Buying a C8 from the US and importing

[Bilal388]

Hey guys,

I have a C7 GS. Looking to get into a C8. A Z06 ideally but that is still up for debate

Here is the situation:

• My brother works in the United States. Given the timeline for C8s over here, I was thinking of having him buy the car since it is available in the US. At least the stingray with multiple dealers giving me 3-4 months for delivery on a new order.
• Z06 looks like 12-16 months from the various dealers I have called
• The cheapest dealer that I have found is asking for 5K over MSRP for the Stingray and 15K over MSRP for the Z06. He gave me the 12-16 months timeline for the Z06
• My idea was to have him buy the car outright and register it here in Ontario. We have the same house address so I could just drive it once he plates it in Ontario

My questions to someone who has done this would be:

• He will be paying Sales tax in WA. Would he have to pay full HST when he transfers over here or the difference?
• There are not any modifications that are needed. The process seems simple enough. Is there anything I am missing? From someone who has done this, how smooth did it go?

I am going to be calling around different dealers in the US to get the best deal. Paying over MSRP is not something I usually do but if I can get it close to 5K for the Z06, I will do it. In total I am guessing the Z06 will cost me110K USD which would equate to about 140K CAD + Tax . Around 85K USD + Tax for the Stingray.

Thanks a ton!

 

[AndrewJ]

The recent improvement in the Cdn $$ will assist this scenario right now.

First you should check with GM US policy on sales to Canada. In 2008 things changed such that I could not buy a new Vette from northern and eastern dealers unless it was registered to an owner residing in the USA with proof of residence. This may have all changed.

It varies state by state but you may be able to get the dealer to deliver to the border or out of state and then not pay the state tax. Many states allow this if delivery is out of state. I imported a new Nissan in 2008 so this may have changed.

 

[Bilal388]

The recent improvement in the Cdn $$ will assist this scenario right now.

First you should check with GM US policy on sales to Canada. In 2008 things changed such that I could not buy a new Vette from northern and eastern dealers unless it was registered to an owner residing in the USA with proof of residence. This may have all changed.

It varies state by state but you may be able to get the dealer to deliver to the border or out of state and then not pay the state tax. Many states allow this if delivery is out of state. I imported a new Nissan in 2008 so this may have changed.

hmm are you saying we can buy it and plate it straight for Ontario? I did not know this. Like we buy it outright and its not plated but we put it in on a trailer on the US side of the border and bring it to Ontario?

There are no duties as far as I know since it is a North American car so the sales tax would be applied when we register it at ServiceOntario. This would make the process so much simpler

However, to address the first part of your comment, the thing about owner residing in the USA is not an issue since he works/resides in WA so that should be good to go. It would just be a lot less hassle IF we did not have to plate it there first

 

[Gilles27]

I don't want to be that bad news bear but your timelines and pricing is unrealistic, Z06 at 5 to 15k over with delivery in 12 to 16 months is snake oil, many American dealers are ruthless and will tell you what you want to hear, way more corrupt then Canadian dealers, and no you're not getting a Stingray this year unless you pay way over MSRP. Importing the car will be the least of your issues, waiting lists are deep everywhere but good luck

 

[Murray20c8]

I don't want to be that bad news bear but your timelines and pricing is unrealistic, Z06 at 5 to 15k over with delivery in 12 to 16 months is snake oil, many American dealers are ruthless and will tell you what you want to hear, way more corrupt then Canadian dealers, and no you're not getting a Stingray this year unless you pay way over MSRP. Importing the car will be the least of your issues, waiting lists are deep everywhere but good luck

Upvote that! Current situation is not ideal at best. The first people in line for Z06's are still 6 months away. The list is long and most lists are at least 2 years long.

 

[Bilal388]

I don't want to be that bad news bear but your timelines and pricing is unrealistic, Z06 at 5 to 15k over with delivery in 12 to 16 months is snake oil, many American dealers are ruthless and will tell you what you want to hear, way more corrupt then Canadian dealers, and no you're not getting a Stingray this year unless you pay way over MSRP. Importing the car will be the least of your issues, waiting lists are deep everywhere but good luck

Hey,

Normally I would agree with this but I have seen the US market and done some research. Actually have a FEW dealers ready in WA ready to sell at 5K over MSRP for the Stingray. They are also saying that the order will be submitted to GM and we expect them to accept it. 4-6 months max. I have heard this from multiple dealers in the US

The Z06 is a different story though.. You could be right there

 

[Murray20c8]

Hey,

Normally I would agree with this but I have seen the US market and done some research. Actually have a FEW dealers ready in WA ready to sell at 5K over MSRP for the Stingray. They are also saying that the order will be submitted to GM and we expect them to accept it. 4-6 months max. I have heard this from multiple dealers in the US

LIARS!
Join the midengine corvette forum and ask about the dealers you spoke of. You'll find out soon enough if they are lying or not. I am on it and can tell you that is absolutely wrong and you are being lied to. Research is only as good as the info you are given. I hope you are right, but I highly doubt it.

