Importing a Canadian BC SS into the USA

[Bez]

If anyone has done this I would appreciate hearing how this worked for you. According to the NHTSA web site

"The agency has determined that Canadian-certified passenger cars manufactured on or after September 1, 1989, are eligible for importation, provided those vehicles are equipped with automatic restraints that meet the requirements of FMVSS No. 208, “Occupant Crash Protection.” If a vehicle manufactured on or after that date is not equipped with automatic restraints, it has not been determined eligible for importation. Without this determination, the vehicle cannot lawfully be imported into the U.S."

Thanks, Bez

[dscoobydoo]

You need the title, bill of sale, and a letter from the manufacturer stating the car complies with all the epa and nhtsa requirements.

[quicklook]

sounds like it needs the auto seat belts like an american legacy has.

the law may have changed since 1989 so go to your local license bureau to find out.

[93forestpearl]

I was told that once a car is 20 years old it is exempt from meeting the emissions and safety requirements. Not sure on the validity of the statement, but I was told by someone who had imported a couple Skylines(He was driving one at the time with dealer plates on it)

[quicklook]

like i suggested, find out the current local/state laws so you will be sure what you have to do to meet those laws.

[kimokalihi]

So all of us doing the manual seatbelt mod are making our cars illegal? Could this become a problem in the event of an accident? Legally I mean. That's just stupid. It's no more dangerous than an old ford pickup with only lap belts and you can drive those all you want.

[evolutionmovement]

Except that the old Ford pickup presumably met safety requirements in effect on its date of manufacture. You could say the same thing about emissions—your (newer) car barely fails on high HC and you get rejected yet you can roll into a garage for inspection on a 1967 427 Corvette and they check your brakes, lights, and wipers and send you on your way no matter how black the ground behind the exhausts got while you were idling.

You can do whatever you want if you don't get caught. I would bet if you didn't say anything in the event of an accident with manual belts swapped in, nobody would notice and certainly not during inspection. However, getting a car so equipped over the border would be a crap shoot. Did the later Canadian cars have airbags? If they did, you'd be all set as far as that goes.

Worst case, you could bring it in for a year and then you'd have to send it back over the border and provide proof of sale or show proof of destruction to NHTSA. Or the EPA. Or both, I forget.

Regardless, what you need to do is check out the respective government websites and see what your options are. If you have an actual car in mind, make a phone call and take names and notes (for whatever that's worth) of whoever tells you your good to feel better about your chances of getting it through. Ultimately, it probably falls on the guy at the border.

Too bad you can't sneak it in. You COULD, but the VIN wouldn't be recognized by the RMV when you go to register it. Ways around that are not worth the risks or cost.

[Bez]

I have sent an e-mail to John Mergen at SOA along with the VIN number of the vehicle and asked him to verify whether this particular SS met all of the FMVSS requirements on its date of manufacture, which is the letter that one typically gets from the manufacturer.

I have imported five vehicles into the USA previously, two of which were German gray market imports, and never had any issues, and hope that this Legacy Turbo sedan wont' be the one exception to making it an even half-dozen imports.

I'll post the results of the SOA response when I receive it. Thanks again guys.

Bez

[dscoobydoo]

The lap belts will not cause you to not get it imported.

I worked with a few people on the border who do the importation paperwork.

As long as you have the paperwork I described, you should be ok.

And I think it is 25 years, not 20 for a full exemption. But you can call CBP at whatever port you plan to bring the car through and verify.

[Bez]

I received an e-mail from SOA today to advise me that a compliance letter was being mailed to me, and I assume that this will be a positive response, so your advice was correct. Thanks,

Bez

[dscoobydoo]

As long as you have the compliance letter, the title, bill of sale, you should be good to go.

The guys up in Blaine CBP are a pretty good bunch.

[Apex3]

It's exempt after 25 years, not 20. And if it's similar enough to a car sold here, you can get said compliance letter if it hasn't been 25 years already. There's several cars getting close to the age, so I've read a lot about importing cars. ie r32, Trueno, and Lancia Delta Integrale

Some companies aren't big on giving out those letters, good to see Subaru doesn't mind.

[evolutionmovement]

I've seen Renault Turbo R5s and some Euro-version exotics which I don't believe were modified US models registered here, but they were all older than 25 years. I'd love to see Integrales! Too bad it's not 20 years.

[555BCTurbo]

Yukonart imported a Touring Wagon from BC a couple years ago...and had no problems doing it

[Apex3]

I've seen Renault Turbo R5s and some Euro-version exotics which I don't believe were modified US models registered here, but they were all older than 25 years. I'd love to see Integrales! Too bad it's not 20 years.

I saw one in California a week or so ago, he wanted something like $30k for it

Oh, still there
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/pen/cto/1040548505.html

Wish I had $30k laying around...

[beatersubi]

There was a ~'91 Delta Integrale on Ebay not too long ago. It didn't meet the reserve at something like $8000. Pretty ridiculous, if you ask me.

[MacNews]

Did the later Canadian cars have airbags? If they did, you'd be all set as far as that goes.

I have a '92 Legacy SS and it has manual seat-belts with drivers-side airbag.