cd4runner

I would really like to import a Hilux, Surf runner, bj42 or bj62 from Canada want that Diesel engine W/ torque and MPG. Have any of you guys done that ?

garborr

Up here in Canada, we still have 4Runners, Tacomas, and no deisels. Just to let you know.

leebee

in the last week ive seen 3 deisel cruisers, they are all locals as ive seen them around town at different occasions. they are all the big 4 door cruisers, fj60's i think.

ill have to stick a note under their wipers, as i come across them, and ask if they are considering selling them at any time to contact me. i know they are big and heavy, but the deisel motor with all its torque is just too tempting to let it get away.

lee

MTL_4runner

Yes, you can certainly import almost any vehicle from Canada into the US but you will likely have to pay sales tax (depends on what state you are registering it in) on the market value of the vehicle in order to get a title for it (there is no paper title in Canada like there is in the US, it is all electronic at the DMV). I have also never seen a Hilux, Surf runner, bj42 or bj62 since I have been up here but that doesn't mean they don't exist. Those are primarily made for the European and Asian markets (they also have em in Australia and New Zealand).

cd4runner

You guys up there in CA should check out www.gscruiserparts.com and mustang connection they both have a good ammount of diesel cruisers, hilux's and surf's. Diesel= good MPG, hell make your own biodiesel you can buy a kit for 2,000 american!! Even the fj60's with diesel get 20-30 MPG.

Flamedx4

I have imported vehicles from Canada, including my '98 F150. It is easy, but not all Canadian vehicles can be imported. Go the the US Customs website and look around, the info may be there. If not you can contact them and they will tell you what you need to know.

They will check the VIN against a list, if it's on the list you're in - ATFER they see the emissions stickers. Once they see the emissions stickers you fill out a form and they give you import papers to take to your local DMV to apply for title. Of course you pay the fees and taxes according to your state law. If the emission sticker are not there, or if the certification they are looking for isn't on it - you don't get it in. There may be exceptions for older vehicles, but I don't know for sure.

MTL_4runner

I think the exception is older than 25 years, but not positive on that though. Canada seems to be more strict on certain things than the US, but emissions might be the only sticky point (since most provinces do not have emissions checks yet....I am sure it is only a matter of time). Also remember all Canadian vehicles have speedos in KM not Miles so you may need to purchase a new speedo to meed the import standard (if it does not have miles also displayed)

kyle_22r

i've always thought canadian standards were a little more lax when it comes to importing -- pretty sure a vehicle has to only be 15 years old to get it in, whereas the in the US it has to be 25 years old now.

jc1kz

after reading on this subject you may not want to, it gets expensive.....
here is a link.....

http://www.foreignborn.com/visas_imm...ingyourcar.htm
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/...nada07032.html

Flamedx4

Let me rephrase_ I have imported 3 personal vehicles and one boat into the US from Canada. I also imported 3 vehicles into Canada when I moved up there 4 years before.

To get into Canada with the US vehicles, all I had to do on 2 of them (85 4Runner and 92 3000 GT) was add DRLs. US DOT standards are accepted by Canada and the DRLs were the only issue. The cars were inspected and I was given a certificate to take to DMV. (The 3rd car, my 71 Cougar Conv, was exempt from the requirements due to age. I did not have to replace speedos because US speedos have kms in small print, which is all Canada required.

To get into the US (the only one I took up there that I came back with was the Cougar, the others were Canadian vehicles bought there) first there are certain vehicles you cannot import EVER, such as the Russian made Lada that is available in Canada. So if it's on the Okay list, and if it has the DOT cert and Federal emissions numbers on its emissions sticker, no worries with bringing it back. When I got home to Oregon, I took the import papers to DMV, applied for titles and paid the fees, and that was that. Easy, not hidden expenses.

The Canadian speedos all have miles on them (the small numbers) and that meets US DOT standards, so they did not need replaced. (I did however, eventually replace them for my own preference.)

BUT, I just realised I had lived up there for 4 years and was bringing personal vehicles back. Things may well be different if you just want to go up there and buy something to bring in. Countries other than Canada can be a big can of worms, the neat thing about Canada is Canadian DOT and US DOT standards are parallel. No need to retrofit safety equip and emmisions equip etc. like their would be for a European car for example.

During the 4 years I was up there, we imported and exported and couple of hundred motorhomes per year, both US made and Canadian made, imported either to or from the US or Canada. Same paperwork, same emissions labels needed for the US each time.

Flamedx4

These are the stickers from my F150. The one on the left is the door jamb sticker and the one on the right is emissions label under the hood. The items circled in red are what the US Customs looked for. If you want to import a vehicle that doesn't meet US emissions standards, it can be very difficult and/or expensive.

kyle_22r

man, i think a lada niva would be a pretty cool vehicle to make a project of...danged US bureaucracy :mad:

Flamedx4

Lada is a horrible vehicle. Heavy, slow, awful ride, uncomfortable, ugly. But they say they are exceptionally sturdy.

kyle_22r

i can overcome the slow and awful ride part quite easily

cd4runner

So it seems from research that the big deal is wheteher or not it's on the list of allowable vehicles. I am looking up there b/c they import diesel 4runner's and land cruisers and I want one bad. I guess the diesel's would have a hard time passing emissions? Is that true?

