Hey Guys,

I want to buy a Silvia, but I am having a terible time finding one. I have called every import and specialty car dealer around (this is Arkansas so it's not a huge selection), and no one has even heard of a Silvia and only one place had even heard of a Skyline. I really would like a right hand drive car but a 240 conversion is still an option. I have searched the web and found a ton of stuff in Australia but not much in the States. I figured I might find something in Dallas but haven't looked yet. If someone could hook a brother up with some websites, dealers, etc. anywhere in the US I would kiss your shoes, not really but I would tell people you're cool.

Thanks, kidracer9

Which generation? Turbo'd or not?

Welcome to AF, by the way! :D

I like S15's the best. It doesn't really matter if it's turbo'd or not , although I'd prefer a turbo.:D

Well, then, that's a hard one, because they aren't approved for sale in the U.S.

Sorry I don't have more info at my fingertips, but I recommend you look in our Skyline forum (http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/f212/) for threads about importing cars. You'll get the basics about procedure and cost. MotoRex is the main company importing Skylines, but they don't do Silvias... yet. ;) Keep your fingers crossed.

But, somewhere in one of those threads is the name of another importing company. I'd suggest digging it up and e-mailing them...

You are much better off doing a silvia conversion on a 240, cos the availability of Silvia's in the states is practically zero, unless you are willing to pay an arm and a leg for one...:rolleyes:

How much do you have to spend ??

Do you want to keep the car for your self ?????

:D

I want one pretty bad. If it takes me a couple of years to get it that's fine. Right now I drive a 2001 Eclipse, so I could maybe sell it or use it as a trade or something. I haven't really looked into how all that might work yet, but that's why I'm talking to you guys. How much do S15's go for. The only places I've seen prices were on a European website and I think all the prices were in pounds but I'm not sure. The reason I thought that was late model Skylines were going for about 40,000 to 50,000 which sounds about right for pounds. But one thing that confused me was nice S15's listed for around 750, so if they were using pounds that would equal about $1500.:confused: Also, what part have they not approved for sale in the States? Is it the turbo part or the S15 altogether? Because if it's just the turbo, I would gladly drive a non-turbo.(I could add that later:p )

well you will need to do more research on your own before you go any further

:)

okay, I'm goin to ask what might seem like some pretty dumb questions here so get ready. What year models of the 240 correlate with the S13, S14, and S15's? I looked at prices for some S15 conversions and they seem pretty pricey. Would I really be better off doing a conversion than trying to find an S15? Also, I have no idea what kind of money I'm looking at for a Silvia, so can you give me some rough estimates for 13's, 14's, and 15's, or do they sell for pretty much whatever the seller says the price is?

Heres what I would do... Find a '98 240sx (slanty eyes) and plop a det in it. Im not sure of the extent of your knowledge on this subject, but the S15 has not been sold in the US. The S14, like the '98 I suggested, is the newest you can get. They were sold in the US from '95 till '98. This won't be a cheap project though, so be warned. If you want an S14, its gonna cost you $10,000+. Maybe Nissan will try to bring over the S15 because we need a rear wheel drive, turbo-charged, sports car. Good luck!

Originally posted by kidracer9
okay, I'm goin to ask what might seem like some pretty dumb questions here so get ready. What year models of the 240 correlate with the S13, S14, and S15's?I'll ballpark some dates for you, and let the "experts" play clean-up later. ;)

(P?)S13 180SX ~ S13 240SX Hatchback ~ 1989 - 1992
S13 Silvia ~ S13 240SX Coupe (sort of) ~ 1990 - 1993

S14 Silvia ~ S14 240SX ~ 1995 - 1998

S15 Silvia ~ not in America :( ~ 1999 - present

I don't know if there really was a gap in '94 or not. Like I said, these are ballpark numbers just to give you an idea. :D

I saw on another thread that dieselpower has a Silvia. What generation is it? Also, since the S15 is not sold in the US, how hard would it be to find an S14? I know it may seem like I'm running this into the ground but I'm stuck on the Right hand drive thing. I love the thought of cruising around in it and having something totally different from anyone else around here(Civics, Civics, Civics). I've been bitten by the bug and I've got it bad!

