USA -> CAN. Going the other way. Questions. (1 Viewer)

[HW1]

This topic comes up often, but a lot of cruisers make there way down from Canada instead of going up. Long story shot, I'm a Canadian working in California until October. Seeing so many rust-free cruisers down here has definitely accelerated my love for them, specifically FJ60s. I don't have one yet, but I'm hopeful in the future I'll have one. I would love to drive one back up.

Maybe my Canadian friends can help me answer a few questions first. Or people who have imported FJ60s into Canada.

From what I understand, because the vehicle is over 15 years old it doesn't need to comply with RIV regulations at the border. But are there other Federal safety regulations or OOP inspections (Alberta) that I need to be aware of? My main two concerns are (1) importing a vehicle with a lift. A lot of great cruisers have a 3" lift, and if I bring one into Canada I want to make sure this is okay. And (2) that the lack of DRL is okay, although I'm not too concerned about this because it was manufactured before 1989 when the law required it. So it doesn't need to comply, correct?

These might be dumb questions, but any help you can give me would be huge! Thanks.

 

[45Kevin]

Many locals have imported trucks from the States. I have brought vehicles through the border for another person, but they did all the paperwork.
There are issues with bring a vehicle in, even if it is older that 15 years.

You will need an OOP inspection. They can be very thorough. Mike at Pro-Active has done many Land Cruiser OOPs.
The vehicle can not be modified. One of our (Rocky Mountain Land Cruisers) members tried to import an old mini-truck with a lift and ended up leaving on the US side of the border until the following weekend when he went down there with an old set of stock springs and changed them out to get it across the border. He then changed it again back to the lift suspension.
Some people pay a broker at the border to do the import paperwork, but I understand that it is not that hard to do yourself. The CCRA website has good instructions.

Hopefully some of our club members will chime in, or you can google our club and join the mailing list. We do have a forum in the club section here, but it is used sporadically so you may not get a prompt response. It's worth a try though, as well as the Oil Country LC fourm. They are out of Edmonton.

 

[HW1]

Hey Kevin! Thanks for all that information. I will definitely check out RM Land Cruisers.

Good to know that getting a cruiser with a lift will cause some issues. That's too bad, because a lot of the nice cruisers in the area have lifts, but on the other hand, they are generally cheaper without. It's something I would definitely add to eventually after bringing it to Canada.