Importation Information as a Forum Response

In response to a forum topic at Acura-Legend.com, found here:

http://www.acura-legend.com/vbulletin/f4/jdm-drooling-why-doesnt-someone-130010/

I wrote this. Its the most I've written in awhile so I thought I'd start it off as Novembers first blog posting...

*ahem*

Why DOESN'T someone import a RHD Legend. Be it from the UK or the Legend's motherland; Japan. I know what’s holding me back; and that is money. But I fully intend to. When? I'm not sure yet. But I'll do it. I'd like to be the first KA7 owner to successfully swap a 6-speed into a RHD Legend. But I'd also like to see other people do it. So much so that if someone did before me, I'd just be that much more motivated to do the same thing too. It’s not impossible. As anyone here who has been following the Korean Turbo and Supercharged thread can attest, nothing is impossible and there is way more potential in our cars that has yet to be tapped. However it takes initiative.

Like many things in life, all it takes is for one person to do it, say "hey everybody, this is how its done" and others will follow. Just look to people like Christian aka DV8. How long ago did he successfully swap a 3.5 in to a KA7, and now look at how many members have done it or in the process of doing it. Sure, swapping out a higher displacement engine and importing a RHD version of our car isn't exactly the same thing, but you get what I'm saying.

Importing a RHD isn't an easy process. It never has been. But it’s a hell of a lot easier now than it was ten years ago. If you take the time to research it, price it out, adjust your expenses to afford it, find a trust worthy enough DOT certified RI (Registered Importer) to do business with, and are patient enough to have a car shipped to you and then quite possibly and most likely have it sit there undriveable until you sort through all the red tape to get it legal......it is very possible.

Is it costly? Yep. Is it worth it to drive around on the opposite side of a car? Yeah. I think so.

But that's just my opinion. I'm sure there are plenty of people or even members of this forum who just don't see the value in it or don't think it’s worth the hassle. However I'm sure that some of those same people might just change there minds if someone did it successfully and documented it here on the forums though.

I guess I'm just tired of opening up Honda Tuning every month and seeing the same old Civic, Integra, Civic, (and maybe an) S2000 featured articles. And not just Honda Tuning, but all the other magazines or articles that I read. I want to see innovation. I want to see a car that I can relate to that I drive in......up in a magazine article......or on the cover. To do this, however, is probably going to take just that much extra effort that importing a RHD or at least a front clip and converting it, WOULD take.

Ok...I'll finish up my little soap box rant here...but the title of this thread just popped out at me tonight and I've been wanting to see a RHD Legend over here on US soil for so long, that I just had to say something.

I'll end this by saying that "where’s there is a will, there is a way" and if importing a RHD car was easy, it (like so many other things in life) probably wouldn't be worth it. Just because it hasn't been done, doesn't mean that it can't be done. There ARE ways to do it. There ARE problems you WILL run into. It WILL be challenging. But then again...that's what I love most about owning and modifying a Legend; the challenge.