Check out the newest edition of Super Street. It has a great article on how to convert a 240SX into an awesome S15 Silvia. I'll find out which month it is later. I just got it today and I subscribe, so it won't be on news stands for a couple days.

It is from November 2001.

Anybody else can correct me if I am wrong but I believe their is a company in CA that imports skylines and is in the process of getting S15's over here in the US that are able to be street driven. The company I believe is called Motorex, so if you are so enchanted with an exotic right-hand drive car that will amaze everyone they are the people to talk to. I hope that helps your search.

Hey do you want to pay $60,000 for a S15

shure go to the Fools who know best

I don't want one that bad. Actually I do, but I don't have 60k. I was thinking 40k or less. Why do you ask, do you know where one is?

Forgive me for being absent from my own duties in this forum for such a period of time. Once again, welcome to AF kidracer9, and I am thrilled to see more admiration for 'Japan's Mustang' in the U.S. Okay here goes:

Before we talk about importing, will this genuine Silvia be your daily driver? If so, I ask you to think about what life would be like driving in the other seat. Imagine trying to make a left turn from the 'yielded green-light' left turn lane in the middle of a busy intersection with oncoming turners blocking your view of the high-speed straightaway traffic, while sitting in the starboard seat. Even on left hand drive cars, it's difficult to see the oncoming cars and I, for one need to stick my head to the left to look around the facing turning cars. Then picture yourself needing to enter a parking garage or pass a toll booth; without a passenger, you would need to unbuckle yourself and cross over to the left side of the car in order to extract a parking permit ticket, or pop in a few coins. This of course goes the same for drivethroughs. Now if you are willing to put up with these drawbacks, move on to the next step.

For the second matter, don't look to Motorex for answers for now. Plans for certification of the SR20DET turbo Silvia motor has begun, but nothing more. Entire chassis legalization would take much time and money, and Motorex would probably try to avoid that costly business approach as it has racked up the cost of a factory R34 Skyline GT-R to $90,000.

Gray market vehicle importation has always been exclusive to the wealthy, and well "hooked-up", and the Silvia is no exception. You CAN own just about any car, legal or not, from any part of the world in your own hometown, but it's quite costly. I see some older British cars roaming the roads in my area, but I haven't had the nerve to stop and ask these elites about their methods. Military connections have always proved to be useful for importing Silvias, but I don't have much information in this area; perhaps some of you will know how this is done. To further this reasoning, the recent November issue of Super Street previously mentioned provides a great sum-up of the techniques used to create an S15 Silvia out of an S14 240SX, but it also states on page 102, "We're talking about as near the real deal S15 as you can get without importing one from Japan (which, by the way, would set you back at least $40,000)." So even major U.S. publications believe that a genuine Silvia can be had, for some major greens. And kidracer9, you've said that you may go as high as 40 grand for a Silvia, so I strongly suggest you do some research to figure out if what SS published was the truth.

If you don't succeed at this, I would look for JUN Auto Mechanic U.S.A. for importation of an S15 chassis (they have close connections with Nissan for raw material). Then you would have to build your own Silvia, but hell, you get the genuine look. Of course, the legality of this situation would have to be seriously questioned, since the body structure doesn't meet U.S. standards.

Good luck you to, and keep us informed if you find any new data, as I will do the same.

Originally posted by Yes-Ser
Maybe Nissan will try to bring over the S15 because we need a rear wheel drive, turbo-charged, sports car.

That's what the new Z is for. It may or may not have a turbocharged variant, but hell, it's got something the Silvia will never have: natural torque.

Originally posted by dieselpower
Hey do you want to pay $60,000 for a S15

State your source for this number.

