Bringing my 17yr old MBZ from Europe?

[tommy_W201]

Hello,
I hope you could help me with that. I am going to import my Mercedes-Benz 190D from Europe. I am a German citizen and I am going to Canada for a PhD study for three years (having a study permit).

I found only little information online from Transport Canada concerining the terms of the importation of vehicles from other than the US.

It seems as if one is allowed to bring the car in for the duration of study/visit. Unfortunately, I would have to take the car back after the study has ended and cannot sell it. It also seems that I am not allowed to dispose the car in Canada. Which seems to me to be a pain in the ass. If somebody hits my car, I would have to pay somebody to transport the left-overs back to Germany. Is that true?

Thus, I was thinking of importing the car to Canda. Since it is from Europe, RIV does not seem to be responsible for that.

Does anybody know about the procedures and terms that apply for my case?

What steps and formalities need to be done to have that car imported, registered, and insured in Canada?

Is the importation feasible, because it has been modified a little (i.e. does the car shown below meet Canadian Safety Standards, details below)?

Are there any special restrictions that apply to Diesel vehicles, because of the higher NOx emissions?

Are there companies around that can assist one in importing their own cars to Canada? I already have somebody from Germany that is willing to ship it from Germany to Halifax for a good price, but I would have to do the formalities myself. I want to register in in the Kitchener-Waterloo area.

Ok some info about the car.:

Model: 190D 2.0 (type 201)
year of manufacture: 1989
VIN: WDB201122XXXXXXX
Engine: OM601.911 (75hp, 2.0l Diesel ... this is NOT the USA OM 601.922 for the 190D 2.2)
Transmission: 716.213 (4-drive manual stick-shift)
Modifications from its original versions:
- installed custom H&R gear (Springs + Dampers)
- using RONAL Aluminium rims
- installed electric Engine pre-heat system

I am sure, the Mercedes fraction of this forum will soon notice that this car is not a racing car, but it is in a technical top condition and has absolutely no rust. It's the typical thing, if you once got a Mercedes you do not want to get rid of it anymore. I love that car and I do not want to buy another one while I am in Canada.

Do I have to make any modifications to it (DRLS, ...) regardless of the age, or does this rule only apply to cars less than 15 years old?

Thanks a lot.

[AllGoNoShow]

I'll try and answer some of the questions for you, but won't be able to get them all.


DRL is 1990-newer cars. Pre-90 are exempt, local and imported.

Since the car applies to the 15 year rule, you do not have to take the car back when your term is done. Whether you choose to stay or sell the car and move back to Germany, the car can follow or stay as long as its registered properly here.

From anything I have seen, there is no problems with the emissions on a 15 year+ car being imported, as of right now.

PM redbaron303 on here, he imports cars and can help you with information or maybe some of the paper work as well. Only other person, non-company wise, is a Broker for US deals, doesn't do european/japanese export/import.


Goodluck to you and keep us updated!

[djayz]

yours mods most likely will meet canadian specifications as they arent major engine mods
you might have a problem with rotors and such but that all depends.

also... whats an electric engine pre-heat system...is that a block heater?

[tommy_W201]

whats an electric engine pre-heat system...is that a block heater?

Yep, it was a souvenir from a Norway trip. You install a socket in your front bumper and can connect a block heater, interior heater, and battery charger to it (upgradable system). In the North of Norway and Sweden, they also provide A/C sockets in some of the parking lots of large stores and public institutions. So people can keep their cars warm while shopping instead of leaving the engine turned-on. It is a lifesaver in the wintertime. Unfortunately, we have 230 V A/C here and not 120 V. Thus, I might need a portable line-transformer in Canada .

[writhen]

Or just remove it and get a canadian block heater installed

[/////AMG]

Since the car is over 15 years old can't he just import as an import? If he does he can keep it here as long as he wants, sell it here, do whatever to it.

[tommy_W201]

@AllGoNoShow,djayz Thanks for your quick response.