 

[AndrewJ]

hmm are you saying we can buy it and plate it straight for Ontario? I did not know this. Like we buy it outright and its not plated but we put it in on a trailer on the US side of the border and bring it to Ontario?

There are no duties as far as I know since it is a North American car so the sales tax would be applied when we register it at ServiceOntario. This would make the process so much simpler

However, to address the first part of your comment, the thing about owner residing in the USA is not an issue since he works/resides in WA so that should be good to go. It would just be a lot less hassle IF we did not have to plate it there first

I bought from big dealer in NJ...Wired the funds to their bank..They gave me bill of sale, Title and temp permit...I flew down and drove it home..they did not put in my name or charge any state Tax...Docs have to be pre-submitted to CBA..you show up with car and paperwork, they confirm everything, you pay HST. Drive it home, get safety done and go to Service Ontario and register it and get plates. Remember this was 2008. If you title in USA you will likely have to pay tax there and again when registering in Canada.

 

[crazylegs]

hmm are you saying we can buy it and plate it straight for Ontario? I did not know this. Like we buy it outright and its not plated but we put it in on a trailer on the US side of the border and bring it to Ontario?

There are no duties as far as I know since it is a North American car so the sales tax would be applied when we register it at ServiceOntario. This would make the process so much simpler

However, to address the first part of your comment, the thing about owner residing in the USA is not an issue since he works/resides in WA so that should be good to go. It would just be a lot less hassle IF we did not have to plate it there first

I bought from big dealer in NJ...Wired the funds to their bank..They gave me bill of sale, Title and temp permit...I flew down and drove it home..they did not put in my name or charge any state Tax...Docs have to be pre-submitted to CBA..you show up with car and paperwork, they confirm everything, you pay HST. Drive it home, get safety done and go to Service Ontario and register it and get plates. Remember this was 2008. If you title in USA you will likely have to pay tax there and again when registering in Canada.

You also have to deal with the riv in Canada and get a out of province inspection done. You have to send your title to us customs 72 hours before you cross so they can check for liens and stop there and get it stamped before crossing. It’s a little more complex than you think but if you do your research can be done. I have done it several times over the years.

 

[harshadt]

So you can buy a brand new C8 in the USA and import to Canada but an American cannot buy a C8 in Canada and export it to the USA? Is that truly correct? I am doubtful that GM will allow a C8 to be exported from the USA. I remember the hoops I had to jump through when I bought a Mercedes E63 in London ON over the phone and I live in Thunder Bay, ON. They were so concerned about exporting the car that I had to prove beyond any doubt that I lived in Ontario. And at that time (2014) the E63 was in no way nearly in high demand as opposed to the C8 today.

 

[Gilles27]

So you can buy a brand new C8 in the USA and import to Canada but an American cannot buy a C8 in Canada and export it to the USA? Is that truly correct? I am doubtful that GM will allow a C8 to be exported from the USA. I remember the hoops I had to jump through when I bought a Mercedes E63 in London ON over the phone and I live in Thunder Bay, ON. They were so concerned about exporting the car that I had to prove beyond any doubt that I lived in Ontario. And at that time (2014) the E63 was in no way nearly in high demand as opposed to the C8 today.

A Florida GM dealer said there is 6200 people blacklisted in the USA as exporters, nothing to stop this transaction but pretty sure they will be on that list after this

 

[gdb069]

Often the price and wait times are fantasy but for importing take a look here:

Importing a Vehicle from the US to Canada in 9 Steps

Learn how to import a vehicle from the US to Canada in 9 simple steps. Our latest blog post provides helpful tips and information for a smooth import process. Visit us at PCBCA!

www.pcb.ca

 

[Vettman]

