dan_t

Hi all,

currently on vacation in BC Canada and as my partner has lived here before and her family are Permanent Residents we are considering making a change and having a few years over here (maybe more!)

One thing I would like to do is look into the options of moving my C4 over here with us. Its value in the UK wouldn't be enough to get a sensible replacement here.

If anyone can help me work the system out I'd be hugely greatful!!

So far I beleive that seeing as the car is older than 15 it should be accepted into the country.

And I also believe that as a Visitor that I can use it for my sole use without having to meet the Motor Vehicle Safety Act.

Does it have any sort of inspection?
And what about AirCare?
Does it need to be registered or can I use my UK plates?

The car was exported from Canada into England UK in 1996.

This information seems so hard to come by! Its a very daunting task to say the least!

How about a recomendation of a shipping co. ??

ANY HELP WHAT-SO-EVER is hugely, greatly appreciated!!

Dan

Racer

I am good at importing cars from the US into Alberta, but have no clue about importing from the UK. Alberta does not have smog tests, but I believe BC does, so you will need a smog test and a mechanical inspection for sure. Because you own it and are bringing it here, I have no clues if you have to pay taxes or duties, maybe someone else can chime in.

dan_t

What does the mechanical inspection include?

Also at the moment there is a CAT-less exhaust on there - am I right in assuming this will be a problem?

Thanks for you input so far

Overdrive

Riv has some info on it ( http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/roadsafety/s...-index-446.htm ) and you can call them for more info.

It would have been originally built to Cdn standards so it will meet the requirements here for safety and emissions as long as it is put back to that state (replace cats). There is a provision to bring the car in and not meet the requirements for the period that you are here but then the car has to leave when you do.

Unless you feel the car is not replaceable, or you do plan to go back and want to take it with you, I would think it would be better to sell it there and buy again here when you add in shipping costs (can't be mailed ) and the other costs involved. I assume it is a LHD car.

NOCRISIS

by all accounts it appears like your trip is going well,,,
You have to weigh in all the costs of bringing the car over,,,and I think shipping would be the killer. In Van you have access to a huge used market,just south of there.Unless the car has huge sentimental value,,just saying,,,if it does,why not look at storing it as it sounds like your stay here is for a couple years,,,and then you would have the car when you went back,,,,,
Bringing the car into Halifax is one thing,but you still have to get it across the country,,,,,

Bishs

Having friends in the CCC-UK and being over there for the "Nationals" in June I thought it would be better selling you Vette there and buying another over here. You could even buy one in USA, where prices are cheaper, and bring it up.

CTD

Aircare is only the Lower Fraser Valley, here is a link.

http://www.aircare.ca/ap-aircareworks.php

I'm located in the Okanagan Valley, no Aircare for me. I've imported a couple of Vette's with no issue.

You will need two inspections, one Federal that's easy. Next you have do your Provincial & deal with our ICBC which is our Provincial vehicle licensing & insurance. Not nice but once your in its all good.

We have a combined Federal & Provincial tax that you normally pay on any vehicle you purchase whether you import or not. That is calculated on the converted dollar value. Also you will pay that tax on your inspection's & what ever else is required to land your vehicle here.

As others have mentioned the cost of bringing your C4 back vs. the abundance of Vettes available to you......... Your southern neighbor has some very good deals & very good selection.

dan_t

My car probably only has a value of around £4000 ($6400 CAD) in the UK if I'm lucky mainly because the paint isnt the tidyest nor is the interior.

I think i'm going to struggle to get anything similar for that sort of cost (383ci, AFR heads, LT1 intake etc etc ZF6 6Speed Manual, Dana44 3.73 Diff, Polybushed suspension, Biggest Swaybars & 84 Z51 Springs.)

10caipirinhas

RIV is not required.

As it was a Canadian car to begin with you should have no technical safety problems.

Federal duty is not required.

HST will have to be paid.

You will need BC license plates and provincial mechanical inspections.

Insured ocean freight will be around $2,500 +/-..........and you can get it shipped to Vancouver.

http://www.shipping-worldwide.com/car-exports.html

dan_t

Yeh trip is going good! The inlaws have a real nice place in Port Moody.

With regards the Cats - are they required because they were factory fit (LT headers now) or can they stay off if I can get it past AirCare?

Also I have no AIR Injecton system anymore...

dan_t

I'm also considering shipping the car to the EAST coast of Canada with a possiblity of being able to drive it over to BC? Is that an option? Do I have a few days before it has to be reg'ed and tested?

Overdrive

To pass the emissions sniffer test you would likely need cats. If it passes without the rest of the hardware then you're fine regards the sniffer but some provinces have roadside inspections (ON does) where they check for missing parts and fine you for each part that isn't there. If you drove it from the east coast then you would need to get a certification done there to get a temp plate and emissions test if the province you arrive in has that.

Alternatively check into whether they allow you to run your UK plate and for how long. While you don't need RIV certification for that yr of car the link I provided in a previous post talks about out of country cars being driven in Canada during the course of an extended visit.

Spinner_89

I belive that the Federal inspection gives you the ability to drive the car anywhere in Canada for up to 14 days, except in the province of destination (you're only alowed to drive "directly to the inspeciton") once you've had the provincial inspection you can get bc plates.

So you could take the opportunity to drive the vehcile home - it is a neat trip if you've never had the chance before.

dan_t

This sounds pretty good - do you know where I can find out exactly what the inspection includes?

Dan

Spinner_89

the federal one basically checks Vin at the boarder and pay any GST applicable to the import, then you have to go to Canadian Tire (in the destination province) and thier "inspection" basically checks the Vin & a few compliance things, but since it was a Canadian Car - the other things shouldn't matter but check the link shown above for more info...

Are you Canadian? How long are you staying for - are you going to be staying long enough to trade in your drivers licence - I'd suggest checking the rules about driving the the car as it stands, registered as is... (No idea if this would work for a vehicle from England, but US visitors are not required to go though a large hassle or import thier car when they're just driving it as a visor) just a thought... Good Luck!