle is older than 1989 one can prove EPA compliance by seeing if there is a certificate of conformity on file with the EPA for the exact engine family code on the vehicle one wishes to import. for Canadian Cruisers there is no certificate on file for any of the diesels. so, you can do one of several things: a.) find proof that the vehicle does indeed meet EPA for its model year (this is what i did and i can tell you for certain that all Canadian certified diesel Cruisers DO MEET US EPA and that is as much as i am going to share). b.) or you can pay to have a MOD test done to show it meets emissions (this is only good for vehicles older than 6 years old, only one vehicle may be imported with this test data, cost is about $1700 USD though prices vary by lab) c.) or you can have the emissions tested and file for a certificate of conformity to be put on file (required for vehicles 6 years old or newer, 3 vehicles total may be imported under on test/cert., cost is higher though one can do it one's self and that alone makes you an ICI). if any of the above mentioned testing shows that a vehicle does not meet emissions standards then modifications must be made and the vehicle retested and the process repeated until the mods made were successful in making the vehicle meet emissions standards. if a vehicle that does not meet standards cannot be made to meet standards it cannot be imported. the above processes to make a vehicle EPA legal are also the same for importing vehicles into the US from the ROW. 6.) importing into the US from the ROW for DOT purposes: first of all, if importing a vehicle from somewhere other than Canada then the use of an RI is REQUIRED by law. a vehicle must be on the eligibility list to be imported without having to go through the petition and/or crash test process. ALL LAND CRUISER MPVs 1996 AND OLDER ARE ON THE IMPORT ELIGIBILITY LIST and can be imported without the need to petition or crash test by a registered importer (RI) and/or independent commercial importer (ICI). the MPV stands for multi-purpose vehicle and is what the DOT uses to refer to an SUV type vehicle, therefore, CRUISER PICKUPS ARE NOT DOT ELIGIBLE FOR IMPORTATION without being petitioned and possibly crash tested, but it is still doable if you want to pay for the petition process and/or crash testing. ELIGIBILITY means that a vehicle can WITH MODIFICATION be made to meet US DOT and YES there are mods that NEED to be done on many vehicles which can include safety glass, air bags, side safety impact beams, DOT brake lines, headrests, 5 mph bumpers, labeling on gauges, headlights, side marker lights are often absent, running lights are often the wrong color, seat belts, seat belt anchors, and so many more items to list i can't do them all, that is what an RI is for, they go through a vehicle with the CFR49 and change everything that must be changed to make it meet US safety standards. you will notice the petition for Cruisers stops at 1996, this is because of the air bag issue. many of you know that Defender 90s are no longer imported, this is because air bags and poor crash test results in the footwell area, think about the weird roll cage systems that Rover had to put on D90s and D110s to make the DOT happy? and yet another example, NO Range Rover not originally manufactured for the US market is eligible and the reason i read in the RI newsletters is fuel system integrity in a crash. do not mock companies making modifications to vehicles that are imported, they are doing what they have to do to comply with the DOT. 7.) RIGHT HAND DRIVE IS NOT A PROBLEM WITH THE US DOT. it used to be but they do not care any more maybe because by law they couldn't be bothered by it anymore, this info is from Jonathan Ward who has imported a few RHDs, and how many of you in more rural areas have seen your rural mail carriers driving a RHD outback or escort? i see it all the time. nor is it in the Code of Federal Regulation 49 (CFR49) where it is a safety requirement that a vehicle be LHD. i am sure i am forgetting something, but flaming season is now wide open, so have at me, but remember, i have researched this for years and have imported several Cruisers now and i know what i am talking about, in fact quite oddly just last week had the EPA guy who up until last May was the liasson between the EPA and the ICIs at my farm for a week and of course all we talked about was shop, i am into this grabage up to my eye balls, so much so that i am even thinking of doing this crap for a living...... rant mode off now so Eric, where do i pick up my $1000 ?!?!?!? From: "woodmansee" To: Subject: Re: [DTLC] how can I import.... Date: Tue, 5 Aug 2003 14:36:33 -0500 Reply-To: dtlc@helios.net ----- Original Message ----- From: "Eric Williamson" To: Sent: Tuesday, August 05, 2003 1:09 PM Subject: Re: [DTLC] how can I import.... > That offer was to the guy who was who started this thread. > Interesting though-The DOT WEBsite says that if it doesn't specify "right hand > drive" it isn't included.