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Old 04-23-2013, 06:10 PM   #6 (permalink)
rmay635703
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Quote:
Originally Posted by War_Wagon View Post
I don't think it will ever get any easier to import grey market vehicles.

So in other words, no one was looking for things like side marker lights, proper crash rated bumpers etc. Once the powers that be figured that out, they made it WAY harder to import things.
I don't think they need to look for crash rated bumpers, buyer beware when buying an old car or an overseas one.

Quote:
Originally Posted by War_Wagon View Post
And I don't think you'll ever see the police wanting anything to do with the process, mainly for liability reasons. A policeman isn't going to be an expert on federal rules for 20 year old vehicles from Japan, so if he says it looks good, then someone gets hurt in an accident because the vehicle was in good condition but didn't have bumpers rated correctly for crash standards of a north American vehicle of that year, then guess who is going to be getting sued? The police won't want that possible headache.
Police still need to do the walkaround on a salvage title in this state (at least if you want it on the road)

The walkaround is the same FOR ALL VEHICLES REGARDLESS OF AGE OR ORIGIN. It checks for correct lights, tires, brakes, seatbelts, airbag(if applicable) and controls and occasionally for top speed. For salvage there are other structural elements to check.

As for liability the police always were not liable for vehicles on the road nor are they now. A certificate stating they don't warrant the vehicle as crash ready should be enough.

That is the way it was through the 80's here and you didn't see absolutely tons of foreign model imports in the true sense either. I have a feeling if they re-opened the doors the number of imported cars would be high for a period of time and then die off as most people WILL NOT IMPORT FOREIGN CARS LEGAL OR NOT. And by high I mean maybe 1% of "new" car sales.

The key with gray market sales is to limit it to used cars, that was how it always was and how it always should be, that eliminates the new car competition interest problem.

Cheers
Ryan
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