# How to legally kill a baby seal (skyline importing) **URL:** \ **Category:** NYSpeed Automotive\ **Created:** [December 12, 2012, 8:14am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/how-to-legally-kill-a-baby-seal-skyline-importing/227707 "2012-12-12T08:14:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BigRon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/58956e/32.png) [@BigRon](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/BigRon)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2012, 8:14am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/how-to-legally-kill-a-baby-seal-skyline-importing/227707/1 "2012-12-12T08:14:12Z")
> **["Show or Display" rule used to import pair of Skylines into the US... legally...](https://www.autoblog.com/2012/12/12/show-or-display-rule-used-to-import-pair-of-skylines-into-the/)** > > What's that old saying, "the grass is always greener" is it? That notion rings especially true for enthusiasts of foreign sports cars, where great efforts are often taken to import these supremely rare performance machines. Some of the more difficult... > Sean Morris in attempting to import not one, but two R32 Nismo GT-Rs. Morris owns [www.showordisplay.com](http://www.showordisplay.com), which brings to light a loophole for vehicles older than 21 years and of “historical or technological significance.” We would argue that a Nismo GT-R has both. > > According to Morris’s site, the Environmental Protection Agency has emissions exemptions for vehicles that are 21 years or older, while the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration exemptions extend to vehicles older than 25 years. He continually followed up with the Department of Transportation, eventually giving up, but in September of this year he received a letter from NHTSA. The letter granted him permission to import any of the 560 (500 homologation production plus 60 racing versions) of the R32 Skyline GT-R. > > He found chassis #383 and #500. The former was imported and sold to a buyer in Chicago, while he took ownership of the latter. Living with a vehicle under the Show and Display rules has its limitations. The car will have to meet EPA standards as well as pass California Air Resources Board (CARB) testing if sold in California. Furthermore, a “Show or Display” car can only be driven 2,500 miles per year. Many of these JDM vehicles have passed Japan’s more rigorous “Shaken” testing and the mileage limitation is a small price to pay for legally achieving this longtime goal of Morris and others with their minds set on importing a terrific crop of foreign cars. ---
**Author:** ![LXIFLYBY](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/lxiflyby/32/7399_2.png) [@LXIFLYBY](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/LXIFLYBY)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2012, 1:46pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/how-to-legally-kill-a-baby-seal-skyline-importing/227707/2 "2012-12-12T13:46:14Z")
i can only imagine the run around and cost associated with importing one of these, but good for him ---
**Author:** ![MPD47](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/mpd47/32/7383_2.png) [@MPD47](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/MPD47)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2012, 1:57pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/how-to-legally-kill-a-baby-seal-skyline-importing/227707/3 "2012-12-12T13:57:43Z")
Or you can just wait 14 months till they hit 25 years since the start of production and hit that nice little “25 year exemption” box on the HS7 form and purely pay import taxes on the purchase price. ---
**Author:** ![ultradriver10000](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/ultradriver10000/32/7397_2.png) [@ultradriver10000](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ultradriver10000)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2012, 2:38pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/how-to-legally-kill-a-baby-seal-skyline-importing/227707/4 "2012-12-12T14:38:11Z")
why would someone what one of these? ---
**Author:** ![Onyx\_Z32](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/onyx_z32/32/7581_2.png) [@Onyx\_Z32](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Onyx_Z32)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2012, 3:59pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/how-to-legally-kill-a-baby-seal-skyline-importing/227707/5 "2012-12-12T15:59:23Z")
Interesting, but let’s see them follow up with him down a road. ---
**Author:** ![somedude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@somedude](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/somedude)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2012, 4:05pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/how-to-legally-kill-a-baby-seal-skyline-importing/227707/6 "2012-12-12T16:05:08Z")
> [@ultradriver10000](#): > > why would someone what one of these? 10+ years ago I thought they were amazing cars. I just imagine people will be paying a huge premium for a car that will be plagued with issues that 25 year old cars have ---
**Author:** ![1QIKZ](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/1qikz/32/6112_2.png) [@1QIKZ](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/1QIKZ)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2012, 4:21pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/how-to-legally-kill-a-baby-seal-skyline-importing/227707/7 "2012-12-12T16:21:01Z")
Hell, I don’t get to put 2500 miles on in a year. ---
**Author:** ![livin4hockey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d2c977/32.png) [@livin4hockey](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/livin4hockey)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2012, 4:23pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/how-to-legally-kill-a-baby-seal-skyline-importing/227707/8 "2012-12-12T16:23:34Z")
> [@somedude](#): > > 10+ years ago I thought they were amazing cars. I just imagine people will be paying a huge premium for a car that will be plagued with issues that 25 year old cars have I’ll be one of those people. I have always had a soft spot for the R32 and would love to own one some day. There are plenty of cars out there though that are 25 years old that people might still pay a premium for. To each his own I guess. ---
**Author:** ![oneslowdsm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8491ac/32.png) [@oneslowdsm](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/oneslowdsm)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2012, 6:29pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/how-to-legally-kill-a-baby-seal-skyline-importing/227707/9 "2012-12-12T18:29:32Z")
And car #500 is up for sale already… [http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1990-Nismo-Nissan-Skyline-GT-R-R32-Show-Display-Exemption-Legal-US-/221165413671?pt=US\_Cars\_Trucks&hash=item337e7c6527](http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1990-Nismo-Nissan-Skyline-GT-R-R32-Show-Display-Exemption-Legal-US-/221165413671?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item337e7c6527) ---
**Author:** ![captain\_morgan1](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/captain_morgan1/32/5928_2.png) [@captain\_morgan1](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/captain_morgan1)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2012, 7:03pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/how-to-legally-kill-a-baby-seal-skyline-importing/227707/10 "2012-12-12T19:03:25Z")
Meh when the R34 is legal lmk ---
**Author:** ![Onyx\_Z32](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/onyx_z32/32/7581_2.png) [@Onyx\_Z32](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Onyx_Z32)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2012, 6:32am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/how-to-legally-kill-a-baby-seal-skyline-importing/227707/11 "2012-12-13T06:32:48Z")
The guy who imported these used to work for MotoRex. ---
**Author:** ![TrueBlue](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/trueblue/32/7245_2.png) [@TrueBlue](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/TrueBlue)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2012, 6:47am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/how-to-legally-kill-a-baby-seal-skyline-importing/227707/12 "2012-12-13T06:47:59Z")
> [@MPD47](#): > > Or you can just wait 14 months till they hit 25 years since the start of production and hit that nice little “25 year exemption” box on the HS7 form and purely pay import taxes on the purchase price. I have to agree here. There’s just so many loopholes, legal hoops, and unforeseen headaches with owning one of these “gray market” cars. You’d be an interweb hero, but other than that not worth the risks with special documentation.