buying a nsx in canada

[COUPE DE GRACE]

I;m getting a little dizzy trying to fiqure what i should pay for a decent 97 and up ......my budget is 45 cdn and so that means about 38.000 u.s if my calculations are right on costs bringing one in ......a 99 to 2001 with low miles at 40 U.S would be my max......hopefully a realistic number

 

[DeVinci13]

Good time to import an NSX into Canada. Our dollar is at or above par and the prices in the US are very low.

Since you want a 97+ you will have to deal with RIV which has a $195 fee +gst/pst. You will also need a Federal inspection. Plus a provincial inspection. You will have to pay GST (5%) and 6.1% duty immediately at the border, then PST when you register the vehicle. When I imported in Manitoba it cost me 18.1% in taxes to bring the car across. You will also have to pay $100 air conditioning tax. You will need to get DRLs installed. You will need to set aside a bit of money for Carfaxes and PPIs. Plus you will have to decide whether you are going to fly down and pick up the car and drive it back or have it transported to Canada. They also say to have $2-5K set aside in the first year for deferred maintenance or things that pop up.

Over all it was a pretty easy, but relatively expensive process, to import my 1991 into Canada. But I still think it is cheaper to buy one in the States than buying one already in Canada. The Canadian prices seem to be much higher than what you can get the same car in the US for.

 

[cosmod250]

I just brought my '95 in last August and it was just as DeVinci says. I guess it depends what province you are in re PST, in BC it was 12% bringing my total taxes to 18.1%, plus about $1000 to fly to Portland and drive the car home, (lucky it was that close). The big thing was the deferred maintenance. I probably would have been better off to have had it done in the states before bringing the car home if I could have overcome those difficulties. I went all out and replaced all gaskets and seals, water pump, tbelt, tensioner, all 23 coolant hoses, spark plugs, flushed abs, flushed regular brakes, flushed clutch, adjusted valves, installed safety plate behind harmonic balancer, used all OEM Honda parts including fluids etc. The car only has 43000 miles but really was due for most of the above and the rest I just did for peace of mind. The problem is that the parts alone were in the neighbourhood of $2,800cdn with a "discount" from the dealer and I haven't seen the total for labour yet but it also won't be cheap. The Canadian parts prices are CONSIDERABLY higher than the US prices for the same pieces. Depending on how far you want to go the $5000 estimate is easily realistic. Still was worth every penny to me and in looking around the autotrader.ca I still think that I am well ahead of what I would have had to pay to purchase one in Canada considering that a Canadian one would still likely require the same amount of maintenance.

Not trying to scare you off, just saying that everything you read about deferred maintenance costs on this site is true so you need to account for it.

Now just set aside another 6 to 10 grand for wheels, tires, exhaust, suspension etc?? and you will have your final budget set!

Good luck and enjoy.

Peter

 

[cosmod250]

One more thing. You will need a piece of paper from American Honda showing that there are no outstanding recalls or campaigns on your vehicle. This is VERY important as you will not be able to get it past the RIV without that. Honda Canada cannot and will not help you with this. You need to get the current owner of the vehicle in the US to get it for you as American Honda will ask for a copy of the ownership showing a US owner before sending out the letter. A letter from the dealer will not do but an American Honda "Owner Inquiry" printed off the dealers computer system showing the Dealer name and also showing no outstanding recalls should work. Just do your homework first or you will have a very expensive "track only" car that you cannot license. If the actual build date on the car vin plate shows that it was built 15 years and one day ago then you do not need to worry about this. My 95 was built in Feb 95 and imported in Aug 2010 so I was in the clear even though the old OBD update had never been performed and was still showing as an outstanding campaign on my Owner Inquiry. Under no circumstances should you call American Honda yourself looking for this as if they even think that the car will be exported to Canada they will mark it as a potential "Grey Market" car on their computer system and then will make it very difficult to get the letter you require. I know this first hand as I made this mistake and the person on the phone at AH told me that is what they were going to do with the car I purchased. Again because the car was 15+ years old I did not require the letter but if I did need it I would have been screwed.

Peter

 

[angus]

One more thing. You will need a piece of paper from American Honda showing that there are no outstanding recalls or campaigns on your vehicle. This is VERY important as you will not be able to get it past the RIV without that. Honda Canada cannot and will not help you with this. You need to get the current owner of the vehicle in the US to get it for you as American Honda will ask for a copy of the ownership showing a US owner before sending out the letter. A letter from the dealer will not do but an American Honda "Owner Inquiry" printed off the dealers computer system showing the Dealer name and also showing no outstanding recalls should work. Just do your homework first or you will have a very expensive "track only" car that you cannot license. If the actual build date on the car vin plate shows that it was built 15 years and one day ago then you do not need to worry about this. My 95 was built in Feb 95 and imported in Aug 2010 so I was in the clear even though the old OBD update had never been performed and was still showing as an outstanding campaign on my Owner Inquiry. Under no circumstances should you call American Honda yourself looking for this as if they even think that the car will be exported to Canada they will mark it as a potential "Grey Market" car on their computer system and then will make it very difficult to get the letter you require. I know this first hand as I made this mistake and the person on the phone at AH told me that is what they were going to do with the car I purchased. Again because the car was 15+ years old I did not require the letter but if I did need it I would have been screwed.
Peter

This is a very important little piece of info -

 

[tcarlson]

This is a very important little piece of info -

There is a different work-around.

