Looking to import from US

younter

My friend is looking for a 09 370Z with any color. price about 23000 to 25000.. get it imported to Ontario area. Any suggestion what to do? Never dealt with import from US

wheee!

OP, If you are serious about the NAV option, get the '10. It has the HD screen resolution plus the DVD playback and the harness is different, easier to add a backup camera (software is pre-installed)...

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1Sweet Z

Before i bought the 370z, I was looking at bringing up an Audi or Benz. Google RIV - it is the governing body on the importation of vehicles into Canada.
As I recall - when you purchase the vehicle in the states, you need to send the commercial invoice 72 hrs in advance to the border office ( that you are crossing at). When you get bring the car to the border you'll have to pay the HST on the invoice value plus RIV Admin cost
You will also have 20 days to get the T1 form signed off by an official source.
T1 form is the conformance letter saying that your car meets all the FMVSS ( Motor vehicle safety standards) - Daytime running lights / Conversion of the speedometer to KM, airbags, anchors for child seats...etc
Canadian Tire will perform the inspection and stamp the T1.
We need to T1 stamped before MTO will issue plates for the car.

I might have skipped a few things, but that is the bulk of the work

I have also heard about import duty on Japanese made vehicles as well. You might have to check into that as well.

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Cheech

Thanks for the clarification. I had not found that information when looking for my "Z". Could explain why I didn't have any problems importing it since it was already in service.

For all others looking at importing a vehicle, here's a couple web sites I used:
Import Car To Canada! How to Import a Car, Truck, Van, Motorcycle or Passenger Vehicle into Canada
https://docs.google.com/present/view...9brw_2gbh66vcm


Cheech

younter

Thanks for the info.
So Daytime running lights / Conversion of the speedometer to KM, airbags, anchors for child seats...etc need to be done before importing to Canada?

1Sweet Z

THE RIV website usually has a list of modifications required when importing certain brands of vehicles. Usually DRL and Speedometer conversions will be required. But I have heard from so other forum members that the ECU just needs to be re-programmed to turn on the DRL. This would make sense as Nissan would probably not build multiple varations of the same vehicle for export countries.

Check the forum site for cars for sale - I say somebody post an 09 PG Touring in New Jersey. Not to far of a drive.

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Jjaden

While it can be pain, if you are patient and good at dealing with this sort of thing it can be worth it.

My father had been keeping his eyes open for fully loaded BMW M3 roadster in the U.S. He managed at save 14k after everything was said and done for a car with 5000miles on it.

I think 14k is worth some paperwork and patience, but it depends on the person.

jazz

i looked into this b4 i did the order...lots of headaches 6.2% dutys, plus hst 13%, plus inport fee, plus flight, plus drive time and fuel, plus permit, plus insurance, plus hotel and food. if your not droping over 100k you dont save much

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jazz

used cars can save a bit more over new cars.

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One part rubber, three parts Krazy Glue.

jazz

its more then the flash! its a fuse box and a few relays= a few hundred...then you get the 18 year old guys from crappy tire playing with your car for a day or 2..
QUOTE=1Sweet Z;979053]THE RIV website usually has a list of modifications required when importing certain brands of vehicles. Usually DRL and Speedometer conversions will be required. But I have heard from so other forum members that the ECU just needs to be re-programmed to turn on the DRL. This would make sense as Nissan would probably not build multiple varations of the same vehicle for export countries.

Check the forum site for cars for sale - I say somebody post an 09 PG Touring in New Jersey. Not to far of a drive.[/QUOTE]

__________________
One part rubber, three parts Krazy Glue.

1Sweet Z

[/QUOTE]

So did your roadster get swept away in the tsunami? Has the dealer confirmed is in port in vancouver yet/

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Dizzy

I too did the math before I bought here. I bought my motorcycle state side and saved a fortune. After I figured everything, I would have saved about $4,000 buying it in the US, and that included buying it in a state without sales tax. So, after taking into account the time and effort to do it, the travel involved, the fact that I am very picky and like my speedo in KM's and most importantly, any warrenty issues, $4,000 just wasn't worth it. That was based on a .95 canadian dollar at the time, so the savings would be slightly more now.

Now, a used one is a whole different ballgame!

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Cheech

I would just like to reiterate, the procedure to have the daytime running lights activated is only a matter of reprogramming the ECU. I had it done on my 2010Z Touring - sport - nav. The cost from the Nissan dealership was $56.00.

A quick call to the Registrar of Imported Vehicles (Registrar of Imported Vehicles) 1-888-848-8240 Confirmed that the speedometer for the Nissan 370Z does not have to be changed.

The speedometer for cars manufactured for the North American market have both Km & miles.

The process to import is very easy and as I've stated in previous posts, very easy to do.

