Importing Canada Race Car to the USA

Has anybody imported a race car that will not be registered from Canada to the USA? I ask recently as I just imagine that these rules change? Did you use a broker? If so how did you find a broker? What do you do if it comes with parts, do you have to do more paperwork?

Did it start life as a production car?

Fully gutted and caged?

For a series or just trackdays?

Apexcarver said:

Did it start life as a production car?

 

Fully gutted and caged?

 

For a series or just trackdays?

 

 

Production car Honda Prelude, fully gutted, caged and ready to race. I believe the Vin information was removed and no title.

If the VIN was removed, thats likely a showstopper. 

https://www.nhtsa.gov/importing-vehicle/importation-and-certification-faqs

looks like you may not be able to permanently import it... at any rate. 

The Importing part has two purposes:  So that the government gets their tax dollar, and for you to have the proper paperwork to register, title, and inspect it.  Since the latter isn't happening, I don't see any problem with physically bringing it... but honestly I've never done it coming this way, only going north.

The way the rules are set up for going north, you can take nearly anything up there, but there is really no way (black market or othewise) to register and title a vehicle in Canada (at least the lower provinces) unless you have that magical form from the border.  That's how they cover their butts.  You can take it there, but it cannot become a road vehicle unless you have done the import paperwork.  In short, you can't sell it and violate any laws unless you have already done the legal importation... thereby making it legal. 

At best, you have a parts car.  Declare it at the border with a bill of sale and they may tax you on anything over a certain dollar amount.

It is the border agent's job to question the purchase, but they are only supposed to be concerned about the financial aspect of it.  It makes no sense for them to question your motives.  It's kind of like tying a dog to a 20' leash and then asking it if it's going to go 30' away.  It can't.  Having said that, it is a bit of a red flag.  In general, though, the importing process has to do with the title and taxes.  If you have no title, you aren't importing it.  You have made a purchase of a non-vehicle, and in theory it should be subject to nothing more than any taxes on purchases over $X.

There is a 1-800 number for the US Border, and their website is pretty good.

Anyway Upon that post I checked with the border agency and other sites. It appears it should be a non-event as long as you have the ownership and a bill of sale for the car and trailer (both will be given with the car). It does look like you'll have to fill out some paperwork, but its all readily available.

 

There is a pretty well defined set of info here: http://www.cbp.gov/x...porting_car.xml

This is easier to read: http://www.bordercen...em/vehicles.htm

And here is a blog on the step by step on what to do: http://vehicleimport...anently-to.html

 

Followed by this post:

 

Checking around, I've found a couple reports that this may not work - one guy was fined the sale price of his Porsche race car at the border on the way home with the empty trailer. I guess it works out for the buyer, but they keep track of how much stuff was on your trailer on the way in/out.

 

It looks like the correct steps are:

1) Get NHTSA permission to import the car as an off-road vehicle - I assume you could do this at the DMV

2) Call border 72 hours ahead of time with the VIN so they can clear it for theft/liens/etc

3) When you file your customs form, check the box show it is an off-road vehicle (step [1] allows you to do this)

4) After 3-5 years, you have to return it to Canada or destroy it. But realistically, the car isn't going to last that long and nobody is going to check.

5) Vote for representatives that promise to simplify the byzantine laws you've got. All the info I found about US->Canada imports indicated it is waaaay simpler.

 

Stigdad, can you comment on what steps you did beforehand or paperwork you filed?

 

Ok, if you know more on the process , or have some insight please post it up for all to see.

I got this off of the Champcar site, just wasn't sure if it was still applicable because this was back in 2012. 

Also found this https://www.hagerty.com/articles-videos/articles/2018/02/07/how-to-import-a-car-from-canada-to-the-us

Importing a street car isn't that difficult. Importing a VINless track car? That's a different set of rules. I think the biggest potential problem is that lack of a VIN (who removes a VIN from a non-stolen race car?) so there's no proof of ownership. 

I have brought multiple Canadian cars across into the US without importing them, and then imported at a later date. But none were on a trailer. 

I think the parts car suggestion is probably best. Or simply identify it as a race car, which should be obvious enough if it's clearly a caged and stripped and battered race car. Once it's into the country, it's not going to touch the EPA/NHTSA/registration office so it'll basically disappear from oversight as all race cars do.

Call the border crossing you'll use and ask them.

I take that back he has the Vin

Then life just got a whole lot easier.