Import laws

bushyy4, Jul 30, 9:59am
Importing a car from japan to NZ whats the rules! i want to import a 1995 honda civic ej7 do you think it will be possible!

cheers
nika8, Jul 30, 10:05am
You can import it but you want be able to get it on the road.Why import such an old car!
bushyy4, Jul 30, 10:09am
always wanted that car could say its a dream car lol
bushyy4, Jul 30, 10:11am
yea lol but just a car i want
sw20, Jul 30, 10:18am
Its not over 20 years old, and it is not a SIV.

Find one in NZ.
andrea_w, Jul 30, 10:34am
A civic a dream car!
Wow. op, you need to get out more!
Unless you're 16, then you're excused.
kazbanz, Jul 30, 11:55pm
bush--you can still buy them and some in really nice condition too. but you cannot put them on the road in NZ.Unless you want to wait 3 years and hope the law doesn:t change
westwyn, Jul 31, 2:21am
bush, there are moves afoot within current reviews of the regulations surrounding SIVs (Special Interest Vehicles) and the need to meet frontal impact regulations and specifically exhaust emission regulations is a vehicle is newer than 1990. The "20 year rule" no longer exists, with 1990 currently as the cut-off, but this in turn is creating an ever-increasing gap in age of so-called "classic vehicle" eligibility. NZTA recognises this, and work appears underway to address the issue. In all likelihood this will go back to a 20-year rolling limit, so your 1995 Civic may be eligible for compliance under a Low Volume permit in 2015. You will not be able to register it for the road until then, irrespective of when you import it, but at least you won't have to go through the process required to obtain a SIV for it- which you wouldn't get, as the Civic would not meet the criteria as a "special interest vehicle" to be granted a SIV exemption. Buy and import now, and put it in the shed, or wait three years! Cheers.
wimwom, Jul 31, 2:25am
Was involved in a bit of this stuff some years back. At that time it was all set from the date of boarder check, are you sure that has changed!
kazbanz, Jul 31, 2:33am
Immoren happy to be corrected but I genuinely thought the CURRENT legislation was a rolling 20 year limit. Imnot hung up on it so if someone can point to the correct legelation Im happy to say Im wrong.
tgray, Jul 31, 5:19am
Not helpful in this particular case, but as a sideline, with LHD imports, it's a rolling 20 year limit regarding not having to go through the catagory A exemption requirements, but the problem is, vehicles after 1990 must meet the emission laws that came into effect.
This means for instance, there is no problem getting say a 1989 corvette registered, but a 1991 model, despite being 20 years old won't pass the emission law, but does qualify for the catagory A exemption law.
chutneyman, Jul 31, 5:56am
DAMN HONDAS !
kcf, Jul 31, 6:14am
Vehicle Exhaust Emissions is 1989 don't need to meet emissions.1990 or newer new do need to meet emissions.

Steering Systems (LHD) is a rolling 20 years.

Two different bits of legislation.

To the original poster:do not import.Uncompliable.