Hello,
I have good news (well for me at least ) I have the okay from my beautiful bride to proceed with fulfilling a life long dream. I am now in the actual hunting stage for a C5. I am giddy as a school girl I am ready to pull the trigger at the end of this month!!!

I would really appreciate some help from you all...here is my story.
I live in Edmonton, Canada and am planning on buying a C5 in the US and driving it home. I am looking for some help to do my very LONG distance purchase. Oh yeah...I am looking for a 98-02 ish C5 (coupe only) MN6 for about $22-23K.
Here are the things I need help with.

1 how much do dealers normally move off thier advertised price?
(I called about 5 dealers accross the US yesterday and all they were willing to give me was ~$1k off. This doesn't seem right. Here at home, the dealers seem to move a lot more than just $1k. Am I out to lunch thinking I can get ~$2000+ off the asking price?)

2 I have been looking on here (and elsewhere) for a vette (obviously ) and have seen one or two that are really what I want. Should I be concerned about buying a vehicle from a private person who lives 1500+ miles away from me? I am more concerned about buying one from the auto trader (this is where the majority of vettes I find are) than I am from a forum member.

3 Give me some pointers about buying long distance from a private person. Here is what I know I have to do first:
-I would have the person take it to a vette dealer to get inspected
-I have a GM connection, but it will only work for Canadian vehicles so I will try to get some info on its history before I buy.
-I will get a carfax done
-I plan to beg and whine to see if a forum member would help this Canuck out by checking the potential vette out before I hop on a plane to go and get it. (I plan to do this even if I buy from a dealer)

Well, thanks for taking the time to read this. Any insight at all is appreciated. I know not to rush this decision but I have been researching this purchase for about a year so I feel confident about purchasing now.

Thanks in advance for the help
Rob

 

Try www.corvettepalace in Austin ,Tx.,good people and really nice cars.They are on the high side but only sell low mileage nice cars.I found mine on www.corvettetraderonline.I flew to Ohio to pick it up.I was lucky and bought from an honest and very nice individual.It's always scary,but just feel it out.When I went I was confident in what he had told me on the phone was true, and the car was everything he had represented.Maybe I got lucky.Good luck and if you get serious and need one looked at in the Austin or San Antonio area let me know......

 

Rob I just did the same thing, and I live near Lloydminster. I covered 2 provinces and part of 3 states in 3 months looking. Give me a shout and I will give you some heads up, and some deals I skipped .
Ken
780-745-2006

 

Rob: I just went through all that last year searched all North America and ended up buying in Sarnia. I'm in New Brunswick. I had found some good deals. PM me if you have any questions.

Wayne

 

I am sure that if you find a C-5 you can post where you found it and probably some forum member will check it out for you? I am in San Diego so here is one member. Good Luck in your search.

 

Good luck with your search

Chuck

 

Im in Fredericton, New Brunswick myself....I started a thread a # on months back....Here is what I wrote:

Here ya go folks !

IMPORTING A VEHICLE INTO CANADA....step by step inside !!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

OK so here it is:

This is the official to do list when bringing a car into Canada !!

My experience importing my Z into Canada.....

I figured this would be valuable to those Canadians that are purchasing in the US and as well to US vendors selling to Canadians !!

Here it is :

#1: Run the VIN of the vehicle at your local DMV and Chevy Dealer. Call GM Canada to see if there is a recall on your vehicle.

#2: Check Carfax and Autocheck for anything that the dealer may have missed

#3: Call RIV (register of imported vehicles) and confirm your vehicle is allowed to cross the border. Ensure you get the first and last name of the person you have talked to.

#4: Get three (3) originals of the sale contract between you and purchaser. One will go to the US Customs and Border Protection agency (USCBP)...one will go to Canada Customs and keep one for yourself.

#5: Go to your destination to pick up your car and finalize payment

#6: Get your TITLE and ensure it is filled out appropriately. Ensure the VIN on the title matches the one on the car !!

#7: ENSURE: that you get a lien release statement from either the purchaser of financial institution !!! VERY IMPORTANT !!!