-how can I follow up on that? Also how about EPA?a > vehicle be LHD. that new paragraph on the NHTSA's website about RHD not being part of a petition does also continue on and say that there "is no specific restriction on importing a right-hand drive vehicle" but one may have to pay a little more to have an RI write up a specific petition which if there is already existing petition for a left hand version it is a simple and much cheaper process because most of the work is done for them. any RI with a detailed repair manual like an Ellery from OZ for a RHD version should be able to determine and successfully petition without crash testing a RHD version of a vehicle that already has a LHD petition on file by taking the existing petition and changing a few small things for the RHD and submitting that. i once asked George Entwhistle of the NHTSA how an RI is supposed to know what all on a vehicle needs to be modified to meet DOT and do you know what he told me? by looking at a parts book. amazing. you know how badly i have wanted to write an exposé like for auto week or something on this whole process and all the pathetic players in this process with all the bull i have learned about the right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing and worse? the lying that goes on by manufacturers in those stupid letters that they never give out? anyway, i digress..... i think what they say is true about RHD perhaps not being the same as LHD in safety on some models because some items are placed differently and in a crash perhaps could pose a problem a la Nader's Beetle style at worst. and i also think that the fact that most North Americans are not accustomed to RHD makes them a little more unsafe. the DOT wants to discourage RHD but there is no law against it. have you ever read a petition? it is pretty wild, they list the items they had to change (except on the petition for th g500 by Europa, that was demed "proprietary") on the vehicle the petition was for, however they do not state by VIN or even exact model what vehicle they are making changes too, so i can read the petition for the '96 Cruiser and read all the things they had to change but without knowing if it was an 80, 100, 90, 70 or whatever and with out knowing the country of origin (because each country's requirements are different the mods needed vary from country of origin to country of origin) one still doesn't know until the vehicle is in hand and one can go through it with a fine tooth comb with the CFR what all needs to be modified. the EPA could care less if a vehicle is RHD or LHD, they only care about the emissions. From: michel_bertin@hotmail.com To: dtlc@helios.net Subject: Re: [DTLC] '97 HZJ75 for sale (registered in New-Brunswick) Date: Sat, 23 Aug 2003 13:24:11 +0000 Reply-To: dtlc@helios.net >From: stedman@ans.kobe-u.ac.jp >Date: Sat, 23 Aug 2003 13:14:00 +0900 > >At 20:51 22/08/2003 -0700, you wrote: >>Could someone please explain to me how these trucks are "legally" >>registered >>in Canada? > >Shhhhh! Pass the maple syrup please eh. > > >Dave Stedman >Kakogawa Japan >N 34° 45' 45.2" >E 134° 52'22.3" >stedman@ans.kobe-u.ac.jp >stedman@canada.com We have an automobile engineer here in New Brunswick which inspect all kit cars and other vehicle who are not DOT approved. He puts a sticker with a number and you are legal to drive it here in New Brunswick. That doesn't mean that the vehicle would be legal elsewhere in Canada or US because it is a provincial approval and not federal. I spoke with both the province and RCMP here in Bathurst and they both told me that there was no problem driving my truck here in New Brunswick. They couldn't guarantee that I wouldn't have any problems elsewhere in Canada. Also I never had any problems insuring the vehicle either. I've been driving mine for about 5 years now and never had any problems with the police yet. I have a normal registration from the province but the VIN number is not the one on my firewall but a 6 digit number without any number assigned by the province. Michel Bertin '90 BJ75 New-Brunswick, Canada Date: Sat, 23 Aug 2003 08:27:26 -0600 From: wayne@crushersrule.com Subject: Re: [DTLC] '97 HZJ75 for sale (registered in New-Brunswick) To: dtlc@helios.net Reply-To: dtlc@helios.net ----- Original Message ----- From: To: Sent: Saturday, August 23, 2003 7:24 AM Subject: Re: [DTLC] '97 HZJ75 for sale (registered in New-Brunswick) > We have an automobile engineer here in New Brunswick which inspect all kit > cars and other vehicle who are not DOT approved. He puts a sticker with a > number and you are legal to drive it here in New Brunswick. That doesn't > mean that the vehicle would be legal elsewhere in Canada or US because it is > a provincial approval and not federal. > > I spoke with both the province and RCMP here in Bathurst and they both told > me that there was no problem driving my truck here in New Brunswick. They > couldn't guarantee that I wouldn't have any problems elsewhere in Canada. > Also I never had any problems insuring the vehicle either. I've been driving > mine for about 5 years now and never had any problems with the police yet. I > have a normal registration from the province but the VIN number is not the > one on my firewall but a 6 digit number without any number assigned by the > province. > > > > Michel Bertin > '90 BJ75 > > New-Brunswick, Canada that is the same in Alberta, you can go to the RCMP