Buying a 370z in the states?
 

Hi, I just joined the forum today and I would like to say Hi to everyone. Since the 350z came out in 2003 I have been a big fan and wanted a Z. Recently, while I was shopping for a 350z I found out that I might be able to afford a 2nd hand 370z in the states.

My question is:
Do you recommend I purchase a slightly used 2009 370z across the border?
I read that I'll have to pay a 7% import tax, the warranty will not be void if the car is older than 6 months, and I might need to modify the car?
Does anyone have any experience with the process? Is it worth it?

Thanks!!

your best answers will be on google..... but from what i recall when i looked into it back in the day, you will be paying way more than 7%. i know for sure youll have to at least pay the 13% quebec sales taxes, and then theres customs fees. They made it alot harder nad more expensive since the dollar hit par to US dollar back in 2008, but now that its almost at par, it may be worth it to you.

as for the warranty, you may want to see if nissan warranties carry over to Canada, some car companies do, but if not, you may have to drive down an hour to plattsburgh to get servicing done for warranty issues

also, a visit to any saaq may help you get more info youre looking for

How to Import a Car From the United States Into Canada | eHow.com

Also, go here Registrar of Imported Vehicles - Importing a Vehicle and read VERY carefully. The car will need to be Canadianized e.g. daytime running lights. Some vehicles are easier than others but the cost may be prohibitive depending on what needs to be done. Contact Nissan Canada about warranty. If the warranty will be void in Canada then it still may worth importing the Z depending on the amount of money saved. As for GST, HST or whatever, you have to pay that anyway. Can't get around the tax man!

you will have to pay all the taxes as if you are buying a car in canada plus 6.1% duty because the car is made in japan. registar of imports charges $198 for inspection fees. the car has to be at least 6 mths old. All nissan warranty is exactly the same as if you are buying in canada. however, if you are buying certified nissan used vehicles and those extra packages, then they are not available in canada so u have to drive the car back to us to get the warranty.
i actually wanted to buy a z in the states as it is almost 10k cheaper than canada since you dont have to buy touring!

Thanks for the info!!

Hey Emerika,

Did you end up pulling the trigger on this import? I'm endeavouring to do the same thing actually. I have a car picked out, and I'm going through the motions (inspection, car fax, RIV forms, temporary state tags from the DMV, setting up a US cash account to wire the funds from, etc).

Wondering how smooth it was?

Not yet. I still didn't find the car I was looking for.
2009 are hard to find at decent prices.

Make sure the car is older than 6 months otherwise the warranty is void.

I've foudn the car I want. The biggest issue is my hestiancy to wire $34k to a used car dealer that I've never seen. Website looks good. And I have an independent inspector going to inspect the car this afternoon. Is it unreasonable to ask the seller to accept funds from an escrow service like escrow.com (ebay uses it, edmunds has referred to it). Or ask him to accept a bank draft on delivery?

Has anybody else bought cars remotely like this before. It's a little nerve racking to wire someone this much money before having the car.

Is he going to ship it to you?
Why doesn't he accept a small deposit to show that you are serious and when you go get the car you pay him the whole sum.

Hey guys,

I actually just imported a 2009 370z from the United States. It's being imported right now but I taken care most of the paper work, should arrive in 10 days or so. The process was a bit scary and time consuming, however the cost difference was so big I decided to go for it.

Some facts you may want to be aware of
1. Duty Tax 6.1%
2. G.S.T. calculation is based on price of car in USD covert into CND plus Duty amount plus air condition tax ($100) plus green levi tax (this tax are for high emission vehicles, don't worry 370z isnt one, its more like for Ferrari's)
3.If you don't import the car yourself in person you have to get a brokerage company to do the paper work for you. Which is what I did. Fees around $200 or so.
4. Buy your vehicle from a well known dealership, I bought mine from a pre-own Nissan dealership.
5. Ask for the recall letter
6. Don't bother to buy extended warranty because it's not honored in Canada.

So far my total cost is $38,500 CND and change, I still need to include the cost to install the day time running lights and vehicle inspection. Everything else is paid for. That's pretty much it I hope. So for under 40K I got a 2009 370z. Below are the details

Model:Nissan 370z touring with sport package
Color: Monterrey Blue (Different name in Canada not sure if its exactly the same color but its $300 option)
Transmission: Automatic
Option: Navigation package, floor mats, trunk mat
Mileage: 5000 miles (8000 km)

Let me know if you guys have questions. Hope this helps.

Is the basic warranty honoured in Canada?

Yup as long as the car been registered in the States for 6 months the remaining balance of the warranty is honored. By the time warranty expires you should save enough money to mod it lol

I think since there is more availability of used 370Zs in the US its something to look into. I don't think its a screaming deal though since its a hassel and you're buying a used vehicle. It is a great option since the CND $ is worth more than the USD right now, if you want a used 370Z and/or if you are looking for a specialty like a NISMO model.

Having nearly gone through the entire process, I would argue that it's only barely worth it (depending, of course, on how much you think your time is worth). The cost-savings is only a side-benefit. The real reason i need to import is the variety of used 370Zs in Canada is almost entirely useless. So many more options in the US, and I've found the exact car and options that I really wanted.

The latest scare I had was the odometer. The RIV requires that your odometer must display the distance-driven in KMs. However, on the 370Z, the odometer is digital.

I just confirmed with someone at Nissan North America (who phoned a dealer in Stanton Island) that the odometer can be set to display in metric units. So crisis averted! :)

Hopefully I'll have it on the good side of the border by next week Monday :)

Wish me luck.

So daytime running lights are cropping up as a very serious issue. Turns out the Nissan's built in the states do not have DRLs, nor do their service departments have access to DRL kits. Wiring the lights permanently on whenever the car is on will reportedly void the warranty. Has anybody had experience dealing with DRL issues? Anybody dealt with DRL issues with the 370z? Paskii, what is your plan for resolving this RIV requirement?