Importing a car from Canada

[JJ 911SC]

Originally Posted by RWebb

oh - no problem(o)

we have it here -- in fact, it is a staple at the eatery I'm going to tonite

Yes, soon it will be our best export since you don't want our oil!!!

Not sure if you saw the Iron Chef episode when Bobby Flay got his a$$ kick by Chuck Hughes the Poutine chef from Montréal... Montreal chef wins 'Iron Chef' with lobster as ingredient | CTV News

Chuck won on all 3 criterias and if look could kill he would have die right there as "Bobby" seem to be a very badddddddddddddd looser...

Bon Appétit Mon Ami

[RWebb]

ok. did not have the poutine; had salmon & misc. other comestibles with CdP, Hermitage & etc.

FredEx me some lobster poutine & I will try it...

[asphaltgambler]

Not to hijack but...........what about importing classic cars such as pre-1965 -OR- kit cars like a 1932 5 window ford coupe that is all aftermarket into the US??

[Joe Bob]

Pre 65 probably no problem. Kit cars....runaway.

[asphaltgambler]

complete kit cars done with title??

[Mark Henry]

Originally Posted by asphaltgambler

Not to hijack but...........what about importing classic cars such as pre-1965 -OR- kit cars like a 1932 5 window ford coupe that is all aftermarket into the US??

Not too bad on NA built cars, foreign cars it's sometimes a SOB getting the factory to write a letter stating that it was a NA market car.
Kit car in pieces no problem at all, it's just parts.
A finished kit car? Good luck with that, you are totally SOL.

[Joe Bob]

Kit cars are considered new construction......need to comply with current smog laws. Also they are usually non transferable title wise.....kits are YOU build them yourself. The companies that sell them in the US sell them 'incomplete' and you register them and take your chances. Each State has different rules.

[asphaltgambler]

Really?? - honestly I was considering a very nice complete 32 ford a while back, again it was new/recent build ready-to-go and had title, but the car was in Canada. I do not know if the title was Canadian or not. I never got that far because the car was priced above market and the interior was very odd.

The car was relisted several times and price was lowered but still not properly priced with oddball interior. So I passed. Guess maybe I was unaware of any issues with an early car from there

[Joe Bob]

Unless the title says '32 Ford', it's a kit and treated as new or special construction. Check your local DMV regs.

[Mark Henry]

Originally Posted by Joe Bob

Kit cars are considered new construction......need to comply with current smog laws. Also they are usually non transferable title wise.....kits are YOU build them yourself. The companies that sell them in the US sell them 'incomplete' and you register them and take your chances. Each State has different rules.

That's why most build them on VW bug chassis, the title says it's still a VW. Plus the older the title/chassis then you have no emissions to deal with.

BTW I sold a 356A coupe kit shell a couple of years ago to one of our better known kit car builders, because it was "parts" he had no problem crossing the border.
I also sold a rough 356A, that many would mistake for scrap, to a guy in Jersey and he had no problem getting it across.

[Joe Bob]

CA has been cracking down on the VW pan thing. They have a program called SP500.

[johnsjmc]

Importing a kit car to Canada is almost impossible because it doesn,t matter what it,s titled as. If it,s a kit it is allowed /disallowed based on when it was constructed. Presently any kit car or even unassembled kit newer than 15 yrs isn,t allowed in. Factory five has come up with an incomplete kit which can be imported to Canada and you buy the missing parts seperatly at a later date.
I have sold a couple of older cars into the US (a 1966 and a 1964). Both were allowed in with a brief inspection at the border crossing to verify the vin was attached.
I have also sold a 911 back to the US which I originally brought up from Texas. As long as the original certification label is in the door and the vin matches the ownership docs I wouldn,t think it would be a problem importing it from Canada.
The 930 Turbo cars were sold in Canada continuously from 1976 to 1986? . Those cars sent here during the 80s when not available in the US, would probably NOT be importable because they weren,t available in the US then for some reason

[GWN7]

Originally Posted by johnsjmc

Importing a kit car to Canada is almost impossible because it doesn,t matter what it,s titled as. If it,s a kit it is allowed /disallowed based on when it was constructed. Presently any kit car or even unassembled kit newer than 15 yrs isn,t allowed in. Factory five has come up with an incomplete kit which can be imported to Canada and you buy the missing parts seperatly at a later date.

Sorry but not true about the date part. That's RIV's rule and kit cars don't fall under RIV's (which is a private company) regulations.

Also importing parts for a kit car to finish it is against D.O.T. rules. You have to source the parts in Canada.

Here's the skinny: Frequently asked questions for Kit Cars - Transport Canada

If you phone RIV they will tell you that you can't import a kit car (because they don't want to deal with it). The DOT is the deciding factor if they will let Customs let the car into Canada not RIV.

Sorry for the highjack to the OP. Best way to find out about a car is phone US Customs and ask them what you can and can not do. They will refer you to the US DOT for some stuff.

[JJ 911SC]

Originally Posted by johnsjmc

... Those cars sent here during the 80s when not available in the US, would probably NOT be importable because they weren,t available in the US then for some reason

Emission standard.

[black_falcon]

Must be the XJS with the five speed? I was watching the same car wondering the same thing !!

[duncan1437]

i found a couple of sites that might be of interst for americans importing a car from canada

Vehicle Importation and Certification Requirements

Importing Vehicles and Engines into the U.S. | Transportation & Air Quality | US EPA

[tangerine911S]

I imported mine from Canada. We called ahead and were told there were no fees due to the age but that was not true. A few hundred dollars and an hour or two later and I was through. That was in 2002 or 2003 though. It may be different today.

[Joe Bob]

ANYTIME you get advice over the phone, get a name and badge number and/or a followup in writing.....

[imcarthur]

In 1982-3, my boss imported a Morgan into Canada. He bought it new in England & shipped it to Germany. A garage broke it down & shipped it as parts. He assembled it & got it registered as a kit iirc. A gasoline Plus 8. He sold it for a tidy profit after 6 months. I guess the rules were a bit looser.

Ian

[Joeaksa]

If you really want to do this, its possible but sure helps if the car is a "limited edition vehicle."

I imported a 1992 Jag into the US but only 100 of this particular model car were ever made, so there was no question that it was special. Even has markings on several places on the car noting its place in the line of the 100 cars.

We used a broker and it would have been very difficult otherwise.