Thanks for the info Morpheus. This car would be my sole form of transportation. I think I can handle the minor inconveniences of driving on the wrong side. As for the money part, I figure if I have to wait a couple years and save up, that's fine. True love waits, right? I already called Motorex, they said they couldn't do it because the Silvia isn't legal for sale in the States (because of all the safety regulations and the lack of crash testing). However they did say that if I did find a way to get the car here, clearing customs and doing the conversion stuff to make it street legal would cost me. Altogether it would end up being at least 40k, at least. So I looked into a 240 conversion and have found that it would cost me to do that, too. I have that issue of Super Street, and it has some really good information. A friend and I added up how much it would be to do a 240 to S15 conversion on a 98 240SX. All the S15 parts would cost me 20 to 25k. So if I bought a car for 15k, that would still put me close to 40. I haven't lost hope yet, but I am looking at other car options. If I can't have a real rhd Silvia, then I don't want one at all.

Originally posted by Morpheus XIII
Then picture yourself needing to enter a parking garage or pass a toll booth; without a passenger, you would need to unbuckle yourself and cross over to the left side of the car in order to extract a parking permit ticket, or pop in a few coins. This of course goes the same for drivethroughs.

Unless, of course, you eat at Rally's! :silly2:
I'm sorry, I just couldn't let that go.

Ahhh, Rally's is worth the trip in ANY damn car, bicycle or scooter! Just get there!

hmmm
did u also see the advan racing rims on those bad boys?
dam, $2000 for a set
"we're talking the cream of the crop here"
dam...that whole conversion looks amazing
i think that "silvia" was also in the issue of import tuner that cherie roberts was featured in. no idea which issue that was tho.

The newest issue of Super Street (Dec. 01) has a Sil-180 converted to a S15 by Signal Auto. Man, those guys are awesome! Go buy that magazine for that purpose alone!

I feel your situation, KidRacer19. The biggest hitch in the process is legalizing it in the US. What surprises me though is that Motorex could actually legalize one if you did get it to US shores on your own. I didn't think they had the power to legalize just ANY old car (not a skyline) for 40 grand. I was under the impression that any car imported into the US had to be crash tested and certified, and also emissions tested and certified. Motorex has done this for the Skyline, but no other cars. And I honestly don't see them doing this for any old car, crash testing requires that you basically total 3 brand new vehicles. For a Silvia, this is close to 100k USD. For a skyline, whew, I don't wanna think about it. Which is half the reason Motorex charges so much for their Skylines.
At any rate, some ppl say Grey Market, like its any old hoo-haa (not you morpheus ;) ) But on other automotive forums, I've asked about importing Evo's, WRX's, Silvia's etc. And there is almost always the obligatory uneducated answer of "just gray market it, dude" :rolleyes: Okay, JUST spew elite connections out of my ass. And just pull the money out of the money tree growing in my back yard. Trust me if you had these connections, you wouldn't be asking how you could get something legalized, and if you don't then you probably shouldn't even be worrying about it. So basically you can disregard any "just gray market it, dude" comments. At least IMO.
As Morpheus mentioned, if you have a good friend in the military that will be going to Japan or Australia, they can buy a Silvia there, and bring it back with them to the states, but again, getting it through customs will be a grip. The US *will* allow it, but at a steep price, so I hear.
And just to wet your appetite a little bit, there are some companies that buy seized/repo'd/ or auctioned off cars in Japan to port them over to the United States. I have a few links at home (I'm at work now, and can remember only one of them, www.bestjapancar.com ) Go check it out, its cool. There was an R33 GT-R Vspec whose previous owner had modified it to around 500 hp for sale there. Lots of interesting cars, Lexus SC equivalents, Soarer's that were 2.5 Liter 5 speed turbo's, Older Lancer Evolutions... for a lot cheaper than you'd think. 7-10k USD or so. But you won't find newer cars there, unfortunately. In fact, I have yet to see any generation Silvia for sale. :( They'll even include the price to send it over to the US, frieght on board for something like 2.5 to 3 grand. But again, the catch is getting it past customs. In fact, on the webpage, it specifically states that they have nothing to do with any of the legalization process, nor are they responsible to what happens to the car once it hits US shores.
There is hope however, Pretty much any car can be imported into the states under the agreement that it be used solely for racing. Lotus Elise's are (well I'm not going to say often, but its not uncommon to see them) imported as race only vehicles. I know of someone on another board that I frequent that has imported a Skyline for racing, thus he did not have to bring it into the states via Motorex. He got it basically at cost. Which if it was a slightly used R34, could have been something like $40k, or if it was an R33, maybe something like $28k. But you've already stated that this will be your daily driver. And a race-only vehicle is about as far from a daily driver as a riding lawnmower is.
One last issue I wanted to mention, was that I know of someone who has gone through Motorex and bought an R32 Skyline to the US for legal street use. But, like any car on the roads today, requires insurance. How do you insure a car like a Skyline? Ouch. With his insurance agreement he's limited to something like 10k miles a year. I don't know how much driving you do, but 10k miles a year is at most, a weekend vehicle. I don't know much more on this subject other than any way through it is going to be a hassle. Maybe there's something worth looking at classifying it as a Kit Car... after all, how are Shelby Cobra 427 Kit car's insured? Or a Classic, something along those lines. Beats me with a stick.

