R32 Importation into Canada might end soon... LINK to article

[jimmijames]

http://www.thestar.com/article/195075"While Canada's Registrar of Imported Vehicles (www.riv.ca) carefully screens late-model domestic and imported vehicles brought in privately from the U.S., it leaves 15-year-old-plus vehicles unscrutinized.

Now comes word the federal government is contemplating changing the threshold to 25 years, a move that will effectively quash the burgeoning importation industry and restore the law to its original intent: serving the small collector market."

[ShogunStyle]

Weak... I was hoping that would be a nice loophole. Damn!

[snowcat]

Rest assured we are fighting it and this will likely become a major legal battle. A number of people at transport canada are going to lose their jobs for their falsification of statistics and misleading safety reports.

We suspect the Big Three North American automakers are responsible for the push to eliminate the 15year rule.

[bone_stock_240]

We suspect the Big Three North American automakers are responsible for the push to eliminate the 15year rule.

How does that make any sense? Why would the big three automakers work so hard to elimate the 15 year rule? Imported japanese sports cars pose almost no risk to them in the grand scheme of things. A couple of enthusiasts who want to buy a skyline are not going to cause them massive losses.

If it is true that they falsified records, than the people behind this should be shot. If that is not the case, then whatever. If the law changes that sucks. Of course I am all for fighting the change, but people seem to have this mentality that it is their right to own a 15 year old japanese sports car that does not pass our safety and emissions regulations.

I personally would love to own one as early as next year when I graduate, but if for some reason the law changes, then life will go on for me.

[snowcat]

You're misinformed that imports don't represent a threat to the Big Three.

Imported 15year+ cars represent just under an estimated 1billion dollars ($1,000,000,000) in lost potential sales for new AND used USDM/Canadian market cars. Take it from a guy who works in sales for a living - potential sales lost is a big deal when you're talking about tangible items like cars or equipment. The Big Three are pissed right off.

The Big Three consistently fail to produce cars that are worth owning, combined with the fact that Canadian / American owners do not take care of their cars and abuse them as they please, makes it that much worse for the used car market.

[bone_stock_240]

Wouldnt the same people who would want to import a car for their use, buy a Japanese car as opposed to a domestic anyways?

You know how many people I talk to that never change the oil on their car? I think people have the mentality that once the car stops being new, they can just fix things as they break, and not do any preventative maintenance.

Anyways, I am just playing the Devil's advocate because I really want an imported car!

[snowcat]

Japanese cars are assembled in North America. It is illegal for the cars to be manufactured entirely in Japan and exported here. It violates trade agreements.

This is why companies like Toyota have plants in Tennessee, Ontario, Mexico, etc. Therefore you've got the Auto Workers Union involved. And the auto workers union primarily represents The Big Three.

[bone_stock_240]

Oh ok. Well, you pretty much shut my argument down completely! Thank you for doing it in a flame free way.

[jimmijames]

This is why companies like Toyota have plants in Tennessee, Ontario, Mexico, etc. Therefore you've got the Auto Workers Union involved. And the auto workers union primarily represents The Big Three.

I hate to stray from the OT, but I'm pretty sure that the Nissan and Toyota plants in Tennessee are NOT UAW run plants.