Yes there is a cost to transporting it back to Canada. Fortunately for $200 the dealer drove the car to the border for me

If it was any further, I would think of it as a road trip and a great way to burn off the excitement of driving your new car! . Not that it ever goes away. Every day I leave work and see the Z waiting for me,.... a smile comes across my face.

One thing you might develop is paranoia. Driving to work the same way for 15 years, I've never seen radar and now they're waiting for me Yesterday I was the second car in a row of three. There was a cop along side the road, just around a corner. Instead of waiting for all three of us to pass, he jumped out right behind me. Road my 4ss for 3km.

But I digress. Go import your vehicle and have fun!

Dizzy

Nobody's saying it's difficult to import, it's actually quite easy having done it myself. And yes, the speedo doesn't have to be changed, but you will have the MPH on the outside and KM's on the inside. You can think what you want, but that does lower your resale. I'm sure you're going to debate that, but experience has shown me people get unreasonably skitish about US cars. Buying cars n the US, especially high end cars, can save you a ton. I didn't find the savings worth it with the Z though.

I'll just deal with MSRP as it makes life easy - apples to apples. Price includes frieght and dest fee.

Current US MSRP on a 6MT Sport Touring - $39,100
Current Canadian MSRP on a 6MT Sport Touring - $46,612

Considering our dollar is above the US right now, those numbers alone should make you sick!

So, lets assume you don't buy a single other option on the car. Here in Ontario, add onto the Canadian retail the 13%HST for a total of $52,671.

Now lets take our American car that seems like such a bargain. Add the same HST you'll have to pay which would be $5083. Then add 6.1% import duty because the car was manufactured in Japan. A lot of people seem to think it's 8% but that is not correct. 8% only applies to parts, actual cars are 6.1%. That adds another $2385. Now our US car is at $46,568. Now, the only state that is anywhere near close that has no sale tax in the US is New Hampshire. So, unless you buy your car there, you can add an average 5% state slaes tax to your original price and chock on another $1955 for a total of $48,523.

We are now at a difference of $4148 before modifications required or RIV fees. So at the end of the day, you'll save about $3500 if the dollar is at par.

I asked myself, is $3500 worth the effort of trying to find a dealer who will sell to me (said dealer for me had to be in New Hampshire so I didn't pay the US sales tax)? Is it worth the trip to get it which will eat into my savings? Is it worth the hassle of finiky buyers being skittish on the resale because it's a US car (I've never understood that but it does turn people off). And most importantly, is it worth not having a warrenty? It is against Nissans policy for a US dealer to sell to Canadians. You take your car in for warrenty work, they run the serial number, and you will not get any warrenty work done here. If you get past the dealer (who are pissed these days at the cross boarder shopping), Nissan Canada will void it.

If that's worth the $3500 to ya, fill yer boots. Not even close for me and when I looked at doing it, the dollar wasn't at par so I had to factor exchange into it as well.

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Cheech

When I was comparing prices between the US and Canada, I took into account the "hassle factor" and was willing to go an extra $5K just to keep my money in Canada, but the deal I found made it worth the extra work to go south.

The closest state to BC that doesn't have a sales tax is Oregon, but when I found a car in Washington and started negotiating with the dealership, they informed there is no sales tax if the car is being sold out of state, new or used. Not sure if that goes for all the states or not, but I believe it to be true for most.

I agree, you really have to compare the actual landing cost when shopping down south. For the deal I got it was well worth it. It was frustrating dealing with the dealerships in Canada. No one wanted to make it even close! A couple dealerships were trying to sell used Z's as new 'cause they were driven by Nissan execs. Big deal! Anything more than a 1000Km is used in my book (and that's being generous).

As far as the warranty goes, if you buy used, the warranty is void if you buy it within the first six months of the original purchase date. Wait six months and the warranty is fully transferable.

If you buy new, you must register the car to a US address with US plates. You can, the same day drive it back to Canada and re-register to your home address.

What will void the warranty on a new purchase is if you sell it within six months.

This warranty information was faxed to me directly from Nissan USA.

As far as re-sale value goes. I've never been a big fan of car salesmen telling me how good a car's re-sale value is. I drive 'em till they drop. So that wasn't a factor for me, but most likely is for the majority of new car buyers. Certainly something to consider.

In my case the total landed cost (OTD), taxes, RIV, inspection, & DRL mod was $39,600 - 2010 Touring 6MT Sport & Nav. Closest I could get in Canada was $42K + taxes (plus shipping from Ontario).

In my case it was worth it, but it took several months of searching, which my wife tells me was half the fun.... and if she tells me it was fun, it was fun.... I guess, maybe, OK OK, it was fun, now leave me alone! Man she never stops! j/k she's been great, loves the car too.

So if one has the time and patience, the deal is out there, and like you did, add up the costs and whether the hassle is worth it.

Cheers,
Cheech