Importing 60s mustang from the US

[cornelius85]

I have been looking for a classic mustang for a while. One item I really want is a manual transmission, and they seem to be very rare these days where 9-% of them are automatics.

I have started to look on ebay where there are more available and inevitably most are located in the US. Which companies would you guys recommend for shipping it? Is it better for it to be shipped to Montana, and me go across and haul it back? I am looking for a running finished vehicle, so I am not looking to drive it back. I would rent a trailer to haul it. Or is there not much cost difference for a car hauler to bring it the whole way?

What sort of fees do I have to pay crossing the border? GST I am assuming, but are there others? As it would be a Ford there shouldn't be any duty. Are there any safety things for a car that old that would have to be added/upgraded to make it legal here?

Any help anyone can lend would be appreciated.

Also on the ebay side of things how am I as a buyer protected? Payment method right now looks to be paypal. The one I am interested in is a private sale, so that worries me a bit as well as I obviously have to pay in full, and then wait for it to be shipped.

Here is a link to the one I am bidding on right now.
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/221165421923?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1426.l2648

[CanmoreOrLess]

I have not done this as of yet, still looking around for the right vehicle. This guy has a good information package though:

http://www.monsieurmaggot.com/Autoimporthome.html

[soloracer]

Here is part of an article I wrote about importing a car from the US:

2) Inspect/Purchase Car.

I have a few common sense tips regarding how to purchase a car sight unseen. First, be very skeptical of a “great deal” you see on the web. There are no limits to the scam artists who will try to entice you to purchase a car based upon a cheap price and a hard luck story. I read once about a man who sent $25,000 for a car in New York only to find out it was a scam and he lost all his money. Remember that just because you see a picture of a car in an online advertisement or auction it doesn’t always mean the car exists.

What I usually do is first set a purchase price and then arrange for the car to be inspected. I tend towards having them inspected at a dealer for the brand I am purchasing. You will be expected to pay for the inspection.

Sometimes the seller will ask for a deposit to hold the car. I have given a deposit on several cars I purchased but did so with the knowledge that whatever amount I gave I was at risk of losing completely. For this reason I try to make the deposit as small as possible.

If the inspection is completed and everything is to your satisfaction the next challenge will be how to pay for the car. Before sending any money there are a couple of things you should do. First, have a copy of a Bill of Sale and the Vehicle Title faxed or e-mailed to you. Make certain that the Vehicle Title is free and clear of leins and in the name of the seller. Often a vehicle is financed and the lender must release the title for you to legally own the car.

For payment you basically have 3 options: pay electronically, pay in person or hire an agent to pay for you. I have completed transactions using all three methods. The advantages and disadvantages of each are:

Electronically – Wire Transfers are quick and easy but I only used them if I was dealing with a business that was known and trusted. I would be reluctant to wire funds to a private individual or business that I had no information on as once the money is wired it is gone.

I have had people mention using an “Escrow” service. I don’t know much about them other than many of the scammers promote using them as well. I assume that if a scammer is going to use one there must be a way for them to get your money without giving you the vehicle. How they do it is beyond me but I wouldn’t consider it a secure payment method without further research.

In Person – This is the most certain way to know that you are getting what you are paying for. However, there can be some issues even when paying in person. First, in what form is the payment? Cash? Cheque? Bank Draft? Unless you are Mexican drug lord, you may not be comfortable carrying large quantities of cash. Sellers often won’t take a cheque – certified or otherwise – as fraud is an issue. Which leaves us with the Bank Draft. Unfortunately, I have found that it is getting harder to pay with Bank Drafts. It has been my experience that banks in the US are often unwilling to accept them. I even had a bank draft drawn on the Bank of America that was refused by a Bank of America branch near the seller because they felt it didn’t look right!

One thing I must remind everyone is if you are taking more than $10,000 across the border you will have to declare it to customs and state what it is intended for. Failure to do so can result in them confiscating the money. This applies to cash, drafts and cheques.


Hire an Agent – On one car I purchased a bank held the title and would not release it until the loan was paid in full. I did not trust the seller enough to just give him the money to pay the bank and I did not have enough time to spend with him running around town to get the title cleared – especially since the title is needed at the border at least 72 hours prior to my arrival. I ended up hiring an attorney/legal assistant to act as my agent. I sent him the funds and he in turn met with the seller at the bank and paid for the car. He then got all the required paperwork and took possession of the car until I could come down and pick it up. The downside to this approach is the cost of his services – approximately $800 in this case.

