Hey all, just wondering if anyone's brought an old vehicle into the US from Canada. I'm gonna look at a couple old (1920's) trucks in Sk. Canada and can't seem to find definitive info on the customs website concerning duty and other such nonsense. Any first-hand experience or thoughts would be helpful.
Thanks, Dave

 

never done it but a few things to do.

find out which border crossing you will be going through and contact the border crossing there to let them know what you are doing and what their requirements are as far as inspection and paperwork.

contact a brokerage firm (perferably one that is at the same crossing you will be using) and use their services as far as getting and filling out all necessary paperwork.

the more prepared and paperwork you have ready and filled out before gettting to the border, the smoother and easier it is to get across. Ser# of vehicle is very important. know what the number is and where it can be found to verify the vehicle identity and show the guards.

i know bringing cars into Canada from the states is easier for older classics than it is for newer cars as there is a lot less stringent inspections they need to meet (such as safety features, road worthiness, etc.)

best advice i can give is contact and deal with a brokerage firm. they are very helpful and have full access to all documents you will need and can give a lot of useful info on this. they will charge you a fee, but well worth it in my opinion.

good luck and what part of Saskatchewan (my home province)

rgds
Mike

 

If you happen to belong to AAA, they can really help you (you're a paying customer) unlike the God-awful DMV...... They will work it out with you until it gets done.

Especially if you have no Title. In California, a Truck is considered "Commercial" and needs to be weighed. That and a Frame number Registration should at least get the vehicle in your name.

Dawg-A-Roo

 

Proper paper work is very important so check it out very thoroughly on the inter net as well as a broker.
One or more small details can ruin your whole trip when crossing the border.

 

Here is some interesting information that I was not aware of.

http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/...ortingacar.doc

http://help.cbp.gov/cgi-bin/customs....i=&p_topview=1

http://help.cbp.gov/cgi-bin/customs....NhciAgQ2FuYWRh

http://help.cbp.gov/cgi-bin/customs....i=&p_topview=1

http://help.cbp.gov/cgi-bin/customs....i=&p_topview=1

Good luck with your transaction. Another option if you are planning on doing a frame off restoration would be to have the seller take it apart for you and ship it to you piece by piece as used parts.

 

Shipping it piece by piece as used parts could cost a fortune...

 

I am not far from the border and have thought many times of buying a truck in Canada, worry about the headaches involved......so I don't bid...I wonder if there is a company that ships exclusively from Canada-U.S.A. and reasonable....Bill

 

Bill, I don`t think it`s all that hard but you do have to check it out and be prepared before hitting the border. I wasn`t prepared the first time and there were frustrating delays.

 

mcdonaldm had the best advice right at the end. Find a Custom's Brokerage house near or at the border crossing you plan to use and have them import it for you. I have used a brokerage called, oddly enough, Adanac, (canada backwards) and they always did a great job for me getting things into Canada. I would think they can get things out as well....

 

I guess you didn't sense the sarcasam there, eh?

 

Hey all, I'm back from my 54hr marathon border trip, ended up the truck wasn't as nice as it looked so I passed on it. But, it would be hard to justify coming home empty handed to the wife, so, I brought home two '28 model A sedan bodies instead. The border was a non- issue, the guys at the Noonan customs station consider bodies, non-runners as essentially scrap metal. You just want to tell them they are for parts and won't be re-titled, registered. All I needed was a written receipt for the sale. The only sticky part was when my nine-year old started to contradict me on use of the car
and how much money I had. They apparently didn't notice/care. After 20+ hrs on the road I really didn't feel like any cavity searches! Anyway, thanks for the input.
Dave

 

Oh yeah, I'm off in the morning to pick up a 37 cab a couple states away, this outta be a cakewalk compared to Can.
Dave

 

Sorry I missed it, up to speed now.