Importing a Diesel Defender 110

[downunder]

I am living in Australia and would like to bring a diesel Defender 110 back to the States with me. Does anyone have any info or contacts that could help with the process?

[Hank]

Check with the State your moving to DMV laws. Should be online somewhere. Also, there is a good web site by the *EPA* (I think), that discloses the guidelines. If you are an Australian citizen, there are some special rules, and waivers.

[downunder]

Thanks Hank!

[John C]

Hank, you sure about the exceptions for Australia?? I thought you could only import 93 D110s into the US. I spoke with a guy from DOT not to long ago and he gave me the whole shabang about "it has to be on the list" and if not "it has to go thru extensive mods to comply with the DOT and EPA requirements" blah blah blah.... you know something we don't???

Hey Hank, you like sheep??

[Hank]

This will get it here:
"Nonresidents of the U.S. (including U.S. citizens living abroad) may temporarily import nonconforming motor vehicles into the U.S. for personal use, for a period not to exceed one year. The vehicle must be registered in a country other than the U.S. at the time of entry, must not be sold while it is in the U.S., and must be exported when the year is up. If you wish to import your vehicle under these conditions, you should check Box 5 on the HS-7 Declaration Form to be given to Customs at the time of entry. Your passport number and the country that issued the passport must be specified on the declaration. An international convention governs the importation of these vehicles. The U.S. is a signatory to this convention. The convention provides that vehicles can be imported under its terms for a period of up to one year. NHTSA has no authority to extend the one-year period that a vehicle imported in this manner is allowed to remain in the U.S."


But, the RI's might know some tricks?
"NHTSA makes import eligibility decisions on a make, model, and model year basis. A list of vehicles that NHTSA has determined to be eligible for importation can be found on our web site at http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/import/. If the vehicle you are seeking to import is of a make, model, and model year that is on that list, it can be imported by an RI, or by a person who has a contract with an RI to modify the vehicle so that it conforms to all applicable FMVSS and bumper standards after importation. At the time that NHTSA determines a vehicle of a particular make, model, and model year to be eligible for importation, the agency assigns the vehicle a unique vehicle eligibility number. That number is to be entered on the appropriate block of the HS-7 Declaration form that is to be given to Customs at the time of importation. The number alerts Customs to the fact that the vehicle can be lawfully imported (by an RI or by a person who has a contract with an RI to modify the vehicle), even though the vehicle was not originally manufactured to comply with all applicable FMVSS."


Either way, I have no idea how to do it. But, John, both me and you know someone who does Course, he could alway swap VIN's, and call it a 93...

[Hank]

Oh, and I'm more of a goat type of guy......

[me.guevara]

Great tip, Hank - thanks for sharing!

It'll come in handy when I show up at the US - Mexico border in the Beast...

Cheers,

[OkieRover]

They get in. I'm not sure how but they do.
There was a 1985 Defender Diesel sold in Moore, Oklahoma just last year.
I see the guy driving it in Norman all the time. It's got an Oklahoma tag which means he has insurance and clearance to drive it here.

[acornhoek]

There's a 2004 TD5 110 I see driving around here with local tags......it can be done, but not without effort and ..........oh, what was the other thing........oh yea, $$$$$$$$$$$$$