99_Runner

Nope, diesels won't have a hard time passing emissions. If it is pretty new and doesn't smoke to much then you shouldn't have a problem with it. A diesel would probably be easier to get to pass emissions than a gasoline engine.

Just my thought.

p.s. I would be interested if you do this, a diesel 4Runner would be way cool.

Flamedx4

:pat:
The link:
http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/...ortingacar.doc

The pertinent bits:

SAFETY, BUMPER, AND THEFT PREVENTION STANDARDS



Importers of motor vehicles must file form HS-7 at the time of vehicle is imported to declare whether the vehicle complies with DOT requirements. As a general rule, motor vehicles less than 25 years old must comply with all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) in order to be imported permanently into the United States. Vehicles manufactured after September 1, 1978, must also meet the bumper standard, and vehicles beginning with model year 1987 must meet the theft-prevention standard.



Vehicles manufactured to meet these standards will have a certification label affixed by the original manufacturer near the driver’s side door. If you purchase a vehicle abroad that is certified to U.S. standards, you may expedite your importation by making sure the sales contract identifies this fact and by presenting the contract to U.S. Customs at the time of importation.



A vehicle must be imported as a nonconforming vehicle unless it bears the manufacturer’s label certifying that it meets U.S. standards. If it is a nonconforming vehicle, the importer must contract with a DOT-registered importer (RI) to modify the vehicle and certify that it conforms to all applicable FMVSS. The importer must also post a DOT bond for one and a half times the vehicle’s dutiable value. This bond is in addition to the normal Customs entry bond. Copies of the DOT bond and the contract with the RI must be attached to the HS-7 form.



Before a RI can modify your vehicle, however, it must first be determined whether the vehicle is capable of being modified to comply with the FMVSS. If a vehicle has not previously been determined to be eligible for importation, it must go through a petition process to determine whether it’s capable of being modified for such compliance. If the vehicle under petition is not similar to one sold in the United States, the process of bringing it into compliance becomes very complex and costly. A list of vehicles that have already been determined to be (capable of being modified to comply with the FMVSS) may be obtained from a RI or from NFTSA’s Web site.



EMISSION STANDARDS



The following passenger cars, light-duty trucks, heavy-duty engines and motorcycles are subject to federal emission standards:



-Gasoline-fueled cars and light-duty trucks originally manufactured after December 31, 1967.



-Diesel-fueled cars originally manufactured after December 31, 1974.



-Diesel-fueled light-duty trucks originally manufactured after December 31, 1975.



-Heavy-duty engines originally manufactured after December 31, 1969.



-Motorcycles with a displacement more than 49 cubic centimeters originally manufactured after December 31, 1977.



Vehicles must be certified to U.S. federal emission standards by their manufacturers for sale in the U.S. Vehicles that do not meet these requirements are considered nonconforming. A currently certified ICI, a list of which is available from the EPA, must import Nonconforming vehicles for you. The only EPA-authorized ICIs are located in the U.S. It is therefore recommended that you contact an ICI to discuss costs for modification and testing before you decide to import a nonconforming vehicle. The ICI will be responsible for assuring that your car complies with all U.S. emission requirements. (As of July 1, 1998, EPA no longer has the one-time exemption for vehicles five or more model-years old.) Be aware that EPA will deny entry to certain makers, models, and model year if an ICI is not certified or is unwilling to accept responsibility for the vehicle(s) in question.



You may obtain additional information on emission control requirements or on ICIs from the U.S. EPA Vehicle Programs and Compliance Division/Imports at tel. (202) 564-9660, FAX (202) 565-2057; or visit the Web site on page x.



Individual state emission requirements may differ from those of the federal government. Proper registration of a vehicle in a state may depend upon satisfaction of its requirements, so you should contact the appropriate state authorities prior to importation. Be aware, however, that EPA will not accept compliance with a state’s emission requirements as satisfying EPA’s requirements.



A WORD OF CAUTION



Both the DOT and the EPA advise that although a nonconforming car may be conditionally admitted, the modification required to bring it into compliance may be so extensive and costly that it may be impractical and even impossible to achieve such compliance. It is highly recommended that these prohibitions and modifications be investigated before a vehicle’s purchased for importation

cd4runner

From my research so far, 4runners are not yet on the list of vehicles that may be imported. I still have a couple more places to look though. A lot of them come from Asia, Australia and Africa so they are right hand drive and supposedly that is not a problem with meeting vehicle safety standards? To post a bond W/ a registered importer for one and a half times the duitable value could be too much $ for me. I still have a bit of research to do, and I don't want to give up on owning a diesel 4 runner.

kyle_22r

gotta love red tape

Morr

I wonder would they let you import the current model Niva, after all its now badged as a chevrolet........

Still prefer the original one tho, my first 4x4 was an 89 Niva, great fun!