The Rover-Landers of BC

Hello all.
I am new to this forum and new to Canada, I need some know how from you kind people.

I dearly wish to import a Defender from the UK which I could then use for my little gardening business here in BC. I am only now finding out that it is a minefield to import these vehicles.

I am aware that they must be over 15 yrs old, preferably LHD, and spotlessly clean. The trouble is that there are very few at this age which are not modified and I hear that modified examples will be refused entry, as I understand it, even alloy wheels would be a modification.

Can anybody point me in the right direction please?

You might want to get some clarification on 'modified.'

I don't KNOW, but I THINK it goes something like this:

Your Defender came without alloys. Other Defenders came ORIGINALLY FROM THE FACTORY with alloys, so it's okay.

When I imported my Disco, I made sure to have old Land Rover brochure and a bunch of Camel trophy photos of factory preped cars just like mine just in case anyone asked. They didn't.

However, I'm not a lawyer, so that just my two cents.

Easiest solution might be to make sure your Defender is bog standard, then put on any 'personalization' once it's legal and registered.

BTW, welcome. :D

It is "safest" to make sure it is original. I'm not sure how stringent Canada Customs has become. They have become very strict in the USA.

Make sure, it has a matching chassis VIN to the paperwork.

Make sure that the component types shown by a VIN decode match what is on the truck. So if the VIN says carb V8, it should have one. If it says hard top, it should be that way. this is not mandatory, but they are getting serious on stopping VIN swapping and trafficking of stolen parts.
http://www.expeditiongear.co.za/cu5/Dec ... umber.aspx

Get an official build date from here: http://www.heritage-motor-centre.co.uk/ ... vices.html

If it were me, I would look for a LHD from a rust free area of mainland Europe. The majority of UK trucks are rust buckets and the majority of sellers are crooks. Be careful. Get a lot of real references and check them.

Bringing it in roll on - roll off is the safest. Many people are getting charged a lot of extras like cleaning and such regardless if how clean it actually was. RORO is much safer. Lots of crooks in Canada Customs as well. You can RORO to Tacoma. I'm not sure how complicated the US transit is these days and that is something to find out.

Wow! Crooks in customs, as well as at the buying end in England. I can mitigate the crooks in the UK by having my friend do the buying. I think I've found a decent original example, and yes I'm aware of the rust problem, that would have to be resolved before I bought.

It's the customs officials here that worry me, if indeed that's a problem......

So I need matching VIN's for engine and chassis, I can check this with Land Rover I assume, the vehicle already has an heritage cert, so that's looking good.

Thanks for the RORO advice, why should that be safer though?

Cheers for everything so far, keep it coming, knowledge is power.....

I think when Red90 refers to "crooks" he is referring to some particular UK sellers that have earnt a bad reputation by selling vehicles to North American buyers that turn out to be far from how they were originally described. On saying that, there are a lot of good UK sellers / importers out there, you just need to do your homework first.

Unless you already have a vehicle in the UK that belongs to you, I would save your self a lot hassel and buy your Defender from North America. If you look around there are lots of very nice examples around. When you look at all your savings from not having to ship from the UK and all the hoops and headaches you avoid, much better route to go in my opinion .....

What type of Defender are you looking for? What is your budget?

Cheers,
Andy

The Manc wrote:.... that would have to be resolved before I bought.

So I need matching VIN's for engine and chassis, I can check this with Land Rover I assume, the vehicle already has an heritage cert, so that's looking good.

Thanks for the RORO advice, why should that be safer though?

Be careful of too much rust repair as altering the chassis sends up red flags.

No. There is a VIN plate on the brake booster and a VIN stamp on the chassis. These must be the exact same number and must not appear altered in any way. The engine does not need to be original. It just needs to be the same type (model) of engine that is decoded by the VIN number.

With RORO, the truck is driven off and you clear it through customs in person. It is cheaper than container and I've never heard of anyone getting any extra charges. The downside is there are no RORO facilities in Vancouver. This means importing to Tacoma and you need to deal with US customs, and then drive to Canada and clear at the border. This used to not be a problem. I'm not sure if this is still the case and it would be best to find someone that has done it recently. mainly because US customs is on a witch hunt.

With a container, it is cleared and inspected in Montreal regardless of port of entry. If they choose a detailed inspection or cleaning, you are charged for bonded storage and the cleaning. Most of the people I know have been getting the extra charges.

ANDYD wrote:Unless you already have a vehicle in the UK that belongs to you, I would save your self a lot hassel and buy your Defender from North America. If you look around there are lots of very nice examples around. When you look at all your savings from not having to ship from the UK and all the hoops and headaches you avoid, much better route to go in my opinion .....

This is good advice. One thing to add is that trucks are selling much lower than what people are asking, in my experience, at least one province over.... So don't be too scared away by the high asking prices you see.

Lots of crooks in customs?

