Purchasing an antique car outside of the US

[Guest]

I am considering purchasing a 1933 car in Canada. I am conserned about the process of bringing it to the US. Does anyone know what has to happen, or where I can find out what to do?<P>Thanks<P>Paul<BR>paul.perea@teqware.com

[Guest]

You might begin by contacting US Customs. ~ hvs

[bubba]

If it is an original car built in the U.S. you need proof that the seller owned it. This would be a type of title, depending what provence your buying it in, signed by the owner. You also need a bill of sale signing the car over to you. You do not need to pay a duty if it is a U.S. product. Don't make jokes with the border guard. Your also asked on the way back if you have more than 10,000 bucks on you coming back into the country. I don't know what happens to you if you do. Probably will have to fill out a form. If you hire a shipping firm to do it, you have to pay a fee for the boarder crossing to the shipper. Hope this helps.<BR>As previously stated, you should call the boarder crossing you plan to go through. The number is available on the web. I went through this a few months ago and ended up coming home with an empty trailer after finding out that the car that looked great in the pictures, didn't in person. Another tip. Gas is more money in Canada so fill up before you cross.

[Guest]

I got mine transported by an international removal company. It does cost, but they dealt with all the paper work.<BR>And that paper work was no joke. I seem to remember that the car was treated differently by customs if it is road worthy than if it is not. Also, by getting the car transported you avoid the insurance concerns.<P>Another useful tip: I was in the same situation as Bubba, having only seen pictures of the car I was buying. And since I was getting it shipped, the first time I set eyes on it was when the car was unloaded onto my drive. So to avoid trouble I had an attourney put my money in escrow and rather than the transporter going to the sellers house to pick the car up, I got a mechanic check the car over and drive it from the seller to the transporter yard to confirm that it drove OK.<P>This may not be the best way of doing things, but I felt comfortable thatI had avoided the big potential disasters.<P>Of course the big disaster that I didn't forecast was the wife's reaction when it arrived. 4 years on and she still refers to it as "that car". Four tons the babiest of baby blue, lines that a supermodel would be proud of, chrome that glares more brightly that the crown jewels of the queen of England, and fins that reach higher than the neighbours fence - and she still wants to trade it for a kitchen upgrade

[Guest]

Well, the state of the car as advertised vs what it really is not a matter of Canada vs USA. a friend had one shipped from Texas to the Canadian border & on arrival found it to be totally bogus! He had to involve US customs as well as legal avenues to make it right! Message is, NEVER buy a car unseen, no matter from who or where. As far as gas costs go, they bounce here just like they do there depending on time of year/gas wars/Arco/etc. Sound familiar?? Some times there is a line up going down there for gas & sometimes its a line up coming up here!!