Now I'm not actually promoting illegal behavior by stating this. I am merely making an observation. But if one were to buy a 97 240SX with a blown motor, or a salvaged title, something to that effect. Then import an S15 Silvia under the agreement that its for racing only. It may be possible to fool someone into thinking that your Silvia is a modified 240sx, VIN, title, tags, registration and all. Just be aware that the fine for being caught doing such actions is some 6 digit amount of dollars, and the car goes to the crusher.

Good luck with everything, champ.

Peace.

Kenny

Originally posted by F=ma
Now I'm not actually promoting illegal behavior by stating this. I am merely making an observation. But if one were to buy a 97 240SX with a blown motor, or a salvaged title, something to that effect. Then import an S15 Silvia under the agreement that its for racing only. It may be possible to fool someone into thinking that your Silvia is a modified 240sx, VIN, title, tags, registration and all. Just be aware that the fine for being caught doing such actions is some 6 digit amount of dollars, and the car goes to the crusher.

You know, I've always wondered if this would work. But true, it would pose such a huge risk IF one were to be caught doing this. I suppose the 240SX body would need to be melted down or something to eliminate any evidence...

Heh, the power of thought.

As for insurance, I do remember reading an article (perhaps in Turbo) some years ago about a military guy who brought over an S13 Silvia from Japan and was able to get it labled as a 240SX by his insurance company. He too said the greatest drawback was the time spent at customs.

I've heard that military are allowed one year of driving the car around in the states before the DOT/EPA force them to conform to regulations etc. I can find out more details.

As for the spare 240 you'd be left over with though, I'd just take off all the body panels, throw em in a junk yard then part off the rest of the car, engine, interior, etc. Its about a 30-35k project (which includes the price of the Silvia itself).

F=ma,you have some good points there about the whole "grey marketing it" thing. That's exactly what I've been thinking. As for bringing a car in and saying it's for race-only to bypass all the DOT/EPA stuff, I've heard DOT/EPA watches you like a hawk, and if you get caught, it's rough. Iv'e pretty much decided that, at least until I'm a multimillionaire, I'll just stick with what I can get im the States. But someday, I'll have enough money to just pay everyone off to get what I want.:D

NO matter what way you look at it, it is going to be far cheaper to convert a s13 or s14 to a silvia then to try to import one. Though I havent seen anyone convert the rear end yet, the front end conversion is pretty common.

