Planned Defender project to export to USA

HI all,
I've just joined the Forum and am looking forward to getting a Defender project shortly after Building a Range Rover bobtail in the past.
My Fiance lives in the USA and i am planning to move out there in about 2 years time. I am not a great lover of current american cars and plan to export a 90 or 110..Unfortunately I understand that the importation is quite strict and any vehicle needs to be 25 years old (at least).So this rules out a 200tdi at the moment..As it will be my daily driver it needs to be 'reliable' (as much as poss) so either a 2.5TD or V8,but not sure about running a V8 every day even with cheaper fuel costs.
Does anyone know what mods could be done to a Defender that would get through USA importation..i.e 200tdi engine??
Cheers
Doug

To get it through I'd ship it out there in factory specs, make sure you have all the paper work, leave no doubt for the inspectors.

Then ship what bits you want over there ie TDI200/300, trim, parts in general

My brother has just gone through this, He has arrived in Texas, while his S11a is on its way in a container as we speak.

As the other poster pointed out the US customs are actually getting very clued up on what does and does not comply with Land Rovers. So keep it as standard as possible.

I would have thought that a V8 would be better over there due to the low fuel cost, the major problem is you will probably looking at a 3.5 with carbs, you need to be aware that the US is already running 15% at least Ethanol in their fuel! This can eat away at rubber fuel lines, soldered jpints in your older fuel tanks and the brass components in your carbs.

It would probably be a good idea to get in with the local LR clubs over there, they may have suggestions for using local engines to then replace the the LR lumps as you may also have issues trying to import a 200/300 tdi engine even on its own into the US, again they are getting more and more clued up on this.

Remember get it wrong, and the only options you will have at the docks is to pay to ship it back, or for them to crush it

Thanks Guys, yes, i know i need to get it right for sure..i'd like to get the Landy as sorted as possible here.but as you said ensure it meets their guidelines..
I'll look into an American land Rover club and see what advice they can give too....

If you get another one crushed, you might find us turning up on your doorstep.


On a lighter note, Good luck with it !

I imported my series motor, as Killa, above in the thread, says.
I'm happy to say it came in through Port of Houston without a hitch. The shipping agents brought the container to my house, and a recovery truck to park behind it. I fired it up, reversed onto the truckbed, and was then lowered to ground level.
A quick rort around the block and back to the grinning truck guys, all was well.

Nobody had been in the container. The original seal I saw attached in Britain, a month before, was intact.
So.
You need insurance in place before it hits the road.
Speak to the relevant Department of Motor Vehicles in the county in which you'll be resident. I had to then go to my local Sheriff's department, motor vehicle crime unit. Half the officers joined in..They had a good look over it, more out of interest than suspicion. But the purpose is to check all those chassis and engine numbers. If it was a Tdi (I'd toyed with fitting the one out of my old 200 Disco), they'd have knocked it back right there. But my Landy has the standard 2 and a quarter, so no grief. The next bit of the papertrail was the Texas State Inspection. Picking an inspection station at random, I sauntered in. A very cursory test, because it's 25 year exempt. So its the equivalent of a doctor saying 'Cough'.
I leave there with the vital State Inspection Sticker. Next step, the DMV, where I hand over all my bits of paper, passport, visa etc, and yet more dollars, and I'm handed my new Texas plates!
Oh, and the staff all want a look at it. One's not sure if its legal, because the steering wheel's on the wrong side.
Which people ask a lot. Just point out that U.S. Postal Service delivery vans are the same. It troubles them, but they get used to it.
So, I'm now fully legal, and spend a lot of time explaining it's not a jeep.

Goodluck!

200tdi started in 90? My 89 was a 19j and thats 25 this year so in 2 years a genuine 200tdi will be old enough?

Can anyone tell me the reason why the U S will not accept an newer Defenders, why 25 years old?

natas said:

Can anyone tell me the reason why the U S will not accept an newer Defenders, why 25 years old?

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This is the best answer I could find. Basically is a highway safety issue, and emissions

Can you import land rover defender into the US

Isn't it something to do with classic cars? Defenders don't meet their safety standards but any car over 25 years is allowed to not meet it due to age... I think

V8Dug said:

Thanks Guys, yes, i know i need to get it right for sure..i'd like to get the Landy as sorted as possible here.but as you said ensure it meets their guidelines..
I'll look into an American land Rover club and see what advice they can give too....

Click to expand...

It has to be what the VIN number says it is Item for item, do not believe they allow a engine change, and think a no to diesel. Don't hold me to it.