@writhen I'll do so, if I have my car imported.

I am also interested in the running costs of my car in Canada:

What is your current diesel price per litre?
Here in Germany it's pretty high. Today, we have approx. 1.15 EUR, which is about 1,70 CAD per litre (including tax).

What are the annual taxes and registration fees in general (i.e. for having the car registered)?
Here, I have to pay tax depending on the European emissions class for a car. An old diesel is the killer over here, being taxed at 27.00 EUR per 0.1 litre of cubic capacity. That adds up to 540 EUR /year (approx. 770 CAD / year). Therefore, you don't see many American V8 cars in Europe .

Are there any additional costs that are payable to a Canadian institution/company in order to operate a vehicle?
For example, in Germany I have to have the car inspected every two years, if it meets the German safety & emission standards. In addition to that, I have to have any major modification to the car certified. I have heard that you guys have your car inspected if you sell it or buy a new one. Is there also a reoccurring inspection for the emissions etc?

@/////AMG: How high (approximately) is an insurance premium for a W201 in Canada?
I am still waiting for the response of my insurance quote request. All the Canadian companies on the Internet I found do not seem to post automatic quotes for cars older than 10 years.

Sorry for the dumb questions, I am a newbie to Canada. I will try to outbalance that. I know the W124, W201 models inside out (the diesel models especially). If you have questions about repair/maintenance procedures or part-ids (hope you have the same IDs in Canada), PM me.

[Weapon_R]

Diesel here is far cheaper, around 80-90cents cdn per litre.

For the average driver, insurance will be around $1800/year for full coverage. This includes theft, fire, collision, etc. It may be more or less, and it can fluctuate greatly depending on your driving history etc.

We don't have taxes like you guys do for vehicles and emissions and such in Alberta. To register a car is approximately $70cdn/year. We do not have any taxes on engine size or anything like that. You only need registration and insurance. There are no mandatory yearly inspections other than your Out of Province inspection (OOP) when your car first enters Canada.

Keep in mind that you may want to say where you want to live because the laws of each province differ slightly.

[adam c]

did i read that right 75hp?

[ercchry]

here you go everything you need to know about moving and driving in ontario. http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/dandv/visiting.htm
most people on this form are from and live in alberta and you could say its a little backwards i am pretty sure there is some kind of emmisions that must be passed in ontario along with other provinces but not here. also there is no private insurance in ontario

[tommy_W201]

@ercchry: Thanks a lot that is what I was looking for.

@Weapon_R: Thank you very much for the info. Do you know if there are any other costs for citizens of Ontario? I was going to move to KW.

@adam c: Yes, it is 75 horsepower. However, a diesel has a slightly higher torque than a comparable gas car. But 126 Nm at 2700 rpm and 165-kph top-speed is also not the absolute kicker. The primary design goals were reliability and economy when I got that car... Using the manual stick shift it takes me 17 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 100 kph. I could brew a coffee during that time

But try to beat that, 5 - 6l Diesel per 100 km and 200.000 km mileage and still running. My friend has a Mercedes-Benz 200D (type 123, only 68 hp) built in 1980 and has a printed mileage of "623,000" km, but the speedometer overturned one time. His actual mileage is 1,623,000 km and the car is in a good condition. The diesel engines of the older Mercedes (everything before W202) were mainly swirl-chamber diesel engines. My car doesn't even have a turbo-charger. This was due to the fact, that the Mercedes-Benz designers thought it might be an unreliable part . These types are still widely used as taxis in Germany.

There was also a guy that used to travel around the world with a 200D (current mileage 814.000 km). He has a very cool site. The images speak for themselves (unfortunately the English version seems to be down):

<EDIT>


My favorite pic of that site ... Don't try do do that with limos other than 200D.

[/////AMG]

Originally posted by tommy_W201
@/////AMG: How high (approximately) is an insurance premium for a W201 in Canada?
I am still waiting for the response of my insurance quote request. All the Canadian companies on the Internet I found do not seem to post automatic quotes for cars older than 10 years.

