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May 31, 2012

That Is It. It Is Done. Big Bird Is Crushed

Big Bird at Pikes Peak in 1999
Well that is it. It is over. Gave it a run but was not successful at stopping the ignorant DA, judge, and DMV inspector in Depere Wisconsin. The report I had said the cars were crushed yesterday morning(5/30/12) at 8 am. They wanted to get it over and done, not give us a chance to do what was right and export the cars.

 Rather than trying to put some money back into their states coffers, they take the dumb way out to try and break Justin down. It's a shame. The guy put a ton of time and effort into the cars, and they forced him into crushing them. I feel defeated, but I also feel I want to do something more.  25 Years is coming soon for the 1989 R32 GT-R. Over 25 years is DOT exempt. Over 21 years is EPA exempt. However, we are still going to need to educate some of these hicks in law enforcement. Remember, law enforcement, DA's, and judges never make mistakes. Cowboys, saving the world from a car...

Uploaded on Razzi.me
After the first Fast and Furious movie. In front of the MotoRex office on Western Ave


Some of the Hows and Why's related to this car. It was imported temporarily by Motorex, but it was never permanently imported.

Sport Compact Car Cover 2002
Drag Racing at IDRC

Thanks Shane.

May 30, 2012

Can Anyone Make Sense of These Emails? More Skyline?

Not the actual car.Just one from Florida

I get an email earlier in the month from this guy  to my STILLEN account. There can be only drama associated with these cars. I guess its the way it goes. Something on the edges of the law. Something people want, but the government tells them they can't have.

From: peter moser [mailto:blackying_yang@yahoo.com]
Sent: Friday, May 11, 2012 10:40 PM
To: seanm@stillen.com
Subject: skyline
Sent: Friday, May 11, 2012 10:40 PMTo: seanm@stillen.comSubject: skyline how do i tell a legit import from a grey market import. because i don't want to buy a skyline that didn't go throu the proper channels to be road worthy in the us and i've read that your the guy to talk to for advise on the subject. Is there a vin registery for skylines that can tell me if a skyline is legal to be daily driven and what do to make legal if it isn't. also is there a way to get the papers for it if it but the owner lost them so i can recieve them is there any shops dealership, etc. on the east coast that know what to look for.   

So I respond back with:

om: peter moser [mailto:blackying_yang@yahoo.com]
Sent: Friday, May 25, 2012 1:48 PM
To: Sean Morris
Subject: Re: skyline

Peter,

You can give me the chassis number, and I can check it with what I have. Or you want you can call the DOT at 202 366 5291 and give them the chassis number, they can send you a copy of the bond release.

There were a couple of more emails, but for some reason, they didn't show up. The guy said he called the DOT, and then a few weeks later, they showed up and seized the car. That is pretty odd.  The DOT doesn't do much seizing.  If anything its ICE that does any seizing, and in the grand scheme of things, the DOT really doesn't care much about what you have, or even ask if you have it in your possession. You give them a chassis number, it either is or isn't in the database.

From: peter moser [mailto:blackying_yang@yahoo.com]
Sent: Friday, May 25, 2012 2:18 PM
To: Sean Morris
Subject: Re: skyline

from what dot told me was that it one that you did while at motorex. now i know that this can't be fix. but what i'm told they have it as a spec-v. when i registered it two months ago, i had alot of trouble with doing that. so what i did was called a friend who knows how to identify what model a skyline is. he sat there and basically told me that it's a spec-v n1. now from what i'm told the days when you were at motorex were hell. i know exactly what is being implied here, to a tee. the problem is not what that is a n1 but that it was had been a presented as a spec-v to dot and department of importation as well. which btw isn't agreeable with me personally. lucky the guy i was on the with from department of importation. told me of the process that will allow me to keep the car, in situations like this.





I am not sure why he is going on about it being a Spec-V N1. In the R34, Nissan did call it a Vspec. N1 was a base for a race car. Only 45 total cars made. I was involved with a couple of the race car N1's, but they were imported as permanent race cars. I asked him if it were a Nur. It is a possibility. Nurs had N1 blocks.



