Importing an American car into Canada....

[mazenz]

let me just give a brief run-down of what im trying to do here. I was thinking of buying kyle's (dakare36) e36 1995 m3 3.2 obd1. the car is a "US spec" car and i would need to import it into canada. after doing some research on proceedures for importing, i found out that the car needs its headlights converted to day time running lights (no problem) and that the bumper would need to be modified. now i was wondering, "what the hell the bumpers are exactly the same!". so i called BMW canada and asked them what was required, and the guy on the phone told me that, since the american cars had the "mtech suspension" on it, that the car's whole front suspension would have to be "overhauled" to the tune of aproximately 5000 canadian dollars to essentially raise the suspension to canadian spec. there arguement is that the US car is lower than the canadian spec cars in the front, which would lower the bumper too much for it to pass canadian safety inspection. i have a list of parts they say it requires with part numbers faxed to me by bmw canada which i can post if anyone is interested.

basically, im trying to find out if anyone has experience importing a US car into canada and if there is anyways around this? i mean, could i not just buy a coil-over kit and just raise it to the max spec or do i really need to butcher the front suspesion of the car to the tone of 5000 dollars just so i can change it again (im planning on putting coil-overs on it anyways) once i get it in?

any help/suggestions on this matter would be greatly appreciated.

mazen.

[GOT BMW]

Coilovers, even on their highest setting are lower than stock. Just a thought...

[mazenz]

true, but if the car is modified from stock, would they still make me change it to suit the safety regulations? more questions!!!! argh!

[Ty Vil]

we can forge this somehow

[mazenz]

care to elaborate, ty?

here is a list of the parts that they told me i needed to swap:

pn: 31 31 2 228 007 l-spring strut $457
pn: 008 r-spring strut $457
pn: 31 21 2 227 908 steering knuckle $452 X 2
pn: 907 steering knuckle $452 X 2
pn: 31 33 1 094 516 hex nut $1.02 X 6
pn: 31 33 2 227 897 guide support $183
pn: 31 33 2 227 898 guide support $183
pn: 31 33 2 227 903 spring cup $18 X 8
pn: 901 spring pad $13 X 9
pn: 31 31 2 489 795 reinforcement $7.23 X 15
pn: 31 33 2 228 170 coil spring $191 X 2 $191 x 2
or
pn: 31 33 2 228 171 coil spring $191 X 2 $191 x 2

total list price of all these parts is $3845.57 in CAD. this does not include the labor that may be involved in installing these seemingly useless parts.



feedback anyone?

[tatawaki]

get a 96+ M3. It's just not worth it. Unless you know some one from Canadian Tire, there's not anyway around it.

here's some more info:
http://www.bmwpower.ca/cgi-bin/yabb/...num=1070308294

[mazenz]

ive actually read that already.

i also beleive that it doesnt matter what year e36 m3 i get. they all require this modification according to BMWcanada. the only reason im interested in getting one is cuz my friend is selling it.

[tatawaki]

Originally Posted by mazenz

ive actually read that already.

i also beleive that it doesnt matter what year e36 m3 i get. they all require this modification according to BMWcanada. the only reason im interested in getting one is cuz my friend is selling it.

as far as I know, this ONLY applies to 95 M3's. The 96+ does not require. if you check the Admissibility of the 96 + you require no modifications as it will meet canda spec. http://www.riv.ca/english/TC_admis_list_nov03_Eng.PDF only the 94/95 850csi and 95 M3 require major modification ( ** ). anything else is fine.

The two asterisks (**) indicate that the vehicle in question is admissible for importation but will require modifications to
the existing bumper(s) before the vehicle can be registered and licensed. Some vehicles can be readily modified by
substituting Canadian parts for the US parts. Some vehicles cannot be readily modified and may require comprehensive
and expensive modifications as well as a bumper test, as stated in CMVSS 215, to determine compliance with the
Canadian standard.

[tatawaki]

If you can supply me the info you got from BMW Canada would be appreciated.

[mazenz]

actually i double checked and you are correct that the 96+ m3's are different.

the only reason the 95 matters to me is cuz my friend is selling it and the price is right for the car he's selling. im not terribly interested in e36 m3's in general and if i cant get kyle's 95 than i wont bother getting one at all. thus i would like as much help as possible getting the 95 in the country if its possible.

[tatawaki]

best way is to pay some one off at Canadian Tire! that's the only way I can think of.

[mazenz]

are they the ones who inspect the car? i thought it was done at the border?

[tatawaki]

if you read that PDF ( you should cofirm) you have 45 days to pass the safety. and canadian tire will confirm the stuff that failed at the border, and make sure you meet those standards.

[SickFingas]

give this guy a call
www.willz.ca

[blk325is]

just moved to canada and brought a 1996 328i with me, it's been kind of a bitch. at the border they will nail you with a $180something importation fee, plus tax if the car is valued more than $10k. in canada you need to get federal inspection for free at canadian tire(need to get day time running lights, child safety anchor, air bag message in french), emissions test $40, provincial inspection $60 ( this is where canadian tire is being a bitch, they basically want to replace a bunch of shit like ball joints and swaybar endlinks for a rediculice price and they won't sign off on the inspection until the work is done). ended up leaving and doing the work my self. have to take it back and get another inspection now. i think canadian tire are the biggest scam artists.