Cheap import cars and why I want one

[eurowing]

Cars are simply getting to expensive and I don't like the idea of spending $10,000 on a tin box.  I have always been a fan of big block engines and surrounding myself with steel.  (no replacement for displacement) Hence I am winning the global footprint contest with a manly cylinder index of 35.  However, I recognize the need to mitigate the cost of the daily 100km round trip commute.  (No there is no transit system to use) In the winter it costs me over 400 a month to go to work.  Once the black ice and rainy season is finished I can use the Gold Wing and reduce the cost.  For the time being, I have an 88 Tercel (Tercel is Japanese for "Chick Magnet") for the crap weather, the 95 Tahoe for the snow and ice days and the 86 Mercedes for when I feel the need to do 252 kph.

The Chinese cars which may come to Canada within a few years are very appealing to me!  I don't care about fancy doohickey's that add nothing to real life.  I can install a 4 speaker CD/MP3 for under 200 bucks that will suit my gunners ears.  If I gave a hoot about impact testing I wouldn't drive a motorcycle.  Hell, it doesn't have to be Chinese, I'll take a Fiat 500 or a Deux Chevaux , but for crying out loud, someone please build a CHEAP car.  Like the VW Beetle used to be.

Oh, and ORANGE signal lights combined with a hazard switch I don't have to reach thru the steering wheel to reach (What were they smoking when they dreamed that up?)  Why orange?  Oh, you're a city person.  Sorry to hear that.  Most red light signal systems won't work as 4 way flashers when the brakes are depressed.  Kind of renders them useless as you slam on brakes to avoid the deer while reaching thru the steering wheel to engage the 4 ways and warn oncoming traffic of the cute ungulate ambling into their lane.  The first time you see hazard lights suddenly come on as dozens of cars brake ahead of you on an autobahn really drives home the need for you to take the cruise control off and slow the heck down. ( I loved setting the cruise control at 220! Sigh!)  You will note that most imports have the hazard switch on the dash at a natural reach of the right arm.  Makes sense?

Anyway, cheap cars abound in the rest of the world and they have useful and efficient accessories, but no expensive frills.

Wouldn't it be nice if we could have them too.

Oh, and if the Nanny State would bugger off, we could have this too!  http://www.carver-worldwide.com/Home/Index.asp?nc=1

 

[Good2Golf]

...
The Chinese cars which may come to Canada within a few years are very appealing to me!  I don't care about fancy doohickey's that add nothing to real life.  I can install a 4 speaker CD/MP3 for under 200 bucks that will suit my gunners ears.  If I gave a hoot about impact testing I wouldn't drive a motorcycle.  Hell, it doesn't have to be Chinese, I'll take a Fiat 500 or a Deux Chevaux , but for crying out loud, someone please build a CHEAP car.  Like the VW Beetle used to be.
...

Ouch!

 

[TN2IC]

I can picture one of my big rigs running over one.  ;D

 

[eurowing]

I can picture one of my big rigs running over one.  ;D

Warning...  the video is very graphic. Seriously! Do not look if gore bothers you.  :skull:

Like this?  http://s143.photobucket.com/albums/r128/CaptainNartman/Video/?action=view&current=106skuter.flv

Like I said, I don't really care about crash tests in cars.  I ride a motorcycle and mitigate the risk by driving defensively.  Most of us mitigate risk in our very profession.  Gimme a cheap car!

 

[BernDawg]

OUCH!!

Anyway, if you really want an import the place to be is BC. There are a ton of cheap little right-hand drives imported here from Asia running all over the place.
The pic is just one example.  There are many others as well.

 

[eurowing]

Imports (aside from US models) have to be 15 years old to come into Canada.    Allow me to rephrase  ;D  Gimme a cheap NEW car!

 

[BernDawg]

Not here I guess cause these cars are not 15 yrs old.  No where near that old.
I guess they qualify under this exemption.