From: peter moser [mailto:blackying_yang@yahoo.com]
Sent: Friday, May 25, 2012 4:02 PM

To: Sean Morris
Subject: Re: skyline

i remember having alot of problem test fitting my do-luck front bumper. the way it shifted was extremely weird due to the fact that the clutch was stock and shifted like it had a nismo twin plate in it, actually the guy that i bought it off of said it's had that for as long remember it. and he's supposedly has owned since 2007  
What exactly does a bumper and a clutch have to do it being a Nur? Not sure, but I am not dealing with Albert Einstein it seems. So now it all sounds really odd, so I go back at him hard.

Peter,

Did this car come though Canada, or Vermont?  

Any of this information make sense? 

If it was the special Nur color, and an N1, then it sounds like someone forged my information on paperwork.


I DEMAND to know more information about this.  If someone is illegally using my name to illegally import cars, I MUST know. What is your phone number? 


This morning I get the following responses from "Peter Moser". I was having a little bit of a hard time reading it, but it more or less came back as threats.

no straight thru motorex. i'm not bullshitting you. i've seen enough of the john lee cars to know. the differentance, next you get pissy with me. i'll fly out to cali and  go toe to toe with you bra. don't demand shit me i aint any of these punk pussy bitches that bow down to you on a daily basis. BTW  a john lee imported rx-7 type-r is the reason that i was in a coma for 3 months and two beeps from a flat line. so don't try me i'm very familiar with his work. it's because of his bullshit that i have to live a piece of my carbon fiber hood in my shoulder for the rest of my life. so don't throw his name out to me like that. i one of the few people that survived a wreck in a grey market car and lived to tell the tale. i already told you what the papers say. i've work with enough of these cars to tell a grey market from a legit import. all i have to do is drive the damn thing you of all should know that. then again when i am near a fax machine i'll fax it over to stillen for that sound good. i'm the driver of the rx-7 that wreck out in Nashville, Tn back in 2006. need any more info on my ass. i've seen your paperwork in the past. btw john lee made more money off grey-market hondas, acuras, and mazdas then he did with the skylines. my title i bought it it new york. i've heard rumors of a guy forging your name and department of importation believing that it's you doing the work to it. man word on the east coast is your starting get sloppy with your work. all due to this guy doing his bullshit, by forging your good name. 

He says he got his title in New York. Says he has heard of someone forging my name. Does any of this make sense? Am I far off base?

nor am i threatening you just telling you how i handle shit. i am willing to drop a name if your interested. i've worked on knight seven cars, kayzo, motorex, private r.i.(other then you), evo motorsports, and kept my mouth shut for the past seven years about it cause i couldn't find a way to get ahold of a car that you r.i.'d. hell i'll be the first to tell where the guy that's forging your name is. believe me i don't like the situation i'm in nor the bullshit that's going on. if guys like us had our way the regulation would allow for their to be a daily driven r34 that is a legit import, and not have motorex paperwork at that. trust me i'd love to see someone go against d.o.t., customs, department of importation, and nhtsa just for jdm gold to be legal again. i mean that. i do applogize for some the things that i said in the last e-mail i also meant it as well. your just a regular guy in my eyes. you can't change the past but you can learn from it. the more i think about it. the more it seems that there was more shit that happen with motorex then people say actually did. look i'm in a pickle here. the whole reason i bought it was because it was my understanding that your name couldn't be argued as grey market. i read about big bird. it seems that they(government) think that a skyline is a p.o.s. yet they fail to realize that some of the first non-grey market r32's are still on the road today. i'm guessing big bird was used by some hot headed street racer. that's my guess why it's possibly going to the crusher. 

So he says he will come out here and go toe to toe, but he isn't threatening me? This guy can't string a coherent sentence together to save his life. My response back was not a nice one. I more or less told him it probably would have been better if he died in that illegal car. More profanity, and less I want to be your friend.

So anyone know this guy?  Know what he is on about?  I remember seeing some pictures of a couple R34's that came though New York. Is this guy saying that this car came though Motorex, and he has papers with my name on them?  They don't exist.  I signed off on the compliance packages, but everything else was signed off by Hiro. Any bond release or any paperwork from the DOT will only have the DOT/NHTSA signatures on it.


May 29, 2012

How and Why Did Big Bird Skyline GT-R Get Seized?

