Transporting my NSX from US

No you won't be driving on unregistered plates.

You secure insurance before you leave Ottatwa. Once in Toronto, you go to the MTO, pay $22 for your new plates, $15 for a temporary sticker and install it on your car right away in order to drive legally home. you then have a few weeks to get everything in order for an imported car.

The OPP have gotten a new plate recognition system recently which automatically scans every license plate it sees and displays the information on a screen. I really reccomend that you don't tempt fate and drive on plates which aren't registered on your particular vehicle.

Look here for more info:

http://www.lfpress.com/news/london/2012/07/30/20045971.html
 
You could also hire a company to transport the car from Toronto to Ottawa for you.

Might I suggest TFX Shipping? I hear they're pretty good.

LOL... yes but they take too long.

I'm on my way to Toronto, flight at noon. Everything set, insurance, plates, papers, bank draft. Even found an old cassette tape in the basement to listen to in the car on the way back... haha...

The tale is about to end, a dream years in the making...
 
A freight forwarder is a "non asset based transportation company" - basically a broker. Typically they don't own the equipment that is hauling your item. Yes they have contacts with a bunch of transporters but in no way can they guarantee better service - they don't have any control over the company hired. They will shop around, get a bunch of rates and once they add their mark-up percentage they will present you with your options. If the company they hire damages your item or delays the shipment you are pretty much on your own. In essence once the transporter is hired you would be in the same position that you are now.

I hired a freight forwarder with a good reputation online to ship a car. They even "guaranteed" pickup and delivery within a certain timeframe. They weren't even close on the pickup or delivery dates and the guy hauling the car was't a professional. Much better to hire a company directly with a good reputation for delivery who knows what they are doing.
 
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Ray,

Enjoy the Drive home, it going to be Sunny and appox 10 Degree C by the time you pick-up the car and on the 401.

Remember the traffic in Toronto is a bit much, and you need some seat time in the NSX, so take it easy and enjoy the 4 hours drive.

Bram
 
ray, where is the car currently located?? it probably sounds stupid but be sure to inflate air your tires properly before the 4 hour trek home.
 
The car is in Etobicoke. Good point about the tire pressures, I will take care of it.

I'm planning to head back right after paper work is done.trying to beat the Toronto traffic. If not I may hang around for a bit to get used to my new machine, and hit the road after the rush hours. My parents live in Markham so I may pay them a visit. 'Be nice to see if my mom still give me a hard time for spending money on cars, like she used to 30 years ago. Lol
 
I dont get why you guys dont get on a plane and go pick up the car yourself.

It saves you all these silly shipping worries - and theyre not limited to delays, but they also include damage. PLUS when you fly down with a bank draft, it gives you the option to back away from the purchase if something doesnt feel right. Importing these things is easy - dont pay someone to do it.

One of the most memorable drives of my life was flying down to NYC and buying my Porsche. The 9hr drive back was not long enough. I wanted that adventure to go on forever.

I drove back with dealer plates from a very gay but very good friend.
 
A freight forwarder is a "non asset based transportation company" - basically a broker. Typically they don't own the equipment that is hauling your item. Yes they have contacts with a bunch of transporters but in no way can they guarantee better service - they don't have any control over the company hired. They will shop around, get a bunch of rates and once they add their mark-up percentage they will present you with your options. If the company they hire damages your item or delays the shipment you are pretty much on your own. In essence once the transporter is hired you would be in the same position that you are now.

I hired a freight forwarder with a good reputation online to ship a car. They even "guaranteed" pickup and delivery within a certain timeframe. They weren't even close on the pickup or delivery dates and the guy hauling the car was't a professional. Much better to hire a company directly with a good reputation for delivery who knows what they are doing.

Really?? I worked for Hellmann Int'l before starting my own company 18 yrs ago, they are the largest private Forwarder (actually of any forwarder) in the world with over 6,000 offices and 28,000 employees globally and not only do they own their own warehouses, trucks, lifts, and terminals but they control all the trucks they use or even 'broker' out. We're actually an Agent that works for our clients, much like travel agents for cargo and some travel agents also own their equipment such as Transat Holidays, a subsidiary of Air Transat. We have control over cargo depending on how it is booked and the $$ the client wants to pay. While most DIY want to save $$, often it's more costlier then having a reputable FF do it for you............there are no good 'online' companies since these are satelite based and it's essential to actually speak to a real person so they know YOUR needs adn time restaints..........jsut sayin
 
GECKO - Yes, really. The online part was just how they were recommended. I dealt with a real person at a freight forwarder. He made all kinds of promises - non of which were kept. Mostly because he didn't control the guy behind the wheel. If they don't own the equipment, they don't have control. Not too difficult to understand. With specialty services like high end auto transport you are better off going directly to the transporter. In my experience a freight forwarder at the end of the day is at the mercy of the guy who owns the truck. So why have the middle man? Maybe if you are shipping 3000 separate items from all kinds of locations that required a variety of modes of transport it makes sense to hire out if you don't want to do the leg work yourself. But for shipping a high end car? Why bother. Just hire the transporter directly.

Here's a question for you. Since you are in the business, who would you have hired? If you say "TFX" what could you have done that would have made a difference? Hire someone else? What if they don't perform? Hire someone else? See what I am getting at now? All you are is the middle man - a mouth piece between the shipper and the trucker. Using freight forwarding to ship a car is a waste of time unless you are too lazy or unknowledgeable to do it yourself.

