I don't know, You either imported this back in 1980 when ther was different rules, or else you were just really lucky.
If you go to the rules on the importing and exporting vehicles, it clearly says that you must fax the bill of sale, and copie of title, ahead of time ( 72 hours) NO EXCEPTIONS.
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Univers,Zurich BT][SIZE=+1]Vehicles Over 15 years old (except buses)[/SIZE][/FONT]
- [FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Univers,Zurich BT][SIZE=-1]
- All vehicles (except buses) that are over 15 years or older by the date of manufacture are exempt from the Registrar of Imported Vehicles program. You must be able to prove the age of the vehicle to a Customs officer[/SIZE][/FONT]
That is straight from the Registrar of Imported Vehicles website
www.riv.ca
pettyblu, I would contact an "official" official, or a bureaucratic dum bass if you ask me, but they should, should being the key word, give you a solid answer on the title issue, but I am 100% sure of the 15yr deal.
Do you know what you are quoting?
Do you know what regestrar is?
Do you know that the information you posted has NOTHING to do with the 72 hour rule?
Registrar is a government MONEY grab that inspects vehicles that are 15 years old or newer to see if it complies with Canadian rules..IE daytime running lights...Low impact bumpers, Speedo in KM, etc etc. It also verifies that the vihicle is the vehicle that you have the paper work for. Thats it. You get the test done at canadian tire. This has NOTHING to do with importing a vehicle at the boarder, and dealing with customs, and giving the info 72 hours ahead of time.
BY the way Regisrar is a CANADIAN program. You have to give the US side the paper work 72 hours ahead of time...not the canadian side. They have absolutly NOTHING to do with each other.
However you did it ( when you imported your car) you either were lucky, or you did it in the early 90's or in a small town. When i imported my Galaxie from Idaho, i lived in a small town of Creston. we didn't do any of that stuff. Just whent down and bought it, and drove it back with a bill of sale in the window. got to the boarder and payed some taxes and duty, then left it at the boarder to go get a permit. I don't know if I did it when these rules didn't exist, or if because small town crossings are soo slow that they don't car. I did that car in 1995. YOU CAN"T DO ANY OF THAT AT A BIG CROSSING like here in the lower mainland. thats were i brought my duster over last year. you HAVE to follow the rules, or you will get turned back...and given a hard time to boot.
To whomever is thinking of importing a car from the states....
I highly recomend it...
But follow the 72 hour rule!
get a vehicle/heavy machinery export sheet and fill it out, and give it to the US customs 3 days befor exporting the item, along wit a bill of sale, and copies of title.
Phil