There is always speculation and "arm chair" quarterbacks in every situation. In this case, the case that has blown up over the last couple days is the Big Bird Skyline GT-R case in Wisconsin. The car is scheduled to be crushed tomorrow 5/30/12.



So why was this car seized?  Was it a Motorex car?  

NHTSA Bond Release
No answer is ever really 100% straight forward. Originally this R33 GT-R was imported by Motorex, before there was even a Motorex, back in 1998. This was prior to VCP-17. This was prior to any Nissan Skylines getting a bond release though the DOT.  The car was imported on a TIB (temporary import bond) on the HS-7.

Motorex though JK Motors filed their petition that 1990-1999 Nissan Skylines would be able to be brought into compliance with FMVSS(Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards). VCP-17 wasn't published into the Federal Register until January 19, 2000.

 This document announces the decision by NHTSA that 1990-1999 Nissan GTS and GTR Passenger cars not originally manufactured to comply with all applicable Federal motor vehicle safety standards are eligible for importation into the United States because they have safety features that comply with, or are capable of being altered to comply with such standards.
Magazines and by then MotoRex themselves used the car for tests and driving impressions. At one point, prior to the final decision by the NHTSA, the officials there, were asking for a fourth crash test. In this fourth test, they wanted to see an unbelted front impact test. This test could be done non-destructive on a sled, but Big Bird was the car that was going to be up for it. However, the NHTSA decided that the fourth test was a little excessive, and they did not require it.


Customer cars were being worked on and brought into compliance, Big Bird was still being used as a demo car.  It was used by HKS, it was featured at the SEMA Import Auto Salon. It ran at Pikes Peak in 1999, and set a Showroom Stock record with Rhys Millen at the helm.It ran in the One Lap of America.



During the One Lap of America, one of the turbos was hurt, and the car didn't complete the event. The car sat, and more customer Nissan Skyline GT-R's were brought into compliance. MotoRex took the car to the audition for a new movie that was going to be shot, then called "Redline". Craig Lieberman had invited us out, so we put the car on a trailer, and brought it out to show off.  The producers originally wanted the car to have a bigger role, but at that point there were very few R33's in the US, and getting more for them was not realistic in the time frame given.



The turbo was repaired, and the car was dropped off to the movie car office. The next time we saw it, it was yellow, and stickered up.  Now the question was, what would we do with a repainted yellow R33 with odd stickers on the side?  The car was still under a TIB, and bringing it into compliance was not high on the list of things to do.



Though SoCal Speed Shop and Holley, we got a direct port nitrous system installed on the car. It looked interesting, but it was only tested on the dyno in this configuration.  The car was loaned to a company for the CES show, and when it came back, the engine wasn't running. Supposedly it had bent all the exhaust valves. Never sure what happened, but the car sat again.





 By now it was 2002, MotoRex had been legalizing cars under VCP-17 for over two years.  Put another stock engine in the car, with a set of 2530's, and tried to get it tuned on the nitrous. Best pass was 551 horsepower, but the nitrous was very inconsistent. We later attributed the inconsistency due to unequal lengths of the direct port. The inner two cylinders would hit first, and the car would stumble before going.  Broke the front diff(no oil, thanks Tatsu), so the car sat again.

On the dyno again, the car did ~650 horsepower to the wheels, with the stock engine, 2530's and nitrous.  By then the car had the FNF graphics removed, the wing off it, and some other modifications. First good pass was a 10.8@132 mph. First US 10 second pass.  After that the best pass was a 10.7@ 137 mph with the HKS boost gauge pegged.



During the 10.7 pass, I killed a turbo, I guess it really didn't like ~34 psi much. We had a set of 2540 turbos, so I gave the 2540's a try. Less area under the curve, about the same amount of power. Still the car hadn't been brought into compliance, and honestly it had mostly been forgotten. Lots of other customer cars coming in, and being brought into compliance.  Other than always dealing with Hiro's over promising, and his lack of any real work ethic, MotoRex was going as smooth as 60 grit sandpaper.  So one more time, got the car ready, and took it out to Arizona. The car was a bit slower, and the tech inspectors were giving us a bit of a hard time over some of the safety equipment for the speeds we could run. During the weekend, #6 cylinder was hurt, and when the car got back, the engine was pulled again.  The transmission was loaned to a customer, and the car sat again.

