Date: Mon, 29 Jan 2007 14:35:59 -0800
Reply-To: Jeffrey Schwaia <jeff@VANAGONPARTS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Jeffrey Schwaia <jeff@VANAGONPARTS.COM>
Subject: Re: FS nice Dehler Profi on Samba - IMPORTS
In-Reply-To: <vanagon%2007012817265725@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Ooops. I was going to stay out of this one, but...
First off, I AM A REGISTERED IMPORTER, and I can tell you, without a doubt,
that just because an imported vehicle is legally registered in a state (any
state in the USA), DOES NOT make it legal for use in the USA. Any
non-Canadian market, imported vehicle that is less than 25 years old MUST go
through an RI if it is going to be operated in the U.S. on a permanent
basis.
Non-Canadian market means: any vehicle that was originally sold in a country
other than Canada. Vehicles that were imported by their owners into Canada
are required to be imported into the USA as non-Canadian vehicles.
Simply put, there are three things that MUST happen for a vehicle to be
legal:
1 - A formal U.S. Customs entry (HS-7 form, etc.)
2 - DOT (NHTSA) certification and labeling from an RI.
3 - EPA certification from an ICI (often under contract with the RI).
Individual states may have additional requirements, but these three things
must happen for the vehicle to be legally operated in the USA.
There are no LEGAL alternatives to this process. Yes, there are many
imported vehicles that are running around the U.S. that have never been
touched by an RI and they are registered in their respective states,
however, they are not legally in this country and pose a liability to their
operators.
If anyone doubts this, please feel free to call up your local US Customs
office, or the DOT. I can give you the phone numbers if you like.
Remember, local state registration has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with the
legality of the import of a vehicle. Any person who brings a vehicle into
this country without a formal US Customs entry is guilty of smuggling.
Cheers,
Jeffrey Schwaia
www.autostadtwest.com
Registered Importer #: R-06-346
Autostadt West
2301 Vehicle Drive #G
Rancho Cordova, CA 95670
916.638.9914 Phone
916.638.9916 Fax
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM]On Behalf
Of Karl Mullendore
Sent: Sunday, January 28, 2007 2:19 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: FS nice Dehler Profi on Samba
All six Dehler's were 1984 models, total DOT- and EPA-approval was done on
these vans.
My Syncro-16 was a German tourist vehicle that was brought in for personal
use by the original owner, and subsequently sold to a Maryland citizen. The
fact that Maryland DMV titled and approved the van for use on the roads in
the US makes it no less legal that any other T3 roaming the streets.
The main reason a RI will laugh is because they want you to believe the
'only' way is to spend lots of $$$$ with them, when in fact there is little
to actually be done.
Karl
On Sat, 27 Jan 2007 11:12:17 -0500, The Bus Depot <vanagon@BUSDEPOT.COM>
wrote:
>Okay, let me rephrase that. On a practical basis, it cannot be AFFORDABLY
>and LEGALLY imported under current regulations. This has been covered on
the
>list before. The only Vanagons approved by the U.S. government for import
>from Europe - even via a registered importer - are the 1988-90 Transporter.
>And even then, paying a registered importer to modify it to meet the
>standards and get it approved is extremely expensive; more than anyone is
>likely to pay. The feds are picky, so the model has to be exact; i.e. even
>if a 1988 Transporter is on the list they will reject a 1987 Transporter,
or
>a 1988 Transporter Syncro, unless it is deemed "substantially similar" - a
>designation that can require the auto manufacturer's cooperation (which as
a
>private indiviual you will not get). A registered importer can get other
>years/models added to the approved list, but it is lengthy and hideously
>expensive process. Once you get it approved by the NHTSA, you then have to
>get it through the EPA, which has similarly stringent requirements for
>emissions standards. The end result is that it costs many thousands of
>dollars, plus the cost of actually transporting it, if you are successful
at
>all. That is pocket change if you're importing a $200k Lambroghini, or ten
>identical vehicles where the exemption to one can be applied to all of
them.
>But if you're importing a single Vanagon worth maybe $10k to begin with, it
>is simply not economically feasible if you follow the law.
>
>So without the use of a registered importer and the model and year being
>specifically approved by the DOT, there is no LEGAL way to bring the
vehicle
>in unless it is 25+ years old. Of course there are plenty of of utterly
>ILLEGAL ways, like switching VIN numbers, etc.
>
>Once the vehicle is 25 years old, however, it is exempt from all import
>restrictions, so anything goes.
>
>See http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/import/
>
>This has been covered ad nauseum on the list so there's plenty of info in
>the archives (and also on the vanagon.com f.a.q.'s). Yes, there are a
>handful vehicles that have slipped through under unique conditions, or at
>times when the law was different (and others that slipped through because
>the importer skirted the law - basically akin to smuggling). But the bottom
>line is, there is a good reason why people don't do this all the time.
>Don't believe me? Call one of the registered importers and ask about
>importing a year/model not specifically on the government's approved list.
>Be prepared for sticker shock and/or laughter on the other and of the phone
>line.
>
