Sounds like a major PIA.

Save your cash and buy one when you get back to the states.

If you have the money.. and you really want a RHD that bad.. I think it is possible to get one back. But for an E-3.. not very likely.

darn, I agree on the major PIA thing... ah well. I guess I don't get to be more unique than any other Rex in the states :-P



FD3, I think I might just do that, how much was your paintjob? Hehe... that's the color I want

Not true...Army has it EASIER...why? Because I had a soldier who was an E-1...that's right...E-1...and he owned a car. Navy/Marine corps is E-4 with 2 or more years on island(correct me if I'm wrong) OR E-5+. If your married and an E-3 or Below, you are authorized to own a car also.

lol...E-3 with MORE than 2 years on island can own a car. You can't just own a car if your an E-3.

Those are some fucked up regs on Okinawia...I'm sooooo happy that I was on another base....Ok was nice to visit in feb.. but I wouldn't want to be stationed there...so much easier on my base....and I don't know why you guys are having such a hard time sending cars back as p.o.v I know 3 Air Force guys that sent there sileightys back pov. no problems..I guess you just need to know how to work the system....I also know 4 guys that took there bikes with them when they left...and they did them on a regular pack out...at each rank you are allowed so much weight to be moved out...I think mine was around 3k...I asked the guys if I could send my bike back since it was only 375 lbs...no problem as long as nothing is in it ie..oil fuel etc...and that was from my transportation office..

Air Force has a pretty easy time as well. Licensing requirements...go watch a video on the local wildlife and sea creatures, and you get a drivers license (go figure) E-1 to O-7 does not matter, all Air Force members and their SOFA sponsored dependants are authorized a vehicle as long as you are 16 and have a legal stateside drivers license or take the drivers class located at the rec center.



As far as shipping vehicles back. It takes a lot of time and research on your own part. You have to search out a Registered Importer (RI) That is willing to work with your type of vehicle. Then you have to deal with the mountain of paperwork, shipping documants, EPA docments, Customs documents and a bond for the car ( 1.5 x the dutiable value for the car). the Bond is to insure that the car will go through the legal trail in order to be legal. ALL of this paperwork has to be done PRIOR to shipping, so give yourself time. If the car arrives at a stateside Port it has 30-60 days to have all of this done before Customs will release it to the RI. The RI then takes the car to its facility for the conversion process. During the conversion a series of photos have to be taken and sent to the Dept. Of Transportation. Ussually around 75-100 pictures of all the modifications performed. Then the car goes to a EPA lab and the emissions are checked. Once all the modifications are complete, and the EPA sends the RI the passed paperwork the entire package (photos and paperwork) all go to the DOT, where the package is assigned a case worker. The Case worker reviews all the mods and paperwork and assigns a VIN #. The package is sent back to the RI for the final application of the new VIN. Then the car goes into a 30 day hold while the Package is reviewed again at the DOT. This whole process can take up to 6 months. And if the car fails EPA or DOT review. It starts all over again. Any cost to have the car meet EPA emissions standards are your responsibility, and do not expect them to use used parts to get it to comply. Getting insurance is also fun. The car has a non stateside VIN configuration now, so all the insurance companies have no idea what it is according to their database. So after you tell them the car has been imported it becomes a high risk because the parts to repair the car may not be available in the US.



I did a lot of research on this because I believe MotoRex are a bunch of money grubbing fools. And I wanted to take my Skyline back to the US with me.



If you want a RX-7 in the US, then do yourself a favor, buy the car you want in Japan, get the stuff you want on it, rip it all aff before you transfer back to the US and instal it on a vehicle wehn you get back. The money you make in Japan for Cost Of Living Allowance (COLA) will help you acheive this. Save up while you are here and the FD you want will be affordable when you transfer back.



More reading on all of the shipping requirements is available @



NHTSA website on importing

Yea, what he said. You can take any engine back with you(though TMO will tell you that you can't). Just do a good old engine swap. Much easier than the hassle of taking a whole car back.



You just don't tell the EPA you did a swap.. https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...1047683785.gif