It's almost time. First production dates were September, 1987.
What needs to be modified on the vehicle to meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards?
*This does not appear to be applicable for vehicles over 25 years old.
Speedo (researching the rest currently)
Link to FMVSS regulations for further review: http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/import/fmvss/index.html
In PDF form: http://www.firefox-ev.com/db_picture...1044219900.pdf
I just found a key form, "Instruction Handbook for Complying With Regulations On Imported Motor Vehicles". Printing each page individually and converting to a single PDF now, it's tedious: http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?i...=root;orient=0 This applies primarily to bringing in a car, paying a huge bond, then getting the car up to US spec to get the bond back. Option '3' on the import form below.
HS-7 form needed when importing a vehicle: http://www.purolator.com/pdf/hs79710_DOT.pdf
How do you ship it?
Preferred shipping method: RoRo (Roll on, Roll off). Shop around for prices, ports will vary.
Military shipping: Government will ship one vehicle over and one back at no cost. Does not need to be the same vehicle.
If you are getting it from Canada, you can drive it across.
What is it going to cost?
Canada:
* Vehicle cost
* Equipment to swap on for it to meet FMVSS.
* Duty Fee (4% on first $1,000, 2.5% thereafter). Paid at border. Most take Check, Cash, Visa, MC.
* Registration!
Elsewhere:
* Vehicle cost.
* Equipment to swap on for it to meet FMVSS.
* Do you have to pay anything to the country it is purchased in?
* Shipping from purchase location to foreign port.
* Shipping from foreign port to US port.
* Shipping from US port home.
* Registration in home state.
What countries will be best to pull from? Lack of rust, LHD, availability are key.
Countries with LHD tourings: Canada, Japan, UK.
Countries with low rust: ?
What is the beginning to end process for the various countries and how long does it take?
Canada:
* Pick and buy car.
* Swap equipment while in Canada to meet FMVSS.
* Take vehicle to BMW dealership in Canada to have any outstanding recalls completed (free).
* Get letter from BMW Canada stating that it meets US FMVSS standards (free, how to get?). Takes about a week.
* Drive to border.
* Pay duty fee (under an hour).
* Drive or ship home!
Seems it will be very viable to do this, especially as a few years pass and more and more vehicles hit the 25 year mark (option '1' on the import form).
I'm thinking if you go the Euro route you could fly in, find the car as quickly as possible, swap as many euro goodies on it as possible, then ship it home and follow it.
Secondarily, do you think there will be a market for vehicles that have had this process completed and are ready to buy in the US? Will we see businesses doing this (are they already)? Will people be willing to pay a premium to not deal with the process? I may have the resources to bring cars in from the UK.
General thoughts, questions, comments, input encouraged. I'll add any good info to this top post for future reference.
Lyle
What needs to be modified on the vehicle to meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards?
*This does not appear to be applicable for vehicles over 25 years old.
Speedo (researching the rest currently)
Link to FMVSS regulations for further review: http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/import/fmvss/index.html
In PDF form: http://www.firefox-ev.com/db_picture...1044219900.pdf
I just found a key form, "Instruction Handbook for Complying With Regulations On Imported Motor Vehicles". Printing each page individually and converting to a single PDF now, it's tedious: http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?i...=root;orient=0 This applies primarily to bringing in a car, paying a huge bond, then getting the car up to US spec to get the bond back. Option '3' on the import form below.
HS-7 form needed when importing a vehicle: http://www.purolator.com/pdf/hs79710_DOT.pdf
How do you ship it?
Preferred shipping method: RoRo (Roll on, Roll off). Shop around for prices, ports will vary.
Military shipping: Government will ship one vehicle over and one back at no cost. Does not need to be the same vehicle.
If you are getting it from Canada, you can drive it across.
What is it going to cost?
Canada:
* Vehicle cost
* Equipment to swap on for it to meet FMVSS.
* Duty Fee (4% on first $1,000, 2.5% thereafter). Paid at border. Most take Check, Cash, Visa, MC.
* Registration!
Elsewhere:
* Vehicle cost.
* Equipment to swap on for it to meet FMVSS.
* Do you have to pay anything to the country it is purchased in?
* Shipping from purchase location to foreign port.
* Shipping from foreign port to US port.
* Shipping from US port home.
* Registration in home state.
What countries will be best to pull from? Lack of rust, LHD, availability are key.
Countries with LHD tourings: Canada, Japan, UK.
Countries with low rust: ?
What is the beginning to end process for the various countries and how long does it take?
Canada:
* Pick and buy car.
* Swap equipment while in Canada to meet FMVSS.
* Take vehicle to BMW dealership in Canada to have any outstanding recalls completed (free).
* Get letter from BMW Canada stating that it meets US FMVSS standards (free, how to get?). Takes about a week.
* Drive to border.
* Pay duty fee (under an hour).
* Drive or ship home!
Seems it will be very viable to do this, especially as a few years pass and more and more vehicles hit the 25 year mark (option '1' on the import form).
I'm thinking if you go the Euro route you could fly in, find the car as quickly as possible, swap as many euro goodies on it as possible, then ship it home and follow it.
Secondarily, do you think there will be a market for vehicles that have had this process completed and are ready to buy in the US? Will we see businesses doing this (are they already)? Will people be willing to pay a premium to not deal with the process? I may have the resources to bring cars in from the UK.
General thoughts, questions, comments, input encouraged. I'll add any good info to this top post for future reference.
Lyle
Comment