JAYMEZ' Importing from the States thread.

[mr2mike]

Go talk to your bank. I made a US side to my account, moved money into there when exchange was preferable. Then wrote up an agreement describing car, my info, seller info and all his bank info, etc. Then had the bank manager sign it. Took it with me and called back to have the money sent to his account once I verified the car was what I wanted. One of the hard processes in doing this.

[InfinityG20]

I guess that might work, however for me, i'm checking out a bunch of cars in arizona and don't know exactly what i'm getting and who i'm getting it from. And you cant do bank wires over the phone...

any ideas?

[mr2mike]

Open a US account down there and move the money across the border now. Sounds like you're down there for awhile.

[Danny Meehan]

I requested information in another thread "Assistance required:usa" and you locked it.

Please update the information, as this thread is now partially obsolete. Links to admissable cars, documents and customs are dead.


The new link for Admissible Cars is http://www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/safev...ist2/VAFUS.pdf Couldn't find links to the other 2

To track ones' progress throughout the importing process, use the step by step list: http://www.riv.ca/ImporterChecklist.aspx

[VaRiX]

Original Post Removed. (Please read the Forum Rules and Terms of Use before posting again, or risk getting banned).

[Kloubek]

I still have too many vehicles. I need to get rid of my 300 and Sequoia in the spring, and possibly my RX7 too... I'll decide later. But once I have sold these vehicles, I will be in the market for something new.

I am SUPER seriously considering bringing up an SLK32. There are several examples down there for around 15k; that's a STEAL for a car that has that much to offer. I was originally looking at the 96+ SL500's, but they are bigger, guzzle more gas, only have a soft top, have lesser handling, and are not as fast. They might have more "prestige", but I really don't care much about what anyone thinks so that is irrelevant.

I know Mercedes has been a pain in the past to import. But with the harmonized bumper restrictions, I think that makes a big difference. I already checked, and the SLK is indeed admissable.

Does anyone know what modifications or requirements from Mercedes MUST be performed by law? I don't care about warranty or whatever checks Mercedes WANTS me to do. I just want to know about what the government actually requires at this time.

Rage: I know you had some issues with yours, from what I've read. I also know Kenny had a somewhat good experience with his. Is there anything I should know about these?

[CivicCoupe09]

anybody recommend any good calgarian companies that will take care of the buying/importing process?

[schocker]

I thought the big cost with bringing in an mb was them wanting you to change out the entire cluster iirc.

[rage2]

Originally posted by Kloubek
Rage: I know you had some issues with yours, from what I've read. I also know Kenny had a somewhat good experience with his. Is there anything I should know about these?

We both had leaky intercoolers. The welds broke from (we're guessing) our extreme winters. We drove our cars in -40C weather and they both broke at the same time. Replaced under warranty, new parts have been updated to prevent this from happening.

Intercooler water pump. These fail a lot. Expensive to repair, but you can buy a GM part (same pump), replace the pump wiring harness, and you've saved yourself 70% of the price of a Mercedes pump.

Other than that, it's reliable. I miss my SLK32. Such an awesome car.

[CivicCoupe09]

Originally posted by rage2

We both had leaky intercoolers. The welds broke from (we're guessing) our extreme winters. We drove our cars in -40C weather and they both broke at the same time. Replaced under warranty, new parts have been updated to prevent this from happening.

Intercooler water pump. These fail a lot. Expensive to repair, but you can buy a GM part (same pump), replace the pump wiring harness, and you've saved yourself 70% of the price of a Mercedes pump.

Other than that, it's reliable. I miss my SLK32. Such an awesome car.

Rage, we're thinking of bringing up an S, what hassles did merc give you to certify the car since they need to do the inspection..was it worth it?

[rage2]

Can't answer your question. I bought all my Benz's locally.

[CivicCoupe09]

Originally posted by rage2
Can't answer your question. I bought all my Benz's locally.

Well that pretty much answers it, benz's are a PITA to import so the savings really dwindle

[Kloubek]

No, I don't think that answers it at all.

MB used to have much more control over limiting imports. The primary reason was that all of them (I think) required bumper modifications. Modifications which were only authorized to be done by Mercedes themselves. MB then jacked the prices of these mods, so that any savings one might have had by bringing up a car from the states would be nullified.

Now that the bumper laws are harmonized, they do not have that ability. Also, I believe something has changed regarding the recall or admisability letter, which makes it a bit cheaper there too.

I do not believe that there is a requirement to change out the cluster as long as it reads in both k and mph.

My understanding is that the only thing that does still need to be done on the MB cars is the daytime running lights; something that needs to be done on any car coming to Canada. I think one could probably install a universal module which would do this. Alternatively, the computer has the ability (on the SLKs anyway) to do it too, but Mercedes up here charges a ton to do it for you... even though it takes them 1 minute. Apparently, in the states, the Benz dealership may do it for you for a nominal shop fee.

Of course, if one wishes to maintain any remaining warranty on the Benz, then you have to import it via the rules that MB wants you to follow. This will inevitably mean thousands of dollars in mods from the dealer. But if one plans to bring a vehicle in without warranty anyway, I don't think you have to set foot in a dealership at all.

I am getting the majority of this information from ucanimport.com. They have some really useful information on there - though it is impossible to know what is 100% correct, since it is not coming from a government source.