 From 2002, until the end of MotoRex's existence, the car sat.  Eventually the car traded hands several times, ending up with Justin Beno. Justin purchased a new engine, a new transmission, and got the car back together. It took him several years, but eventually the car was in a driveable condition.  Justin put a ton of time and money into the car, restoring it to as it looked during the Fast and Furious.

 At the end of MotoRex, there were about 30 customer cars, that had been imported, but had not completed the NHTSA compliance process.  The NHTSA bond released these cars without the owners having to bring them into compliance with FMVSS.


Big Bird was not one of those cars. Rather it just was one of the cars that managed to fall though the cracks. There were times when it would have been possible to bring it into compliance, but it just never happened.  So was Big Bird a MotoRex car?  Yes it was, but it was never brought up to FMVSS standards.  The worst thing that should happen to the car, is that it should be exported.  So that's the story. There are things I left out, things that are a little out of order.

 A couple of links.

0-60 Magazine article on the rise and fall of MotoRex.
Hiro's Fraud Investigation
Whats Going On At MotoRex? 
Was That Vehicle Imported Legally?
Importing a Nissan Skyline


Contact Information For Wisconsin and My Letter



Doing my best right now. Getting as much information into peoples hands as possible on the case.

I wrote a letter and faxed and sent them by FedEx to the DA, Judge, Mayor, and the Governor.  Their contact information is at the bottom of this post.


DA Case No: 2010BR008283
Agency Case No: WSP10001744
Court Case No: 2011CF000849


I am writing in regards to Justin Beno’s court case as referenced above. I read in the Green Bay Press Gazette that these two vehicles are to be crushed.  If you could please take a moment to read this, I know there is a solution that would help the community. Reviewing the information, I have learned that there are potentially some errors regarding imported vehicles and VIN/Chassis numbers.
I am highly knowledgeable with vehicle importation and have worked with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) with these types of vehicles. There is a solution, that I do not think was explored. The cars can be sold at auction for export only. Vehicles that are seized by customs and other agencies are sold at auction every day.  Manheim Auctions offers government sales, more information about them can be found at the following website link:  http://www.manheimgovservices.com . The money can be used toward positive things that will benefit the community.
According to the Code of Federal Regulations Part 565.  Vehicles imported into the United States under 49 CFR 591.5(f), other than by the corporation responsible for the assembly of that vehicle or a subsidiary of such a corporation, are excluded from requirements of §§565.13(b), 565.13(c), 565.13(g), 565.13(h), 565.14 and §565.15.
(r) VIN means a series of Arabic numbers and Roman letters that is assigned to a motor vehicle for identification purposes.
§ 565.14   Motor vehicles imported into the United States.
(a) Importers shall utilize the VIN assigned by the original manufacturer of the motor vehicle.
A Nissan Skyline does not have a 17 digit VIN number, as assigned in the US. It was built to Japanese standards, which do not require a 17 digit VIN, however they do have a chassis code that is stamped into the firewall.  It is my understanding that this chassis code was not tampered with. This is the VIN as prescribed in the Code of Federal Regulations part 565.
The yellow Nissan Skyline has been a huge part of a lot of people’s lives growing up. I have contacted several people that were involved with the Fast and Furious movie that the car appeared in, and they are shocked that this is happening. This vehicle was also raced at Pikes Peak in 1999, and set a showroom stock record. By crushing this car, you are crushing a piece of Nissan Skyline history.  
Save the children, sell the car. Feed the hungry, sell the car. Give back to the community, sell the car at auction rather than just trying to prove a point by crushing some vehicles.




Governor- Scott Walker


Office of Governor Scott Walker
115 East Capitol
Madison, WI 53702

govgeneral@wisconsin.gov
(608) 266-1212 Phone
http://www.wisgov.state.wi.us/Contact-Us

Mayor of Green Bay - James J. Schmitt

City Hall, 100 North Jefferson Street, Room 200,
Green Bay, Wi 54301-5026.
920.448.3081 Fax
http://www.ci.green-bay.wi.us/mayor/AbouttheMayor.html


Judge - Donald Zuidmulder


The Honorable Donald Zuidmulder
Circuit Court Judge, Branch I
Brown County Courthouse
P.O. Box 23600
Green Bay, WI 54305-3600


Prosecuting DA -Dana J. Johnson

Dep. D.A.