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PS: Using your travel agent example, when my flight is delayed or the plane is overbooked and I get bumped are you saying I should call my travel agent and they will get that plane on the runway or force the airline to give me a seat? Probably not. I think most of us who have been in that situation understand there is nothing the travel agent can do. Why? Because they don't control the airline. Just sayin.....
 
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Soloracer951..........the referance to the 'travel agent' is what we do - door to door service, offering a varied level depending on what you want to pay - 1st class or economy. There are many who book their own travel (I do myself) online or with direct contact but when you look at all the logistics and calls/time you have to spend at the end of the day you are usually ahead to make one call to a Travel Agent of in cargo case to a FF. Yes, there are those who successfully do their own shipping/customs/border work and never have problems (it is a simple process) when you understand it. Many don't connect all the dots and run into issues then it's a mess or go for price point. As for reputable FF's when there are BIG problems (not weather related or breakdowns since these are uncontrolable) then YES refunds are given, rates reduced, no charges on some aspects, etc. I have used TFX but there are others offering the same service as well as carriers who I use. Shipped many new cars at $100k for clients and never had an issue. I shipped single semi trailers and trucks for clients who only had 1 shipment ever and they all moved smoothly. Once you give the cargo to a company they have it and difficult to change unless you physically remove the cargo from their hands and take it to someone else. Sounds like the carrier had to wait to get a full trailer and then they move the truck/trailer and it's a longer process when comnig over the border.

FYI _ I explained to Moisted the entire proceedure for the DIY mode with flying down and driving it back, and offered to bring it here for him........we know the route he chose. Sorry, it didn't work out and hope as I mentioned that he got the add'l insurance coverage since carriers only cover a limited amount much like when airlines loose your luggage - nada. And yes - not a perfect world out there and sometimes there are delays, but this one sounds like it's over the top...........hmmmm
 
how did it go ??!?!?!

I finally have my dream car. It's a beauty! I will post more pics in a separate thread.



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Good call Micheal on the tire pressures, they were way too low.

Sean, the MTO would not give me temporary permit. They said they need the federal inspection stamp on Form1. No matter what I said they would not give me temp sticker or plate. So I don't know how you got yours but according to the manager of this MTO it is not possible to get a temp permit/sticker without fed inspection.

This shows how messed up Canadian rules are and how much inconsistent information exists out there. I drove from Toronto to Ottawa with my other car's plates, trying to stay away from any car that looked remotely like a police car.

On a brighter note, I stopped for gas at Kingston, and some guy wanted to buy the NSX from me! I told him I just picked it up!

What an amazing machine....
 
GECKO - You nicely ignored the question that I asked which was "Once TFX was hired or once the Travel Agent booked the airline and there was a problem/delay what could you do?". Probably because the answer was "Nothing". I'm sure you have had lots of successful load shipments - a credit to the transportation companies you hired and nothing you did once the item was picked up. That isn't relevant to Mosited's problem. As I said, once it's on the carrier there is nothing you can do as a frieght forwarder. That was my point. If you had hired TFX, same as Moisted, you would have had to explain the delays to him. So what would you really have done for your commision? Made a phone call and booked a truck? Maybe got him a cheaper rate? He wasn't complaining about the cost of shipping. He was upset with the delays which is something you would have no control over.

Under Canadian law the terms of carriage are on the Bill Of Lading which will state what the insurance coverage is - usually $2.00 per pound. Only if you have a Master Service Agreement that states otherwise or if you request declared value coverage will you get more protection. For the record, I am a Director of Marketing and Sales for a large international transportation company who doesn't work for brokers. We also don't ship automobiles which is why I hired outside our company.

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Moisted - Congratulations on the purchase. She looks great! Now the hard part will be putting her in storage and waiting until next spring to take her out.

BioBanker - I have flown down and picked up several cars and drove them home before. It's a great way to make sure you get what you are paying for. However, driving home has it's challenges too. Especially when purchasing a sports car in winter. There was no way I was going to risk driving my Ferrari from Colorado in winter. Also, there can be issues with the mechanical condition of the car. For example, when I bought my 1973 Volvo P1800ES and flew down to pick it up in November I found out quickly that the windshield wipers and heaters didn't work. At that point what were my options? Fly home or drive as is? I drove home over the course of three days and froze my ass off plus I was putting myself at significant risk. Then there are the issues of licensing and insurance. It's not legal to just slap a plate on a car and drive it home. Most Canadian insurance companies won't provide coverage in the US for a car that isn't registered. At the end of the day shipping the car is probably the best way to go.
 
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Ok, so we know that you did not sleep last night , so you must be out washing the NSX and taking some pictures to post on Prime....waiting!!

LOL, yes I must say I did a once over the interior to make it shine. The outside will have to wait until I get a professional detailing.

some quick pics on my driveway until I get the good camera out....

My NSX_00002.jpg
My NSX_00001.jpg
My NSX_00003.jpg
My NSX_00004.jpg
 
This thread "Transporting an NSX from the U.S." was right above "Girl's and NSX's" and I was quickly scanning and read "Transporting girls from the U.S." I was like what kind of sick thing is this guy posting about!!!! hahahahaahaha
 
Nice car............glad it arrived unscathed.
 
This thread "Transporting an NSX from the U.S." was right above "Girl's and NSX's" and I was quickly scanning and read "Transporting girls from the U.S." I was like what kind of sick thing is this guy posting about!!!! hahahahaahaha

hahaha... let me look into that. I wonder how much costume and duty we have to pay for that :)
 


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