importing and assembling a 2.0L 16v PD TDI in a Caliber?

CoriolisSTORM

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Gents, I am about to move out of this ****hole town I am in and go back home. So, this means I need a bit of a commuter car to drive back and forth with. I like everything about my Caliber except the 2.4L (its a good motor once the RPMs get up, but fuel economy sucks then...) Anyway, has anybody imported a 2.0L 16v TDI from Europe and gotten it past customs and in a car? What all would be needed to do this swap? (guessing engine, ECU, wiring harness, transmission, what all parts are different between diesel and gas models?) Cost estimates? Or should I just swap it out for a new '09 TDI? :D Only problem is VW does not offer a good looking hatch...
 

vwmikel

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Give up and go buy a new car. It'll probably be cheaper and less aggrevating in the long run.
 

Scott_DeWitt

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CoriolisSTORM said:
Anyway, has anybody imported a 2.0L 16v TDI from Europe and gotten it past customs and in a car? What all would be needed to do this swap? (guessing engine, ECU, wiring harness, transmission, what all parts are different between diesel and gas models?) Cost estimates? Or should I just swap it out for a new '09 TDI? :D Only problem is VW does not offer a good looking hatch...
Nope vehicles are on the Customs list of things to look for, if you want to play the numbers approx 30-50 percent of container shipments get inspected. If your feeling lucky you may be able to get a car past customs, but then you have to register it :).

If you do get caught smuggling in a car it gets seized and then you get mailed a video tape of your car getting squished into a taco about 10 inches high. In that same envelope you will find a hefty bill and possibly a summon to appear in your defense for smuggling, which if convicted is imprisonment for a minium of 5 years, a 100,000 fine. The good part is it's in a federal facility with air conditioning!
 

TurbinePower

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Scott_DeWitt said:
Nope vehicles are on the Customs list of things to look for, if you want to play the numbers approx 30-50 percent of container shipments get inspected. If your feeling lucky you may be able to get a car past customs, but then you have to register it :).
I think he was asking if he could get the engine imported and then in a car, rather than importing the car itself.
 

Scott_DeWitt

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TurbinePower said:
I think he was asking if he could get the engine imported and then in a car, rather than importing the car itself.
Ah okay same goes though you will need a certificate of conformity for the engine from the manufacturer. If there is no certificate of conformity from the EPA then you can't bring it over permanently

Krout has some experience with this.
 

rotorimp

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The motors are around but expensive!! WE spent about 3700 just on the motor BKD 2.0L 16V and I just spent another 1000 on the rest of the harness, instrument cluster. From the prices I have seen on E-bay U.k. and Germany we didn't do too bad
 

CoriolisSTORM

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Smog and inspections are not an issue, Alabama has neither. Think I could convince them it is the same as the 2.0 8valve that we got in Passats? Might just be easier and cheaper to give up and buy a new TDI...
 

G60ING

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Scott_DeWitt said:
which if convicted is imprisonment for a minium of 5 years, a 100,000 fine.
A few years ago there was a local import shop that got busted importing some rare Japanese cars. The owner spent a couple years in jail.
 

KROUT

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Scott_DeWitt said:
Ah okay same goes though you will need a certificate of conformity for the engine from the manufacturer. If there is no certificate of conformity from the EPA then you can't bring it over permanently

Krout has some experience with this.
Unless you have an imported here that can get it in for you its not worth the risk of your money.

Some customs people let engines right in with no problems. Others will nail you to the wall if you dont have the right papaer work. Customs held my pd150 for 2 months before I finally talked the epa guy into releasing it.
 

mrGutWrench

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Scott_DeWitt said:
(Snip) The good part is it's in a federal facility with air conditioning!
__. The bad part is you get to be Big Willie's cellmate and he has dresses in your size.
 