300 E Walnut St
PO Box 23600
Green Bay, WI 54301
Brown County
(920) 448-4190 phone










May 27, 2012

A VIN Number and Chassis Number Education

Nissan chassis identifier plate held on with plastic rivets
A lesson in VIN numbers, chassis numbers, or vehicle importation. Please forward this to anyone that needs some guidance

PART 565—VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER (VIN) REQUIREMENTS
VIN numbers are a unique US requirement for motor vehicles, as set forth in the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 565. 

(a) Each vehicle manufactured in one stage shall have a VIN that is assigned by the manufacturer. Each vehicle manufactured in more than one stage shall have a VIN assigned by the incomplete vehicle manufacturer. Vehicle alterers, as specified in 49 CFR 567.7, shall utilize the VIN assigned by the original manufacturer of the vehicle.
Each VIN is assigned by the manufacturer. Ok makes sense
(b) Each VIN shall consist of seventeen (17) characters.
17 digits. Ok that makes sense. However, you have to realize when this was published, and also where it was published. This is a United States FMVSS(Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards) requirement, not a world wide requirement.
(c) A check digit shall be part of each VIN. The check digit shall appear in position nine (9) of the VIN, on the vehicle and on any transfer documents containing the VIN prepared by the manufacturer to be given to the first owner for purposes other than resale.
Just tells you some information about the numbers
(d) The VINs of any two vehicles subject to the Federal motor vehicle safety standards and manufactured within a 60-year period beginning with the 1980 model year shall not be identical.
Beginning in 1980, no cars within 60 years should have the same VIN.
(e) The VIN of each vehicle shall appear clearly and indelibly upon either a part of the vehicle, other than the glazing, that is not designed to be removed except for repair or upon a separate plate or label that is permanently affixed to such a part.
The VIN number can be on anything except for the glass. It doesn't mention how many times, just that it needs to appear on the car.
(f) The VIN for passenger cars, multipurpose passenger vehicles, low speed vehicles, and trucks of 4536 kg or less GVWR shall be located inside the passenger compartment. It shall be readable, without moving any part of the vehicle, through the vehicle glazing under daylight lighting conditions by an observer having 20/20 vision (Snellen) whose eye-point is located outside the vehicle adjacent to the left windshield pillar. Each character in the VIN subject to this paragraph shall have a minimum height of 4 mm.
VIN number visible though glass, located in the passenger compartment

VIN number for cars built for the US, after 1980, shall be located in the passenger compartment, and visible though the glass.
(g) Each character in each VIN shall be one of the letters in the set: [ABCDEFGHJKLMNPRSTUVWXYZ] or a numeral in the set: [0123456789] assigned according to the method given in §565.15.
(h) All spaces provided for in the VIN must be occupied by a character specified in paragraph (g) of this section.
(i) The type face utilized for each VIN shall consist of capital, sanserif characters.
Now it all changes. Imported cars.  There is a specific section for imported cars CFR 565.14 and 565.24. It says how VIN's should be treated.

From the Green Bay Press Gazzette.

Import vehicles must have 17-digit manufacturer identification numbers affixed to the firewall and stamped on it. ID numbers with fewer than 17 digits aren’t deemed street legal in the US, and removal of the tag is illegal.
“If you don’t have a (vehicle identification number) on the vehicle and you purchase it with a title, how do you know it’s the right vehicle?” said Andrea O’Brien, a supervisor with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation’s Division of Motor Vehicles.

