Date: Sun, 6 Feb 2005 00:29:03 -0800
Reply-To: David Marshall <mailinglist@FASTFORWARD.CA>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: David Marshall <mailinglist@FASTFORWARD.CA>
Subject: Re: Importing
In-Reply-To: <00aa01c50c0a$5d3d6c80$6500a8c0@4BYCY41>
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I think this is a load of bull. We all know that there are many different
trim levels of 89 and 90 Transporters. Heck, Transporter means: Double Cab,
Single Cab, Window Van, Panel Van etc - basically it is a badge that
Volkswagen puts on their "LKW" or commercial T3 chassis vehicles. All forms
of the Transporter will have vastly different crash test results so there
goes the DOT thing. There are also factory installed JX (69 hp Diesel) and
DJ (112 hp gasser) engines in these which DO NOT meet EPA specs as they have
never been tested by the EPA, there for technically not legal to run on the
public highways of the USA, just like the South African engines out there,
yet they are there - interesting. So how can anyone say that all 89 and 90s
are the same when there is clearly vast differences in these years as with
all years of the Transporter. I have a 1989 TriStar Transporter and it is
different than ANY North American spec Transporter or TriStar on a "safety"
spec and "pollution" spec. 112hp DJ motor to start (before I swapped it to
TDI), no side markers, H4 headlights, no park lights in the front signal
lights etc... there is no way this would meet the DOT and EPA regs... but it
is a lot closer to the spec than the 1990 Transporter that my friend has.
I think we all know this is about red tape and the NHTSA doesn't know squat
about these vehicles. If ALL 89 and 90s conform then ALL 86-88s conform as
well as the 91 and 92 models and quite honestly, so would anything that
would resemble a Transporter made by a different company! Just don't tell
them about the user height adjustable headlights in the 90 to 92 models -
that's really make them angry!
I keep on hearing $7000 for an RI to do their work - someone is getting
rich! The last RI that I hired charged my customer $350 USD for a 1985
Transporter and let us do the modification work, which was simple and took
us about 2h to complete. He took some pictures, signed some papers and we
were done.
I'm not trying to diss anyone here, just stating that fact that the
regulations are a farce and the whole system is very wrong. I think the
thing that shows that all 89s and 90s conform is that you (the RI) can make
a petition showing that a "1989 Transporter" conforms. This petition by
definition states that if one complies, they all comply of the same year,
which, for our example they are not the same. Quite honestly, who really
cares? There is no real good reason to keep any mass produced vehicle like
the Vanagon / Transporter out of the USA other than it keeps the lobbyists
for Ford, Dodge and GM happy as they get to protect their home market with
these laws. We all know that bumpers are the same, all have safety glass,
seat belts and the same material in the sides of them... they will all
behave in a crash just like an American spec Vanagon. Engines, well, there
are so many non-EPA engines in our Vanagons now that letting a few more in
won't make any difference. Just park it next to an H2 and you are a saint!
Cheers!
David Marshall
Fast Forward Automotive Inc.
4356 Quesnel-Hixon Road
Quesnel BC Canada V2J 6Z3
http://www.fastforward.ca mailto:sales@fastforward.ca
Phone: (250) 992 7775 FAX: (250) 992 1160
- Vanagon Accessories and Engine Conversions
- Vanagon, Transporter and Iltis Sales and Importation
- European Lighting for most Volkswagen models
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-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com]On Behalf
Of Kim Springer
Sent: February 5, 2005 9:12 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Importing
Hello all,
I'm very new to the list. In fact, I joined in order to find a model year
'89 Vanagon in good shape for my RI to work with. I then found Paul on ebay
locally and he is helping me out. Thanks Paul.
So what is it that you need to know about importing a Vanagon or Doka?
The NHTSA has a list of vehicles that are "conforming". In NHTSA language
this means that they have been proven compliant for importation. However,
this does not mean that you can get a letter from the NHTSA or anybody else
that you can use to get it in legally and registered. As has been
mentioned, VWoA no longer offers these. I'm not even sure if they do for
original owners.
There are all sorts of tricks people use to get them in and registered, and
I'm not going into that description.
So, there are two model years that are conforming for TRANSPORTERs. A doka
is a transporter. These years are '89 and '90. that's it!. I believe if
you are importing a vehicle that is older than 25 years, you do not need to
bring it in with an RI, but I would re-read the NHTSA website before I
assumed that. But I'm pretty sure that is what I read.
If you try to bring in another year, probably, (other than '89 or '90), I'm
not absolutely sure, but the Registered Importer will probably charge more
and will tell you that you run the risk of needing to crash test a few
vehicles with a hefty cost of renting the facility to do the testing; I
think there is a facility in S. Cal.
I wouldn't try bringing in other than a '89 or '90 with an RI.
Also, the process for the RI is huge. Mine tells me he has a 200 page form
with 250 different items he must verify. I believe him. He had the truck
for 2 weeks and he had covered 25 items, run into 2 small issues with the
emissions, but had cleared those up. As this email mentioned, he must also
do a comparison to a stock California vehicle (in my case). The RI will put
in a lot of hours, do a lot of paperwork, etc. The RI also puts a tag with
their name on it as the importer. If there is an accident, someone dies,
it's the importer that has to carry the insurance. The vehicle must be
safe. The RI's have to carry I believe a 5,000,000 insurance policy. You
can look all this up in the NHTSA website. You can become an RI too if you
want. Maybe someone on the list should become one, specifically for the
purpose of bringing in these vehicles.
In addition there is the CA EPA work that may need to be done. In my case
the book that every smog station has, has an error in it. It says that the
'89 model year must have an EGR. We all know that '89s don't have EGRs, so
the RI is going to have to deal with that issue as well, and many others.
I guess what I am trying to say is that it takes a lot of money, a lot of
time, and a lot of patience.
I hope this clears some things up. Likely it will generate a lot more
questions. Just ask, I'm doing it.
Kim
If you are lucky to find an RI who has done a Vanagon before, you may
be able to get them to do for less than the typical $7k fee,
especially if it is the same year/model.
I know an RI in San Francisco that is currently importing an 89 DOKA from
Germany for one of their clients.
-Paul
>An RI is a Registered Importer. This is an individual or company that is
>licensed by the DOT/NHTSA to import non-conforming vehicles into the USA.
>Most RIs charge ~$7,000/vehicle for the certification process.
