Anyone who has tried to register an imported or modified car in Japan knows that even the slightest deviation from the rules can cause failure of the mandatory JCI technical inspection.
However, one U.S. Air Force service member found a way around the system. It turned out that the key wasn’t the elegance of the solution, but its formal compliance with the regulations.
This Jeep Wrangler, including its unusually mounted headlights, successfully passed inspection and received registration. All of this was made possible by the owner’s resourcefulness and willingness to do everything himself.
Matt Norton grew up in the United States and moved to Japan in 2019 with his wife. Soon afterward, he bought a 1993 Jeep Wrangler YJ nicknamed Buford. The off-roader was already equipped with a suspension lift kit, 33-inch wheels, and fender flares. The vehicle looked impressive, but these very modifications became a problem during the inspection.
JCI inspectors stated that the distance between the headlights and the outer edge of the fenders exceeded the allowable limit by 1.2 inches. Instead of forcing the owner to remove the flares, they suggested simply moving the headlights closer to the edges of the body. Matt immediately went to the nearest hardware store and bought duct tape, red cardboard, electrical wire, and connectors.
Together with a friend, he removed the square headlights from the grille, leaving empty openings, then fabricated temporary housings from cardboard, extended the factory wiring, and taped the headlights directly to the fenders.
When the Wrangler returned to the inspection line, the staff initially burst out laughing. Nevertheless, the vehicle was approved because it formally met the headlight positioning requirements.
The final test awaited the vehicle on the headlight aim inspection stand. The automatic system indicated that one of the taped-on headlights was aimed slightly incorrectly.
While the equipment was taking the measurement, Matt’s friend discreetly approached the fender, manually adjusted the cardboard housing into the correct position, and held it there until the system recorded a successful result. He then quickly secured the assembly with an extra piece of duct tape.
When the Jeep owner jokingly asked the inspectors how a temporary cardboard-and-duct-tape construction could possibly be safer than the factory mounting, they simply smiled and replied that they were only following the letter of the law.
Naturally, the homemade construction didn’t last long. Immediately after receiving the registration sticker, Matt pulled into a parking lot, removed the cardboard housings, and reinstalled the headlights in their original positions.
Later, the family moved to Hawaii, where their Jeep collection grew even larger. In addition to the classic 1993 Wrangler YJ nicknamed Buford, they now own a 2012 Wrangler JK Arctic Edition and a 2018 Wrangler JLU that Matt’s wife drives. All three off-roaders are equipped with manual transmissions — the couple are firm believers in three-pedal vehicles.
