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Imported -- Ontario steals another SVT!

D

Desiato

Hard-core CEG'er
Joined
Oct 31, 2004
Messages
1,066
Location
Ottawa, ON
On 10/03/06, I crossed the border with my recently purchased SVT Contour. :) I feel as if I've stolen something from the US. I drove the car home from Chicago to Ottawa and loved every minute in it.

I've been shopping (too) patiently for around four months now and finally found the right car.

My first impression is that I love everything about this car. I love how it drives, how it sounds, how it feels, and how it looks. I drove the car home 1300km and could not believe how comfortable the interior is.

I can't imagine a better car for me that wouldn't have cost five times more money. I encourage any Contour fans sitting on the fence about a SVT purchase to get a good one while you can.

Now I have to decide if I'll store the SVT and drive my 95 through the winter. The plan was to sell the 95 and drive the SVT, but the car originates from Indiana and is relatively clean and I'd like to keep it that way for as long as possible..

Here are some pictures taken prior to my purchase:

48_4.JPG

2e_4.JPG

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Thanks.

It's amazing. Better than I had hoped. It's the perfect car for me.

It's got new Kumho ECSTA ASX 215/50/R16 tires that I am not 100% confident in. New tires next spring, probably.
 
nice car man nice car. Gotta fix the dash warp though. since i drive mine in the winter i havce no choice to fix it. its about 500 bucks from a dealer to do it.

Wes
 
Before buying I was certain that I was going to swap out the dash, but in person it's not bad. Defrosting still works 100%. I think I may be able to get away with the repair kit.

I am so torn over driving it this winter. I plan on driving this car 3-5+ years, so it seems to make sense to save it from its first Ottawa winter since I still own the other Contour.. but that wasn't part of the plan and I would really hate for a major issue to develop late in my ownership of the 95.

One surprise is that my insurance will go up around 75% compared to my 95 V6 ATX LX (!). When I researched it two years ago, the jump was closer to 20%.
 
yeah the insurance jup kind of suprised me as well. And lucky you for the dash warp not affrcting the defrost. mine now coveres it i dont care what ford says i will MAKE THEM make the kit work. its my only option aside from a new dash :(

Wes
 
Scottster, where did you buy yours from?

I just got back from Campbell Ford whom performed a thorough inspection and road test. Everything looks good, except for a monroe strut on the drivers side rear! I knew it didn't feel right. Bleah.

The car is incredibly clean underneath, but the paint has a lot of tiny scratches on the roof and trunk. Ford couldn't say if it was just the clearcoat or if the paint was beginning to fail. More incentive to store it for the winter.

No major issues were noted however. I very relieved.
 
Scratches, if fine, can easily be buffed out and/or camouflaged -- provided you are using the right products and know what you're doing. If anything, they could just be on the clearcoat. :)
 
Congrats on the SVT Des. I'm sure we'll see one another on the road sooner or later.

I'm curious about the import process - how much hassle was that? What were the import duties like?
 
As long as you do your research, it's no problem at all. The title was faxed to the Port where I crossed the border three days before my arrival. At the border I showed the title and bill of sale to US Customs and crossed over. At Canadian customs, I provided the same documentation, paid GST and the excise fee. The RIV fee can be paid online after you cross the border. Customs on both sides of the border had detailed questions about the nature of the purchase and the reasons for purchasing in the US. I am allowed to drive the car for 45 days in Canada before I must pass federal inspection and have it registered in Ontario.

This is a summary, I advise anyone doing this to research thoroughly and call the relevant authorities if you have questions, don't rely on forum posts. Also consider that you're purchasing a car that you may know very little about, so budget a bus/plane ticket home, for repairs, and accomodations in case of delays. Research highway construction. Know the location of hotels and motels, even if you don't plan on using them in case of bad weather. Plan for delays.

The overhead from the import has worked out like this:

- GST on the purchase price
- $100 excise fee because the car has air conditioning
- $206 RIV fee
- $100 for Recall Clearance letter from Ford
- travel/shipping (travel is very cheap if you plan it well)

I still need to obtain a DRL relay and complete the federal inspection @ Canadian tire. All said it should total less than $1,200cdn extra when I'm done.

It's been fun and has worked out for me, but there are risks, so it's not for everyone.

Oh, and all of your wife/girlfriend's friends will probably think that going to Chicago to buy a car is really really suspicious. :p
 
Thanks for the overview. I've been contemplating buying something like an MGB in the southern US, and bringing back it here. Make a vacation/adventure out of it: fly down, take the wife, and take our time driving it back.
 
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