CoriolisSTORM

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I don't suppose it would be as easy as getting ahold of an 8v TDI 2.0L (one we actually got here!) and throwing it in with the VW ECU and hoping the Dodge connectors would match up would it? Or using a 16v ECU and hoping?
 

mrchill

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The caliber stuff is actually availabe on ebay. As far as import, find out how scott dewitt brings in all his non conforming stock. He may be able to help you skirt the law like he does. Some stuff comes easy, some doesnt. Its worth a try and dont forget....it IS an american engine.....isnt it?
 
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CoriolisSTORM

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mrchill said:
Its worth a try and dont forget....it IS an american engine.....isnt it?
If this was meant as a hint I missed it, but NO, we did not get the 16v 2.0 here, but the 8V we did. Maybe I could tell them that? What difference does 8 valves make on emissions? :D
 

RabbitGTI

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There are a few tuners who import Japanese spec motors for Hondas, how do they get around the import problem?
 

Intech

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Importing a non-permitted car

I've been following, with quite some interest, the various threads on this subject, and have not seen anything related to what I'm about to ask, so I thought I'd throw it out there for comments.

I was born and raised in Germany, and except for my mom, my entire family still lives there, and in fact, is involved in various types of automobile racing. My brother has visited me here several times, and the last time, told me that the next time he comes, it'll be cheaper to bring his car with him, rather than rent one. Now, what if....when he comes and brings his TDI with him, he leaves it here until the next time he comes back. In his name, his insurance etc., but at my house, and I can drive it while he's gone. What does the law say about that?
 

weedeater

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Because I don't know, I'll ask. Does the Caliber (or it's equivalent) come with a diesel in Europe? If so, then at least you might be able to mount it.

You'll have less issues with EPA if you bring over the motor that is used in the US. You'll have no chance if you bring over a Euro motor. Or little chance. I know that in the past, someone here brought over a V6 diesel and installed it in a Passat wagon. IIRC, it was a used motor but in good mechanical shape.
 

KROUT

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I glad you think so I had customs and epa sieze a 1z engine and give me a pd150. They dont know there head from there ass
 

Scott_DeWitt

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CoriolisSTORM said:
If this was meant as a hint I missed it, but NO, we did not get the 16v 2.0 here, but the 8V we did. Maybe I could tell them that? What difference does 8 valves make on emissions? :D
You still need a certificate of conformity issued by the EPA to the manufacturer, and the engine codes must match up. If you brought over a 16V said it was an 8 valve, and customs checks the numbers on the engine with those on the certificate and finds out they don't match... :(
 

Scott_DeWitt

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Intech said:
I've been following, with quite some interest, the various threads on this subject, and have not seen anything related to what I'm about to ask, so I thought I'd throw it out there for comments.

I was born and raised in Germany, and except for my mom, my entire family still lives there, and in fact, is involved in various types of automobile racing. My brother has visited me here several times, and the last time, told me that the next time he comes, it'll be cheaper to bring his car with him, rather than rent one. Now, what if....when he comes and brings his TDI with him, he leaves it here until the next time he comes back. In his name, his insurance etc., but at my house, and I can drive it while he's gone. What does the law say about that?
The only way to legally bring import a vehicle permanently is to have it modified to conform to US standards (DOT and EPA). You can bring cars over on a temporary basis but it's limited and they all either have to be shredded or go back to where they came. Yes the DOT and EPA have been known to track down cars that overstay their paperwork and sell them at auction (for export only) or have them crushed and shredded.

Refer to these sites for this information from the powers that be.

http://www.epa.gov/OMS/imports/
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/trade/basic_trade/importing_car.xml
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/CARS/RULES/IMPORT/

There are no risk free ways around vehicle importation.
 

Intech

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Scott_DeWitt said:
The only way to legally bring import a vehicle permanently is to have it modified to conform to US standards (DOT and EPA). You can bring cars over on a temporary basis but it's limited and they all either have to be shredded or go back to where they came. Yes the DOT and EPA have been known to track down cars that overstay their paperwork and sell them at auction (for export only) or have them crushed and shredded.