When I imported my NSX, I talked to RIV and she sent me a step-by-step on what you can do that they deem acceptable.

1. Register an account on American Honda with your American VIN. (Only American VINs can be registered.) Once done, the VIN information will populate throughout the account.
2. Click on the sidebar "Recalls" and when it displays the page, it will state "No Recalls Currently" and your VIN will be displayed on the same page.
3. You need to print the Home Page and Recall Page and RIV will accept this for the Honda cars because of their reluctance to help.
4. Everything went down exactly as the PDF that she provided.

Reach out to www.RIV.ca and ask them.

Tony

 

[MWR01]

AH refused to help me with a letter, but a US Acura dealer did. The service and parts guys at Acura of Lynnwood seemed to know the drill and very quickly faxed me a No Outstanding Recalls letter which RIV accepted. I suspect that the Lynnwood dealership deals with lots of Canadians as parts buyers, so were more than happy to help.

I was also under the impression that a vehicle that didn't have to go thru the RIV process (>15 years old) was also excempt from the 6.1% duty. Can anyone confirm or deny that?

 

[cosmod250]

^

Incorrect. You will have to pay the 6.1% duty no matter how old the car is. When I imported my 1968 Triumph in 2001 (33yrs old) I had to pay the 6.1% as well.

Peter

 

[aaronkamloops]

I was under the same impression but it's customs that slaps the 6.1% on, not the RIV. Only vehicles over 25 years old (or made in N.America/Mexico) can be imported duty free. As well the 6.1% as a cash value gets added on to the price you paid for the car, so when you get to the border guess what- now you pay 7% PST on that 6.1% duty. nice way to get screwed over again...

so if you car cost $20,000 in the USA

duty @ 6.1% = $1,220
gst @ 5.0% = $1,000
pst @ 7.0% = $1,485

(i know it's the HST in BC now but they divide it up since the GST does not apply to the duty as far as my research has told me)

Plus the other costs for a/c, RIV fee if applicable...

 

[ddonovan]

I used a broker out of Vancouver.

 

[NSXCessive]

I;m getting a little dizzy trying to fiqure what i should pay for a decent 97 and up ......my budget is 45 cdn and so that means about 38.000 u.s if my calculations are right on costs bringing one in ......a 99 to 2001 with low miles at 40 U.S would be my max......hopefully a realistic number

I imported a '00 NSX-T just over 3yrs ago from New Hampshire, drove down to see & drive it left a deposit then flew down a week later and drove it back. One of the best drives I've ever had in the NSX I say just do it! You'll get way more car... as in more of a selection, colours, newer model, etc from States side. You calculations look close I would bank on ~21% to import into Canada. If you buy a car +15yrs it will be exempt from RIV.

Also did you check the NSXCC FAQ? If not lots of info there: http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?t=97873

 

[ddonovan]

My broker took care of RIV as well, and as well the DRL's. Also did both inspections for me. The guy was even good enought to guarantee that is I wasn't satisfied with the car he would purchase it himself. He knew even with what it cost to import I was still up about 5K.

 

[aaronkamloops]

What did the broker charge for this?

 

[cosmod250]

I have imported my '68 Triumph, '03 Sea Ray, '05 Rune, '95 NSX and my father in laws motorhome from the US. I used a broker for every transaction. The costs over and above doing it yourself are about $150 and was money well spent every time. They handle all the questions and most importantly to me they do all the paperwork for RIV, taxes, customs, border services etc.

On every occasion when I have reported to customs at the Canadian point of entry they have thanked me profusely for using an agent. As the broker is bonded and licensed the customs agent has very little work to do on your importation. If you do it yourself they have to check all your work to see if it is correct and then collect the GST etc. I know it is their job but trust me they appreciate it when it's done by a broker. In every case they have rubber stamped my paperwork and sent me on my way with a smile and a thanks. On the Triumph I tried to tell them about a few small tools I had purchased in the US in case of a breakdown and they said they weren't interested just get going.

These guys can pretty much ruin your day if you rub them the wrong way and I certainly have felt that my positive experiences were greased by my use of a broker.

BTW I am not a broker nor am I affiliated with one.

Peter

 

[swbatte]

It's easy to broker it yourself though. I did with my GT3. You must show a bill of sale and proof of payment. In my case it was a typed and signed bill of sale, and then the paperwork from the Royal Bank showing the totals of my wire transfer to the seller.

The Recall letter is important - but as described not the nightmare people make it out to be. Get the seller to get it for you before you buy it. I did - it was a condition of the sale.

