I recently found a buyer for my 1987 BJ74 import in the USA. After doing some digging on his end I am told that since the VIN# was not stamped on the frame (vin tag does not show the entire vin#) and it was registered (legally) in British Columbia in 2004 with a BC VIN# it can not be exported to the USA. Can anyone confirm this?
1987 BJ74 import question
- Thread starter dadio13
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I would imagine he means the BC vin isn't. If the original vin is on the chassis and the firewall plate I imagine you could figure something out.
I believe the problem with exporting a vehicle from Canada with a BC reassigned VIN stems from several years ago when people were using the reassigned 17 digit VINs to bring JDM and other vehicles into the USA from Canada that were not eligible for import. Basically with the reassigned VIN these vehicles appeared on paper to be original to the North American market and exempt from the USA 25 year import rule. I dont know if it was the Canadian or USA side that caught wind of it and put a stop to it. Since then BC has stopped reassigning VINs on JDM imports.
dadio13 any chance you still have the original Canadain vehicle import form (Form 1) that shows the original VIN? Or the ICBC paperwork showing the original and reassigned VINs? Either way I would contact CSBA (Canadian Border Service Agency) and The US Customs and Border Patrol and explain to them exactly your situation and see what they have to say. Dont go by word of mouth or what someone at a registry office might think.
dadio13 any chance you still have the original Canadain vehicle import form (Form 1) that shows the original VIN? Or the ICBC paperwork showing the original and reassigned VINs? Either way I would contact CSBA (Canadian Border Service Agency) and The US Customs and Border Patrol and explain to them exactly your situation and see what they have to say. Dont go by word of mouth or what someone at a registry office might think.
The JDM VIN should still be on the RH frame rail behind the front tire and on the aluminum plate riveted to the fire wall.
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- #7
See below. What do you think? No plate on the chassis.
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- #8
Firewall plate pic is below. There are no numbers on the chassis that I can find.
Is it possible that it is there and simply covered up by some type of frame undercoating?
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- #10
It is not unusual to have to scrub the frame to see it. It is NOT a plate by the way, the number is stamped directly in the frame.
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- #12
I am going to take the pressure washer to it to be sure. I have my doubts that anything is there though.
Here's the stamping on my '89.
It's not readily visible on either of my Cruisers.
Where's yer swaybar?
So is their a BC vin plate riveted to the inside of the door?
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- #17
Thanks so much. I am going to clean it and have a closer look. I hope its there as this is a prototype toyota
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- #19
No, just a registration number which is all I need in Canada now that it has been registered.
Your shock absorber ....is that a rubber cover/ sock on it, does that come with the shock absorber or is that an extra accessory, I never seen one before,