Refer to these sites for this information from the powers that be.

http://www.epa.gov/OMS/imports/
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/trade/basic_trade/importing_car.xml
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/CARS/RULES/IMPORT/

There are no risk free ways around vehicle importation.
I didn't think that there was, because, I'm sure that someone would have jumped on that by this time. Two questions, how long is the time frame to stay here, and how hard do they look?
 

Scott_DeWitt

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Intech said:
I didn't think that there was, because, I'm sure that someone would have jumped on that by this time. Two questions, how long is the time frame to stay here, and how hard do they look?
The information you seek is in the links provided in my previous post.
 

G60ING

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Even when trying to import legally you can get busted by the feds as proven in the thread link below about a Rallye Golf owner's experiance.

http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=2963211

Here is what the owner gave the feds when it came time to crush the car:





 

mrchill

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If you are a foreign national with dual citizenship, or a foreign passport, you may import a vehicle owned by you for a period of 12 months (with plates and insurance from the issuing country). After that, it must be registered in the state where you reside. This is how it is done. An American cannot do it. Only a foreigner. There are several examples of this in fact.
 

G60ING

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mrchill said:
If you are a foreign national with dual citizenship, or a foreign passport, you may import a vehicle owned by you for a period of 12 months (with plates and insurance from the issuing country). After that, it must be registered in the state where you reside. This is how it is done. An American cannot do it. Only a foreigner. There are several examples of this in fact.
There are other ways that are not so bad as swapping vins.




Hell last year at H2O in Ocean City a grey import S3 was confiscated by the cops and then released to the owner have eluding police while drunk:eek:
 

G60ING

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I've seen a number of european only cars in the Hampton roads area. Most are forgien dipolmats or forgien military that are here at Military School or with Nato and the cars have to leave. I've alreayd talked with several owners and also some of the dealer techs that work on them.
 

Losha

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mrchill said:
If you are a foreign national with dual citizenship, or a foreign passport, you may import a vehicle owned by you for a period of 12 months (with plates and insurance from the issuing country). After that, it must be registered in the state where you reside. This is how it is done. An American cannot do it. Only a foreigner. There are several examples of this in fact.

Hmm, good an idea. Maybe I can import some vehicle from europe, since i'm an foreigner. lol:D
 

Scott_DeWitt

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G60ING said:
There are other ways that are not so bad as swapping vins.




Hell last year at H2O in Ocean City a grey import S3 was confiscated by the cops and then released to the owner have eluding police while drunk:eek:
Is this confirmed? Cort won't answer any emails about it. I serioulsy doubt that his car was legally imported. There are legal ways to get a vehicle registered and there are not so legal ways.
 

Scott_DeWitt

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mrchill said:
If you are a foreign national with dual citizenship, or a foreign passport, you may import a vehicle owned by you for a period of 12 months (with plates and insurance from the issuing country). After that, it must be registered in the state where you reside. This is how it is done. An American cannot do it. Only a foreigner. There are several examples of this in fact.
True, however the importation is only temporary and IIRC must be renewed yearly for a maximum of 5 years and the vehicle cannot be sold in the USA.
 

vwmikel

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Check out the NHTSA list of vehicles legal for import, there is a specific year of Rallye Golf that is in fact legal.
 

G60ING

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Some are able to be registered but there are only a very few (5-10) tops that are 100% legally registered out of the 20-30 that are here. Most owners are just waiting for the 25 year period before they start making their cars public. If it was so easy to import them NGP and people would pay the price then NGP would have kept importing them.

I've heard some people have had mechanic leans placed on the cars to get titles and then swapped in different drivetrains. Others have titled the cars as kit-cars.

I think Kort's car was a Kit car that never had the engine pulled. He still has the car because I remember him looking for a new bumper last december after doing some searching when I was bored.
 
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