That's pretty much what I've figured out. Then when you do get one here, you have to pay even more to be able to drive it. I've just decided to build my own. I would like to try to convert the back end as well and do the whole thing with a drift racing style look. I would also like to figure out a way to incorporate some old style American street rodder tricks into it somewhere, because that's what I was raised on. The only thing I'm not sure about is the engine. I haven't really heard a lot about the tunability of the SR20DE engine. I would like to have about 400-450 hp and I really like snappy torque also. Can somebody tell me how easy it is to get this from an SR20DE. I've read a lot about the 2JZ Supra engines' ease of tunability. I know it might make some purists mad, but I think a Silvia with a Supra engine would be awesome. However this is just a thought, and I haven't looked into what all I would have to change in order to get it to fit in or how it would affect the weight distribution. But, like I said I come from an American street rodder background where guys stuff Chevy big blocks into Pontiac Fieros, so I know it could be done. Let me know what you guys think.

Originally posted by kidracer9
If I can't have a real rhd Silvia, then I don't want one at all.

Originally posted by kidracer9
That's pretty much what I've figured out. Then when you do get one here, you have to pay even more to be able to drive it. I've just decided to build my own


lol, that's how it always turns out...

Someone's real hard up about getting one stateside, then after they find out the magnitude of the headache involved, they just say "I wanna build my own" instead.

I've been there man.

Here's a nice 1966 Silvia for you in the US! And its for sale
:D
It has a nice 2.0L engine and dual SU carbs pumping in the flames.

:flamer:
:flamer:

It's really here in the U.S.? I noticed the domestic placards, but seriously is it? Where can I find more information about this specific car?

Yes, this car is really in California. I saw it for sale a few weeks ago on http://classifieds.excite.com/ but now it is gone.

Here is a web page with some information on this car.
http://www.311s.org/registry/1966/sp311-70370.html

It has the 1600cc engine and does the quarter mile in 17.9 seconds! wow!

I can't believe how hard it is for you guys in the US.

I have just bought a 2000 S15 Silvia here in New Zealand for NZD$34 000 which comes to approximately US$15000 probably less.

I wonder how the conversions are vs the real thing.

The S15 really is an amazing car.

Thanks for the information BleachZee! I've always seen that car here and there but never knew much about it. Once again, thanks.

Merkin, consider yourself blessed. Here, not only do we not get the S15, but even if we do convert the S14 (front fascia and engine), we still won't be getting the enhanced chassis balancing and tightening that Nissan incorporated into the S15. Not only that, but we miss out on the supremely updated S15 interior: the new steering wheel, the modern dash paneling, the factory pillar mounted boost gauge, nicer seats and all the right curves--after all, something like this is important since you, the driver, will be sitting inside the car for the majority of the time. Too bad for us.

The silvia s15:eek: .... i love taht car.. I saw the 180sx wit the s15 convwersion on it in the superstreet mag. and well that thing whoops ass:devil:.. i also saw a conversion from one of our 240sx into a s15 the guy did a real good job.. i couldnt tell cept for the back of course.. anyway.. gettin the whole front conversion has gotten to be something quite common.. before where i didnt see too many 240sx into any silvia now i see a lot more in mags and at car shows.. also signal auto is in america (calif. to bemore exact.. dont really kno where tho.. i live in florida) now so they can probably can get stuff for the SR20DET (since they tuned the SR20DET in that 180sx of theres and many other cars they gots.. which have sr20dets in jpn).. which is about a $7k swap.. tho it is way betta then the KA engines we gots in our 240SXs..
www.aerotrends.com has the front end conversion. might wanna check that out.. its listed as the striker body kit for a 240sx 97-98 model..
damnit.. i cant remember the site that has the sr20det swap:(... if i remember it ill post it..:flash:

That's the kit from VIS. I'd much rather go directly to VIS in Monterey Park, and have them send over a different front bumper and hood. They have some really established connections over in Japan.

i imagine motorex is in tah process to make tha silvia street legal and i thik i heard jdmrevolution is also but it takes a load of $$$$$$$$ to do that....



