Import to the US??

[Details Monster]

As far as I know, how long you live abroad had no bearing on your ability to import a vehicle. What matters it that it meets the safety standards...

About 10 years ago, I relocated to the US (temporarily) and brought my 71 VW Super Beetle. I did not think much of it until I went to license it... I was told that in order to get Ohio ownership papers to have it licensed I had to prove that it met US safety standards for the year in which it was manufactured. How do I do that I asked? I was told that I needed to take it to some US import place (can remember the exact name). I phoned them and asked what they do; they said they look for a DOT certification plate and if the car did not have one too bad!! I ended up just taking it in to some small town insurance agent who did not know I needed this inspection; so I lucked out. I also brought two cars back from the US and the process is similar; cars have to meet Canadian safety regulations; in this case there is some documentation for most cars that tells the necessary modifications; for my VW Passat no changes (obviously built for both US and Canadian markets); for my Honda it just needed day time running lights. Other more costly changes I saw in the documentation were seat belts systems and bumpber systems both of which could be very costly.

[alpinecowboy]

The US federal govt leaves it to the states in terms of highway safety testing once a vehicle has made it past the border control. i.e. federal agents do not issue state motor vehicle safety tests - they are administered at the state level, usually through "inspection stations" via the local mechanic who has been certified by the state to administer the tests.

The tests vary state by state because they roll in the state and local safety standards as well (the joy of a federal system) - so california is different from texas for instance and even within texas (where I live) the standards are different for Houston (which has a pollution problem and therefor harder emissions standards) than for Amarillo (which has cleaner air, therefor less stringent standards on air quality).

At the end of the day, there is no clean or easy way to get a Delica into the US. But it is theoretically possible = but you'll never be 100% legal as you would with an off-the-lot vehicle.

[Modsqwad]

The US federal govt leaves it to the states in terms of highway safety testing once a vehicle has made it past the border control. i.e. federal agents do not issue state motor vehicle safety tests - they are administered at the state level, usually through "inspection stations" via the local mechanic who has been certified by the state to administer the tests.

The tests vary state by state because they roll in the state and local safety standards as well (the joy of a federal system) - so california is different from texas for instance and even within texas (where I live) the standards are different for Houston (which has a pollution problem and therefor harder emissions standards) than for Amarillo (which has cleaner air, therefor less stringent standards on air quality).

At the end of the day, there is no clean or easy way to get a Delica into the US. But it is theoretically possible = but you'll never be 100% legal as you would with an off-the-lot vehicle.

The legality question makes me wonder about the insurance question. The old " this van shouldn't even have been here to get in this
accident" line comes to mind. If you give those cabrones a loophole they will find it and pin it on you for sure. By the way a lot
of delictable parts are available in Mexico Tex. They sell 2wd delivery trucks down here rebadged as Hyundai and Dodge. You
could get a diesel for your conversion in a Mexican junkyard.Suerte.
Andy Wilson
Sayulita Nay.Mx.

[systemsaid]

So, I spent some time researching and found the NHTSA website. (National Highway and Transportation Administration (US)) Here is what I have found.

To be imported free of restriction, a motor vehicle less than 25 years old must be originally manufactured to comply with all applicable Federal motor vehicle safety standards (FMVSS) and bear a label certifying such compliance that is permanently affixed by the vehicle�s original manufacturer.� A motor vehicle that bears a label certifying compliance with all applicable Canadian motor vehicle safety standards (CMVSS), but not with the FMVSS, can still be imported as a conforming motor vehicle under Box 2B on the HS-7 Declaration form to be presented to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (Customs) at the time of entry if the following requirements are met:

* The vehicle is being imported for personal use and not for resale;
* The vehicle is not a salvage vehicle, a repaired salvage vehicle, or a reconstructed vehicle;
* The importer obtains a letter from the vehicle�s original manufacturer, on the manufacturer�s letterhead (and not that of a franchised dealer), identifying the vehicle by vehicle identification number (VIN) and stating that the vehicle conforms to all applicable FMVSS except for the labeling requirements of Standards Nos. 101 Controls and Displays and 110 Tire Selection and Rims or 120 Tire Selection and Rims for Motor Vehicles other than Passenger Cars, and/or the specifications of Standard No. 108 Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment, relating to daytime running lamps.

Now, to me this reads that as long as the vehicle complies with Canadian standards (CMVSS), is for PERSONAL use, is NOT from a junkyard, and I get a letter from Mitsubishi that fills in the labeling blanks.... I should be cool right? Or am I just not paying attention?

[Green1]

A motor vehicle that bears a label certifying compliance with all applicable Canadian motor vehicle safety standards (CMVSS)

The Delica does not have a CMVSS compliance label as it was never sold new in the Canadian market

[systemsaid]

Oh..... Well, in that case I'm just going to sit here quietly in my favorite dunce cap..... and remember to do a little more homework before making foolish comments.

[Green1]

I really do feel for you, your country currently has the most protectionist and oppressive import restrictions in the world that I'm aware of, followed closely by Canada (though if our auto dealers get their way we will soon surpass you... by far...)

[danfromvan]

Could one maybe finesse US Customs with the BC Ministry of Transportation Private Vehicle Inspection Report that we get along with its Certificate of Approval sticker (stuck onto the report) as a surrogate for CMVSS compliance?

It might be worth a try to bounce it off US Customs ahead of time. My experience with them on unrelated matters is that they go strictly by the book, so it would probably be too risky to give it a try by first buying one here and then trying to take it across the border.

[Green1]

the wording of the text posted also requires a letter from Mitsubishi head office stating that the vehicle meets FMVSS... I can basically guarantee you will never get that, even if you manage to forge a CMVSS decal, or convince customs that something else will work.

keep in mind that CMVSS/FMVSS is a whole lot more than what we have inspected, it includes such things as crash tests and other hidden issues as well. CMVSS/FMVSS is a VERY effective protectionist tool (they claim it's a safety tool, but we all know that it is no better than UNECE, and it's only reason to exist is to prevent imports of safe, efficient vehicles from the rest of the world)

[systemsaid]

Corporations in my beloved country paying for politicians to enact laws that force me to buy their products??!!

I'm shocked and horrified....

Managed a considerable amount of research today and have a pile of govt offices and RI's and ICI's and on and on... that I need to call tomorrow.

Summary of what I've read so far (now going on 9.5hrs) is as such:
If I import through an ICI (independant commercial importer) I have 120 days to get it to one of the EPA certified shops for EPA certification (nearest in California), then make sure the speedo has mph on it, then make sure it has the "electric track" style seatbelts OR airbags, then by some stroke of luck prove safety ratings. (The latter of which can possibly be done if I can show one is permanently registered in the US or a "like model" was approved for production in the US.)

In other words.... It's complicated, unclear, probably expensive, convoluted, and generally designed to be prohibitive.

You guys got room for a new resident? hehehe

[Green1]

If I import through an ICI (independant commercial importer) I have 120 days to get it to one of the EPA certified shops for EPA certification (nearest in California), then make sure the speedo has mph on it, then make sure it has the "electric track" style seatbelts OR airbags, then by some stroke of luck prove safety ratings. (The latter of which can possibly be done if I can show one is permanently registered in the US or a "like model" was approved for production in the US.)

Delica does not have an airbag (exception being the new L400 delicas 1994 and later, and only in the highest end models), nor does it have "electric track" style seatbelts. (of course neither do 15 year old US domestic vehicles!)
For safety ratings, if they used common sense you could use the Mitsubishi vanwagon as a "like model" however they don't use common sense, so they won't likely find it "close enough" despite it being virtually identical....

You guys got room for a new resident? hehehe

always... unfortunately our government is only marginally better, we're stuck with a 15 year rule as opposed to your 25, but in our case it's even more strict (ie, a domestic vehicle that leaves the country and then changes owners isn't allowed back in until it is 15 years old!!) At least with your rules you have the option of proving a vehicle meets FMVSS requirements, in Canada it doesn't matter what safety standards it meets, you still can't import it.

[jessef]

I posted somewhere in the past year how to import a vehicle newer than 25 years old.

You will have to search for it.

Short version :

1. Dual citizenship
2. Registered importer and offroad use only
3. Get a canadian to drive it over the border (high risk to the canadian)

that is it. Period.

I know people who have tried everything possible and none were ever successful at importing. This spans over the last 10 or so years with different types of imports.

The easiest option is #3 but who will you find to risk their customs status when they drive a vehicle down and come back up without it ? The criminal/border/customs risks are very high for that Canadian.

[Spearo]

Search on Member rhdpanda's posts. He lives in Florida and owns one.
And if you're ever up in Alberta let us know.

[Green1]

Search on Member rhdpanda's posts. He lives in Florida and owns one.
And if you're ever up in Alberta let us know.

And he's another one of these people who claims it's all legal while refusing to say how... I tend to question those people, if it was truly legal they probably wouldn't be hiding how it was done...

[tonydca]

There is one other way of getting a Delica in the US that I didn't mention... it's difficult, and probably expensive, but it would get around the rules...

Start by buying a mitsubishi vanwagon in the US (available somewhere around 1990ish (the vanwagon was a 2wd gasoline version of the delica, the parts should all be compatible)) and then swap out parts to make it a delica... you'd need to replace the engine and drivetrain to start (to make it diesel and 4wd), and then whatever other accessories you wanted...

It would be perfectly legal, and I'm sure all the parts could be had from the suppliers in Canada or Japan, but it would be a lot of work and a fair amount of money.

To what extent, I wonder, do an original vehicle's bits have to migrate over to a "new" one?

I.e. - buy the skankiest/cheapest Mitsu VanWagon you can find in the US of A, drive it up over the border here to Soviet Canuckistan, swap out the VIN and manufacturer plates onto a nice little L300 that "happens" to be up here waiting for you as a 2nd honeymoon present, and drive your new baby back down South. US Customs see a bizarre-lookin' Japanese-thingy coming in at the border with a VIN that matches an existing bizarre-lookin' Japanese-thingy registered in the USA. I'm betting that from then on, provided you kept a relatively low profile, didn't brag too much, told all your friends you had the old beast "modded", etc., etc., who's to say that the vehicle you now drive isn't just a customized, rebuilt version of the vehicle you bought way back when? How many legit "hot rods" bear little resemblance from the old '59 Dodge from whence they were born?

I'm sure this is technically illegal, but my respect for unneccesary bureaucrats rates right up there with, well - fill in the blank.