rgscott67

Looking into purchasing a Corvette from the USA(most likely off this forum) and wondered what do I need to do to get it through customs? Is it worth the cost and administrative hassle? Any thoughts and direction would be greatly appreciated.

formula1nut

I just imported mine and would be happy to help you. The details depend on if you are buying a car up to 15 years old or more than 15. More than 15 is pretty straightforward.

Happy to help you here or by Private mail.

Whatever you do do not even think about declaring a value lower than you paid at customs!

chelseavette

what are you looking to buy? you should be able to buy something here in canada now that the 2015s have opened up. i could sell mine. 2014 1lt perf exhaust yellow coupe z-51. has 1,500 km.

TOVetteFan

If you are talking used car, it is usually worth it, if for no other reason than selection. If you are talking new C7, it is not worth it, the prices here are pretty much the same, and in some cases, depending on trade-in, state tax, etc, it is actually less expensive here, plus you lose warranty on any US car under 12,000 kms if it bought for export out of the US...

Good luck with your hunt...

nuck

Exchange will cost you over 10% plus you pay GST at the border plus recall clearance, inspections, AC tax, and the attendance and shipping back of the car as well. Since 04 I have brought back four vettes and a viper and this is the first time I am uncertain about whether there is any money to be saved. Also the US car will likely have weaker resale up here. That all adds up to a pretty thin margin. I just bought a Cdn C6.

I see you are looking at both C4s and C5s. If you have the money I would recommend the C5. I had a 96 with the LT4 motor which is basically the best C4 produced and the interior, targa fit, and handling are noticeably inferior to any C5. The LS1 is a big advancement from the mouse motors and the tranny in the C5 is stronger.

There are enough low mileage vettes out there that you should not have to go over 80,000 km for a reasonable price. Not that they don't hold together at 100k plus but it is likely that a lower mileage car will cost you less to own for at least the first couple of years and the interior will be in better shape. Newest car you can afford for the driving experience, and lowest mileage from a resale perspective so choose your poison.

If you go for the C4 the 94-96 were the last iteration with a different interior and the LT4 option in 96 with the manual tranny. I only had my C4 for 1 year and it chucked a tranny with only 30,000km on it. I never had the Optispark issues that many complained about, with that C4, but I did had the column lock thing with one of my C5s. You could maybe go on the C4 board for more details on their reliability issues. because these cars were 70 grand new and they can take a bite out of you that your F body never would. Get a tight one. Good hunting!

camirocz

As we speak it is not worth buying in the states.The exchange rate is the main reason.I have brought in dozens of cars in the past when the money was at par.c7 vettes are much more expensive here.The others are probably the same or cheaper here than in the states.

TOVetteFan

Used C7's are a lot more here, because they are being imported and marked up by the importers! New C7s are very close in price here and US, and anything older usually offers a much better selection in the US, but not necessarily a lot better price, at this time... I just got off the phone with an importer, with a 2014 1LT Convertible... he wanted 64K for it, MSRP here is 62K.....

b4i4getit

Wait until the 2015 models are being delivered. There are many with the 2014 A6 that are going to trade them to get the A8. There will be a large supply of used 2014 cars available in the US very soon. You can save thousands by importing the car yourself.

Cybermind

I've looked at this option recently and it came down to not being worth it in the end. Don't forget that you have to factor in the different provincial requirements for an imported US car. It is different in every province. Here in Quebec, they may (probably will) bury you in bureucracy and do everything in their power to make it difficult and expensive. This is especially true when it comes to sports cars. By the time you're done, you will have wished that you bought a Canadian car. It appears that Dealers get a break with this and have their ways of fast tracking the transaction. But sometimes, even they get screwed. There is one dealer in particular that recently imported a mint 2006 Lotus Elise from the US with 12K miles. I thought I was in heaven when I saw it and was ready to buy it then and there. The dealer was only asking 33K. Unfortunately, I was informed that they couldn't sell it to me because it could not be registered in Quebec. It had failed because of some stupid regulation. So, they were stuck with it and were hoping to sell it for track use only.

