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What I want to know


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...is whether or not the G8ST had already passed the test of all Federal standards and had been approved for importation to the US before it was killed.

If it did, wouldn't that make a Holden Ute an approved import when equipped in the same manner?

It might be the loophole I've been looking for.

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I also found this on the NHTSA site:

The production, sale and importation of automotive bodies alone (i.e., no chassis, engine or transmission) are not regulated by EPA since such units are not considered "motor vehicles" under the Clean Air Act. EPA form 3520-1 is not required for imported automotive bodies. A motor vehicle from which the engine has been removed is still a motor vehicle and is not considered a body.

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I also found this on the NHTSA site:

The production, sale and importation of automotive bodies alone (i.e., no chassis, engine or transmission) are not regulated by EPA since such units are not considered "motor vehicles" under the Clean Air Act. EPA form 3520-1 is not required for imported automotive bodies. A motor vehicle from which the engine has been removed is still a motor vehicle and is not considered a body.

Does it really matter if you bring the body in and use it as a basis for a homemade car, which you create a VIN for? The EPA only regulates imported cars, not ones built at home.

I don't know PA law, but NJ homemade auto law generally only requires you to have receipts for major parts to demonstrate that they are not stolen. Then in order to inspect, you need to meet the basic NHTSA/NJ safety requirements (headlights, horn, windshield defogger).

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Caterham-Lotus, builders of the seven, use the composite approach, as does Superformance with the Cobra replica they build in South Africa.

Ford sells Mustang Body's "in white" for racing, and I believe GM sells the Camaro the same way.

Buy a Wrecked G8 GXP at the salvage auction, buy the body in white from Holden (or whatever portion of it you will need) and make your own G8/ST. Illegal to do, but then flip vins.

Local GTO restorer did that with a mildly wrecked 65 GTO convertible owned by a guy getting a divorce. All the good GTO bits went on a 64 Lemans convertible project car, which made one hell of a 65 GTO. Divorce lawyers couldn't touch the Lemans because it was titled to the guys sister.

After the divorce, the vins swaped and the 64 became the 65 and the 65 became the 64.

It was just sad seeing a "real" 65 GTO convertible that was now a "64 Lemans" go to the crusher.

But seriously, I think you could keep the wrecked G8's vin # and all the little #'d items that go with it.

And it may be legal in PA to swqap vin plates. It was in Ohio at one point, as a friend of mine who worked for the sherrif's office that officially witnessed it being done.

Something about one car being destroyed and another car taking it's place, IIRC.

Chris

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...or wait 25 years. It is what several peoplee have done with E-30 BMW wagons...irony of irony, I was driving eastbound on I-70 today and saw a BMW E-30 wagon and thought of you and the holden thing.

I don't want the FBI on my ass...but I have Unofficially known of people saping vins on everything from a 49 Merc Full custom to a TDI Golf to a ferrari.

That might be better than bringing in a Holeden Ute and trying to drive it. One of the guys in the VW club brought over some unusual limited production VW from Europe because he just "had to have" that car. Somehwere in the matrix of the computer system the DMV uses around here the VIN kicked out.

The FBI siezed the car and madated it's crushing...but they let the guy keep every nut, bolt, washer, and unique piece off of the car. Guy then bought a stripped theft recovery Golf and built the identical car, had no trouble registering it.

Shell was even the same color IIRC as the "crushed" car so the guy didn't even have to paint the thing...

Chris

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Actually, there are a number of routes from A to B.

I'm liking the wrecked G8/new Ute body merger the best so far. The GXP VIN would stay in place as I would need the panel it is mounted to (the firewall would have to be saved from the GXP to get LHD anyway).

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Or just fid an importer that already has imported some of the Holdens already in this country. We have one in our area. It looks like a GTO but it is not.

Besides the right hand drive would be cool for picking up girls. LOL.

Though the drive through would be a Beeotch.

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