The Not So Definitive Importing a Defender Supplemental - Desert Edition

[Abu Buckwheat]

I have done some Google-**** on many, many , many fine 4x4 & Land Rover sites over the last few months and have run into a bewildering collection of articles and threads about the various ways to import 25 year old defenders into the states. Doug (Maryland110) and others have had some fabulous advice but there is really no one spot on the internet that clears up the minor but harsh realities for people buying and importing 110s. What with the “Great Gold Rush of 1988” starting lets try to get in one spot the whoitz and whatsitz on the best and more trouble free way to get your Defenders into the USA.

I start off with some questions that are rarely addressed and no one can give me solids answer on:

For example, ECR posted an article about an English garage that had their Defenders rejected because they made waaayy too many mods on some Series vehicles and got rejected for import …

1) MUST all Defenders be in their original state with a high percentage of original parts to be imported? Whats the percentage?

2) My Vehicles are Registered in another Country with US Standard Emissions Testing but may have modifications made:

Example 1: I have a 1986 110 CSW – I put in a new stereo, GPS Mount and some lights. What if I want to place a new Safety Devices Roll Cage and Snorkel, Rock Sliders on it and a Engel Freezer in it while overseas. When I ship it home is this considered “Modified” from the original and will it get sent back?

Example2: The original 3.6L petrol engine blew out and was replaced by a 4.6L V8 Rover P-38 petrol engine while overseas. Before it can be imported back to the US of A does this car have to be returned BACK to an original installed engine or are other engines considered acceptable? I call this "the 300 TDI Conundrum" ... its like the Matrix only with a diesel engine and a world of confusing Customs rules, EPA stuff and gi-normous grey zones about whats really importable and whats not.

Example 3: A truck is modified with 2” Lift and 285/75/16 tires. Is this considered unacceptable?

Example 4: Someone wants a 200 oe 300 TDI or TD5 engine installed overseas … I know there is a thread for this but how are people getting TDI engines in the states and is a 8 year old TD5 legit (see below)?

Example 5: Foley Overland (a great company) sells on Ebay a TD5 body and engine with Air Con onto a 1984 110 Chassis in England and imports it (highly modified from the original 110 3.6L petrol V8), shipped to the USA for $31k … ****** and HOW is THAT legal?

3) How many 25 year old vehicles can a person import in a life time? I thought it was just one per person per lifetime but other people say as many as your state will allow. Really? De-fornicate me, cuz I'se confuzed! :yikes:

I could go on and on but whats it take to get our 25 year Defenders back stateside? The correct answer is consult a great Registered Importer, and I will, but many of you have done the deed … so spill! Add your own questions and links.

 

[rijosho]

http://www.d-90.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13713

 

[ZG]

It doesn't matter what kind of exterior modifications you do to it as long as it's a legal truck.

 

[meatblanket]

The rules unfortunately are subject to interpretation and that interpretation can vary from one customs officer to the next. So don't expect a "black letter law" type answer to most of your questions.

That said, my take on this as someone that has spent significant time researching the issue before importing my own junk, I can say that the vehicle is supposed to be over 25 years of age AND have its original engine (or identical replacement) to qualify for legal importation. That rule is broken quite frequently and without consequences as far as I can tell. That's your Example 5.

Example 4 can be done legally by doing the engine swap in the USA after importation is completed with the original engine.

Other mods (lift, tires, etc.) do not matter.

 

[ZG]

^engine is quite important I'll agree there. Mostly because engine swaps often use newer than 25year old and non-epa or dot approved engines.

 

[Abu Buckwheat]

Great answers and good thread on D-90.

How about the VIN? I have a VIN that shows my truck is a 1988 but the LR Heritage center shows the actual build date was in March 1989 ... Does Customs check the date of build or the year of the model?

Also I live in NY State ... how many vehicles can I import in a life?

 

[ZG]

I would contact dividing creek imports or green mountain rovers.

 

[Abu Buckwheat]

Dividing Creek has been HARD to get ahold of ... I'll try Green Mountain thanks! I am going to be bringing two 1986 110s back in the next month or so.

 

[rijosho]

Wow you have a ton of questions! haha. Did you read the entire d-90 thread? Build date and all that other stuff is covered in there.

Also, call NY State DMV or something if you're suspicius - but it wouldn't make sense for there to be a cap on bringing in foreign cars/trucks - it's not like you're the first person to ever do it, right? Doug (Dividing Creek) is a great guy, but must also make a living - if I were him I'd expect you to have done quite a bit of homework before calling and asking all of these questions (some seem fairly straight forward with a quick search).

Are you setting this up as a new business venture or personal?