VIN number stamped into the firewall of Nissan/Infiniti


§ 565.14   Motor vehicles imported into the United States.
 top(a) Importers shall utilize the VIN assigned by the original manufacturer of the motor vehicle.
The VIN number of a Nissan Skyline is the chassis number. It is located on the firewall of the car.
(b) All passenger cars, multipurpose passenger vehicles, low speed vehicles and trucks of 4536 kg or less GVWR certified by a Registered Importer under 49 CFR part 592 whose VINs do not comply with part 565.13 and 565.14 shall have a plate or label that contains the following statement, in characters that have a minimum height of 4 mm and the identification number assigned by the vehicle's original manufacturer inserted in the blank: SUBSTITUTE FOR U.S. VIN: _____ SEE 49 CFR PART 565. The plate or label shall conform to §565.13 (h) and (i). The plate or label shall be permanently affixed inside the passenger compartment. The plate or label shall be readable, without moving any part of the vehicle, through the vehicle glazing under daylight conditions by an observer having 20/20 vision (Snellen) whose eye-point is located outside the vehicle adjacent to the left windshield pillar. It shall be located in such a manner as not to cover, obscure, or overlay any part of any identification number affixed by the original manufacturer. Motor vehicles conforming to Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 115 are exempt from this paragraph.
There should be a label affixed to the car that is visible, and should not block the original ID number.   In the case of the Nissan Skyline, the original chassis number is stamped on the firewall. They are saying he altered the VIN of the car, but the VIN number is still on the chassis.

VIN number on a door

565.24   Motor vehicles imported into the United States.
 top(a) Importers shall utilize the VIN assigned by the original manufacturer of the motor vehicle.
(b) A passenger car certified by a Registered Importer under 49 CFR part 592 shall have a plate or label that contains the following statement, in characters with a minimum height of 4 mm, with the identification number assigned by the original manufacturer provided in the blank: SUBSTITUTE FOR U.S. VIN:___SEE PART 565. The plate or label shall conform to §565.23 (h) and (i). The plate or label shall be permanently affixed inside the passenger compartment. The plate or label shall be readable, without moving any part of the vehicle, through the vehicle glazing under daylight lighting conditions by an observer having 20/20 vision (Snellen) whose eye-point is located outside the vehicle adjacent to the left windshield pillar. It shall be located in such a manner as not to cover, obscure, or overlay any part of any identification number affixed by the original manufacturer. Passenger cars conforming to Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 115 are exempt from this paragraph.


This is no reason to crush a car, there is a clear VIN/chassis number on the car, its stamped on the firewall.  Every Nissan/Infiniti vehicle sold in the US has this same layout.   This is merely a minor label issue that they are trying to turn into a problem to make him an example. There are lots of parts in a modern car with VIN numbers on them.  Just because the US has 17 digit VIN's does not mean the rest of the world does. If you are shown something that is not 17 digits, it doesn't mean its illegal, it doesn't mean that its wrong, just that different parts of the world have different requirements. Nothing more, nothing less.

The VIN of each vehicle shall appear clearly and indelibly upon either a part of the vehicle, other than the glazing, that is not designed to be removed except for repair or upon a separate plate or label that is permanently affixed to such a part.
VIN number on a fender
Source: Code of Federal Regulations

More BS with the Skyline GT-R : Wisconsin and Big Bird



More bullshit from local governments, and the Nissan Skyline GT-R.  Justin Beno had a couple of R33 GT-R's that he literally built up from nothing.  There is a lot to the full stories, and the stories will be eventually told, but here is what is currently happening with the cars.


Two cars, one purple, and one "Big Bird" were seized in 2010 by his local authorities in Wisconsin.  According to this article in the Green Bay Press Gazzette his cars are scheduled to be crushed.

A De Pere man has avoided a possible prison sentence by agreeing to the destruction of his two rare Japanese muscle cars, one of which appeared in the movie "The Fast and the Furious."
Authorities seized Justin Beno's two Nissan Skylines in 2010 and intend to crush them this week after giving Beno a brief chance to collect a few personal belongings from them. The two cars together cost Beno about $75,000 and have a sales value of about $100,000, he said.
Beno, 32, faced several felony counts relating to conspiracy to commit fraud and possessing vehicles without vehicle identification numbers. In a plea deal, he accepted responsibility for three misdemeanor counts in exchange for giving up his cars.
"There's no doubt I broke some laws," said Beno, who claimed it's all due to a misunderstanding. "I have no problem accepting consequences on the charges that were fair … but this was taken to a degree that is just absurd."
Crushing the cars is going to do a lot of good for everyone.  At least if they had 1/2 a brain in their head, they would sell them at government auction for export only.  However, as with most typical government employees, they couldn't work in the private sector, because they could never figure out how to do anything that made any sense.