Anybody else can correct me if I am wrong but I believe their is a company in CA that imports skylines and is in the process of getting S15's over here in the US that are able to be street driven. The company I believe is called Motorex, so if you are so enchanted with an exotic right-hand drive car that will amaze everyone they are the people to talk to. I hope that helps your search.

i imagine motorex is in tah process to make tha silvia street legal and i thik i heard jdmrevolution is also but it takes a load of $$$$$$$$ to do that....

Check the date. Usually, a thread that's 2-3 years old is a little to old to reply to, but I guess it's good that your looking up old stuff instead of posting dumbass questions...

hey kidracer i get where your commin from im in Ohio and its pretty hard even find a 240 here but i found a couple (91s) and i think thats the route im gunna go. I wanna be diff and im gunna be diff, so more power to ya! I got this way because of all the ecplises and civics i see with pips and lowered that think theyre the shit...well when i get out on the streets theyll never wanna put another damn pipe on there civic...and the best part is that i know im gunna own them because ive already raced 4 civs and 2 eclipses...blew them all away...of coarse i was drivin my dads 300zx TT but hey lol i still beat them and shut them up at least for that night. lol. but like i said when i get out there with my 240 im not only gunna carry this forum on my back round ohio im gunna make sure that these civics stop popin up thinkin theyre the shit.

also theres a ton of bodykits at takakaira.com thats the site and its posted on the newbies look here thread about...hell i forget the whole title but its like the 4th down i think...they have a ton of sites so i suggest hittin that up...and sorry if i put the wrong idea out there about me and the civics...its just ruining where people are taking the import scene in the US

dude the thread is 2-3 years old listen to logik this kid prolly has forgotten all about this forum....

kidrace9 i found out that 40000pounds equal 74,175.9 USD and 50000pounds equal 92,719.9 USD so if u want those english sites these are the costs

holy shit guys THESE GUYS ARE NOT ON THIS FORUM ANYMORE!!! THEY WILL NOT REPLY TO YOU LET ALONE SEE YOUR REPLY!! STOP!!

Hey, kidracer, I think that you should...LOL just jokin'! Seriously, why do people pull up old threads and just start writing to people that were using this a couple of years ago?!?

I am looking for a Sylvia. I wanna git one dem dare cool carz. I gonna DrIfT it YO!

Dayum, dat be da shiznat!! Make shor, u get dat thang PIMP OUT BY X TO THE Z!!

...waiting for r.w.240 to throw one in...

DANG MAN I LIKE THEM DRTF CARZ YO..SHEEEEEEEt
Dey Be liek daaaaang maian...shhheeeet.

dem nissans be like flying yo, no one of them mothf$rs be catshn foo.










what ?..... good?.....

anybody seen that poptarts commercial??

BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAM

HAHA you'll see that from me more.. its now "my thing"

I only read the first page of this thread but already have alot to comment on.

I'm sorry but you need to get rid of the idea of having an s15. You're very attracted to the looks of the car which you could get on doing a conversion. Right hand drive is a phase that every kid wants just to stick out but to go through all the trouble to impress people you don't even know is not worth it.

S15 would go for around $22,000 and if you're still interested, i'll let you know a dealer in the US (california area that could easily be shipped to your destination for a reasonable fee.)

If you want an s15, it would mostly serve as a track car because there is no reasonable way to get it legazlied. Motorex is only authorized to sell skylines that are street legal but explictly state that they ONLY sell skylines.

Some states have laws where you're allowed to have one as long as you register it as a show car where you are only allowed to put a small number of miles on it each year. The insurance is insanely expensive too. There are a bunch of people who end up with S14 K's that are perfectly legal but there method is shady and probably wouldn't work for an s15.

Just by judging your posts, you're only attracted to the s15 because of trends and looks. If that's not true, you can get more performance for less or same money with other s-chassic cars that are easily found in the US.

well, if you read the the comment on this thread being very, very old, you wouldn't of posted that, but i guess that helps kill some newbies dreams of having an s15

can't wait till 2014 when they're legal, haha

that's gonna be a while :mad: