[Sporqster]

Well, the wife has decided that she wants to sell her Civic and move up to a convertible. Cool. We've shopped around and looked at Miata's and even some MR2 Spyders... That Pontiac Solstice is cool if you can actully find one in person... but how much would it RULE if we had a Speedster?!?

Now I know I'm not the only person who has had this thought, so there must be some impossibilities preventing you from flying to Europe, putting it on a boat, and registering it at your local DMV as a special. Otherwise they're be Speedsters all over town.

Has anyone here ever imported a late model Euro- car? I work quite litterally next door to the ports at Savannah. What would have to happen for me to be cruising around town in my own Speedster... oh wait this was supposed to be her car, wasn't it...

 

[spdkilz02]

it really pretty much impossible to import a speedster for the fact they have different crash test ratings for the car and different emissions.

 

[Sporqster]

it really pretty much impossible to import a speedster for the fact they have different crash test ratings for the car and different emissions.

But if I build a Lotus 7 in my garage (locost 7, if you will) and put a Camaro motor in it, I can get a tag for that as a 'specialty built vehicle'. And it sure doesn't have to pass a crash test or emmissions or anything. What gives?

 

[Sporqster]

OR how can you register a Fiero as a 'Fiero' if you can lengthen the frame, put a Northstar V8 in it, and a Lamborghini body on it? What if purchased a fiero, pulled the vin plate off of it, riveted it to the Opel and said hey - it's a Fiero, I just replaced every part on it except for the vin plate.

At what point is a car no longer the car it says it is on the registration?

Lawyers and DMV clerks speak up?

 

[spdkilz02]

its always the car that the registration says it is, if u have the title for a speedster it will always be a speedster nothing else.

 

[spdkilz02]

i know to import a car from overseas and title it in ohio it has to have the 35 mph bumpers if newer then '74, and then they go into the emissions of it all. i already tried to import a right hand drive supra tt into the states. but was going to end up costing me another 25K on top of the cars price just to make it road legal here. but since there is no US speedster that would not even be possible to do here.

 

[Sporqster]

its always the car that the registration says it is, if u have the title for a speedster it will always be a speedster nothing else.

Ah but what if I have a clean title for an '88 fiero, and replace every single part on it, except for the vin plate, with parts from a 2002 Opel Speedster. Technically, isn't it then still a Fiero?

Perhaps there's a less tortured loophole in there somewhere...

 

[spdkilz02]

i guess technically it would still be a fiero

 

[nobody]

Your problem is the port of entry. They are the ones that would have to believe it's legal to release from customs. You would have the same issue from the sending country I'd imagine as well.

 

[Sporqster]

I'm pretty sure you can import the car if you're not planning on licensing it for road use. There was a guy I met at Putnam Park in Indiana that had an Alfa 156 he drove as a track-day rain car.

I also know that it is quite popular to import original minis from the UK- as long as they're 25 years old, all you do is pay a 2% tarrif on them and voila, they're US street legal and licensable. Now a newer car... I'm sure there's some rules that would have to be bent, but I wish I knew what they all were.

(BTW - this is 99% a hypothetical discussion - I'll probably end up getting some typical US yuppiemobile like an MR2 or a Miata or something... but it's also 1% what if.... you know I am planning a trip to Europe anyway....)

 

[opelgtmaster3]

my brother was at a car show and they had a speedster and it was lift side drive. i would put the picture on the site but its in the states and im japan. just get on some web site and look around man. what i do know is that they sent 32 lift side drive to the states. but that was a long time ago, they may have sent more

 

[baz]

my brother was at a car show and they had a speedster and it was lift side drive. i would put the picture on the site but its in the states and im japan. just get on some web site and look around man. what i do know is that they sent 32 lift side drive to the states. but that was a long time ago, they may have sent more

all speedsters are left hand drive
its the vauxhall 220 thats right hand drive just a badge change
i think there are pics of a speedster on site taken in arizona in a car park so they do get there with an astra (another opel )
but the thought was they were there for tests at high temp and would be crushed after the tests

 

[Excelsior]

I know of a place that has two Solstices for sale in Florida. These two should arrive by December.

 

[bear]

Not sure how it would work, but if you got friendly with a member of our armed forces, stationed where the Speedster is sold, and they shipped a car over to begin with, they can ship a car back. The drawback would be if it could be registered or not because of DOT rules. Been there, done that.

 

[opelenvy]

Saturn Sky comes out later this year or next year. It is the new Opel GT.

 

[George]

importing

What if the car was shipped taken apart?Would that not make it a kit car and could you get it registraed as a home built car.Like the ones that used a V.W. frame,transaxle,front suspenshion and engine with a fiberglass body.

 

[Excelsior]

Another Solstice showed up for sale in NY State now. This one is already in stock.

 

[Madjohn]

all speedsters are left hand drive
its the vauxhall 220 thats right hand drive just a badge change
i think there are pics of a speedster on site taken in arizona in a car park so they do get there with an astra (another opel )
but the thought was they were there for tests at high temp and would be crushed after the tests

They made righthand drive Opel Speedster's.
I have one Japanese spec Opel Speedster.
Also Ireland had righthand drive Opel Speedster's.

 

[baz]

Or are they rebadged Vauxhall 220's LOL

They made righthand drive Opel Speedster's.
I have one Japanese spec Opel Speedster.
Also Ireland had righthand drive Opel Speedster's.

 

[Autoholic]

Why was a thread that is 17 years old, resurrected? Just to comment about the old Speedster?