What would it take?

"AMC/Renauledge" (n2skylark)
10/07/2015 at 02:34 • Filed to: None

Does anyone know what it might cost and how much work it’d take to import and update a Daihatsu Copen to be legal in the US?

I know it’s small and cute and low on power (86hp with the EU-spec 1.3L). But it looks and - as I understand - drives like the funnest of fun cars. I don’t have room/funds at the moment, but I want to know what would need to be modified, what I could expect to pay, and how much it would cost to import an EU-market Copen in excellent shape.

DISCUSSION (22)

Amoore100 > AMC/Renauledge
10/07/2015 at 02:44

Isn’t it currently impossible because stupid 25 year import law? *sigh* fifteen more years until I can finally get a C6 into the states...

Kinja'd!!!

AMC/Renauledge > Amoore100
10/07/2015 at 02:49

Yeah, the 25-year rule means Copens can’t make it to the US unaltered for another dozen years.

But I adore the Copen.

CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist) > AMC/Renauledge
10/07/2015 at 02:54

Unfortunately, too much money and too much work to get through the gov’t. Or find a way to register it as a low speed vehicle...

El Darto > AMC/Renauledge
10/07/2015 at 02:58

AFAIK, you would either have to wait till it is 25 years old, or buy a bunch of new ones, make them compliant with US standards, then have them crash tested, go through the EPA stuff, etc.

911e46z06 > AMC/Renauledge
10/07/2015 at 02:59

Yeah, bro. 25 years. Good news though, Delta Integrales are legal now!

pip bip - choose Corrour > Amoore100
10/07/2015 at 02:59

become a diplomat perhaps?

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > AMC/Renauledge
10/07/2015 at 03:01

You would have to buy a large amount of them and modify them all to meet our crash/safety/lighting standards and submit them to the US government for extensive testing, certification, and type approval. The engine also has to go through a similar approval process for emissions. All in all, we’re talking millions of dollars just so you can drive one single car. Is it really worth that much to you?

Tohru > AMC/Renauledge
10/07/2015 at 03:03

Probably well over $500k. Because you’d have to federalize it. Most likely update it to OBD-II, make it meet US emissions and safety standards.

MultiplaOrgasms > AMC/Renauledge
10/07/2015 at 03:05

Move to a free country.

AMC/Renauledge > 911e46z06
10/07/2015 at 03:18

Kinja'd!!!

Given all that, maybe a 1991-94 Alfa Spider would be less trouble.

911e46z06 > AMC/Renauledge
10/07/2015 at 03:23

Just keep a fire extinguisher handy

Sam > AMC/Renauledge
10/07/2015 at 03:56

Enough money to go out and buy something much better. Like, fleet of V8 F-Types better.

gingabloke > AMC/Renauledge
10/07/2015 at 05:41

Plus, you’d have to buy a pair - one for each foot.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > AMC/Renauledge
10/07/2015 at 07:05

I’d file this under “so hard that it may take longer than waiting for the 25 year import ban.”

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > AMC/Renauledge
10/07/2015 at 07:59

Kinja'd!!!

Are these old Civic Si wheels?

Santiago of Escuderia Boricua > AMC/Renauledge
10/07/2015 at 08:17

Import for track use only

Scott > AMC/Renauledge
10/07/2015 at 08:32

I'm sure this is NOT a legal method, but when I was wanting to import a Yamaha XT660, a friend suggested I buy one in Mexico. Then sell the motor and bring the rest of it over in a couple shipments. Since in my case the same motor is sold in the US in Yamaha snowmobiles I could then get a legal US motor for it from a snowmobile.

Rebuild the bike, minus any badging or identification, and register it as a home built kit bike in my case. After it was registered apply the badging. In all my research I could not find anything specifically making it illegal. Although in the case of a motorcycles it is a little different in that crash testing is not done, so the main issue is emissions, which I have covered by the US sourced engine. For a car it has to be crash tested, but as I understand it from my friend, kit cars are exempt from that, and as long as the person doing the paper work to create a title for your car is not familiar with what you have you should be good.

While I never found anything specifically saying it is not allowed... I suspect if you got found out, your car would be seized and crushed and the government would say it does not matter that you did not break any law, you broke the spirit of the law. Which is why I just never bothered. A really good lawyer might get you out of the fines... but he probably would get your car back as a small cube of metal. Plus that really good lawyer would probably advise you... don't bring it in until it is 25yo.

AMC/Renauledge > gingabloke
10/07/2015 at 10:58

Luckily, I’m only 5’8” tall, so I’d fit. But yeah.

AMC/Renauledge > Santiago of Escuderia Boricua
10/07/2015 at 11:01

Yeah, this would double as a commuter and weekend car. Sounds like I’d need to wait the extra 12 years before it’s even remotely possible.

AMC/Renauledge > Scott
10/07/2015 at 11:07

The kit car idea is interesting. I’m pretty sure that’s how Caterham gets around the rules. But the Copen is way more complex.

A way to ensure emissions compliance would be to swap the 660 or 1300cc engines for a Ford 1.0L EcoBoost. Even the lower-powered 102hp version produces more hp than the original 1300 in the Copen.

Scott > AMC/Renauledge
10/07/2015 at 12:30

Caterham, actually is a kit car, although you can buy them fully assembled. Now that you mention it I do recall a C&D article about a supercar manufacturer (Noble comes to mind but some how I suspect I am wrong) that got around US import rules by selling the car in a couple major component that you bolt together, and then you supply your own engine, they had a suggested engine.

The thing is since it is not sold as a kit car that you assemble I suspect the government would frown on it. But talk to a Lawyer and find out, maybe you can have someone partially disassemble it before selling it to you. Plausible deniability works for politicians... so maybe. Still personally I know that if the government decides you did break the law, its a stiff fine, possibly even a risk of jail, and they crush your car. Also they like to make examples of people to discourage others so I’d say talk to a lawyer that understand import export law.

I’m not a lawyer, but I suspect if I am right that it does not specifically violate a law, but it does violate the spirit of the law, I suspect a lawyer will advise you not to do it. As well he'd probably tell you what the punishment could be if you do it anyway.

pip bip - choose Corrour > AMC/Renauledge
10/08/2015 at 06:10

a miracle.