VR4 possibility

[sirspanky]

Hey guys. I live in Orlando, Florida, USA. And until 2 days ago I didnt even know this car existed. In 1991 Mitsu stopped importing the Galant VR4. We've gotten the regular galant and the slightly sportier V6 model, but nothing like this.

Anyway, a friend of mine happens to know someone who has one of these at a port down south. I can go down there and test drive it. If I like it it would cost me about $8000 for the car and, if I do it through them, another $8000 to have it legalized.

That makes me quiver. I like the car but I would probablly be the only person in all of the state to have one.

I just want to know what everyones thoughts on the car is...in all honesty. Cause I need somthing thats gonna last awhile.

also is there anyone else in the US on this forum?

[Zeke]

There is another person in Maryland who has one. I live in the US but currently driving a VR4 around in the caribbeans. I am also thinking about taking it back with me when I leave towards the end of the year. Can you tell me how and why the VR4 was shipped to wherever it is now and who is doing the legalizing?
I would ship it to florida and then have the guy who is legalizing yours to do mine if possible.

To answer your questions, it is a very nice and powerful car, but maintaining it is not cheap. If I can do it from a remote island with no real autoshops i'm sure you will have no problems keeping it running good for a long time with the proper care.

[KiwiTT]

Two words "Ultimate Sleeper"

Now a few more. The VR-4 is a car that requires very regular servicing. If you have the place that services Mitsubishi Galants near they will have access to the diagnostic codes, special oils and fluids.

You may have seen the EVO series Mitsubishi's. The Galant VR-4 is effectively an EVO with a Galant body and a lot more civilised. Be warned it loves petrol, because it runs rich, but the approx. 300hp it generates and the surefootedness of the 4WD system will let you drive around corners at the legal speed limit as opposed to the recommned speed for that corner.

Be sure to check out the the specifications and buyers guide under resource above.

[sirspanky]

There is another person in Maryland who has one. I live in the US but currently driving a VR4 around in the caribbeans. I am also thinking about taking it back with me when I leave towards the end of the year. Can you tell me how and why the VR4 was shipped to wherever it is now and who is doing the legalizing?
I would ship it to florida and then have the guy who is legalizing yours to do mine if possible.

To answer your questions, it is a very nice and powerful car, but maintaining it is not cheap. If I can do it from a remote island with no real autoshops i'm sure you will have no problems keeping it running good for a long time with the proper care.

Well the guy I know goes about legalizing in a differnet way. He gets it legalized through shipping it to puerto rico, having it stripped, everything cratded up brought in through customs as a parts car, I would have to buy it from someone in puerto rico. Then when it gets here, have it reassembled as a kit car.

..Or you can go the expensive route, which would probablly cost well into the $20K mark just for legaliziation.

..so Im considering actually flying to puerto rico when it gets there and taking it apart myself, so I know its done right.

Then picking it up and reassembling at a shop close to the port.

Its good to know friends...hehe.

Thanks for the advice, I just got out of a car that got terrible gas mileage so Im sure this will be nothing but an improvment. Ill keep you updated about the legalization process...

the friend with the shop, just imported an EVO 7 and is awaiting paperwork.

[Zeke]

Thanks, that was a big help. I'm in St Martin, which is only about an hour from PR by air. I didn't know you could import JDM cars there without a dragged out process like mainland US. If that's true I may also consider this route, and go with either a newer VR4 or a ER34 Skyline sedan. Either way I think total costs will still be under $25k, which is very reasonable.

The guy from Maryland is not talkative at all and would only tell me he had it totalled and then rebuilt in the US. This is out of the question for me.

Please keep me updated. Thanks!

[ThEbIrDmAn13]

Bernard happened to bring that car through military customs into the US and he is the ONLY VR4 in the US, whomever said they have one somewhere else and is not in the US military is either a very ignorant person and will never sell the car due to price, or lying out their you know what... anyway...it really wouldn't cost too much to import a non-us spec car to the east coast since it doesn't have to meet all the stringent california safety and emissions tests...so i would search around...you could probably get the VR4 here for around $12k if you know someone that is willing to help...let's just say, if you are in the military, well, you don't have to get it legalized if you keep the non-us vin number and register it as a military import....

[Zeke]

Bernard happened to bring that car through military customs into the US and he is the ONLY VR4 in the US, whomever said they have one somewhere else and is not in the US military is either a very ignorant person and will never sell the car due to price, or lying out their you know what... anyway...it really wouldn't cost too much to import a non-us spec car to the east coast since it doesn't have to meet all the stringent california safety and emissions tests...so i would search around...you could probably get the VR4 here for around $12k if you know someone that is willing to help...let's just say, if you are in the military, well, you don't have to get it legalized if you keep the non-us vin number and register it as a military import....

Was he lying to me when he said he had to rebuild it? He only replied to me once on AIM.
Anyway $12k isn't too bad for a $10k car. Still under $25k total with shipping. Do you have any information about this process or should I just go visit the local DMV and have them direct me? I will be legalizing it in upstate NY.

