Those RHD Japanese imports...

[Sherlock]

An interesting article I stumbled upon, from Zimbabwe of all places, about the importation of older RHD Japanese cars, interesting reading as these cars are quite common here in Canada...

https://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=56022

 

[AngliaGT]

Unbelievable!Why don't come up with a smog - check system?
Sounds like someone wants to control things.

- Doug

 

[Deleted member 8987]

Japan's emissions laws are stricter than ours....yet, when used Japanese engines started showing up here, our local EPA decided they did not meet US standards and banned the sale and/or use of them...for a while anyway.
A riend who lived in Japan told me why there were so many engines. Something like, buy a new car, emissions are no cost.....second year, compliance test and fees was like $2K, third year, like $10K, so they got scrapped.
Nothing to do with the pollution control devices failing.....rather bureaucratic nonsense and taxation.

 

[JPSmit]

I agree - the Zimbabwe story seems more about preserving a monopoly than a legit concern for emissions. Of course the Japanese stringent regs really made the Japanese auto industry possible after the war. Let's face it if everyone has to buy a new car every four years.....

I remember about 20 years ago in New Zealand they were importing used Japanese cars by the shipload because the economy was so precarious they couldn't afford new. No current parallel to that situation

BTW the real problem with JDM cars is they add to my wish list
RV8

 

[Nunyas]

Japan's emissions laws are stricter than ours....yet, when used Japanese engines started showing up here, our local EPA decided they did not meet US standards and banned the sale and/or use of them...for a while anyway.
A riend who lived in Japan told me why there were so many engines. Something like, buy a new car, emissions are no cost.....second year, compliance test and fees was like $2K, third year, like $10K, so they got scrapped.
Nothing to do with the pollution control devices failing.....rather bureaucratic nonsense and taxation.

something similar is happening in California. No smog tests for the first 6 years, and then smog tests every other year after that. Though, the amount paid for the tests isn't as bad. And the tax paid on the vehicle does go down w/ the vehicles age, but it is enough to make most people (who can afford it) jump ship after the first 6 years. Then the.... sorry... slippery slope there... almost went down it...

 

[swift6]

Ever notice how the length of the exemption parralels the warranty period of the emissions controls? Isn't that handy? When I was working as an emissions tech right out of high school, brand new cars still needed to be tested to insure the emissions controls were all working.

Of course now, OBDII does a pretty good job of that as well.