Is a 1JZ-GTE U.S legal?

[Facime]

So based on that last statement, do you think the EPA intends to start going after shops that offer to import and install these engines on US soil? It seems to me instead of worrying about enforcing the emissions standards of a given state, simply tracking and targeting that shops that do the swaps would be a better use of resources. Obviously it wouldnt stop the home mechanic from being able to complete the process but that is nothing new. How many of you have looked at that "For off road use only" warning and just scoffed or ignored it entirely?

Im telling you it wont be long until the US is much like Japan regarding emissions. It will become harder and harder to maintain emissions standards on car that fall between "modern production" and "classic" or "antique".

btw, I thought it was 25 years for "antique" status not 20.

 

[Ric]

Actually Id have to find the NTHSA statement, but they are trying to pass a law to stop importation of non compliant engines to america.

 

[lagged]

see one thing about that is, its not illegal to import the motor and its not illegal to install it in a car.

its illegal to operate that car on a state or government road. so why would they go after shops that do the swap, as long as the shop says that the car is not street legal, why should they be held responsible if you decide to put it on the road?

 

[OneJoeZee]

They shouldn't

and they aren't

 

[Ric]

All depends what state you live in.

The grand state of FL doesn't care where a car is made, what side the steering wheel is, what safety equipment it has, or lack of emissions equipment. If you want to pay the title fees, registration fee, and taxes, they'll say its legal.

 

[Big Wang Bandit]

All depends what state you live in.

The grand state of FL doesn't care where a car is made, what side the steering wheel is, what safety equipment it has, or lack of emissions equipment. If you want to pay the title fees, registration fee, and taxes, they'll say its legal.

Which is how it should be. All smog is for in California is to make money.

 

[Facime]

see one thing about that is, its not illegal to import the motor and its not illegal to install it in a car.

its illegal to operate that car on a state or government road. so why would they go after shops that do the swap, as long as the shop says that the car is not street legal, why should they be held responsible if you decide to put it on the road?

No Im not saying its illegal now, Im saying if they really wanted to crack down on smog issues, why wouldnt that be a point of control. It seems to me if they REALLY wanted to control the use of non smog compliant cars, they would make this illegal and go after the commercial outfits.

It seems to me that legislation is already in the works to do that, so dont be too aweful suprised when it becomes a reality.

see one thing about that is, its not illegal to import the motor and its not illegal to install it in a car.

YET...is my point.

 

[figgie]

see one thing about that is, its not illegal to import the motor and its not illegal to install it in a car.

its illegal to operate that car on a state or government road. so why would they go after shops that do the swap, as long as the shop says that the car is not street legal, why should they be held responsible if you decide to put it on the road?

Just to be perfectly clear.

Just because it CAN be done does not make it any more legal than getting caught smoking weed or getting caught bringing in cuban cigars.

..offering for sale of used foreign-built engines. These engines are often not covered by a certified configuration for any vehicle sold in this country (since the 1jz was never ever sold in the US it makes this engine ILLEGAL in the eyes of the law). In such a case, there is no way to install such an engine legally.

this therefore makes the 1jz illegal regardless if it can be had or not and if it gets installed. Since it is not EPA certified guess who gets to foot the bill for doing the work. the SHOP! Again. Ignorance of the law does not absolve anyone from claiming ignorance.

 

[Big Wang Bandit]

Which is all true, but I came to the realization...

As soon as you put on an air filter (In California) that isnt CARB certified, or a new intercooler, or a new turbo, or ANYTHING on a 7M(Mind you in California...)

In the eyes of the state ref/knowledgeable police officer, it is just as illegal as a 1jz.



I think its all a conspiracy lol

 

[figgie]

it is just ass illegal .....

nice!!! ass illegal

P.S. I honestly don't care if you guys are running a 10 megaton nuclear warhead for power. I am just debating the legality and who should get crux for it

 

[Big Wang Bandit]

LOL OWNED.


Fixed for a serious posts sake!

 

[suprageezer]

I also have heard the law says you can install a completly Stock anything as long as it's newer and has the exact same everything as it had in the vehicle it was originally installed in. Like a stock 98 2jz whatever could be installed into my 89 as long as it had every single peice it came with in the 89. If you think about it, that makes sense, theres no way the EPA would say and 89 runs cleaner than a 98 technology wise. So the enviornment benifits in the long run from a swap like this, same as the 07 crate motor in the 68 chevy, providing it has all the required smog equipment, and you have it certified via a referee. So if ayone out there has done this kind of swap I'm sure many of us would love to hear how you did it and what it took.

 

[lifted]

in memphis the only visual inspection we have is for headlights, brake lights, windsheild wipers and such. i have a buddy who installed a bypass on his exhaust where he opens it enough so that it still puts some exhaust out the tail pipe to register, but only about 50% is actually coming out the tail pipe. the rest is vented to the atmosphere. when he is done with the test he puts his test pipe back on inplace of the bypass.

 

[cjsupra90]

All depends what state you live in.

The grand state of FL doesn't care where a car is made, what side the steering wheel is, what safety equipment it has, or lack of emissions equipment. If you want to pay the title fees, registration fee, and taxes, they'll say its legal.

True to an extent. Safety and Emissions requierments are federally controlled. A state can add more regulations, but still have to meet the minimum federal requierments. Yes Florida is very leanient in making sure that the vehicle meets federal standards, but you can still get in to trouble if it doesn't. The same goes for tampering with equipment (i.e. removing any emissions controling part like EGR) on a domesticly sold vehicle. It is a federal offence and you can go to jail and or be fined up the ass if caught doing so.

Once all said and done. You can import just about anything and make it street legal but its hard an costly. Look at Motorex. They import and make Skylines DOT and EPA legal. IIRC the price of one through them for an R34 is in the neighborhood of $80,000 to $90,000 where as you could go to Japan and buy and import one yourself for half that if not more then half, but it wouldn't meet DOT and EPA standards, that is where most of the additional cost goes. Another example is the Lotus Elise. That car had met and exceeded DOT safety standards but not EPA standards so inorder to bring it to US soil, Lotus went to Toyota and fitted the Elise with US spec 2ZZ-GE engine and therefore could be sold in the states.

 

[Nick M]

Keep shoveling figgie...the tide is moving out.

 

[Merlyn]

Simple answer is... everything we do to our cars could be called illegal... plain and simple... all of the mods on my maxima (performance wise) are for off road use ONLY... simply put, we are all going to jail

 

[Nick M]

Only if the parts manufacturer did not certify the new parts. Which many don't.

 

[CampbellsChunkySoupra]

sorry to bring this back from the dead... so ive seen a few people with the canadian rhd 1jz-gte cars in cali based on their sigs or whatever.

i know iowa has very lenient laws regarding emissions and inspections. we dont have to pass any smog detection or anything like that.

is a RHD 1jz-gte supra from canada technically "federally legal" in the states? or do u have to do alot of the adding a 3rd brake light and side markers and all of crap that motorex used to do with the skylines?

-Tyler

 

[annoyingrob]

JZA70 has a third brake light in the spoiler

 

[CampbellsChunkySoupra]

thats good to know. so does anyone know whether or not i can buy one and have it imported and then register it in iowa? i should probably call the DOT or DMV today. hmm.