Can I keep my Delica?

[puckyloucks]

Hi All,

I've excepted a job in Cupertino, CA and I don't want to get rid of my Delica. Is there anyway I can bring it with me? Does anyone know if this is even possible?

what i gathering is that I can bring it down with me but in 20 days I'll have to take it to the DMV to register it.... that's the point where I'm thinking it's going to fall down.

I just can't imagine not having my faithful MAN-E-VAN that the whole family just loves so much.

Pucky

[Meanman]

Is this James "pucky" Loucks? this may help http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/brochures/ho ... tm#feesdue

[puckyloucks]

why yes it is James "pucky" Loucks. who's this?

[Meanman]

James Allen....your ol' dive buddy/ roommate

[Green1]

Unfortunately nobody on this forum is an expert in American import laws, however the general consensus so far has been that there is no legal and practical way to import a newer than 25 year old Delica in to the USA.

[Bullwinkle]

I did spend a bunch of years working in California and Colorado and think there may be a way to do this.

Some fellow Canucks were able to bring Canadian-registered cars (5-15 years old) into the US, not as a permanent import but just on a temporary basis. In their case, the vehicles were allowed in the US (without inspection/safety but still subject to emission tests) for the length of their work visas (i.e. TN=1yr, H1B=3yr) and were actually given plates. The caveat is that the vehicle could not be sold/transferred and had to return to Canada with them when their visas expired.

I left in 2005 so am not sure if this is still allowed and don't know what your citizenship status is (this is only viable for "non-resident aliens" - way to feel welcome eh?) but it may be worth exploring.

Congratulations on the job and enjoy Cupertino!

[loki]

I think the most legal but not so practical is to move to canada for a year and buy a delica while here, I'm pretty sure you can take it back with you.

[Green1]

I think the most legal but not so practical is to move to canada for a year and buy a delica while here, I'm pretty sure you can take it back with you.

I can pretty much guarantee that this does NOT work.

however the previous advice regarding keeping a Canadian vehicle in the US while on a work visa it probably valid (Canada does the same thing for people here on visas)

[loki]

I think the most legal but not so practical is to move to canada for a year and buy a delica while here, I'm pretty sure you can take it back with you.

I can pretty much guarantee that this does NOT work.

however the previous advice regarding keeping a Canadian vehicle in the US while on a work visa it probably valid (Canada does the same thing for people here on visas)

interesting I was under the impression that a couple of people had actually done this, but I will defer to your vastly superior experience in this area

[Green1]

interesting I was under the impression that a couple of people had actually done this, but I will defer to your vastly superior experience in this area

If this were the case, there'd be a lot more delicas in the US, MANY people in the US want them, and have been willing to try pretty much anything to get them, when this suggestion has come up in the past it has been dismissed as not working.

US law allows people to import a Canadian vehicle only if it still has the CMVSS compliance decal, something the Delica never had.

[loki]

I posted sometime a while back on this.

I have seen a California registered/insured 92 Delica on the road.

The owner is a Canadian/US citizen, bought the Delica up here in Canada, lived in Canada for a year and then moved to California and took the Delica that he owned for the past year with him via Registered importer.

I think it has to do with being a US citizen, owning a vehicle in Canada for longer than one year, etc...

[rhdpanda]

Looks clean.

How can you own this in the USA?

I heard once that the 25-year-rule is 'loosely interpreted' in Florida. I suspect the import laws are more a state-thing in America than a federal-thing like here in Canada. The individual states have much more power in certain areas than our provinces. rhdpanda, can you elaborate?

You are correct that import laws are set up state by state. I can't speak for the entire United States but, for example, Florida allows cars that are 15 years and older to be brought into the state easily by a legal importer and can then be used and sold in any other state. Newer cars can also be be brought in, but must be registered as an AFP (Assembled From Parts) car and must also provide picture documentation showing the assembly process. Unfortunately Georgia legislature has passed laws that RHD cars can not be registered in the state, but cars that are already registered will still be allowed in the state.

This may help you a little. If you can get the car registered in Florida it can be owned in any state. But in California you will have to be able to pass emissions.

[Green1]

I have seen a California registered/insured 92 Delica on the road.

The owner is a Canadian/US citizen, bought the Delica up here in Canada, lived in Canada for a year and then moved to California and took the Delica that he owned for the past year with him via Registered importer.

Note the part about a registered importer, this is the trick... we have yet to find any registered importer willing to touch a delica. (Many members ask, not a single one has ever reported back with any level of success.)

The fact that some Delicas are on the road in the USA does not speak to a legal method of doing it, but rather to a mis-mash of enforcement methods that have left a lot of loopholes... there are many illegal vehicles in the USA as it seems to be easier to "cheat" than it is here... that still doesn't mean that it's a reliable or safe method of bringing your vehicle in to the USA.

[jessef]

Green's 1/2 right.

Importing it in the US, unless you are a Canadian citizen, is almost impossible.

If you are a Canadian living in the US, you can bring it in with you but you can't resell it. It must leave when you leave.

If you have dual citizenship Can/US, have lived in Canada for 12 consecutive months and during those 12 consecutive months, owned a Delica, you can take it down with. You will need to have a RI pass it through the loop holes.

For US citizens, the 'only' squeak in between would be via a very good registered importer and that may cost close to the cost of the Delica once you're done.