The best trucks/cars and deals I've ever had were unadvertised, and I just happened across them... I know that doesn't help your search, but once you are out looking at a few that you find at home on the internet, keep your eyes open and let people know you are looking. Don't be afraid to walk away from something either (I've done it and yes it sucks, especially after travelling all day to go look at it). I'd rather a disappointing trip where you had fun anyway, than a big problem vehicle when you get home, or rather the side of the road... Do as much home work as you can too before you go. There are laws on importing that make older vehicles easier to import into Canada, and there are newer laws regarding flooding etc - ie. you will not be able to import them. As well, make sure there are no registered liens against the vehicle.

Here's a starting point:
https://tc.canada.ca/en/road-transpo...orting-vehicle

I've used Cole International for a long time for many things, they've always done a good job.

Two quick examples.
1. 20+ years ago I brought a project home on a trailer that I bought in Florida. Beautiful trailer, crossed the border without any problems in the middle of the night. I got a call the next day from Canada customs. The trailer I imported did not meet a certain spec (Paper work exercise on part of the manufacture, they do not build for export) and the customs people working the border that night did not know about it. I knew nothing about it either. I had 24 hrs to either remove the offending trailer from the country or provide proof of it's destruction, or they would come and confiscate it. (I was lucky and sold it to a friend of a friend in Michigan the next day. Funny thing is, you can import a home made trailer, just not a commercial built one.. at that time anyway)

2. A friend of mine years ago purchased a 3 or 4 year old Corvette. He loved that car for about a day or two, until he found out it had a registered lien on it, but did not know about it when he bought it and the owner lied to him - he didn't do any type of title search. He had no legal recourse, and after a couple of weeks of legal wrangling, a sheriff showed up and repossessed the car. And that was the end of that.

ie, That is why I recommend a broker if Importing, they look into all sorts of things and can walk you through it. I'm sure the guys above (or Google) can help you out with finding out how to do title searches in different States etc as well.

Have a good trip,

 

Welcome to the site. As already suggested, spend the money on buying the nicest condition truck you can afford as you will be money ahead in the long run if it requires a tone of bodywork, rust repair and mechanical repair. I wouldn't get too hung up on a particular exact model or year as you will have better luck remaining flexible for example 78 and 79 trucks were pretty much identical aside from headlight changes. What is your actual budget for said purchase?

I am also on Vancouver Island and there are lots of old Fords out there still although they seem to be disappearing fast these days. As said, watch Craigslist, Marketplace etc. as gems do pop up once in a while. I purchased my current F350 Camper Special through Market place a few months back. The pictures in the ad looked crappy, the truck was full of junk etc. but I could tell it was the long wheel base F350 and the asking price was reasonable so I figured it was worth driving for an hour to at least have a look at it.

I was fully prepared to look at a rusted out piece of junk but upon seeing it in person, I was like, wow this truck is actually really clean under all the crap and has potential. After crawling around underneath and finding zero rust aside from surface rust on the frame, I was pretty much decided this truck was coming home with me, no matter what the price is. Turned out the truck had previously been imported from Arizona years back and lived in a shed for the last 20 years that it had been in Canada. Sold!!!

Point being, the deals out there are rare but can be had. The ad for my truck had only been up for 48 hours. The owner stated he had over 40 messages asking about the truck, 4 people said they were coming to look at it but none of them showed. I arrived with cash in hand and picked up the truck for a very good price as the owner was tired of dealing with flakes on the internet. Vancouver Island and Lower Mainland are good areas to check but also don't be afraid to check out trucks from Washington State and Oregon. Lots of really nice condition trucks down there too and well worth the hassle of importing to Canada for a clean rust free example.

You will invariably end up looking at a few turds before you find a decent one so don't get discouraged and do not be afraid to walk away. There are plenty of people out there who mis-represent what they are selling or outright lie. Get a friend who is familiar with these older trucks or even pay for a mechanical inspection from a reputable independent shop before buying to save yourself some grief. Cab corners, floor boards (under that nice new carpet...), cab mounts and rear wheel arches are a few areas to inspect closely for rust or for a previous botched rust "repair".

On the plus side, reproduction parts for these trucks are plentiful and you can almost build a new truck from repro parts (Dennis Carpenter, LMC Truck to name a few). Replacement parts do add up though so again, try to find as nice an example as you can afford. Good luck and keep us posted on your search.

 

There's no doubt prices and demand for 73-79 Fords are going up. screaming deals seem to be gone and wanted ads are everywhere. if you're not watching "Bring A Trailer " watch it, rigs are selling there for insane prices. and it's real I've sold a few there myself.

 

[QUOTE= Good luck and keep us posted on your search.[/QUOTE]

Ive found a couple in the states that seem decent and don't break the bank too badly. Let me know your thoughts?

https://spokane.craigslist.org/cto/d...574393892.html
https://inlandempire.craigslist.org/...578306211.html

 

2 different generations listed in your last post so if you're also willing to also look for a bullnose, that opens up the options considerably. Are you thinking you'll go anywhere in the US and pick it up? If so AZ, NM, and inland California will have some of the best condition trucks. Also what is your budget?

Sweet ride in Az.

https://phoenix.craigslist.org/wvl/c...579251142.html

 

Looking to spend around $4,000USD at the most. Want to try and try and save the rest of my cash so I can put it into fixing it up and parts and whatnot.

 

You'll find it much cheaper and much much easier to buy a rust free rig and ship it that to repair it. and you'll have something far better when you're done.

For 4k you can buy a decent rust free 2wd out west . shipping will be cheaper than just the repair panels on a rust bucket.

 

If you like club cabs and cheap something like this might be interesting. there are several half decent 2wd projects for 2-3k but not this straight. figure out what you want and keep looking you'll find it.

1976 Ford F250 SuperCab - cars & trucks - by owner - vehicle... (craigslist.org)

 

440 did you see this? Maybe the west coast DMV is way different than the midwest DMV rules/laws.

On the Craigslist add you posted...."Filing for a lost title isn’t any more than the inconvenience of having to say so to the DMV and waiting a few weeks to get it; you pay for a title transfer anyways when you register the vehicle."

https://www.etags.com/blog/title-transfer/oregon/

How To Transfer Ownership Of A Car Without A Title. If the seller lost their title, they can still transfer ownership of the car. However, they will need to complete an application for a replacement title when they transfer the title at the DMV. This means that they will have to pay the replacement title fee of $93.

So the guy does NOT have the title? And as I understand it the CURRENT OWNER is the only one that can file for a lost title, NOT the guy that just bought it.

 

4 grand US should easily get you a nice clean and rust free or nearly rust free old Ford truck. Those two trucks you posted earlier don't do much for me. That bullnose with the 3 on the tree would be good for hauling junk to the dump but not my idea of a classic (apologies to those who like bullnose trucks of course....) As a Ford tech back in the 80's, the introduction of the bullnose spelled the end of the best F series Ford trucks ever built in my humble opinion.

Keep looking. Gems will pop up here and there and be gone just as fast so be ready to jump on a good deal when it shows up. Patience is your friend at this point. Nothing worse than plunking down your hard earned cash on an "okay" deal only to see a truck twice as nice show up for sale the following week for the same money.