Importing Question

[68dream]

 hello again!
im in bc canada, and am on the prowl for a 68 rolling chassis or not running charger. as we all know, they are far and few between up here. ive started doing some research on importing from the US. im wondering if anyone can either point me to a summary of tax and import fees, or an estimate from experience.
is there a way to get in conatact with some BC/AB charger folks also, maybe a lead or two on any 68's up here for sale?
thanks guy, appreciate the help 

[Duke_of_Canada]

Keep in mind that I've never actually DONE the importing before, but I've looked into it, much like you.

If you're looking for a car that's more than 15 years old, it gets easier, as there is no federal restrictions on importing the car (under 15 years old you gotta be real careful).

Basically, you find the car you want in the US.  You have to get a copy of a clear title record and fax it to the US border station you will be crossing at no less than 3 BUSINESS days from when you want to bring the car across.   This is a restriction on the US side for exporting vehicles (making sure they aren't stolen).  Then you do your Canadian side thing, where you will declare the goods you're importing, pay your GST and A/C tax (maybe BC provincial tax, I'm not sure, I'm in Alberta).  From there, you're pretty much home free to do whatever you need to do to get the thing legal for roads in BC (here in Alberta we do have an 'out of province' inspection to ensure the vehicle isn't a road hazard.  Of course, if it's a rolling chasis, it will be a while before you get the mechanical done on it)

[plum500]

No duties or anything -- just shipping and taxes. I'm in NS, brought one up a couple years ago.

Yup title to the border at least 72hrs, and I believe a copy of the bill of sale as well.

If you use one of the larger shippers they will handle that stuff for you, but either way, it's not difficult. Just need to send it to the correct point where it'll cross. Even easier if you're bringing it yourself.

I shipped mine - it made a few hops, and the shipper was in contact with the bonded warehouse at the border that he used, and that's where the paper work went, and they looked after letting it cross when it was picked up to come to Halifax.

It arrived here in NS to a bonded warehouse, and I got a copy of the papers, and all that it picked up along the way with a received stamp from the warehouse, went to the fed. gov. office (customs) and paid the GST on the purchase price.

Done. It's a Canadian car.

When registering it provincially I paid the PST on the purchase price.

[68dream]

great! thats exactly what i wanted to know.

ive looked into a couple shipping companies also, and wondering is you guys owuld reccommend any?

thanks again

[THE CHARGER PUNK]

im am also located in B.C.,canada and can tell you finding  a decent project charger is almost impossible if  iwas you i would head to kelowna as that is where most old cars end up in there junkyards-MATT

[plum500]

great! thats exactly what i wanted to know.

ive looked into a couple shipping companies also, and wondering is you guys owuld reccommend any?

thanks again

I'll tell you that my shipping experience was hell. Don't be fooled by smaller companies that are nothing more than someone with a nice web page, that will basically turn around and do the same thing you could arrange/do yourself. It came down to 8 weeks, and daily calls/emails for many of those. Even late picking it up. But it all came down to the fact that it was not a real shipping company, just someone that managed smaller hops and transitions and yards -- or at least that's how it seemed in the end.

They had no real control or timely communication, and it was always a question as to where the car actually was. And it was like dealing with no concern for the customer's concerns. Getting answers was incredibly frustrating and I would most certainly not use that particular company again.

I had originally hooked up with Mackie, but they couldn't offer any reasonable estimate as to when they could even pick it up. Hind sight it would have been too expensive anyway, and considering the work that the car was going to receive anyway, an enclosed trailer that was the initial attraction of Mackie, was not all that crucial, as long as it beat the snow here. So...

I switched because of an empty promise. A local company with a big image and promises. And it really cost me almost as much because the company was Canadian side, so I had to pay taxes on shipping.

I never got a lick of condition checklists or anything when I got it -- there was supposedly an inspection done on pick up (well, I know there was, as the fellow I bought the car from was vigilant in getting things done right on his end and sending the car on its way, he was also patient as hell with me in the face of the delays, thank goodness). But I expect as it was separate smaller shipping services/trucks along the way, the paper work simply didn't make it.

If I were to do it again, I would source a shipping company close to the vehicle, ship it to a yard as close to the border as possible, and if it were driveable, bring it across myself. Or, arrange for a separate trucking co. to pick it up and bring it across. If you involve a yard at any point, you want to make sure you have a dependible/guaranty on the pickup as it'll probably cost ~35 US a day to leave it in bonded yard.

Either way, I'm sure I could do it for 1/2 the price and have 100% more control over where, how, and when....

I paid 1875+15% tax CAN to ship. Learning experience, and I eventually did get the car A-OK, but, my simple advice is be really picky and do whatever you can, yourself

[doctorpimp]

I'm going to open this topic up again, as my wife may be importing an A Body Barracuda soon. 
Has anyone used D.A.S. to ship their car?  It's the company recommended by eBay.
US$1001 to ship a car from S. CA to Syracuse NY...