with a homebuilt car and they will inspect it and give you a serial no. this allows for non DOT approved vehicles to be driven. been there, done that.... Wayne www.crushersrule.com have you laughed 8^)) at a jeep, lately? Calgary Alberta Canada From: "woodmansee" To: Subject: Re: [DTLC] HZJ77 Date: Fri, 5 Dec 2003 10:58:27 -0600 Reply-To: dtlc@helios.net ----- Original Message ----- From: Sent: Friday, December 05, 2003 9:58 AM > ----- Original Message ----- > From: > Sent: Friday, December 05, 2003 8:27 AM > > > > > > Paging Dave Stedman: > > Since you seem to be the living the dream guru in Japan on TLC's, I have > > a question. What year (and month if you know it) did the 77 start > > production in? > > > > I'm looking at acquiring one in a couple of years, but I'm not sure if > > it will sneak in under the 15 year rule with the hard cutoff in 1991. > > > > Hoping I get lucky... > > Craig in Calgary > > > > > hard cut off is Jan 90 > see you on the trail.. > Wayne Calgary Alberta Canada > stupid question, what is "the hard cut off"? Date: Fri, 05 Dec 2003 10:17:12 -0700 From: bruce.loewen@prairiedogparts.com To: dtlc@helios.net Subject: Re: [DTLC] HZJ77 Reply-To: dtlc@helios.net woodmansee wrote: >stupid question, what is "the hard cut off"? That is the date that Canada and the US merged their vehicle requirements. After this date any vehicle imported must have been intended by the manufacturer for use in North America. If you have a vehicle that was built, say, four days after this date CCRA (Canada Customs and Revenue Agency) will tow it away and crush it and send you a bill for their trouble. Don't ask me how I know. I'm pretty sure the rules are going to change before 2005 (when the 15 year exemption meets the "hard cut off"). I found a legislation once that showed a descending exemption starting then. Something like 15 years in 2004, 14 in 2005, 13 in 2006 etc. until 2020 when you should be able to import anything from anywhere. I'm not sure but it seems like manufacturers will be complying to a world standard by then. I have to find it again, its some heavy reading. Cheers, Bruce Date: Fri, 05 Dec 2003 11:06:16 -0700 From: bruce.loewen@prairiedogparts.com To: dtlc@helios.net Subject: Re: [DTLC] HZJ77 Reply-To: dtlc@helios.net woodmansee wrote: >your story is the dark shadow in the back of the minds of all Cruiser >importers..... Thanks for the sympathy, I appreciate it. >WOW, that is way cool!!!!!!! let me know when you re-find that info. Will do. >okay, stupid question #2, what if a Canadian found, say, a 2004 HZJ78, in >the US that was, obviously, not originally manufactured for the US market >but had gone through the legal registered importer process and had been thus >certified as meeting all US safety and emission specs, could a Canadian >import that? The regulations are clear on that. It would be a gray market vehicle and is not admissible to Canada. There is a relatively new memorandum that is quite easy to read and has the basic rules of importation in plain text. http://www.ccra-adrc.gc.ca/E/pub/cm/d19-12-1/d19-12-1-e.pdf I was reading about temporary residents. I figure that once I'm rich enough to need a maid, I'll hire one from a Cruiser friendly nation and have her bring her new HDJ105 to use for the three years or so that she is allowed to be here. Once the time is up she can go back and I'll hire another. Cheers, Bruce http://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=10164 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Everything I Ever Learned About Importing Hi all, Sorry to be so absent when this whole topic came down in a big way on this board, there's been recovery time from my 2000+ mile turkey day Cruiser trip followed by holidays followed by heavy gem sales that still has me a little frazzled trying to keep up with... And thanks Dave T. for trying to say that those of us who import don't want to give out our secrets, but I have spilled my guts before on the diesel list and I will do it again here and be done with it. First off, am not a registered importer though I am thinking of becoming one. Any how, this is what I know: 1.) CANADIAN SPEC'D VEHICLES. a.) DOT free 25 years old EPA free 21 years period, Canadian or rest-of-world. Some customs officers go by exact prod. date so beware, if you are early by a day you, may have to wait, each officer/crossing is different. b.) What is required to cross the border for newer than 25/21 year old Canadian spec'd vehicle is one of two things and ONLY one of these two things, period, case closed. EITHER a letter from the manufacturer stating that your vehicle, identified in the letter by the proper VIN, meets all US safety and emissions standards for its model year, OR paperwork done by a registered importer/independent commercial importer. As per my phone conversations with Jim Press' personal assistant, it is Toyota company policy to NOT issue letters of conformity, so don't even start there like the NHTSA tells you to on their website, it is futile, you will never receive a good letter. c.) There is a list of Canadian spec'd vehicles that the EPA knows to meet US emissions standards, this list is available to the public and it is the list that importers