moving to Toronto - Import question

Joined
12 December 2018
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6
Location
Oxford, UK
Hi Guys,
Looking for advice.

Im moving to Toronto in a couple of months and would like to bring my 1994 Type R with me from the UK.

As far as i have been able to read online I should be able to import it quite easily due to the age.

the car has no modifications but also has no air bags, TCS and original JDM lights.

Anyone on here now about any issues I might face ? also interested in Insurance in Canada and how the system works to give a guaranteed value (as I have in UK), with the car being so rare will be critical to my decision to have it correctly valued.

Any help appreciated.
Cheers, Kye
 
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in Ontario i beleive over 15 years it is easier to import. You will need to get the car appraised if you want your insurrance to insurre it to it's full value.

You will need to get a mechanical inspection which looks at the different safety aspect of the car.
 
Hi Guys,
Looking for advice.

Im moving to Toronto in a couple of months and would like to bring my 1994 Type R with me from the UK.

As far as i have been able to read online I should be able to import it quite easily due to the age.

the car has no modifications but also has no air bags, TCS and original JDM lights.

Anyone on here now about any issues I might face ? also interested in Insurance in Canada and how the system works to give a guaranteed value (as I have in UK), with the car being so rare will be critical to my decision to have it correctly valued.

Any help appreciated.
Cheers, Kye

IIRC, anything over 15 years old doesn't need anything for it to be imported. However, getting it plated will require 1) safety cert 2) e-test. #2 is not needed if you are coming after April 2019. #1 will require DRLs, but if you know a guy...and I've sure we all know a guy that will give you a cert without any issues.

As for insurance, there aren't many insurers that will insure a 24 year old vehicle. Lant is one: https://lantinsurance.ca/

Premiums are based on guaranteed value. Being a Type R, you may require an appraisal to get the value you desire. Also, you will need another vehicle as a daily driver to qualify.
 
Whats DRL's ?

IIRC, anything over 15 years old doesn't need anything for it to be imported. However, getting it plated will require 1) safety cert 2) e-test. #2 is not needed if you are coming after April 2019. #1 will require DRLs, but if you know a guy...and I've sure we all know a guy that will give you a cert without any issues.

As for insurance, there aren't many insurers that will insure a 24 year old vehicle. Lant is one: https://lantinsurance.ca/

Premiums are based on guaranteed value. Being a Type R, you may require an appraisal to get the value you desire. Also, you will need another vehicle as a daily driver to qualify.
 
Good to know there will be a nsx-r coming to Toronto. I live in Toronto.

Here is the link to the Transport Canada site as you might have reviewed already. Seems like your vehicle qualifies based on being at least 15 years old.

https://www.tc.gc.ca/en/services/road/importing-vehicle/countries-other-united-states.html

As others have mentioned already, you will need DRL for starters and make any necessary repairs as noted by a mechanic to receive a safety certificate. I believe there’s a way to wire the front bumper lights to turn them into DRLs or you can purchase the Canadian DRL used or new if they are still available. You will also need a get the car emissions tested, but our new premier is removing that requirement some time next year on new car registrations.
 
you do not need drl as i have imported a few Porsche 911s with no problems. only if the car is newer then the 25 year thing . if you do not tell them about the head lights they should not say any thing ( but you will want to switch the the head lights as it is shifted to the right side as not to impeded other drivers)
you will have to just pay tax and duty because it was not made in north america.
and wow i would like to see a type r in Ontario as well//
 
You wont pay any duty or taxes if you’ve owned the car and its in your name for over 6 months. Still need to import it and get the ownership changed to the 17 digits we have here. You can visit www.riv.ca and complete the Form 1 and all the info is there, plus BRAM has contacted you and will assist you. If you want a customs broker to do all the import for you, PM me or ask Bram for me details and I can provide you with my broker (I’m a retired Freight Forwarder) and it should cost approx CAD$200 for the import forms, and clearance.
 
The RIV website has useful information; but, just be aware that the RIV 'process' is dedicated to importing vehicles from the US that were originally 'North American' market vehicles. Go here (Transport Canada website) for more general information covering non North American market vehicles. Clearly it can be done because there are lots of 'older' JDM cars showing up in Canada and your 1994 should fall under the 15 year provision.

https://www.tc.gc.ca/en/services/road/importing-vehicle.html

Be aware that there is a personal use import provision and a more general import provision. I can't remember all the details (its been 7+ years since I went through this); but, I think there are restrictions on re sale of a car imported for personal use and may be time limits - so just make sure you use the correct process so you don't screw yourself some time in the future.

Since you are new to Canada, be aware that the 'import' process is governed by the Federal Gov't (Transport Canada). Quite separate from the import process is compliance with the safety standards and the vehicle registration process which is governed by the Provincial Gov't. Most provinces require that a vehicle go through a safety compliance review / inspection of some kind prior to being permanently registered. That requirement can exist even when you move a vehicle between provinces!

At the time of the safety compliance review, one of the check boxes that may be required to be ticked off (depending on the province) is operating day time running lights - so there may be no faking that one. Retrofitting DRLs is pretty much a non issue.

As noted by others, you can get agreed upon value insurance. Where I live, that generally requires that the car be appraised by a qualified appraiser and the insurance company may be restrictive on who they will accept as an appraiser. Since a genuine NSX-R is a rare bird, you may want to have documentation on hand to demonstrate 'provenance' and that this is not a regular NSX tarted up as an R. Be aware that most insurance companies restrict use of a vehicle with agreed upon value insurance. The restrictions that I have on another vintage car are 5000 km per year and not a primary use vehicle, so not incredibly restrictive. Depending on the province that the vehicle is registered in, you can apply for something like classic car registration. The registration cost may be less; but, that designation can come with some really heavy restrictions (can only be driven to shows or in events) so make sure that you don't get caught with that.

Since the vehicle is being shipped I expect that it will be appraised to cover for losses in a shipping accident. You might want to contact insurance providers operating in the Ontario insurance market to see if they might accept the valuation provided by a particular British appraiser. Do check for gaps in coverage. Insurance for shipping may end at the point it rolls out of the shipping container and you still need to deal with getting it from the docks to its safety inspection before it can be permanently registered or while it is parked in the lot prior to registration. You can generally get temporary driving permits; but, they generally don't come with any coverage.

Since I have not participated in the process for a while, I may be out of date. However, there are lots of little steps to make this happen. Taking up Gecko's offer of getting in contact with a broker to determine what they can do for you may be useful.
 
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