The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Getting a parts truck into Canada

I have come to the conclusion that the previous owner of my truck hacked it up so badly that the only part that is really salvageable is the title. OK, so maybe it isn't that bad, but I am now looking at getting a parts truck to jump start this project with. The only real option I can see, is to find a truck in the US that I can use for the major parts tat I need. An untitled parts truck seems to be the most economical at the moment.

Does anyone have any experience in importing at untitled truck into Canada? I have found information on getting a vehicle with a clear title across the border at http://www.stovebolt.com/techtips/tocanada.html, but there is a definite lack of information on importing a untitled parts truck.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

you'll probably need some type of salvage/scrap papers. around here i've gotten rid of a couple rigs with no title. had to call the sheriffs office, they sent out some gal, wrote down the vin. and handed me a paper so i could hall em to the bone yard. i'm sure your gonna need something "official".

just load the truck up on a trailer and don't stop, run the border but no i think you have to have at least a bill of self. and maybe even salavge title?

if you hope to get something across that's not titled, make real sure it looks much more like a pile of parts than a truck, and have a believeable bill of sale .... for titled vehicles they require an appointment, with the title forwarded to them in advance

Bill

hmmm....best of luck to you. I dont see an easy way to get a truck across

The advice from Red58 is spot on. I found this out from a bodyman who brings vehicles back and a parts truck should look like a pile of parts. The documantation advice is important too.

Like the guys say, make it look like parts and have an accurate accounting of all items individually priced.You should get ahold of both US and Canada customs beforehand and ask them how to do it?I have checked out issues such as this ahead of time and found it a big help.They know the rules better than we do.You may still have to have the serial# ran by US customs to ensure that it isn't stolen. On second thought, it doesn't have to run or look pretty to import it.Get the seller to get a title for it.Then you would be in real good shape. Jim.

We tried to send an engine up there onetime & it was a 2 week hastle. They wanted invirnmental statements, fuel consumption ratings & other documents.

40Chev,

I'm the guy who hauled Mapleleaf's truck and crossed at Calais. For an untitled truck, the advice above is sound -- about the only way you're going to do it is to make sure the truck is disassembled. Otherwise... If it looks like a truck, it will need the title, bill of sale and all the other documentation. probably the easiest way is to just get a title for it and import it as if it were going to be a driveable truck. That may be easier in the long run than disassembling it to the point that it looks like a pile of parts.

If you DO get a title (so you can import the truck whole), make sure the title VIN matches the VIN on the truck's data plate. They will check! At Calais (on the Maine side), the Customs inspectors made me cut all the duct tape I had keeping Randy's driver door closed and weather sealed so they could inspect and match the VIN on the title to the VIN on the dataplate.

Where on PEI are you? For work, I have gone up to Summerside a couple of times and my sister's in-laws and our family go to Cavendish every June (hence the trip to Halifax with Mapleleaf's truck). That bridge was expensive with my trailer!

And welcome to the Stovebolt Page!

Regards,
John

Thanks everyone. I knew I asked the right people!

Looks like an untitled truck may not be such a great deal after all. Before I bring anything home, I will make sure that all the paperwork is in order and contact both the US and Canada customs before hand to make sure things go smoothly.

John, I am in Stratford, which is just outside of Charlottetown. I grew up in Summerside. It is a great spot to spend the summers, but is a bit chilly in the winter Although, the winter is a good time to get the wrenches out to work on a project. As for the bridge, they could double the bridge toll and I would still smile everytime I paid. We used to have to schedule our lives around the ferry schedule and sometimes wait up to eight hours to just get on it in the summer.

Thanks for the welcome and especially thanks for the site! I know I will be spending many hours here looking for information and hopefully one of these days, answering a few question.

Well darn, looks like you're on the wrong end of the country for me to be any help. :p
I was gonna say you could get ahold of the local runners that get the happy smoke into WA from BC. Figgure the helecopter is gonna be empty on the way back North anyway, maybe they can haul some parts?

ANYway,... Around here it seems to be a matter of picking the right crossing, and packaging the item. Figgure you're gonna have to trailer it anyway, hauling a load of "parts" will definately pose less hassle than a whole truck. It's the duty/import fees you wanna research.

Search here for a Stovebolter called rust smuggler. I know he took a parts COE north into BC a few years ago. If you can locate him he might have some good council.

Since I'm a few hundred miles south of that border I sometimes wonder what it would take to bring something this way...

Might I suggest a lonely dirt road through the woods.... in the middle of nowhere....on a moonless night with heavy fog and/or rain??.... of course you'd have to be wearing a fedora and a trenchcoat... and have a partner wearing a red dress...stilleto heels..and a wide brimmed red hat with a white scarf....... and watch out for the guards...yeah, the ones with the german shepards.....

I brought my 55 Chev HT up in the 80's with no title..it was a HASSLE..much argument ensued as it was a rolling chassis - and that was before you had to check out at the US side.

I'm thinking it will not be easy! Thank heavens I had John to help me!

I've brought about half a dozen old trucks into canada with no problems. Everybody's right on when they say the truck should look more like parts then a complete truck. What I always have said to the custom officer is that it's for scrap metal. Just make sure that you have a bill of sale no title needed and make the bill of sale out for a reasonable amount. you should only have to pay taxes on that amount. Any vehicle coming into canada as long as it's 15 years or older is no problem running or not. Good luck hope everything turns out for you.

That last account is quite a contrast from some of the others and there is a reason. You can get completely different treatment from two different border crossings even though they may be just a few miles from each other.

40 Chev ... Old sub is correct I brought a disassembled 53 GMC COE across the border a while back. I got unlucky and ran into the border guard Nazi Cow from hell. I had a Bill of Sale, I had the Registration, I gave three days notice prior to bringing it over. One small problem, the Oregon State Licensing Office kinda screwed up. In the middle of the VIN there was an "A" which should have been a "4" she rejected it. It was just after 9/11 and the terrorist paranoia was thick as mud. I was able to take the fenders, doors, hood, running boards, grill et al but not the cab. Nope it had to go into storage for several months at an insane rate while I got new papers issued by Oregon. I made several trips across on the ferry from Vancouver Island before finally getting it home. The whole thing cost me about 2500 more than I had anticipated. An interesting side note: the second time I attempted the Border Guard noted that there was another decrepency in that the "ones" on the VIN panel were in fact "I's" when he said, "But I feel you are acting in good faith I will let it pass!" I was happy and angry at the same time, the Jack Booted Ms. could easily have done the same. When I finally got it to the Canadian side they said wait, this isn't a vehicle it's parts. If it was a vehicle you wouldn't have to pay PSTax but as it's parts you do ... that cost me another 7%.

Fatfenders (aka Rust Smuggler)

Oh and don't even think of taking the VIN plate off, the rig won't leave the states. Not sure what that's all about I guess National Treasures and such but it will not pass ... gauranteed.