Looking at a couple cars in Edmonton, AB. I live in Cleveland, OH. They're over 25 years old, and i know I could fly there, buy, drive back. However there are negatives.
-first off I have crippling panic attacks on airplanes.
-Second I don't want to carry the equivalent of $20k USD across the border.
-Third it's a 31 hour drive with no stops, adding in a border crossing with import paperwork, that's 3-4 days of driving for me
-fourth is 3-4 days of driving through unknown territory, looks relatively not populated between Edmonton and Minnesota, in a new to me car sounds rather anxiety inducing. The GRM map is blank up there.
so can anyone recommend someone who would go buy the car for me, ship it, and do the import stuff and hand me a car with clear papers ready to take to the title office in ohio? Even getting the car closer like Chicago where I could run out with trailer in a day and a half and grab it.
I don't put myself on maps, but I'm five hours east of Edmonton, in Saskatoon.
You are on a well traveled four lane highway until you get south of Regina. Two lane takes you into North Dakota, which is kinda the middle of nowhere until you get to Minot. If you prefer 4 lane, turn east from Regina to Winnipeg, turn south, cross the border at a huge facility and continue south. You are seldom more than an hour or so from a major center.
I've not taken a vehicle south, but coming north, the US customs wants to see that there are no liens on the vehicle before they let it across the border. Canada customs wants you to get the title to them 4 days before you get to the crossing. I presume it's similar going the other way, but a phone call to both US and Canada customs will answer your questions.
There are a couple of outfits here in Flint that importing from Ontario and Quebec. I can to find the names. Also my sister in law ships her cars from Toronto to Florida and has gotten to know the people from the company. They brought her dog to Florida as they said it was 2 lbs too heavy to bring on the plane.
Sounds like you need someone to road trip FOR you. 
If this is what I think it is, I have a lot of vacation time coming if you can get the money/paperwork sorted first.
I have done all the research on the process and am confident I could cross without incident, I just don't think it's a great idea given the negatives - for me personally.
Pete. (l33t FS) said:
Sounds like you need someone to road trip FOR you.
If this is what I think it is, I have a lot of vacation time coming if you can get the money/paperwork sorted first.
You're one of the few people I would trust to go on a mission of this size for me
During the pandemic my older brother in Hudson, Ohio bought my younger brother's 2005 BMW M3, located in Waterloo, Ontario. Neither were allowed to cross the border so he used a company called US Canada Auto Transport to ship the car and handle all of the importing details. Shipping was a little over $1000, the customs broker cost was $200 and then he paid a 4% duty. Both of my brothers were really happy with how smoothly everything went.
The only sticking point was that the car had to be completely empty, so the extra set of wheels and tires, car cover, spare filters etc had to be shipped separately. Fortunately I was crossing the border regularly for work still and was able to bring that stuff across for them.
I have an old friend from the BMW Club who does this kind of thing professionally: https://www.willz.ca/
Will is a great guy and very reliable. Can't go wrong.
Patrick said:
Pete. (l33t FS) said:
Sounds like you need someone to road trip FOR you.
If this is what I think it is, I have a lot of vacation time coming if you can get the money/paperwork sorted first.
You're one of the few people I would trust to go on a mission of this size for me
You have my steel at your side!
wawazat
SuperDork
4/24/22 3:07 p.m.
I love it when a plan comes together!
Its a long haul, I have done the trip from North of Edmonton to Brownsville Tx.
If the cars good, and you have time, Banff, Jasper are nice to visit. You could get all across the boarder and ship from there. Fwiw....
In reply to LanEvo :
Contacted Will and in discussions with him. He suggested what the cheapest route would be, but I asked for a full get it across the border so I can snag it from Buffalo quote.
nonack is also a possibility for retrieval, depending how things go with seller. I have a strong preference for a specific car since I've seen it listed for a week or so. I'm not in a hurry, but this one is essentially everything I am looking for minus a couple small bits.
Realistically it makes more sense, sadly. I picture something like a water pump or alternator or something else not available in the US taking a dump and leaving the car stranded.
I mean, it would be totally completely awesome if I could help pick "it" up, and Miles (no stranger to eclectic fly-and-drives) is completely on board with the plan because no way am I driving 31 hours straight and also no way would I want to leave it out of my sight... which would also be the major downside. Seriously nerve wracking listening to every creak, rattle, and bump, while watching the gauges like a hawk for the slightest needle twitch... want to talk about anxiety?
see also: why I keep looking at a certain Kei car for sale locally with longing and justification that I really can afford it. And then the stupid responsible no-fun adult part of my brain says No, because recent other bad yet fun decisions mean I'd have to borrow to buy it, and borrowing to buy a car like that is pretty dumb. (but but but 3 cylinder 660cc 9000rpm BOOOOOST in a car smaller than a Festiva!)
