Importing a Porsche from the US into Canada

[Christien]

I've only driven home with a dealer plate - nice and easy, don't need a trip permit, just insurance coverage. I *believe* you can get a trip permit from an Ontario ministry office and use that, but I'm not positive. You don't need a safety or e-test to get a trip permit, only a bill of sale and proof of insurance coverage. Faxes of both are ok, IIRC.

I've never flown to check out a car - maybe find another Pelican member to check it out, send it for PPI at a shop other than the place the seller regularly uses? You're right, 2 trips is a lot of work, might be a deal breaker.

[GWN7]

If the car is over 25 years old it can be imported as a antique and is exempt from duty.

The only problem I had bringing a car back was thru Washington State. I changed my port of exit. I faxed the new port 5 days before I arrived with a copy of the title and bill of sale and explained that the other port (Baine) would have the information as I originally was going to go thru there. Well the US Customs guy in Oroville decided he must have had a big time smuggler because they kept me their for 2 hrs and went thru everything in the car. Even looked at the pictures I had on my digital camera. Granted I looked like hell from driving a Black car with no air thru 107F temps for 9 hrs that day. After questioning me about the vin numbers (when I mentioned the 2nd vin location in the front trunk he went back out to look again), new windshield and why the car had shiney paint, he went back to typing on the computer for another 20 min. Finally he scooped up all my papers and dumped them on the counter and said I could go. I asked don't I need the title stamped? Which he then did.

When I got to the Canadian side and went in with my paperwork (US & Canada Customs share the building at that port) I found when he had done the scoop & dump of the papers he had grabbed a commercial invoice for a load of grain going South and included it with my papers. So I asked the nice girl at Canada Customs to take the other paperwork over to the US guy and ask if he needed it and to let him know it was from the smuggler with the Porsche. She looked at me strange when I said that. I smiled and told her I'd explain when she came back. Which I did and she thought the story was funny. Time at Canada Customs 20 min.

[upwardr]

I have driven 2 911s back from california and both times all I did was tell the insurance company of my plans and called them once I purchased.
Cal cars come with tags usually so I used it. Drove in Ontario with Cal tags for 30 days.

The drive across the US is worth the time. what a great adventure.

[unclebilly]

JUst did it last week with a 90 C4. I ran the California vanity plates (still am) but could have mounted one of my other plates as here in Alberta, we have 14 days to transfer registration. This is positive as i was pulled over with plates from another car on the 13th day one time... and for the record, I did have to pay 6.1% duty on this car. If I told them the car was made in the USA, I could have gotten out of it wink wink...

[notfarnow]

Can anyone comment on importing to Quebec? Any notable differences we need to be aware of? Which border crossing have you used?

[peritus]

If the car is over 25 years old it can be imported as a antique and is exempt from duty.

GWN7:

I looked here
[http://cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/E/pub/cp/rc4140/rc4140-05e.pdf]

and cannot see anything about antique vehicles (25 yrs plus) exempt from duty. Can you confirm where you got this info?

If that's the case, it's a great time to buy an 82!

James

[GWN7]

Originally posted by peritus
GWN7:

I looked here
[http://cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/E/pub/cp/rc4140/rc4140-05e.pdf]

and cannot see anything about antique vehicles (25 yrs plus) exempt from duty. Can you confirm where you got this info?

If that's the case, it's a great time to buy an 82!

James

Hi,

I got the info from importing 4 cars into Canada.

When I did the first one, that is what I was told, that there is a little known rule, that over 25 years it is considered a antique by the Customs Officer who did the paperwork and I have mentioned that every other time I have brought one up and payed 0% duty.

They were imported under classification # 80703.23.00.51 (same number off two of the receipts I have handy)

Which if you look it up, has to do with the number of cyls and the interior volume. But my Customs receipt shows 0% duty.....

[dvkk]

Originally posted by GWN7

.....there is a little known rule, that over 25 years it is considered a antique by the Customs Officer who did the paperwork and I have mentioned that every other time I have brought one up and payed 0% duty.

You are right about this little known rule. Unfortunately, many Canada Customs officers don't know it.
A friend of mine was importing an old car at the crossing nearest to Vancouver and 4 CC officers didn't know the rule. He ended up paying the duty, then getting it back after applying for a refund.

[notfarnow]

Dad is bringing an 86 Carrera Cab from Virginia. We looked into driving it home, but any insurance company he called said they'd only put PLPD on it until he got a canadian appraisal.

I know some of you guys drove your cars back, how did you work this out with your insurance co?

[peritus]

Jake,

If you cannot sort out the insurance issue, I am currently using TFX International (Toronto-based car shipping company). They will do everything for you, including the business at customs.

Talk to Jacqui @ TFX, she is really nice.

James

[Christien]

I used dealer plates. While they do have collision coverage, you'd never put a claim through because their rates would skyrocket, so it's about the same. I could be wrong, but in the US they don't have no-fault insurance, so if you're driving safely and someone hits you, you can sue them for damages. Not that that's much of a solution...