 

[Abu Buckwheat]

Yes I ask allot of questions because thats what a information sharing forum is for? Look, I wasn't trying to be difficult but I work here in the Middle East :REOutShootinghunter lets just say, uh, ensuring that the South West Asia, the Middle East and Saharan North Africa is safe for all these German and Brit overlanders I see. Soooooo I get a just a little bit busy :ar15:

Also I am not a noob in the Defender game as I own 3 now in this country and operate small armed fleets of Defenders in two other countries. So a guy like me has limited internet time than the average Defender fanatic I have to compress my thoughts and questions into one thread.

My questions are for my personal vehicles, not for a business. The government is not shipping my vehicles this time. I read the D-90 thread (which is well over 249 post over six years) and threads on Rover north, on here, Landyzone, Defender2.net and other 4x4 forums. I have every issue of Overland Journal, and all of the Land Rover Monthlys for the last six years ... many answers are all over the place and with crazy, strategic contradictions. Meatblanket's answer above and Doug's answers on D-90 were the clearest I have seen so far.

I have been trying to get solid answers for well over a year and in fact none of these questions have straight forward answers in any of the fourms I have been to.

I will go to a Importer who has a good reputation. I have shipped many vehicles with the government for over 3 decades, but this is the first time I have to do it myself. However before anyone assumes one has to be a complete expert and well informed on in importing Defenders to go to an importer, :Wow1: well, any business that would want my very hard earned money would in fact be expected to answer numerous repeated dumb qestions with a smile and strive to educate me in an effort to transport my property.

 

[denisimo]

I found a dealer in States that sells 2007 Defenders as 1985 Defenders.

They imported them through FL, had it titled in FL then moved to a dealer in MI or MA and titled in their state. They were imported in Jan 2011. One of them had a car fax attached to the add on dealers website but it has been removed.


Ill post a link when i get to my pc.

Many diesel engines are EPA approved but were never imported to US. Ford will be selling a van next year with 3.2l or 3.5l diesel engine here in US. Same engine folks in Europe are using in LR.

 

[Abu Buckwheat]

I found a dealer in States that sells 2007 Defenders as 1985 Defenders.

They imported them through FL, had it titled in FL then moved to a dealer in MI or MA and titled in their state. They were imported in Jan 2011. One of them had a car fax attached to the add on dealers website but it has been removed.


Ill post a link when i get to my pc.

Many diesel engines are EPA aproved but were never imported to US. Ford will be selling a van next year with 3.2l or 3.5l diesel engine here in US. Same engine folks in europe are using in LR.

Really!? See I could pull my hair out when I see stuff like this. How do they do it?? :Wow1:
Do they just drop a 2007 body onto a 1985 chassis and engine and call it a day and US Customs just let it roll by but busts the chops of individuals who do it? WT-Frick? Can you post a pic so i can see what degree they are changing them?

 

[denisimo]

Really!? See I could pull my hair out when I see stuff like this. How do they do it?? :Wow1:
Do they just drop a 2007 body onto a 1985 chassis and engine and call it a day and US Customs just let it roll by but busts the chops of individuals who do it? WT-Frick? Can you post a pic so i can see what degree they are changing them?

Ill post a link to a dealer in a bit.

I spent few hours looking at their Defenders for few hours and comparing them to UK/Euro Defenders from head to toe, and they look brand newish 2007+ but used with low mileage and are LHD. They come with Puma engine.
If you run car fax, it will tell you that mileage is not correct or what ever the correct term is.

 

[denisimo]

My mistake, they are located in Alabama, i was thinking of something else.

Here is a link to the dealer. http://www.rmr4x4.com/web/1178/inventory

Scroll down and you will see newer Defenders.

If you look at their Defenders, you will see they are LHD and have no internal roll cages or external roll cages. Every bit about their Defenders clearly indicates that they are 2007 or newer. I dont know how they did it, give them a call and ask them.

Here is a link to VIN checker, it will tell you that their Defenders are 1985-1986 and made in UK, RHD and 5 speed..... not LHD or 6 speed.
http://www.disgruntledgoat.com/cont...W&approxAge=G&VIN=SALLDHAC7BA256617&op=crunch

Only thing i can think of, is some one converted a 1985 Defender from ground up to +2007 Defender, then imported them to US, thus the reason they are selling at such high price and are US legal.... but they have no roll cages. But a Defender must have roll cages to be DOT road legal.

 

[mongosd2]

Are really you that naive? It's one thing to find 2 or 3 trucks "restored" to that level. But the "restorations" that are being done, are done with a grinder, a drill and 4 rivets. They swapped the vin plates, you need to compare the vin on the frame (passenger side, in front of the spring perch, but there are other places on the frame with micro dots) to the vin on the brake booster. That's were they'll say it's a "replacement" frame, so there is no vin on it

Defenders do not need a roll cage to be DOT legal and no Land Rover diesel is a EPA type accepted engine. Are they here, yep, are they available for a swaps yep, are they coming over in trucks yep...Depends what color "grey" you want