VEHICLES PURCHASED OUTSIDE CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES

The Motor Vehicle Safety Act and Regulations require that all vehicles imported into Canada comply, at the time of importation, with the Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standards in effect on the date the vehicle was manufactured. Vehicles manufactured for sale in countries other than Canada and the United States do not comply with the requirements of the Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Act, CANNOT be altered to comply and CANNOT be imported into Canada. The only exceptions to this rule are vehicles fifteen (15) years old or older as determined by the month and year in which the vehicle was manufactured and buses manufactured before January 1, 1971.

Vehicles acquired in foreign countries other than the U.S. and designed, built, tested and certified to meet either all applicable Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standards or all applicable United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and bearing a statement of compliance label affixed by the original manufacturer, as required by the Regulations, may be eligible for importation into Canada provided the vehicle has not been altered and the certification from the original manufacturer is maintained, which may be subject to verification at the time of importation.  A vehicle imported under these conditions will be subject to the Registrar of Imported Vehicles program which may be accessed at the following web site: http://www.riv.ca. Please contact Transport Canada, Road Safety and Motor Vehicle Regulation Directorate, at 1-613-998-8616 for further information.

From here.

http://www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/importation/impxus_e.htm

 

[eurowing]

That would surprise me.  I had to jump some small hoops to get the Mercedes imported, but my wife's BMW was left behind in Germany because it was 3 months too young to come live in Canada with us on our repat date in 2003.    Two of my troops have RH Drive Japanese imports and they are over 15.  Actually, I think there are 4 or 5 of them in my Sqn. 

Let's put a beer on it!  I'm fond of Guinness and the Griffin Pub has it on tap!

 

[Corey Darling]

I imported a 1989 RHD GT-Four with 45k km for 8k$

Its my first car, and I absolutely LOVE it.   Never once have i regreted buying a rhd car. Not only that, but this one is rare, only 26000 made, only 6000 of this perticular trim type (narrow body)

For the price, you cant beat the low km of these cars. Plus, just about everything from japan at that time had a turbo  >

I shopped around locally before deciding to import.

When i saw a used Accent with no power anything going for 8k$ and way more km, i knew importing was the way to go.
For a 1989, this car has power sunroof, power adjustable seats, 12 disk cd changer (yes its stock), power folding and adjustable mirrors, central locking and keyless entry!

To compliment the 12 disk changer, it has a 10 speaker sound system with a 220W amp.

Why buy a new car when you can find one of these gems for far less.

 

[eurowing]

Well, there is the "Scream Test".  That is how you pass safely when driving on the curb side of the lane.  I had my LHD car in England.  The louder my wife screamed, the less safe it was to pass.

You have a rare car.  All cool until you need parts for it.  My 86 Mercedes 560 SEC is one of 4745 built, even the rim size is unique to all other Mercedes SECs makeing nearly all parts extraordinarilly expensive and very scarce.  Hopefully your car has the legendary Toyota reliability and parts are still available easily.

Back to NEW cheap cars...  with warranties!

 

[Corey Darling]

You have a rare car.  All cool until you need parts for it.

Actually, I just finished a 5000$ rebuild on it. And thats just the cost of parts - i did the labour myself. (mostly performance bolt on's, but the motor was all OEM stuff) Not once did i have trouble finding parts for it   All available in north america due to the LHD counter part.

I put 25k km on the car in the space of a year before deciding to rebuild the motor. It never skipped a beat  

Hopefully your car has the legendary Toyota reliability and parts are still available easily.

  Yep

Well, there is the "Scream Test".  That is how you pass safely when driving on the curb side of the lane.  I had my LHD car in England.  The louder my wife screamed, the less safe it was to pass.

;D haha

 

[CBshadow]

These guys really bring decent prices to the table if your looking at importing

www.importconcern.ca

and I'm looking at getting a cheap beamer from japan (the older models were made with the steering wheel on the left hand column in japan)  or maybe a nissan cedric vip or a nissan pulsar GTi-R.

 

[Rodahn]

Well when my Beemer gave up the ghost, I ended up buying a 2007 Hyundia Elantra. I've found it to be a great little car for the price and it gets good fuel economy (between the car and bike I fill up once every 2 months at a cost of about $80.00). It also has a good warranty with 24 hr roadside assistance.