Maybe try Silver Wheels? (http://www.lant-ins.ca/index.html) They do antique and specialty cars, although they might only do Ontario. They require an appraisal, but may have special coverage for the import period alone.

If nothing works, I'd say just drive it, although I'm pretty surprised no ins. company will provide collision for a short period based on sale price. My insurance company (Economical) provided full coverage based on the sale price when I bought the car, but would only up the coverage with an appraisal.

[notfarnow]

Thanks Christen!

As it stands, dad is having the car shipped by hansens. However, it'll be a couple weeks before it can be picked up. We had to get the seller to keep his insurance in the meantime, dad's insurance co wouldn't cover it until it had a canadian appraisal.

My hope is to get a car this time next year. My preference would be to buy from a private seller... just wondering how I'd get around the insurance. Surely folks aren't driving cars back from the US with just liability!?

[GWN7]

Here we have MPIC and everyone is covered by them. All you have to do is phone them with the details of the car and fax a copy of the bill of sale to them and they write a temp policy/registration for as many days as you need to transport it back. If you have the details and bill of sale before you leave, you can go down to their office and they will issue you all the paperwork before you leave. Temp registration was $14 and insurance was $84 for 11 days. That was for $5 mil third party liability, $200 deductable and $50K coverage on the car.

[Christien]

Jake, you'd be surprised how many people drive with just liability... It's because insurance is such a scam in provinces that's don't have pulic insurance, like Manitoba. Although $84 is a bit steep - that's almost 3 grand a year - is that special, expensive temp coverage for the transport, which gets cheaper with a regular policy?

My experience with importing has led me to believe that having it shipped to your door or at least to the nearest depo (for you it'd probably be Halifax, maybe Fredericton) and have the shipping company do all the border paperwork. For an extra $2-300 it's worth it. Unless of course you want the adventure of picking it up. There was a cool article in the Dec. (?) Excellence about a guy who brought an SC home from California to Toronto. Someday I'd love to do that!

[notfarnow]

Actually the nearest depo is a 5 minute walk from work, so you're right it's pretty convenient.

Having said that, if it was the same price to ship a car as it was to drive it, I'd drive it. I love a roadtrip, but driving with straigh liability would take all the fun away... I'd be scared $chitless the whole time.

[Christien]

Well, here's how I think about it. I've had my driver's license for 17 years now. In that time I've had 5 incidents which required repairs to a car. All were body work only.

-accident #1: completely the other person's fault (t-boned my trying to stop at a snowy intersection, very minor damage)
-accident #2: at the track (spun the 911 at mosport and crunched up the rear on a concrete wall).
-incident #1: scraped a small tree while backing out of a driveway
-incident #2: forgot to set the parking brake, car rolled back, scraped a lightpost and took the mirror off (I was young!)
-incident #3: someone clipped my mirror with theirs while I was parked on a narrow street.

In all of these incidents, I paid to fix every single one, except where I was hit by the other car, where her insurance paid for it. I never considered putting anything through the insurance (esp. the incident at the track!). For the vast majority of incidents, it's either below the deductible or not worth having your premiums raised. The more I think about this, the more I'm considering raising my deductible to something like $3000.

[GWN7]

Originally posted by Christien
Jake, you'd be surprised how many people drive with just liability... It's because insurance is such a scam in provinces that's don't have pulic insurance, like Manitoba. Although $84 is a bit steep - that's almost 3 grand a year - is that special, expensive temp coverage for the transport, which gets cheaper with a regular policy?

My experience with importing has led me to believe that having it shipped to your door or at least to the nearest depo (for you it'd probably be Halifax, maybe Fredericton) and have the shipping company do all the border paperwork. For an extra $2-300 it's worth it. Unless of course you want the adventure of picking it up. There was a cool article in the Dec. (?) Excellence about a guy who brought an SC home from California to Toronto. Someday I'd love to do that!

Yes that is expensive temp coverage, but the car hasen't been inspected prior to being insured (like is required when you insure here). Also there are more cars in the USA. Hence the higher the risk ($7.66 a day) to what the regular insurance is ($1.72 a day)

Having done two fly and drive home with cars, I'd recommend it as a great way to get to know the car.

[Poorshaw]

Found this and thought it might help

http://pages.ebay.ca/ebaymotors/explained/checklist/howtobuyUS.html

[spark00]

I've been living in States for 6 years and recently purchased 99 Boxster for personal use. I may be taking a new job in BC and move back to Canada. I was wondering if steps for registering my car in BC is same as importing for commercial purposes.

[Christien]

No - commercial importing is done by a licensed, registered dealer as a wholesale purchase/import with the intention of selling at a licensed dealership. You'd be doing a private import, however as I understand it rules are completely different if it's your own car and you're moving from the US to Canada. If I'm not mistaken, it's tax exempt (though I could be wrong). It'll probably need an e-test, maybe a safety. Best to do some reading at riv.ca.