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 --></style><title>Re: Importing a Hiace into the
USA</title></head><body>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>I am familiar with the Hiace,&nbsp;since
I have had a&nbsp;diesel-powered, '94 LWB model, Trakka Conversion, in
Australia, since 2000.&nbsp; My wife is Australian, and every other
year we travel around over there for four months at a time.&nbsp; I
have travelled extensively in North America, and have never seen a
Hiace here, leading me to question whether one has ever been
imported.&nbsp; </blockquote>
<div><br>
Is yours LWB or MWB? There were 3 wheelbases. Stupidly, in New Zealand
they call the MWB &quot;long&quot; and the LWB extra-long or Jumbo. In
the SWB the slider ends just before the rear wheelarch. The MWB slider
ends about 30cm before the arch &amp; the LWB slider ends about 60cm
before. ALL LWB Hiaces of the 3rd &amp; 4th generations (which I'm
sure share the same floorpans and suspensions ie H80 &amp;
H100-series) have high roofs; high roof was an option on the other
wheelbases. The LWBs in both of these generations had an extra small
window just behind the slider.<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>Here in Idaho, I once encountered a
diesel-powered, RHD Toyota FJ75 (?), the long-wheelbase, hard-top
troop carrier, which was never sold in the US.&nbsp; The owner told me
the importation was not too difficult due to the age of the vehicle,
which exempted it from compliance with Department of Transportation
specifications then in affect.&nbsp; The biggest problem for&nbsp;a
vehicle such as that, and more so the Hiace, would be the total lack
of parts support in North America.</blockquote>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Used Hiaces (and other cars) are coming into Canada from Japan in
small numbers. I saw maybe 3 in Calgary &amp; the Rockies, all Super
Customs.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>As I have said, older Hiaces are there and I guess could be
brought in to the States. I still see the odd 60-series (82-88) Super
Custom around; saw one today. But most of them are probably rather
battered by now... people don't generally take care of older vans,
even ones with all the trimmings.</div>
<div><br></div>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>I had the following page bookmarked in my
favorites for future reference; it may be of interest to
you.</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><a
href="http://www.autostadtwest.com/">http://www.autostadtwest.com/</a
></blockquote>
<div><br></div>
<div>God, what a morass of mindless bureacratic Big Brother crap.
Moneyspinning for Big Bro, of course. The only problem used
Japanese-market vehicles have in LHD markets is the headlights (need
to source RHD lights or tape-up some low-beam cutoffs on the RHD
lenses) and problems with visibility moving from parallel-parking
spots &amp; for overtaking. In Britain there are large numbers of LHD
cars because they are cheaper on the mainland and many folk go over
there to buy.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Eventually the world is going to have to bite the bullet and
standardize... so which will wing-out? RHD or LHD??</div>
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