Currently I’m looking to import a 25 year old car from Japan. I have a question will I be able to import this car if it has modified suspension? Like Tein struts or modified coil springs (lowered car). Someone lowered this car a little bit and I’m planning on returning it back to normal once I get it here. (Ohio state). The question is will I have any problems importing it or not?
by Sudorogi
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7 Comments
Short answer: No, it’s not a problem.
Long answer: importing and legally registering a vehicle from Japan (by yourself) is several orders of magnitude more difficult than googling the answer to your first question. So… do some more googling.
If you are trying to import I’d recommend Zap Auto Export, hit them up on Facebook. Zap speaks English and is how I sourced my Euro R
Registering my car was a headache. Took me 4 trips to the dmv. I’d bring everything they’d ask and everytime I go they needed something else. Suspension shouldn’t be a problem especially if you’re gonna return it to stock. Just double check you have all documents needed to register.
When it comes to suspension, the car has to be at a certain height before getting on the boat. If it has coilovers, the person you choose to work with in Japan will adjust the ride height before shipping it out.
I imported my GTR myself in 2017 ( I was stationed in Japan so the military provided the paperwork) but if you find a dealer in Japan, they will work with you to export your vehicle, make sure you have the Japanese export certificate and the title. Japanese cars have chassis numbers instead of vin numbers so getting it registered was a bit of a hassle. And if it had plates on it, tell them to leave them on the car so you can drive it from the port to wherever your getting it registered int he states or tow it.
The secret is being military and getting all the import fees waved like I did with some orders 😅 so importing my 94 didnt cost 1$
Ohio doesn’t give a shit about stuff like this as long as it’s a registered vehicle