Sorry for the dumb questions, I am a newbie to Canada. I will try to outbalance that. I know the W124, W201 models inside out (the diesel models especially). If you have questions about repair/maintenance procedures or part-ids (hope you have the same IDs in Canada), PM me.

Weapon_R has answered most of your questions but I'm going to tell you it will be WAY cheaper over in Canada. I moved back to the UK from Canada and have had enough of the road tax, MOT, and high petrol prices.
Also I don't think a lot of auto insurers over in Canada have online quotes.

[djayz]

^
not true about the insurance

go to kanetix.com and you can get an online quote which checks all the companies and give syou the 5 cheapest.

[tommy_W201]

go to kanetix.com and you can get an online quote which checks all the companies and give syou the 5 cheapest.

Yep, that is where I was at first. Unfortunately, they do not have older cars (or at least not my model) in their system.

[tommy_W201]

Does anyone else know a portal/website/insurace company where one might get a quote quickly?

This company should insure cars that are to be licensed in Ontario.

[VWhooligan]

don't want to sound pessimistic but is it really worth bringing a car worth so little all the way over here?

[tommy_W201]

Originally posted by VWhooligan
don't want to sound pessimistic but is it really worth bringing a car worth so little all the way over here?

It's not the value; it's the conviction of driving a reliable car.

I think I could get a car having the same monetary value and age over there. However, I am pessimistic that it would be as reliable (and rust-free) as mine. In the past years I changed every part that broke by the best part available in Germany (we refer to that as progressive restoration ). And driving that car is an implementation of an Engineering concept we use here for high availability systems: "Betriebsbewährtheit" (there seems to be no translation for that, but it means that you only use stuff for your design that has proven to work at least for 10 years). Since my model is used since 1983, one will know most of the risks of having such a car, especially while being in a club that focuses on the type 201 only. Spare parts are not the problem; here MB ensures that you get every single part for 30 years (except for colored interiour parts, at one point they will only have one color, or they will offer you very expensive hand-crafted repairs). After that, the MB classic guys take care of that and they will provide you with parts. According to a dealer in Kitchener, ON, the same applies to Canada.

Another pro for myself is, I know how to fix most of that car myself. I think I would have some trouble in doing complex repairs to a JDN car, or an American model without prior experience.

However, in general you are right. Assuming somebody having only little knowledge how to fix such a car will be better served by a native (something that is available in Canada) model if he/she has the repairs done by a garage. However, prices for used German cars (I would not buy other than that) are approximately 50%-75% higher in Canada, for what I have seen on autonet.ca and from local clubs. Thus, if one were able to do the importation oneself, one could save a little money. But importing to Canada seems to be a lot of paper work on the Canadian side.

[ZorroAMG]

Originally posted by VWhooligan
don't want to sound pessimistic but is it really worth bringing a car worth so little all the way over here?

Says the guy who obviously loves his MKIV. Did you just ask that on a car forum??

[VWhooligan]

Originally posted by ZorroAMG


Says the guy who obviously loves his MKIV. Did you just ask that on a car forum??

Yeah I do enjoy my car and have modified it extensively to my liking, but if I were to move to a different continent I would sell my car immediately without even thinking twice about it, or barring that, would put it in storage for the few years I would be abroad.

[tommy_W201]

Originally posted by VWhooligan


...I would sell my car immediately without even thinking twice about it, or barring that, would put it in storage for the few years I would be abroad.

Selling is not an option for me. Putting it in storage for three years would be poison to the car; rust will come and all the gaskets would have to be changed afterwards, because they break when they are dry (i.e. not used).
"Value" is a good point. I started informing myself on the importation and licensing procedures.

The car will be taxed, based on its Red-Book value...

Does anyone know where to get a quote from the Canadian Red Book; I don't want to buy it just for one quote?