Topic: Auto Thread: Talk Cars or Trade Parts (Read 3360 times)

Problem with engine swaps depend on the state laws(if any),California is pretty bad, all aftermarket parts have to have a CARB test sticker and engine swaps have to go to state testing location for inspection to make sure the car has all the smog equipment still on it. The guys that run is this state testing stations are super sharp(Unlike test only stations lol) and unless your on there good side they won't let anything slide.

A Trick a few people use in California, register in Louisiana. The top writing of the plate looks the same and most of the state didn't have smog laws.

I moved all my cars over to Arizona registration, No smog, and 50% cheaper than California, and I can register my cars for 5 years and my drivers license doesn't expire till 2044.

Anyone here with an SR20 swap on a Silvia have/know any issues with inspection or passing smog in certain states? Heard that might be an issue.

15 for Canada, 25 for the U.S.A.

it says 15 years old on that site

The main difference is that to bring a car into the US easily it needs to be 25 years old.  Otherwise you'll have to Federalize it which is very expensive.

I've always bought at auction through the services of a broker, never travelled there.

I would recommend Scott at http://www.japancardirect.com/

I'm in the U.S. I'm guessing several things would be different with regulations. Anything difficult from your experience? Have you gone to Japan to check any of them out, or if not have you simply used a certain company online (which one/s did you use)?

Yes, I've bought my last four from Japan.  It's straightforward if you live in Canada.

Has anyone here had any experience with importing a car from, say, Japan?

Haha, no, I wish!  Well, in some ways, haha.

Whoa!  I'll bet there was some tobacco in his shorts after that!

@SgtSpike

This must be you with the 900hp 9 second Miata huh? Heheh seriously though the guy makes a nice save.

The G35 I raced didn't appreciate being smoked by a Miata. 

Huh, didn't know the handling issues with the Z were this common. Yeah I'm afraid of blowing the engine on a TT model I pick up after this many years. Yeah, almost all 300zx's I've seen have fuel injector problems. I think I've heard of weird a/c issues also because of some unique system this model uses? Don't really know, have you had any issues with that? I know what you mean, the amount of room you have to work with under the hood is tight to say the least.

Yup, the power is what I'm debating because I like the look of the G35 and some other weaker cars. Your G35 chipped? I ask because you say its locked at 155. Sorry to hear about the banged up bumpers heheh.

Well I have to add a few things to this thread.

I've had a 91 300Z TT ,03 G35, 85 944


The 300zx twin turbo is a great car, it has stock 300 or 280hp depending on the model.
Its great for freeway racing, once your turbo spool up your gone!
But if you have to turn thats when it really shows that the handling isn't great.
300hp to 400Hp, is very easy on a stock car, exhaust system, boost controller,intake
Bad side, the fuel injectors that came stock do not handle ethanol very well and fall apart.
This car because of the age is going to cost alot more to mantain, expect a min of 2k per year.
I blew the engine in my TT going ~130 mph, threw a bearing.
Thing is a pain in the ass to work on!!

The 944 is a great handling car, mine was a non-turbo.
If you like to drive hilly roads or take turns fast this is a great car.
Your going to need a turbo to go over 120 in this car.
This car is really FUN to work on, its so easy to change parts and work on the engine.
Parts are pretty cheap because it shares parts with the 928.

The G35 is a fun little toy, if you don't need 400+ HP.
Its electronically limited @ 155 MPH, I've only been able to get mine up to 142MPH(stock)
Mods on this engine don't produce huge gains, if you put an intake your lucky to get 5 HP.
Has pretty good brakes, if you put good pads and cross drills you never have brake fade.
If someone taps your bumper @ 5mph the repair cost run around 2k. I've had 3 people back into my car! both the front and back bumper!
headlight are a Pain in the ass to keep clean, because they haze over.
Traction control on this Car seems to work great compared with other cars, Its almost a game to see how many times you can set it off lol

I never personally owned a S13/S14. I did help wrench on a few and saw the troubles associated with a budget platform being stressed to its limits. They're fun cars but they'll piss you off right quick initially. All the issues that can crop up in the SR20 swap alone could turn you off from the platform.


I'm eagerly watching to possibly buy a little brother for my STI but all the rumors are saying the BRZ STI will just have upgraded suspension and a retune. Then again there is the new turbo 2.0L from the jdm Legacy GT that Subaru is putting out.. maybe that will make its way in to the BRZ. All else fails I'm sure in a few months we'll have some EJ257 swaps in to the BRZ making stupid power. Or I suppose a frankenmotor using the stock FA20.

I like the taste in here, E30s definitely a nice machine. Although for myself currently, I'll stick to some others.

Both would be just for collecting, not tracking.  A clean low mileage ITR already fetches what it did when it was new, as does a the M3.  It won't be much longer before prices for either will be out of reach

I don't know where you live, but ITRs tend to be near the top of the "most frequently stolen cars" list-- and the insurance rates are jacked accordingly..
Besides, I've driven my share of wrong-wheel drive cars on track, and I wouldn't want that for frequent track use.

Both are just plain awesome platforms. I just hope Bitcoin takes off so I can get both

At the cheap end I have an E46 in the drive.  (318ti 2000 model - basic, and fun to hack around in)