VW Golf Country
Last I heard - and I'm begging someone to prove me wrong - these are illegal for import into the US (ok for Canada, tho'). I talked to an importer a year or two ago, and he said it was a no-go unless someone with mega-bucks could pave the way....
Yeah, basically. The Country is not on the NHTSA eligibility list, thus a registered importer (RI) is not able to take one and make the necessary mods to make one legal in the US. I explored the option of bringing one in years ago, and started a discussion with a prominent RI. The 1st step IIRC was to petition VW for a letter of conformity, basically asking permission from the mfr. to start the process of bringing the car into the USA. VW refused the request, and that was the end of that.
That said, there are a few of these running around in the US. It's not terribly difficult to get your state DMV to title and register a non-complying foreign car. Its still illegal at the federal level however, and if you get caught they can seize the car and crush it.
I spoke to an RI recently who has a Country in California. It's parked in his garage, not titled or registered however. He stated that would be impossible in CA, but no problem for other states... he didn't really explain how that could be done. He also mentioned that he was open to selling the car for $10k...
I've assembled most of the parts needed and will be assembling my own this summer using a US spec chassis. Totally legal and legit, so no worries! :elkgrin:
Here is a pic of all the parts needed to make a standard Golf syncro into a Country. Steyer Daimler Puch of Austria assembled over 7,000 Golf Countrys from '90 to '91, roughly.
