PTSFX

Since I'm not sure if he'll check this thread regularly, I'll answer the question for you. He went back to the OG!

https://rennlist.com/forums/spyder-c...3-arrives.html

MaddMike

It is greatly appreciated. As a 19-year-old in the Air Force, I found a built MR2 in Canada that fit exactly what I was looking for. I flew up and bought it and then tried to cross the border thinking it was that easy. Long story short, Toyota was unwilling to provide a letter of compliance and I was not able to bring the car into the country. Not that I had money to do all this stuff, but it would have been good info to know.

PTSFX

I reached out to the importer (or is it exporter?) regarding the letter from Porsche, and there response is below. :shrug:

We won't be using a letter of compliance, with the 30 day hold the letter of compliance is not required, our submission we will be sending to the department of transportation is the same as a letter of compliance, the package will include everything to prove to DOT that the vehicle does comply.

bearhands

Did the car have the USA DOT and USA EPA stickers on them? Sounds like if they do, importation is much more simple.

Porsche444

Cars made for Canada have equivalent stickers with them, so I don’t think USA stickers would be added, and probably can’t due to different requirements by both DOT/EPA agencies. Hence why you go through this process to get car modified for USA standards and then get added stickers, is my understanding

BBermann

Regarding the KPH to MPH speedo dial conversion, is it simple as changing the dial face or more like a gauge cluster swap?

Porsche444

Its actually just paper overlay, no need to change whole gauge cluster, that would be ultra expensive.

PTSFX

Yep, just the gauge faces. Similar to how you can buy them aftermarket if you want to swap colors.

Early on in the process, Crossborder requested pictures of a few stickers from the dealer. Not sure if they used that as a means to know what it would take to get this done or to start the paperwork. Just have to trust the experts at this point and hope for the best!

PTSFX

Something else I learned during this process - you’ll have a hard time finding someone to swap the entire cluster for a used one, because - unknown to me before this - the mileage is stored both in the ECU and the cluster itself. So apparently only a new cluster can be installed.

Highline-Autos.com

Congratulations! The right importer certainly helps in these situations. I have a customer who is bringing a Mercedes SL63 AMG over the border and due to some error's with the first importer, it has gone through 2x 30 day hold periods on the Canadian side; happy to hear you got it done! Quick question about the financing, so you paid cash, then once registered in Florida you will do a "cash out refinance" with your credit union? I had gone through the similar process when purchasing an i8 off Bring a Tailer for my mom since our CU wouldn't lend on a vehicle with an out of state title. Can you clarify as well; if your importer had purchased the car from the Porsche dealership, then sold it to you, you would have been able to finance the purchase from the importer right there, correct?

PTSFX

Well, don’t congratulate me yet!

I haven’t decided if I’ll refinance it or not at this point. I’ll take a look at the rates when the car arrives and see what my options are. And I honestly didn’t ask about financing through the importer.

Some more info regarding importing from Crossborder:

Anything that is a rebuilt status is non admissible, anything that doesn't have TPMS, or the correct gauge that shows all of the icons and correct readings is not admissible, TPMS is the one thing that there's no way around, if the vehicle is not manufactured with TPMS it is not something we can install, as it has to be directly from the manufacturer.

Lots of manufacturers right now are not actually willing to give out compliance letters, not sure what their exact reasoning for it.

Anything over 25 years is exempt to the DOT compliance regulations, so they are all admissible.

Highline-Autos.com

Would your credit union have financed the purchase from the importer?

PTSFX

They would only finance if the car being used as collateral had a US title, so I doubt it.

Provie

Interesting read indeed.
I’ve experienced in reverse order (bringing car from US to Canada): this was 2014-2015 had a BMW 1M I bought new… drove the car around for almost 4 yrs iirc loved it to bits… owned it outright. End 2014 decided to move north (my wife is Canadian: she wanted to go home). Sold EVERYTHING that I couldn’t haul…
when it came to cars… everything was smooth except for the 1M. The car appreciated in value and after driving it around for years it was worth more than brand new (sounds familiar?).
In Canada they are hawks regarding tax collection… for me to bring MY OWN car over here, they were going to charge me taxes on the MARKET value (I had a dealer letter with ..ahem… adjusted value)… like I said I loved that car to bits… Feb/Mar 2015 981 GT4 was announced… I dropped the 1M off to the original dealership for a handsome gain and that was the start of my Porsche journey!
I miss that little bugger though…
importation process is ripe with innuendo and personal interpretation if done privately. It should be done thru a broker/agency as OP is doing. I’ll be watching for updates/ultimate resolution!!
PS: Oslo blue is an absolute MUST!!

DER951

This August I imported a 2016 GT4 to the U.S. from Canada. The car was listed on Rennlist in Montreal, about a 5 hour drive from me. I drove up on the next Sunday to see it. The owner wanted to stay in the background, so I dealt with the shop owner who had serviced it for years, and knew it inside out. I put my Durametric on it, he put it on a lift, and I agreed to buy it and left a deposit while he shop owner explored the importing process. He initially told me it could take a month. He called a few days later telling me a broker could deliver it to my door for $5700, including all fees and duties. A day later he called telling me the owner had all the paperwork completed, including the necessary documents from Porsche, and he would drive it to U.S. Customs in Champlain NY, and I would only have to pay the 2.5% duty. I made an international wire transfer for the rest of the purchase price. At customs, the agent verified the paperwork and the VIN, collected the duty from me, and I was good to go. There was never any mention of changing the speedometer face. The digital speedometer and odometer was easily changed from kilometers to miles.

I first saw the car on Sunday, and had it in my garage the following Saturday. By Tuesday I had it registered and titled.

YMMV