Until that truck is 15 years old and then it can be imported to the US.

 

I thought they had to be 25 years old?

 

Yes, you are correct, 25 years.
I don't know what I was thinking, sorry, my bad.

 

Why can't you import it until its 25 years old?

 

US customs regulations on diesel engines.

 

Not just because of diesel emission's but all emissions, gas engines included.
The US laws say that any car sold in the US must meet the safety and emission's laws (safety and emission)for that model and that model year.
Once a car is 20 years old or more it is considered a classic car and if it was originally sold in the US then it no longer needs to meet these requirements.
Any car or truck that is imported must be 25 years old to meet these requirements.
You can import a 10 year old car from France but it must be modified to meet the laws from that year which is almost always more trouble and money than it is worth.
Urban Panzer and I had checked quite extensively into importing diesel Disco's last year.
It is roughly $2500 to ship a Disco to the East Coast from Europe, then to get it converted to meet US laws is another $2000 or so, then to have it shipped to you is anywhere from $500 and up.
So that $2500 Camel Trophy Disco on e-bay (and you know it wont sell that cheap, try over $5k because it is original and has history) now set you back $8000.
You can buy a 1995 Disco here for under $2000, no it wont have the history or be as cool or get 30 mpg like the 200tdi with a 5 speed, but you also wont have to wait 3 months to drive it either.


So why no convert your DI to a 200tdi?
A brand new non LR diesel is $5000 or more, plus the new ECU, intercooler, springs to hold the weight, new bell housing...close to $10,000.
A used 200tdi can be had for cheap, but how well does it run? Can you trust somebody in the UK to get you a good used one?
$1500 USD for a used 200tdi, plus $1000 shipping, then again a intercooler, ECU, springs, no new bell housing though, bolts right up...$5000.

Even at 30mpg it would take you 10 years to recuperate your investment.

Bottom line, unless you are a collector you need to wait until the truck is 25 yrs old or more and even then you need to pay cash because no bank is going to loan $5000 to import a $2000 truck.

P.S.-you can import one as is as long as you do not try and register it and drive it on the road.

 

Perhaps if you owned another one of the same year and color nobody would notice... In states with no emissions testing that is..

 

I was thinking of swapping VIN #'s.

 

What we need to do is find out what the actual emissions laws were at the time, to see what we would have to do to get it to meet them, I cannot to be honest think what it would be, apart from an EGR setup and "maybe" a cat in the later models, but thats about all you can do to a diesel.

Im pretty sure theres some smokey old trucks burning round over there anyway.

On a side note, when the TD5 was released, it only produced 40% of the allowable limits in 1998 over here in Europe, so the US rules would have to be double the amount, which I find hard to believe.

Im clutching at straws maybe, but I would LOVE to setup up exporting / importing Diesels disco's both 1 and 2 to the US, and not really to make money, but because it would be thoroughly enjoyable..... and the larger the numbers the cheaper they would become.

 

I have to tell you Nick, there are guys over here with full sized 3/4 ton pickup trucks with diesels and they have them chipped to put out max power.
When they floor it at a red light there is enough black smoke to kill a flock of seagulls.