Sending the title etc to the US Customs office at the border crossing you are entering from 3 days in advance is important to if you want to export it properly from the USA.

It's straight forward if you do your homework, and you are.
When I brought the car across the customs agent asked me if I do it all the time, because I was so organized.

PS. Do not try to fudge the price you paid with the customs agents. They will figure it out.

Anyway - what colour of NSX do you want?

 

[ddonovan]

Got my car shipped out from Florida. Here is the breakdown of what it cost me:


1) $1 Can = $0.94 US
2) 6.1% duty
3) $600 in Transport Costs
4) $450 RIV
5) $210 Broker fee
6) $250 daytime lights
7) $250 provincial inspection

Number 1 represents the exchange rate at the time.

 

[Jetpilot3]

Got my car shipped out from Florida. Here is the breakdown of what it cost me:


1) $1 Can = $0.94 US
2) 6.1% duty
3) $600 in Transport Costs
4) $450 RIV
5) $210 Broker fee
6) $250 daytime lights
7) $250 provincial inspection

Number 1 represents the exchange rate at the time.

Are you sure you didn't pay the GST?

 

[ddonovan]

Nope that was the list. I will check my emails from back then and see if there was any discussion around the GST though. Stay tuned.

Ah just checked. I had left the GST/PST out of this list because I paid it as part of the purchase fees. So yes I did pay the tax as well but didn't inlcude that as part of the Importing fees.

 

[COUPE DE GRACE]

If it is a good time to import a car from the U.S it must be a bad time as canadian owners to sell their cars......a 20 to 30 % drop in the exchange rate and the u.s market being weak ....Since they were sold in such limited quanities I would think when a nice one would come on the market it would get snapped up ....either they ain;t that nice or not priced realistically for the time but I can;t buy one in canada...I do like the black 95 and the red 2002 in ontario... red not my first choice but nice... the price is reasonable at 50-55 the black 95 seems well maintained ..maybe 3-5-thousand less i would consider it.... AND THEN ADD THE TAX

 

[Jetpilot3]

I didn't want to say this in your other thread Coupe but you might be unrealistic in your expectations on price.

To get a 97-01 for 40-45 would mean your easily going to be at the $50k mark once you factor in transport, RIV, and taxes. Most of the 97-01's are still hovering in the upper 30's to top 40's. So that red 2002 for $50-55k is about right.

My 91 CTSC NSX I personally wouldn't let go for under $34k Canadian with its low miles. So figure in other potential sellers with newer 97's to 01's and they will be at the + $40k mark easily.

Just food for thought...keep up the search!

Cam

 

[angus]

Are you sure you didn't pay the GST?

I think the other tax is payable at the insurance agent.

 

[angus]

I have imported my '68 Triumph, '03 Sea Ray, '05 Rune, '95 NSX and my father in laws motorhome from the US. I used a broker for every transaction. The costs over and above doing it yourself are about $150 and was money well spent every time. They handle all the questions and most importantly to me they do all the paperwork for RIV, taxes, customs, border services etc.

On every occasion when I have reported to customs at the Canadian point of entry they have thanked me profusely for using an agent. As the broker is bonded and licensed the customs agent has very little work to do on your importation. If you do it yourself they have to check all your work to see if it is correct and then collect the GST etc. I know it is their job but trust me they appreciate it when it's done by a broker. In every case they have rubber stamped my paperwork and sent me on my way with a smile and a thanks. On the Triumph I tried to tell them about a few small tools I had purchased in the US in case of a breakdown and they said they weren't interested just get going.

These guys can pretty much ruin your day if you rub them the wrong way and I certainly have felt that my positive experiences were greased by my use of a broker.

BTW I am not a broker nor am I affiliated with one.

Peter

I have personally had to deal with the B.S. that they can put you through at the border, I once brought in a civic and they were such A-holes it's unreal -

The guy charged me the $100 for air conditioning and the car never had it - he says "my computer says it has it" then when I show him the pics and no A/C he's like, "that's not our department" (refunds) and he's like "here's the phone number to call - have a nice day"

Faaaack!

 

[COUPE DE GRACE]

how does it work for value of cars when paying tax on list price at license bureau ...cars older than 10 years are no longer listed...if buying from a private you can say the value at any price so a 2001 would be listed at how much and up to last year made 2005.... or do they have their own system to determine value on collector cars ....correct me if I;m wrong but did i read somewhere that in canada the sales price of last 7-8 years production was 140,000 while u/s price was around a 100,000

 

[Ravalous]

how does it work for value of cars when paying tax on list price at license bureau ...cars older than 10 years are no longer listed...if buying from a private you can say the value at any price so a 2001 would be listed at how much and up to last year made 2005.... or do they have their own system to determine value on collector cars ....correct me if I;m wrong but did i read somewhere that in canada the sales price of last 7-8 years production was 140,000 while u/s price was around a 100,000

Whatever taxes you payed at the border, you will have to show it to the MOT in order to get your plates and such.. I had to do this. They'll charge 8% on tax you payed at the border.