use to make sure your vehicle meets emissions. One importer I called said my BJ70 wasn't on the list, one I called said it was, don't know why the difference. If your vehicle does not show up on this list you have a few options. The following options are the same for rest-of-world imports as well. You have to pay to have your vehicle emissions tested. If it is older than 6 years only a "MOD" test is required, if it doesn't pass the first time modifications are made and the vehicle must be retested. If it is newer than 6 years it must be tested, a certificate of conformity filed, and a 1% fee paid to the EPA, same goes for if it fails the first test and/or if modifications are required. A total of three vehicles of the same model and model year may enter under the one certificate of conformity, after that every third must be tested. From my research all Canadian spec'd diesel Cruisers meet US emissions. Eugene Cole got a letter from Toyota that stated that his '85 BJ70 met all safety except minor labeling but it did not meet emissions. This was a lie, manufacturers will lie to keep non-US vehicles from coming in. I obtained Toyota documents filed with Transport Canada that stated that the BJ70 met Canadian emissions because it was manufactured for US emissions (which at the time were more strict than Canadian). My contact with the EPA in Ann Arbor told me he has caught many manufacturers lying to importers about compliance, it is not unusual. My contact with Transport Canada forwarded this document on to My contact at the EPA in Ann Arbor who then sent to the proper EPA guy in DC. d.) As exemplified by the above mentioned Toyota letter that stated that a Canadian spec'd BJ70 met US safety with the exception of minor labeling, all Canadian spec'd Cruisers meet US safety. The ONLY modification required is that a label that says KM must be affixed to the face plate of the speedo unit next to the odometer reading and next to the tripodometer reading, this was told to me over the phone by the NHTSA themselves. One of my importers did this, the other did not, doesn't bother me that the one did not, saved me $100. e.) The key therefore to legally importing a Canadian spec'd Cruiser is finding an importer who will do it for you that knows enough about what they are doing to know it meets emissions, to know that the entire speedo unit does NOT need to be swapped out ONLY a sticker put on it, etc. Best thing to do, call around beginning with the RI/ICI that is closest to your home or border crossing and work from there. f.) EPA/DOT exemptions for importing Canadian spec'd vehicles are as follows: A Canadian may gift/will/or sell their personal vehicle to an immediate family member that lives in the US. Proof of relation must be provided. A Canadian moving to the US (either to permanently emigrate or just on a visa longer than one year say for a student attending a 4 year college) may import with them one personal vehicle. For either of these exemptions you must prove that you did not purchase the vehicle for the sole purpose of bringing into the US often by showing ownership for at least one year prior to importation. 2.) NON CANADIAN SPEC'D VEHICLES IN CANADA. a.) A vehicle not manufactured for the Canadian or US market may ONLY be imported into Canada if it is 15 years old or older. There is no requirement to make these 15 year old or older vehicles meet Canadian specs. b.) This 15 year rule has a "hard cut off date" after which it doesn't matter if it is 15 years old or not. If it was manufactured for a market other than US or Canada after January 1, 1990 it cannot be imported period. However, it looks like there will be a new law passed in Canada before this hard cut off date goes into effect with a sunsetting exemption. Starting in 2005 only 15 year old and older may be imported, 2006 14 year old and older may be imported, 2007 13 year old an older maybe imported, and so on until the year 2020 when all vehicles will be made to comply with one world standard. In any case, the man claiming to be importing Japanese Cruisers into Canada that are newer than 15 years old is either doing it illegally or they are being imported into Canada for re-export only, so BEWARE! c.) Non Canadian spec'd Cruisers in Canada are NOT eligible for importation into the US under the same rules that govern Canadian spec'd imports, they must be imported into the US as if they were coming from rest-of-world, see #3 below. d.) Mining Cruisers fall into this category too since they were never certified for Canadian roads. Even when they have been legally licensed by persons for on-road use in Canada, they must be imported as if they were being imported from rest-of-world. e.) The same exemptions listed in #1F above apply to non Canadian spec'd vehicles licensed for road use in Canada for importation into the US. 3.) REST-OF-WORLD IMPORTATION. a.) DOT. In order for a Cruiser to be imported into the US that was not originally manufactured for the US or Canadian market it must be imported by an RI/ICI and it must be on the list of vehicles eligible for importation. Vehicles make it onto this list one of three ways. First of all the administrator of the NHTSA may deem a vehicle eligible