#8: Go to this website:

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/export/ex...or_vehicle.xml

Find the US port that is closest to your point of entry into Canada.
Immediately FED-EX your title (with tracking #) to the USCBP agency of your choice. Ensure that you send it to the port that is across from your point of entry !!!!!! Upon receipt the USCPB will stamp the title. You will then have to wait 72 hrs before you can bring the vehicle across. Ensure that you include in the package a letter that states they are to telephone you and give you the exact time the title was received and stamped !!!!

#9: ENSURE that the vehicle is equipped with temporary tags !!!!! ( I almost went to jail in the state of Maine cuz' I didnt have tags !!)

#10: ENJOY your 72 hr. drive to you host port !!!

#11: 72 hrs to the minute show up at the USCPB port in which you have Fed Ex'd your title to.

#12: Identify yourself with ID (passport and drivers license) and tell them you had a title Fed Ex'd to that port and that you would like to have the vehicle released.

#13: Show them the lien release (VERY IMPORTANT). They will not release the vehicle to Canada Customs without this.

#14: Show them one of the original bills of sale

#15: One of the customs agents will then go and inspect the vehicle to ensure that the VIN matches the title.

#16: They will then stamp the TITLE. At that point they will release the vehicle to Canada Customs.

#17: Be polite and thank them for their time

#18: Drive vehicle to Canada Customs and tell them you have a vehicle to import. They will direct you to come inside

#19: Go inside and produce the following:

-Stamped TITLE release from US side
-A lien release from financial institution
-Your ID

#20: They will then go and inspect your vehicle. ENSURE that there is a NORTH AMERICAN COMPLIANT STICKER on the drivers door. They WILL NOT accept the vehicle into the country if there is no sticker

#21: Pay your taxes on the purchase price of vehicle

#22: Pay RIV the admission price (I believe this is now $240.00). This will cover the cost of the RIV paperwork and process.

#23: ENSURE you get the appropriate RIV file # from Canada Customs.

#24: Canada customs will then release your car. Ensure that you have addequate insurance coverage to drive vehicle in Canada !!

#25: 10 days later you will receive the appropriate paperwork from RIV. Take this paperwork to Canadian Tire. (They are the only ones allowed to do import inspections). At that point get your RECALL LETTER. Reason being is that Canadian Tire WILL NOT accept recall letters more than 7 days old.

#26: Canadian Tire will then put a Canadian inspection sticker on your drivers door above the North American compliance sticker.

#27: They will then issue paperwork verifying that vehicle is Canadian compliant so that you can take it to your local motor vehicle branch and register it !!!

#28: Take Canadian Tire paperwork to your motor vehicle branch. They will issue you your plates...make you pay the provinces taxes on the sale of the vehicle and give you tag. (Every province is different)

#29: Go outside...get in youre new vette and lay down the biggest piece of rubber you can !!!


Hope this helps ladies and gents ! The process is quite easy. The US customs agents for the most part are very professional and easy to deal with. Canada Customs...same thing.

If you have any questions about the process...just pm me here ...I would be happy to help you out !!

Cheers !


All I can suggest to you is to buy cars south of the border....you will end up saving a mint on a used vette'....I bought mine out of New York...zero problems with importation and more importantly...no problems with the car itself !!!!!

 

Another option:

21st Century Muscle Cars (Carrollton TX [972 417 7177]) sells used, low mileage Vettes.

21st Century is Lingelfelter! The cars they sell are normally 'modded' to one degree or another.

Most ARE NOT raced - and the best part is John Page (owner) usually has babied the Vette since it was first delivered to the actual owner. He knows the good, and if appropriate, bad about any Vette he sells first hand.

Many members have purchased from John - I've never heard of any disappointment in the transaction.

We (the S/O and myself) use 21st for all work on our highly modified Vettes - one thing we can count on is if there is any thing that John or his crew notes as questionable they let us know.

 

WOW!!!! Thanks for all the replies and offers of help!! I guess I just have to get on my horse and find a vette! I will be in touch with a few of you at the end of the month...for final instructions and help!

This is a great forum. Thanks for all the help

 

If you find one in my area, I'd be glad to look it over for you. IMO though, the best way to buy a car is to personally check it out yourself - which can be done after someone else at least gives you a good idea what it is like.

 

again, thanks for all the help.

I just thought I would give this a bump for the work week crew. Any insight?