Thanks for the replies.
Sorry sirspanky don't mean to hijack your thread! /pan

[sirspanky]

no worries. I didnt even thin about asking a friend of mine to import one through military....hmmm, Im going to make a phoe call..

also Zeke, you wouldn't need to have it shipped to puerto rico first, since your already outside of the US, you could have it taken apart there, and then brought in..no need for you to have it taken to PR.

[Zeke]

How much stripping is necessary? Engine, wheels, interior? Or everything but the shell.

[sirspanky]

depends on the mood of the customs agent. But, my understanding is that nothing can be attached to the chasis, so the engine can stay together...just not in the car, as well as interiorminus the dash, the doors and pretty much every extremity.

[sirspanky]

ok so I was doing some research and found a website about importing and legalization for the US. There is a company that will take care of everything and Im awaiting their return phone call.

Some things I need to know about the VR4:

Do they have catalytic converters? Set up for OBD2?

why is the US DOT worried about the locks and such. Ill put a link up for the site Im at.

http://www.ri-ici.com/

you go into the main page and it has a listing of everything that needs to be done to the car for EPA and for DOT purposes.

[ThEbIrDmAn13]

the car is set up for OBD2, but i believe the codes are dofferent than the US codes, there is a list of codes on this site somewhere so that shouldn't be a problem, and really any part you need can be purchased at a local dealership...they can get parts as long as they have the # and i believe they can also read the foreign OBD2 codes... they haven cats, i'm not too sure of the difference between those and the USDM cats and cali spec cats though...

I read through the DMV part and the car wouldn't have much if anything to convert...as long as you bring in the LHD version, or world spec VR4, then you should be fine except the speedo, everything else is already set for driving in the US. most of the stuff on there is for older cars that are RHD... and the EPA standards shouldn't be a problem either...the only thing they may do is change out the cats, and since you aren't going to register it in Cali, then it should actually comply already... you sent them an email, so wait to see what they say... Good Luck

[Nick Mann]

...as long as you bring in the LHD version, or world spec VR4, ....

Hope you aren't talking about the 8g VR4! There was never a LHD version from the factory. All sensible countries drive on the left, so why bother with anything other than RHD?! :p

[ThEbIrDmAn13]

so you're saying that the 4 countries out of the 280 in the world are the only sensible countries in the world...hahaha... anyway, they did make LHD VR4s from the factory...all you have to do is look in any country besides Japan, England, and Australia... Phillipines has them... Aruba has them as their police cars... pretty much anywhere but the US that doesn't drive on the wrong side of the road has them...even all the Southeast Asian countries...I've seen them in the desert...

[Zeke]

so you're saying that the 4 countries out of the 280 in the world are the only sensible countries in the world...hahaha... anyway, they did make LHD VR4s from the factory...all you have to do is look in any country besides Japan, England, and Australia... Phillipines has them... Aruba has them as their police cars... pretty much anywhere but the US that doesn't drive on the wrong side of the road has them...even all the Southeast Asian countries...I've seen them in the desert...

You're smoking some good ****!

[Kenneth]

Apologies to any spongebob fans... :evil2:

http://www.lamarihuana.com/fotos/data/527/6483Spongebob_smoking_Weed.jpg

[Nick Mann]

so you're saying that the 4 countries out of the 280 in the world are the only sensible countries in the world...

PMSL!! I think you'll find that the numbers are in your favour, but the sensible country comment is graciously accepted! For the proper British view point and an interesting comparison list, see here (http://users.pandora.be/worldstandards/driving%20on%20the%20left.htm#leftdriving). :p



... anyway, they did make LHD VR4s from the factory... Are we talking 8th generation? Are you sure? I understand that Mitsubishi never made a 2.5 V6 TT galant in LHD. :inquisiti

[Wouter]

This may sound sad.....

But that was pretty cool to read! I never would have thought that a third of the planet drives normally!

Nice one Nick!! :thumbsup:

[Brunty]

A newspaper story one April Fool's Day suggested that, to further European integration, the UK was to convert to driving on the right. However, owing to the huge amount of work this conversion would cause, it would be phased in: for the first six months the regulation would only apply to buses and taxis.

:D :D :D :D

[ThEbIrDmAn13]

that was very interesting reading...and look where pretty much all the countries are that drive on the left... except you and 1 other... hehe anyway, yes the did make 8th Gen VR4s in LHD... i've seen them when i was deployed to the middle east...

[Zeke]

that was very interesting reading...and look where pretty much all the countries are that drive on the left... except you and 1 other... hehe anyway, yes the did make 8th Gen VR4s in LHD... i've seen them when i was deployed to the middle east...

That sounds egocentric.
Are you sure you didn't see a mirage in the desert... My classmate who has lived in Dubai for 15 years has never heard of a 6a13TT vr4 till I got it, and he is 100% pure-grain ricer.

[ThEbIrDmAn13]

i'm positive...i was in iraq when i saw the first one and there was one in qatar also...at the doha mall...didn't have my camera handy though or believe me i would have taken a photo