[soloracer]

One final note, if the steps above seem intimidating or too much trouble there is another option to consider. You can hire people to do some, or even all, of the work for you. For example, a customs broker can assist with the paperwork needed to get a car across the border. Full service companies such as Ultimate Motorcars (403-606-9800) or Kulu Motorcar (403-252-2000) specialize in searching for, purchasing and bringing up cars from the US for you.

[soloracer]

It's also a good idea to have printed copies of the advertisement for your car as the border people will ask how you found out about the car. Resist the temptation to fudge the numbers to save some taxes. They have an internet connection at the border and can check the website where you found the car to see what the asking price was. They won’t believe you paid $30,000 for a car that was listed at $60,000 and if they don’t believe you they can make things very difficult. I strongly suggest keeping everything on the up and up because failure to do will result in seven years of being harassed every time you cross a border or take a plane.

[soloracer]

If you are interested in buying a local car I know of a restored one for sale by a friend who is, and has been for over 20 years, a Mustang fanatic. His garage has everything from vintage Mustangs to a Ford GT and everything is immaculate. There would be no inspections/shipping/taxes issues when you buy local. Just something to consider.

[cornelius85]

Thanks for the info. Gives me a lot to think about. I have sent you a pm for info on what your friend has locally. Local would be much easier for me if I can find what i'm looking for.

[03ozwhip]

i have a 68 mustang that my father in law got from *i think* ohio? i know he trailered it home and it cost way less money, but dont knwo what he had to do in the process. if you need more info that you cant find, i can ask him. let me know.

also, good luck on finding a manual, it is damn near impossible to find one for these cars that isnt a shelby.

[soloracer]

Early this summer a friend of mine sent me a link to a 1968 Mustang for sale in Calgary that was a big block car and I think they were asking approx $19k.

Here is my friends car. It's a 1964.5 and I don't know what it has for a transmission or engine.

[soloracer]

Here is the pic:

[soloracer]

Here is his other car....not for sale as far as I know. Both cars are absolutely beautiful......

[03ozwhip]

mine is the coupe style, but man, i wish it was the GT350 :drool: dammit! i cant wait til mine is done! you have to find out for me what suspension he is using on the GT350 please!

[Twin_Cam_Turbo]

Originally posted by soloracer
One final note, if the steps above seem intimidating or too much trouble there is another option to consider. You can hire people to do some, or even all, of the work for you. For example, a customs broker can assist with the paperwork needed to get a car across the border. Full service companies such as Ultimate Motorcars (403-606-9800) or Kulu Motorcar (403-252-2000) specialize in searching for, purchasing and bringing up cars from the US for you.

Doug was one of my customers at work and he seems like a great guy.

[Supa Dexta]

eh manuel

http://victoria.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicles-classic-cars-1969-Shelby-Mustang-GT350-Fastback-W0QQAdIdZ350673473

http://toronto.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicles-classic-cars-1966-SHELBY-MUSTANG-GT350-R-CONVERTIBLE-W0QQAdIdZ418090409

[cornelius85]

The Red one was sold. I should have clarified that I am looking for a coupe. I'm also looking for around 16k. Lots can be had for 20+ but not as easy to justify to the wife

[boarderfatty]

I would be very cautious, get it inspected by a reputable 3rd party, pay decent money for a decent inspection etc. An older fellow brought up a 67 notchback with a built 351 and manual. supposed restoration, and receipts for 40k invested etc.

He brought it into our shop for its out of Province and thats where the disaster began Axle seals in the back were gone, upper and lower ball joints were fucked brake rotors up front were warped, Tie Rod Ends were done etc. Required about 3K investment when it got here. After it was done, customer had it for a few weeks and came back with a blown clutch, I guess they installed the wrong clutch when they invested this 40k. To top this all off it had the shottiest body work done, painted the chrome bumpers door handles, key cylinders and trim etc. Paint runs in all over and bondo cracks in the rockers.

He bought it sight unseen just some pictures on the internet and shown some recepits. He got hosed pretty bad for over 25k plus the 5 her put into it after it got here and is still left with a shitty body. Felt bad since he was an older retired guy who spent a good chunk of it to relive his past