Lada USA Discussion Board

[Nave49]

I found out about the more recent Chevy Niva, not the new model for 2016, that is currently produced. To my knowledge, it is fueled by a 1.8l Opel ecotech engine, and comes with abs and airbags. Even though it isn't 25 years or older, would it be easy enough to be able to import it? I only ask because an original Niva would cost $250 a month for me to insure in Michigan (under 25 years old, an a "No-Fault state).

[GadgetBoy]

Forget it. Unless you can prove the car is 25 years or older it ain't gettin' in!
_________________
GadgetBoy
'96 Niva 1.7i
Belfast, N. Ireland
http://www.ladaniva.co.uk

[gogmorgo]

I won't say there's NO way to get it in, but its really not going to be easy, or probably even worth it to you.
It can't legally be imported, unless you manage to jump through the hoops to get a "show and display" permit. To do so, you'd need to convince the DOT in your state that it's a car of technological or historical significance. So it would have to run on cat urine, or be some kind of exotic supercar, or one of only a handful built. You'd also be very limited in how often and how far you can drive it, since it's supposedly on display.
The only other legal way to import it would be to federalize it, i.e. make it legal as a new vehicle. You'd need to do a bunch of crash testing, make sure everything's in agreement with US codes. It's a very expensive process.

If you had it legally registered somewhere else, you could have a temporary permit to have it in the country (no one would stop you from driving it across the border from Mexico or Canada) but it would be for a limited period. I don't know what Mexico's import laws are like, but Canada's are pretty well the same as the US's for new cars, so no go from the North.

Now, you could always ship it in without properly declaring it, or just drive it across the border, but you'd never be able to legally register it if you did it that way (except maybe in Florida or Arizona, where they don't always bother checking those things) and it could get seized and destroyed if the EPA finds out about it.

Pretty well, yeah. It wouldn't be worth it.

[gogmorgo]

http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/the-us-show-and-display-exemption-list-in-pictures-p-1577949110
Just stumbled across this post which should provide a little more info about the "show and display" exemption, as well as the current list of cars that have been approved, current to the post from May of 2014. Not many cars have met the approval, and I doubt too many more have been approved since.

[GadgetBoy]

I see you didn't understand my far too subtle post.

It's say you have to PROVE the car is 25 years or older. All you need the paperwork and VIN plate for an older car. Lada VIN plates are just riveted on and can be changed very easily.
_________________
GadgetBoy
'96 Niva 1.7i
Belfast, N. Ireland
http://www.ladaniva.co.uk

[GadgetBoy]

A Lada Niva VIN plate yesterday.


_________________
GadgetBoy
'96 Niva 1.7i
Belfast, N. Ireland
http://www.ladaniva.co.uk

[gogmorgo]

That could work, however it would be fairly obvious to anyone who knew much at all about the Niva's history that they weren't looking at one that was old enough to be imported, simply by looking at the rear hatch. Last summer, a bunch of vin-swapped Defenders were seized across the US, even though they were refitted with all the older parts. If one turns up sour, they'll go back and make sure they properly check out the rest of them.
The EPA's pretty sticky about this rule. They also will get CBP to seize and destroy lawnmowers and chainsaws that don't make the 25-year cut.

Not worth the risk in my book. If you're caught, at minimum you'll lose your vehicle, and if they can prove you knowingly violated the import laws, you'll likely end up behind bars.
Also, the OP was asking about the Chevy Niva, which really doesn't resemble a 25-year-old Lada... they didn't start making them until 1998, meaning none of them will be legal without special exemption until 2023.