It may sound easy, but it’s not an easy go . Any GM dealer with a spare C8 Z06 is gonna ask humungous money . The first runs are just going to be ridiculously priced . if they sell them at Registered price , It’ll be to a friend he’s gonna run them on bring a trailer or system like that . Remember it’s always America first . Combine that with GM’s mandate to break into the European market on the right hand drive . May be in 2024 you’ll start seeing a flow into Canada . ( there will be a few when the snow hits this fall ) But I can guarantee you you won’t be seeing the spare cars being offered at manufacture suggested price or even close to it . I’ve been looking , Having family spread across the US Doesn’t make a difference . All the dealer’s say the same thing . good luck on that . If you want a regular C8 Try Facebook US . There’s quite a few to choose from on there . Next problem is GM is gonna deny warranty in Canada on your US import . And that’s a real problem on the C8 . You’re better off to bite the bullet by Canadian then go to a dealer and by the extended warranties . It’s been a lot of times as a pros and cons of this last week . At my age being blacklisted didn’t really matter . If you hunt in Canada you will find good deals from reasonable sellers on a C8

 

[C8 route66]

Ten years ago, GM would allow one to import a car and honour the warranty if it had over 7-8000 miles on it. So if you import a C8 you might lose the warranty. With some of the issues the C8 has has is that worth it? Jeep and others cancelled the coverage.

 

[Zedder]

My experience from a few years ago...a US dealer will not sell a Canadian a NEW car. Used is OK. Warranty starts in Canada at I think it was 12 months or 12,000 km. I ended up buying a 6 month old GS with 800 miles on it and imported it with ZERO problems. Never took it for warranty work until the thresholds were reached.

 

[Crinks]

My comments are limited to the importation process ONLY. I've imported 6 vehicles, some used and some new, between 2006 - 2012. All were facilitated by using an import broker services (avg. $300 Cdn.) that looked after the paperwork to CBS, including recall clearance letters. I'm certain this price has increased I picked up every car at the Lewiston/Niagara Falls compound in Canada. Manufacturer threats (if any) are just that, threats. None, by law, can prohibit service of a vehicle under warranty in Canada. I suspect a USA dealer will only sell and license to your brother in his state, in order to keep their relationship in tact with GM USA. In this case, the dealer has done nothing wrong, they simply sold a vehicle to a buyer, after which the buyer has chosen to export. If your brother has no intention of purchasing a GM vehicle in future then there is no concern to GM black-listing his future purchases. Canadian Tire is authorized to do the safety in Canada. The process takes approximately 1 hour. Your only concerns at the safety are to make sure you are ready to address anything that is needed for the vehicle to conform to Canadian and Provincial standards. I'll give you a couple examples. I had to change child-seat tethers (CMVSS 210) on a vehicle that didn't comply with Canadian standards, $500, (btw seat belt changes are no longer permitted). On another vehicle, I needed to source bilingual emergency stickers for the air bag, emergency brake, and start/stop features. In this case, Mercedes Benz Canada wanted to charge over $2,500 for 3 stickers....yup that's how badly they wanted to discourage this transaction from completion! Finally, the EIS (Electronic Immobilizer system-CMVSS-114/CAN/ULC-S338-98), daytime running lights, and odometer, bumpers (mph vs klm), need to meet standards. It was simple to schedule appointments within 10 days at CTC and all vehicles were plated in Ontario in same timeframe. I wouldn't hesitate to import a vehicle if the timing and pricing is right!

 

[Rkurtz]

From what I read in the USA Corvette forums, no one is getting their C8 in 4 - 6 months, most are still taking a year. It is likely you would end up getting the car in the middle of our Canadian Winter and won't be able to drive it anyway until spring, 2023. My understanding is that if you have two identical C8's at MSRP one is the USA and one in Canada, the one in Canada works out cheaper when you take the currency exchange into account. You should be able to find several Canadian Chev dealers that will sell to you at MSRP. If it was me I would put my name on the waitlist for all the Chev dealers within reasonable driving distance. You will likely receive your car in the spring of 2023 and not have any of the risk or hassle of importing. Alternatively you may be able to find a used one in the Canadian market that is reasonably priced, although prices reflect spring fever right now. By July if some of the over 100 used C8's listed on Autotrader right now have not sold the private "flippers" might be willing to negotiate the price. Good luck in what you decide.

 

[DenisC8]

If you are willing to overpay, then overpay for a Canadian C8 and save yourself the headache

 

[scraze66]

I thought about doing this too but with the current exchange rate, you’ll be into a $100,000 USD C8 for $150,000 or so after taxes. Might as well buy one here.

 

[carbuff]

@Bilal388

So 5 weeks have passed since your post. Crickets.
What is the verdict?

Might help others thinking they will do it. Saw a guy’s newly imported black C8 from the states at local white rock, BC dealer 3 weeks ago. Was it you?

If people are determined enough to deal with the obstacles, it can succeed.