Give
But he, like many other Skyline enthusiasts, remained convinced there were legal ways to do it. He sought advice from the state Department of Transportation and eventually got a state trooper to inspect the purple car and issue him a title for it.
That success led him to go through the same process in acquiring, restoring and registering the yellow car, but that's when his luck turned. In January 2010, he learned that the state erred in issuing a title to the purple car, that the title was being rescinded and that neither it nor Big Bird would ever be deemed street legal.
He also learned that the cars' firewall identification number tags had been removed illegally, and that it was against the law even to possess vehicles without those ID tags.
States handle titles. The Federal government handles importing. In the case of these cars, the blue identifier plate was not attached to the car, but the chassis number was still stamped into the firewall. The blue plate has information on the car color, the engine, the transmission, the options, and is held in place by plastic rivets. It is closer to a build sheet, or door label than the VIN number.  The actual VIN number/Chassis number of a GTR is stamped into the firewall.  It is called a chassis number, because they do not have VIN's in Japan. We are not allowed to assign VIN's to cars, because that would be illegal according to the DOT. We use the chassis number.

Justin got himself in trouble, when he offered them for sale, and an investigator called him to get information.

Beno crossed the line when he put the cars up for sale, Johnson said. A DOT investigator spotted the purple car on eBay and contacted Beno by email pretending to be an interested buyer from Milwaukee.
"He asks Beno if he has a title, can it be titled, could I get a (vehicle identification number)," Johnson said. "We'd expect Beno to say no, it can't be titled. He's got a letter, he's been told. But he responds that upon sale and payment, you can receive a Florida title and then go to the Department of Motor Vehicles and get a title transfer from Wisconsin. He's trying to circumvent, to get around the law."

However, the cars were still actually correct, having the chassis number still stamped into the firewall.  Justin even still had the data plates, he just never reattached them to the cars.

This other article, goes into information on 17 digit VIN's for cars. However, they don't seem to know, that cars prior to 1980 did not have 17 digit VIN's.  Just because all cars sold in the US since 1980 have them, it doesn't mean every car ever built has them.   They also say that import cars have to have 17 digit VIN's, which simply isn't true.

Import vehicles must have 17-digit manufacturer identification numbers affixed to the firewall and stamped on it. ID numbers with fewer than 17 digits aren’t deemed street legal in the US, and removal of the tag is illegal.

“If you don’t have a (vehicle identification number) on the vehicle and you purchase it with a title, how do you know it’s the right vehicle?” said Andrea O’Brien, a supervisor with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation’s Division of Motor Vehicles.

The state sometimes issues its own vehicle identification numbers, but only in cases where the vehicle has been rebuilt or changed in such a manner that the manufacturer’s ID number no longer properly describes the vehicle attached to it, O’Brien said.

Here is the actual section from the Code of Federal Regulations, part 565 which speaks about the specific case of VIN assignment.

§ 565.14 Motor vehicles imported into the United States.
top
(a) Importers shall utilize the VIN assigned by the original manufacturer of the motor vehicle.
(b) All passenger cars, multipurpose passenger vehicles, low speed vehicles and trucks of 4536 kg or less GVWR certified by a Registered Importer under 49 CFR part 592 whose VINs do not comply with part 565.13 and 565.14 shall have a plate or label that contains the following statement, in characters that have a minimum height of 4 mm and the identification number assigned by the vehicle's original manufacturer inserted in the blank: SUBSTITUTE FOR U.S. VIN: _____ SEE 49 CFR PART 565. The plate or label shall conform to §565.13 (h) and (i). The plate or label shall be permanently affixed inside the passenger compartment. The plate or label shall be readable, without moving any part of the vehicle, through the vehicle glazing under daylight conditions by an observer having 20/20 vision (Snellen) whose eye-point is located outside the vehicle adjacent to the left windshield pillar. It shall be located in such a manner as not to cover, obscure, or overlay any part of any identification number affixed by the original manufacturer. Motor vehicles conforming to Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 115 are exempt from this paragraph. 

