A Crushing Ending For "Big Bird" Skyline

[d4rk]

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-29785" src="https://www.zerotohundred.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/BB2.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="384" />

Although the love for the famed Nissan Skyline could be seen from almost any part in the world; including here in Malaysia, it is a complete opposite in the States; not from the enthusiasts, but from the authorities. And the latest victim that is scheduled to be put into the crusher is an R33 that had once made an appearance in the first Fast &amp; Furious movie.

street closed pizza boy, find another way home - YouTube

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Dubbed as the “Big Bird” due to its bright yellow paintjob, Justin Beno also had to surrender his other sweetheart, a purple ’95 model, to be crushed by the authorities on the attempt of trying to sell gray-market vehicles. Apparently, Skylines are not so welcomed on the States as they do not meet American federal safety and emission standards. They were also deemed not road legal, especially those that are missing their vehicle identification number (VIN) tag.

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The story begins where Beno tried to sell both of his Skylines, where he was approached by a potential buyer; which was apparently a Department of Transportation official. And when asked on whether it is possible to get the cars titled, Beno came out with a wrong answer (which was supposed to be a “No”) and immediately landed him in hot water.

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And that is where the string of charges began to surface, which among them are two felony counts of conspiracy to commit fraud, one felony count of owning a vehicle without a VIN tag and two misdemeanors related to the missing VIN tags.

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In his defense, Beno stated that he originally purchased the cars as bare shells without the VINs attached, and the seller would mail them over later. He also stated his passion and love towards the cars, where he had spent a huge sum of $75,000 in the restoration project. In trying not to get his immaculate creations crushed, he even asked the Wisconsin court to at least try selling his cars overseas, as they could worth up to $100,000 in the open market. But due to some legal restraints and limitations, there were no other alternatives for this case, at which they will end up in the crusher.

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Both of Beno’s Skylines are scheduled to be crushed today (31^st May, 2012) and sold for scrap. I really could not imagine what is Beno going through right now, but it must have been totally devastating, especially after all the hard work and love poured into those two Skylines. This was totally not the ending that I have been expected for an icon that had once appeared in one of the most famous racing films that had taken the large screens. If you wish to find out more about Beno’s Big Bird, head up to his site here.

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Sources:

<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2012/05/29/wisconsin-man-avoids-jail-by-agreeing-to-have-his-nissan-skyline/">http://www.autoblog.com/2012/05/29/wisconsin-man-avoids-jail-by-agreeing-to-have-his-nissan-skyline/</a>

<a href="http://www.bigbirdskyline.com/BigBirdSkyLine/bigbird.html">http://www.bigbirdskyline.com/BigBirdSkyLine/bigbird.html</a>

<a href="http://blog.cargurus.com/2012/05/30/which-would-you-choose-jail-time-or-having-your-dream-car-crushed">http://blog.cargurus.com/2012/05/30/which-would-you-choose-jail-time-or-having-your-dream-car-crushed</a>

<a href="http://jalopnik.com/5914204/big-bird-skyline-going-to-the-crusher">http://jalopnik.com/5914204/big-bird-skyline-going-to-the-crusher</a>

 

[ehdrian]

Truly a heartache for the owner and skyline lovers out there..Sigh

 

[Supra_Fanatics]

This is really unacceptable!!! SUCH A NICE LEGEND BEING CRUSHED!? What on earth is happening to people...this is really inhuman!!!

It takes someone who is not human at all to be able to really crush these legends. What a waste!

---------- Post added at 05:13 PM ---------- 6 hour anti-bump limit - Previous post was at 05:03 PM ----------

Finally felt, kinda lucky I'm a Malaysian...that we don't have laws that Skylines are illegal or more like ban in US...

 

[D7zul]

arghhh

 

[tazmaniac83]

damn sad...

 

[shark79]

what bout their polluting big blocks??

 

[haywiress]

Haters Gonna Hate. Apparently the haters was the authorities.

 

[wkwoo69]

Bloody deserved it. The law is the law. The car should be crushed just for having those awful wheels. And ghastly graphics.

 

[maiviab16]

US loves their muscle junk that pollutes more than a lorry

 

[shah5755]

must be law tat almost same with msia, "belilah barangan buatan msia" thing....those enforcement also doing crime to the owner after all he did and spent to his car lastly he didn't get nothing for return.....wat a cruel world we live today

 

[EvolutionZ]

can fetch good price in msia

 

[fastlearner]

What a shame!

 

[DanzEterna]

at least let the owner take out the engine 1st before crushing it.....

 

[^pomen_GTR^]

even sell as halfcut also cannot ah???

 

[driftkingII]

Americans, what they know is crushing cars everyday...

everywhere... movies, girls, people, kids... crazy

 

[Supra_Fanatics]

Bloody deserved it. The law is the law. The car should be crushed just for having those awful wheels. And ghastly graphics.

And you call yourself car enthusiast? With no sense of love and passion for legendary cars
like these two Skylines? Deserved to be crush just because you find the wheels awful with
ghastly graphics? :stupid:

 

[rokok_sebatang]

Y?Y?Y??

 

[Veloc]

They are just jealous that they can't make cars close to jdm's. So what they can do is crush every good car that crushes their reputation.

 

[6UE5t]

What a waste!

---------- Post added at 06:49 PM ---------- 6 hour anti-bump limit - Previous post was at 06:45 PM ----------

And you call yourself car enthusiast? With no sense of love and passion for legendary cars
like these two Skylines? Deserved to be crush just because you find the wheels awful with
ghastly graphics? :stupid:

Agree! Graphics can easily be removed, wheels can easily be changed! :stupid:

 

[Takumi Fujiwara]

Those cars are being crushed because they are better than US' own muscle cars in a straight-line, as well as being practical and can corner well.

Oh well... so much to shows just how much the US authorities are racists and hate JDM legends... *shake head*