Importing from Canada to the US back in the day?

[JohnnyFish]

Do any of the more seasoned members of this community know if it was common or even legal back in the 1970's to buy a vehicle in Canada and import it? There's a '78 FJ45 on BAT, and the story with it is that the original owner bought it new. It's now in Virginia but titled in New Hampshire. I have a very similar truck and was told a similar story (I was also told a lot of lies). Original owner bought it from Canada and immediately imported it.

Does that make sense?

 

[KennyBob]

I have no idea but that thing is super nice looking.

 

[Bear]

While the BaT truck has a nice presentation, it is not fully original. It does, however, have several tell-tale indicators that it was a direct original import into the Canadian market. Beyond that, tales of upkeep, garaging during winters, original mileage, etc. would need a closer in-person inspection.

And further, while it does have a (U.S.A.) Federal A-pillar compliance tag, no FJ45s were directly imported into the US after 1967, and reliance upon that tag for US DOT/EPA 1978 compliance would not be prudent. The truck obviously came to the US at some point, either openly, or covertly, but absent any import documentation, declaring when that happened would have to be researched with the various state DMVs that registered it in the US.

HTH

 

[Last Flight Out]

I have imported from Canada (a classic car years ago...not my FJ40) and will never do it again. I had all paperwork from the Canadian owner and got scritinized quite a bit, but finally took the car across the Liberty Bridge and never looked back....until I realized that Canada has a VERY different form of title and Georgia (where I am at) refused to title because there was not a US title prior....argued for years with my local DMV. Asked favors of friends who has friends at the DMV. Even thought about titling in VT then back to GA....its just messy and not worth it IMO.

 

[1MOA]

Was extremely common in the 60's-70's and up to the mid 80's. The walls started closing in in 1968 and after that you had to show proof the lights,glass.tires and emissions were compliant but once in the US you were fine.
Mercedes Benz killed the importing in 1988 ( 25 year old import rule)
I am sure this one just drove across the border and was titled somewhere and went on it's way. Being a pre 1980 car it does not have a 17 digit vin that would indicate overseas manufacture.