Thanks for the info Rage. I plan on having a winter beater (lol) 4X4, so I will not be driving it in the really cold weather. I have heard elsewhere that the pumps are weak, and others have had issues with their intercoolers as well. (Though they do not live in such a harsh climate). My understanding is that the intercooler design is the exact same as the one on the Ford Lightning, which has saved people a ton of cash by using that unit as a replacement.

From what I've heard, these are generally reliable cars. I find the design *slightly* femmy, and the interior is starting to get a little dated, but the fact they are a convertible hardtop and the 4.5 0-60 stats are hard to ignore, given the bargain prices they now go for. I'm quite certain this will be my next car... assuming I clarify a few things about importing them...

[ExRollen]

Hey guys, from what it sounds like, most of the info on this thread is related to purchasing a vehicle from a dealer or from someone who doesn't have a loan on their car.. I'm in California right now and I just bought an 06 Range Rover Sport from a guy who still has a loan on the car. How can I ensure that I am protected from him running with my money yet also ensure that his lender can get the sale proceeds in order to remove the lien from his vehicle before I take possession. Would setting up an escrowe account at a US bank work? Tomorrow's monday so I'm going to go down to one of these US banks and see what they suggest, but any advice from somebody who has imported from a private seller would be greatly appreciated. Cheers.

[rage2]

Originally posted by ExRollen
Hey guys, from what it sounds like, most of the info on this thread is related to purchasing a vehicle from a dealer or from someone who doesn't have a loan on their car.. I'm in California right now and I just bought an 06 Range Rover Sport from a guy who still has a loan on the car. How can I ensure that I am protected from him running with my money yet also ensure that his lender can get the sale proceeds in order to remove the lien from his vehicle before I take possession. Would setting up an escrowe account at a US bank work? Tomorrow's monday so I'm going to go down to one of these US banks and see what they suggest, but any advice from somebody who has imported from a private seller would be greatly appreciated. Cheers.

There's a reason why everyone buys clear title/lien free cars. You get the title in hand right away, and you need the title to import the car.

In Cali, they use an electronic lien title system, meaning there's no paper title at all if there's a loan/lien on the car if the lending bank participates in the program. When you pay off the car, you have to order the title, and it takes 45 days. Which means you have to wait the full 45 days and have the title in hand before you can export the car out of the US. Until it's exported, Canada won't let you import it.

If you're lucky, some banks hold the paper title, and you'll get it right away. Either or, you go with the guy to pay off the bank, pay the difference to the guy, try to get the title, and hope for the best.

If you know what bank the owner has the loan with, you can check to see if they're a ELT participating bank.

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/vehindustry/el...s/eltAlpha.pdf

[ExRollen]

Thanks Rage, that's helpful. I'll post if I find out anything worth noting tomorrow.

[mr2mike]

Originally posted by rage2

There's a reason why everyone buys clear title/lien free cars. You get the title in hand right away, and you need the title to import the car.
If you're lucky, some banks hold the paper title, and you'll get it right away. Either or, you go with the guy to pay off the bank, pay the difference to the guy, try to get the title, and hope for the best.

I got a car with a lien but I wouldn't recommend it for a first time importer like you. Guy had to order the title to be sent to his local branch. I'm assuming that most banks hold these at their head office which generally isn't where you're buying the car (statistically speaking). I went to the bank with the guy, and dealt with it all. Had to pay down the lien on the car I got and he transferred the rest to his new car loan. It was a mess and I paid good money to have someone at the bank notorize all documents for added protection at the border.
Oh and I also had the seller send me a camera phone picture of the title to prove he had it locally to access, then I booked my flight. No sense going down there and he can't get me the title.
If you did your homework and worked with the seller, you could have dealt with this red tape / paperwork stuff before you flew down. Now you're relying on his good word that he'll pass the title on to you and complete the transaction as even if you buy the car, the title is still in his name and he still needs to sign it off to you. Otherwise, you'll drive around and he can just report it stolen. Good luck and I hope he's an honest guy and the bank has the title on hand.

edit: Didn't mean to sound too negative but it sounds like you've jumped in a little too soon with both feet. It can be done, just takes a little time and one more system to deal with (financial).
This site might clarify things, I used it for my car with a lien in California. http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/brochures/howto/htvr18.htm

[Talies R]

Are 2007 Nissan 350z's admissible? or is it only 07/08 models manufactured after Sept 07?

[Weapon_R]

I recently inquired about bringing an SLK32 and RIV said that all I required was DRLs. On their site, it says that modifications must be done by an authorized dealer. I am not sure which to believe, so if anyone has recently done this would love to hear your input.

Benz dealers in the U.S. don't mind activating the DRLs as this is becoming more common among U.S. drivers so I doubt that'll be much of an issue.

[maximus]

Originally posted by Weapon_R
I recently inquired about bringing an SLK32 and RIV said that all I required was DRLs. On their site, it says that modifications must be done by an authorized dealer. I am not sure which to believe, so if anyone has recently done this would love to hear your input.

Benz dealers in the U.S. don't mind activating the DRLs as this is becoming more common among U.S. drivers so I doubt that'll be much of an issue.

Be careful with that. RIV told me that when they say 'modifications must be done by an authorized dealer' then they want to see the reciept of the work done by a Canadian dealer before they release your imported sticker. Call them again. I dealt with them a few times when I was having my issue with Porsche Canada and everytime I called I always got a different answer/advice.