 Its a damn shame. Bullshit, because people can not figure out anything slightly outside the very narrow box they live in.  Welcome to big government. Welcome to your tax payer dollars hard at work.

http://www.ci.green-bay.wi.us/mayor/AbouttheMayor.html

May 20, 2012

Nissan GT-R Tsukuba BCNR33 Battle : Mines vs MCR vs ACR



Here is one of the original Best Motoring Videos that pits several tuner R33 GT-R's against each other at Tsukuba. Mines vs MCR vs Top Secret vs Bee-R vs ACR.


May 19, 2012

7.16@182 MPH SR20 Powered Drag Car

Getting close to the 6's in an SR20 powered drag car in this video just posted from Australia.  Micks Motorsport 200SX goes 7.16.  Not too bad for a 4 cylinder. The Aussies are still doing the import/small displacement thing pretty hardcore. Here in the US, unfortunately its been dead for the last 5 or 6 years on the West Coast. The East Coast, and Puerto Rican guys are still crazy for drag racing, but West Coast is all about drifting your LS1 powered bullshit, or fitting 14 inch wide wheels on your Civic.



MICKS MOTORSPORT NISSAN 200SX WORLDS FASTEST SR20 RUNS 7.16 @ 182 MPH AT SYDNEY DRAGWAY 19.5.2012. CONGRATS MICK ON THE NEW PB AND WORLD RECORD. MORE VIDEOS TO COME

Heat Treatments R32 Skyline GT-R Sets New Record : 7.53@185 mph

Heat Treatments R32 Skyline GT-R
The worlds fastest Nissan Skyline GT-R has just gone quicker in testing today at Willowbank Raceway in Australia.  The Heat Treatments R32 has been solidly in the 7 second range with a previous best of 7.56 @184.95 mph.  They have just recently installed a newer more powerful engine, and managed a 7.53@185 mph at "low" boost.  When you are on alcohol, and used to big boost, low would be all relative.  They have gone as fast as 191 mph with older setups.

7.56 Timeslip from 2011
Hay there guys, what a cool day! sunny weather and kool cars everywhere. Off the trailer the GTR ran a 7.56 @ 185mph, next run was 7.60 @ 185mph and then a 7.53 @ 185mph which dropped the record by a bit. Crazy thing is the boost was low and it still banged out this time! Next meeting will be the Winter Nats warm-up meeting!


Check out the Heat Treatments Facebook page for more information and pictures.


May 5, 2012

7.81@177 mph Nissan Skyline R33 Drag Racing

This R33 Skyline really gets with the program and runs a 7.81@177 mph pass in Australia. BIRRONG AUTOMOTIVE NISSAN SKYLINE TURBO RUNS 7.81 @ 177 MPH AT SYDNEY JAMBOREE

RB26DETT Ignition Timing Adjustment and TDC Check

Setting ignition timing is very important in making sure an engine runs correctly. A Nissan Skyline GT-R RB26 engine normal ignition timing is 20BTDC, or 20 degrees before top dead center.  The sensor on the exhaust camshaft is normally called a crank angle sensor(CAS) even though it is driven off the camshaft.  If the CAS is anywhere but in the middle of its range, you should be questioning why it is in that position.  Not every timing light reads timing on a coil on plug RB26DETT correctly, so if it seems 40 degrees off, try flipping the pickup wire over. Watch video at the end of this post.

If flipping it over doesn't work, you might want to put a spark plug wire on #1 coil, and get your reading there. 



Finding Top Dead Center or TDC
R34 CAS. Ignition timing is very advanced. This is not normal. 
CAS set correctly with anti tamper seal
R34 CAS on the left, R32/R33 on the right

Nissan Skyline GT-R and Nissan GT-R at Nurburgring



The Nissan Skyline GT-R has been running at the Nurburgring since the early 90's as a bench mark of handling. The unofficial quick time of the R32 GT-R was 8:22.

The R33 GT-R tackled the 'ring in 1995, and Nissan came out swinging big with a 7:59. The first "production" car to run under a 8 minute time at the circuit.



Nismo Skyline R34 GT-R Z-Tune Prototype at Nurburgring
R35 GT-R vs Corvette ZR1 split screen video