I'm not saying that this same thing can happen with C4's, C5's or C6's but just be aware that provincial regulations change constantly and those are the ones you need to worry about.

camirocz

The dealer bringing in the Lotus wasnt too smart because we know as dealers which cars can be registered in quebec and which ones cant.Secondly there are no suprises the inspection is $75.00 plus taxes for the car to be able to get plated.G.S.T is payable at the border,when the car is brought in from the states. t.v.q gets paid at the license bureau when you actually plate the car.Paper work has to be sent to the border 72 hrs before the car is brought in.Title and sales contract.

RULOOKIN

I bought mine out of the USA I had my leasing company handle everything even transportation, car was in my position in 3 days
Keep in mind any vette with less than 12,000KM on it will receive no warranty work by GM in Canada until it reaches 12,000KM,

Cybermind

Well thank you for that clarification, Camirocz. However, dealers are more informed and better equipped to handle these sorts of transactions. The simple private buyer is not and things are not always as simple as you make them out to be. So, what do you recommend? That we (Quebecers) go through a dealer when importing a car from the US? You guys would love that!!!

04silverZ06

I bought my C5Z from California - have had it now for a couple months and love it. I did not save money but the selection is WAY better down there. I had a broker do all the paperwork and 'leg work' of getting it up here. We went down to Sarnia to pick it up and I drove it home!

nuck

Apparently not You can actually go on the RIV site and see a full list of non importable vehicles. http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/motorvehicle...s-menu-475.htm
No Lotus except for the Esprit. I looked into it.
Most vehicles just require the addition of daytime running lights and a seatbelt tether which are usually peanuts. Some need bumper work which can be more problematic but not Vettes. I have imported a 69, a 96, and a couple of C5s and it was all really straightforward stuff. I have driven them across and other times paid shippers to bring them across. Lots of threads on this board dealing with importing. Bringing across a salvage title might be more complicated but generally not domestic cars of any make.

If you want to import something special and don't have confidence to do it yourself you can probably find a broker.

Cybermind

Keep in mind that the list you are referring to changes frequently, with the latest version being July 4th, 2014. Also, the following general disclaimer does not inspire confidence:

"Document CL9203(E) July/04/2014 Edition
Disclaimer: This list is compiled by Transport Canada for the Registrar of Imported Vehicles (RIV) program using information provided by vehicle manufacturers on a voluntary basis.
Its accuracy cannot be guaranteed and its content is subject to change without notice.

There are also no guaranties that a vehicle deemed admissible on the list can be successfully modified to meet Canadian requirements."

This dealer has had this Lotus Elise for a while and it did get through Federal import requirements when they acquired it. How, I don't know. It's the provincial regulations that are keeping it off the streets...........according to him. Maybe it's all bull but I don't see why a dealer would acquire a car that they will never be able to sell.

Moral of the story; Buyer beware. Things may not go as smoothly as you may think.

hzz

If we are talking about importing corvettes things will go smoothly.

A Lotus, I have no idea. Check a Lotus forum for them

There are a couple of good reasons to import-

The selection can't be compared to what's available here.

Also, you can save money. How much depends on a few factors.

The Canadian dollar, how far away the car is located, and whether you want to import it yourself or have it shipped direct with all the paperwork done for you.

Least costly way is to ship it open transport to the border...to CBI for example, then go over the border and pick it up yourself. I realize that not everyone can do that, but if you can, you will generally save money over what it would cost you here, assuming you can find what you want here.

A lot of dealers in the GTA are improting and selling US cars. There's enough savings for them that they can do it and still sell at a profit

JRLedFoot

well worth the hassle; I went through the RIV process,bought the car,after having it inspected by a GM dealership,flew down to Anaheim,picked it up and drove it back home. I had a great time and paid $47k(all in) for what was then a $60k car here in Edmonton. Just do it!

TOVetteFan

Actually, dealers usually import US cars because availability of Canadian cars is so tight... C7's because they can't get allotment for new cars from GM, older Vettes because it is hard to access Canadian cars at the moment, partly because we can't get enough new cars to get people to trade on! Be assured, almost every dealer would rather have a lot full of Canadian vehicles than comparable US vehicles, fewer hassles on paperwork, history and resale, but availability does not allow that on Corvettes, so either you don't sell them, or you sell US cars....