Response from Rice Rocket
Motorex started off by petitioning the NHTSA. If your petition isn't immediately thrown out, it goes to petition review. During the petition review, you are allowed to import a few samples for dismantling, test fitting, and crash testing. The "non-conforming" cars must be modified by a RI and an ICI ONLY. In fact, at the time the Skyline was petitioned, Motorex wasn't even a RI. They hired another experienced RI to assist them (Motorex is now a RI). After all the petitions, applications, documentation, and crash testing, the NHSTA and EPA allowed the cars on the "Vehicle Eligibilty List". This means that can now be imported becuase they have been proven to meet US Spec (after modification). To protect it's intrests, Motorex had some of there "conversion materials and techniques" classified as "propietery". This is why nobody else imports them but Motorex. If somebody else choose to import the Skyline legally, than they would have to crash test them as well.
Funny enough, one conversion slipped past the EPA. OBD2. It seems that the 95+ (or is it 96+?) Skylines are not fully OBD2 compliant. Skylines in other countries are not OBD2, so there is no ECU for OBD2. The Government has restricted motorex from importing anymore "OBD2" cars till they create there own OBD2 package. Cars that were already in the USA were "grandfathered".
BTW, the process can take over a year to get your first "non-conforming" car approved.
So you ask about the Pulsar? The Pulsar obviously doesn't have anything CLOSE to it (body or engine wise). This immediately makes it a "non-conforming" car. That means it must go through all the processes that Motorex went through for the Skyline.
Then comes the next "obvious" question...
What about a civic or integra, they are "comparable", right?
WRONG. A few years ago, manufactures lobbied that a RHD vehicle WAS NOT comparable to a LHD vehicle, and the NHTSA agreed, the crash dynamics are different. That is why you would have to go through the WHOLE non-conforming process like the Skyline.
Okay...so you ask, what about a European LHD model that is comparable, that would work, right? This wuold be your BEST chance, but there are still MANY hurdles that you have to cross. You would still have to petition the car to be added to the "Vehicle Eligibilty List" as well.
Bascially, the
VEHICLE ELIGIBILTY LIST is the BIBLE. If a car isn't on it, it isn't allowed UNLESS you petition and have the car added.
Currently, there are no Integras and no 92+ Civics on the list.
Doesn't take a genius to figure that one out.
Charles