Do a search on the customs thread and ask questions and make phone calls if necessary. There is alot more than just 25 years old rules

Hey hope I can help.. I'm American and I'm looking to import some 90 and 110's. I've talked to some people that import cars for a living and they've all said the same thing. Keep the truck as original as possible. The defender is under the microscope with US customs officials. People have slipped some newer trucks through by changing the Vin #s and some other things. This has caused a war on land rovers at many US ports. You can import anything 25 years and older. They refer to this as a "rolling restriction". The is due to saftey and emissions regulations. As for v8 vs 19j. The v8 will always be more desirable in the US because ya know... 'Merica! In all seriousness though keep in mind this is a big country. Depending on where you're moving to it may be a lot further to things than your used to. For instance i live in east Tennessee in a more rural part of the state. It's 35 miles to work, 20 to the grocery store and 60 to the other side of my city. So the v8 may be better for long highway commutes. That being said its totally legal to engine swap the truck, the only regulation is that it must be at least 180 days after the import date. I hope that helps a little. If there's any other questions that I may be able to help with just ask.

I under stand that there is a restriction on vehicles up to 25 years because of emissions and safety issues and people are saying you can't import a 200tdi, but when did land rover start to produce the first tdi's? Surely next year 2015, the first defender 200's would be old enough to get in to America with out being stopped, or am I a bit out on my dates?

I have to confirm if my 89 had an engine swap. In the vin decoder it says 19J /11L and it has the 11L which is a 200tdi, not sure if the change over was started in 89.

Just don't get crushed and mocked by Mr. Robert Hunt

Been there done this with my 2.5D 110. Don't even think about mucking about with engines or anything else for that matter - they are being seriously anal-retentive to anything they consider a "modification" down to changed design bonnets and bleedin' door hinges per my mate in the trades.

Buy an honest truck in good condition, bring it in then modify it if you so desire. if you feel the need for a V8 an older 3.5 can be brought in and a 3.9 and EFI from a scrap RRC can be fitted. It's not that big a deal - cheap D1 donors are easy to get.

I brought mine in with an intention to immediately go 200TDi - still haven't nearly 2 years on...and i drive it as a commuter vehicle.

Early ex-MOD 90s and 110s are right in there for age and they're easily available for not-too-stupid prices. Don't play games with Customs and the DOT and you'll be fine.

As far as why the 25-year rule - I could go on about protectionism and government idiocy but I won't. Ostensibly, it's to meet safety and emissions standards - after 25 years they loosen the strictures as theyare then considered classic or collector's vehicles. Canada has a similar rule but theirs is 15 years, not 25.

There are so many disco's in the USA that you could get a donor for what you want to do.
V8 of course

V8 is the logical engine chocie for america... it's the best motor for highway cruising... which you will be doing a lot of.

Also, not all filling stations sell diesel.

Parts are easy to find for the rover v8... after all, it is a buick motor

It's very very simple. Land Rover, in 1974, frustrated by yet another change in vehicle safety requirements from the U.S., said, okay, we'll just sell to the rest of the world then. So they stopped selling in the U.S.
In the early nineties, they built a few 90s and maybe, but I'm not sure, 110s, to North American Specification.
The NAS vehicles had to undergo type approval, and are marked on the vin plate as NAS compliant. Current vehicles are not. They have neither been submitted for, nor passed type Approval. It's that simple.
Meeting U.S. requirements would be a matter of a lot of money, crash tests, emission modifications, crumple zones etc.
25 year or more old vehicles are allowed in as 'Historical Vehicles' and are exempted from most of the tests. Sticking an old vin plate on a newer vehicle, as lots of people are doing on ebay, and claiming it eligible for U.S. import? The U. S. Customs are not stupid. I suggest you look at this link and watch a nice 110 being crushed.
Illegally imported Land Rover Defender gets crushed | Digital Trends

Ive seen that video before and its soul destroying, however when the machine keeps hitting it the defender springs right back, and when its sat on the pile at the end its just saying rebuild me!!

Try find an original LHD to bring in, but I think in the government paper work hidden away in some obscure section it states that you can convert it to LHD if it was originally RHD for safety reasons. But as stated it must be considered a classic car to bring in, 25 years or older, so it does not have to conform to safety regulations. And everything must be factory original, so no lifts or off-road accessories. My dad when doing the original research into importing it found something where if you were relocating to the US and had owned the car for 5 years or more in your original country then you could import legally, but I think its a lot more of a hassle than the 25 years or older.

Google Defender source, US based land rover forum which there is a TON of information on importing. Land Rover Defender Forum - Defender & Series Owners Community

Also, depending which state you ship it too will help with the getting it through customs. East coast ports have defenders through all the time so they really know what to look for. I brought mine through Chicago and they never even opened the container. We called them up a week before it was due in and chatted to them about it. They said as long as it was coming in for personal use and not to be resold then it wouldn't be a problem. I brought in a 300tdi 90 conversion 4 years ago.... If you are going through California don't even try getting a diesel in, not possible to register one from what I've heard.