[Otter74]

I am considering buying a car that is located in Vancouver. The car is an original Vancouver car that has never been in the US, but is a type also sold here. The car is legal to import to the US (it's over 25 years old, etc.) so I'm not too concerned about that aspect. What I am trying to learn about is the practical aspect. My plan would be to fly out and drive the car home.

Option 1 is to fly to Vancouver and do the transaction there. This seems easier from the ownership-transfer standpoint, but flying to Vancouver will cost me a lot more than flying to Seattle, and I am still waiting for my replacement passport (my old one was about to expire.) Doing it this way, I believe I need temporary insurance from ICBC to drive it until I leave Canada, not sure about plates (do they stay with the car or does the owner keep them, etc.) When I get to the border I have the title and bill of sale and I have sent this info to the border crossing at least 3 days in advance, etc. and I pay duty and am free to go.

Option 2 is to do the transaction in Washington state. As much as I would like to visit Vancouver, this is the more likely option for me. The owner is willing to drive across the border. I sent an email to ICBC (I think that is what it is called) with questions and they wrote me back suggesting their Insurance Customer Services dept. would be best equipped to help me, so I'll call them today when I have some time. What are the practical implications of this option, both for me and the seller?

I will learn more from the BC govt when I call them, but I figure there are plenty of people here who have some useful knowledge on this so I thought I'd ask.