for importation. Second, an RI/ICI may petition a vehicle's eligibility claiming a substantially similar US spec'd model exists. Lastly, an RI/ICI may petition a vehicle's eligibility claiming while no substantially similar US spec'd model exists the vehicle is capable of being modified to meet US safety standards. This last option sometimes involves crash testing three vehicles to prove crashworthiness. Currently, the only Cruisers on the eligibility list are through model 1996. These petitions for eligibility for Cruisers are NOT model specific, they only state Land Cruiser MPV. MPV stands for multi-purpose vehicle and is the designation all SUVs and minivans get. This designation is visible on the manufacturer's tag on the driver side door sill. My BJ70s have all had this MPV designation. Any 60, 80, 70 series short, medium, or long wagon, or 40 series short or long wagon would be eligible for importation under the existing petitions, no pickups. From going through non-US/Canadian spec'd Cruisers I have found very little to not be in compliance with US safety standards. This is because Toyota uses DOT spec'd parts on their lines whether the vehicle is going to the US or not. Things like seat belt supports, safety glass, DOT brake lines, etc. are all already up to snuff. The only things I have found different are minor, like the speedos, high mount rear brake lights, side marker lights, license plate lights, locking glove boxes, etc., all things that can be easily and affordably modified. The only big expensive things are on 9/1/97 and newer manufactured SUVs, there needs to be dual airbags and side safety impact beams. b.) EPA. Please see #1C. c.) Other EPA possibilities. From working with my contact at the EPA who was in charge of working with the ICIs who were filing certificates of conformity, there appears to be some other ways to go about emissions. He told me that if I could show that the emissions standards for the country the Cruiser was originally manufactured/certified for were equal to or more strict than the US standards, then testing could be avoided. He also told me that if we could obtain government or manufacturer emissions output information for the Cruiser, such as the emissions certificate of conformity on file in the country of origin, which shows the vehicle's emissions to be within US limits then testing could again be avoided. He also told me he felt that the whole test-every-third might be circumvented if manufacturer proof were provided that no running changes were made to that model during that model year that would affect emissions. On that same token he felt the same argument could be made for same models of different years, again that if manufacturer proof were provided that no running changes were made to that model between model years then testing could be avoided. While he felt these were all possibilities no one has ever attempted to circumvent the testing process by using any of these ideas. d.) Right hand drive. There was a time when the DOT didn't care, but just recently they ruled that from now on there must be a petition for import eligibility on file for a RHD model. Currently there is only one RHD petition on file and that is for the Nissan GTS/GTR. Rick, I know you say those importers all told you that they would have to convert a RHD Cruiser to LHD. The truth is they told you that because they did not want to go through the hassle of petitioning a RHD model and importing your truck. Since there is at least one petition on file for a RHD vehicle we all know now that the argument CAN be successfully made that a RHD model is as safe as a LHD of the same model. The trick is finding an importer who is willing to petition a RHD Cruiser. e.) More exemptions. The NHTSA lists on their website import exemptions that go for the EPA as well, such as for show purposes, research, diplomatic service, etc. But for the most part those are temporary exemptions, the vehicles must be shown to leave the country within one year. If you are looking to have a trailer queen trail truck or if you live on a ranch there is another exemption. Vehicles may be imported for off-road use only and be exempt from DOT/EPA. The vehicle can be imported but it CAN'T be licensed/registered for road use, so no plates! This exemption however has its limits. For example, off road diesel vehicles manufactured after 1/1/96 with an HP of 50 to 100 must meet emissions standards and off road diesel vehicles manufactured after 1/1/97 with an HP of 101 to 175 must meet emissions standards. Lastly, there is another option. A vehicle can imported as parts, reassembled, and titled in some states as a home built vehicle form used parts. This loop hole was recently closed down in my state, but in many others this is a real possibility. The requirements for doing this are different in each state, so call your local DMV and ask. Now, I may be forgetting some stuff, so please ask. I am both sad and glad to hear your story Alex D. of your first attempt at importing, you never told me before! Anyway, I had always wondered what would happen if one were to do a one way drive, now I know, makes those titling agencies not look like such a good idea anymore...