TOLON wrote:Lots of crooks in customs?

Multiple people that I know have had trucks pulled and cleaned at a high cost. When the truck arrives it is quite clear that no cleaning had ever been performed. It appears to be just a scam to pad the pockets of companies in the bonding and cleaning business.

In addition, they have apparently decided that all containered vehicles must clear in Montreal. So if you import to Vancouver, they ship it to Montreal and back at your cost.

One way to make sure of a smooth transaction on importing from the UK is to have all your paperwork in order, including any parts that might be along for the ride, make sure it gets cleaned in the UK and there is a letter from the export company on their letterhead stating the same, and be courteous and polite to any custom inquiries. Yes it is a pain to clear in in Montreal and there is the possibility of some extra cash grabbing going on but in the end customs folks have a job to do and covering their butts as well. On my last container the only issue was CN trying to scam me for weekend storage charges by calling me late on a Thursday to say the container was available for pu when it had been there already 2 days, fortunately I have a friend in the business and gave me the name of a trucking company to go and pick it up first thing on the Friday.
Cheers
Ted
PS RoRo is easier but DON'T try to ship spare parts in the vehicle or anything of value as there is a good chance it won't be there when it gets unloaded.

You are not allowed to ship spare parts with RORO.

I shipped my 90 by RORO from Southampton, UK to Tacoma in 2012?

The company I went with stated that no "personal items" were allowed to be shipped with the vehicle. Auto parts were included as "personal items". In the end, two tires in the back made it all the way into Canada, no questions asked...

Anything "hidden" in the vehicle is likely to be missing. These RORO's stop all down the East Coast US, Central America, and US West Coast before hitting Tacoma. Who knows where your parts may end up...

Have even heard stories of items bolted down (spot lights, light guards, radios) going missing. I didn't experience anything stolen...

I think my truck came over just before the Defender destruction in the US really heated up. Wasn't 25 years old and therefore wouldn't be allowed in the US. I promised I would take it all the way back to Canada. US Customs didn't have any issue and that's where I spent the LEAST time, other than dropping the truck off at port in the UK. That took 5 minutes or less. US Customs at the port took 10.

As far as cleaning the truck before it comes over. Hose and bucket, pressure washer, whatever. There doesn't seem to be a trend to whether it needs "de-contaminating" once it reaches the US. I talked to people who had them professionally cleaned, with documentation and a second cleaning had to be completed in the US. Mine had a British shower on the way to the docks.... and I had prepared for the estimated $500 CAD clean in US port. It turned into $750, but that's a whole 'nother story...

I recovered approximately 20lb of UK soil from the truck after getting it home.

Overall, the process was super simple.

Would I do it again? Sure, if someone buys the current one for more than I think its worth! 8)

Mine came from a chap in Sunderland who refurbishes them. Mine was more original than refurbished - depends on the actual condition vehicles he sources as to what work is needed. He gets the LHDs from Germany usually.

He isn't the most expensive (and better value than some very commercial refurbishers), but his workshop does a good job and you will get a nice refurbished Defender for a sensible price.

You can spec your refurb pretty much completely and he will price it for you.

I brought mine over with me, but he can do all of the export for you.

He has successfully sent Landies over to Canada and USA.

PM me with your email address for contact details - I can send you his email address and also a link to his eBay.

As for the 'need' for them to be Original, that's more of a USA thing. Mine was a plain off-white County Station Wagon before he worked on it and came to Canada looking as it is in my Avatar.

Brilliant advice from all, thanks so much.

I intend to bring over an overlander pretty much in original condition, although I do want to bling it up once it arrives. Ideally I would have this work done UK side due to the cost but as it sounds cosmetic enhancement would count as a mod right?

So I can't bring in parts on a RORO, and can't ship 'personal items' in an ISO? So in that case, where can I get some spanking nice alloys for the latest defenders from? Still a long way off that yet I suppose..... Need the car first.

I have found a chap who ships around the world and will give money back if it fails to get through, so may run with him, but thanks Withabix, I will take that name from you.

I did think about buying from US but they are too expensive, and older. Besides if I ever came to sell by paying less from the UK, even with shipping, I should be better off.

Finally, when it arrives are there many hoops jump through to use it in BC?

Put the alloys on the truck before it comes over. Mine came over with Disco alloys.

In case your friend may not know. Alloys won't fit on 200tdi and earlier axles without spacers or shims as the drive flanges are too wide.

Thanks, perhaps they would fit on a 300tdi? I'm looking at a 98 overland at the moment and ideally Kahn design alloys, hardly original.....

Should be no problem on 300TDI axles.

red90 wrote:In case your friend may not know. Alloys won't fit on 200tdi and earlier axles without spacers or shims as the drive flanges are too wide.

There are those that employ the dark arts to skirt that issue, making use of a grinder and losing the lock washers... :shock:
Was rectified once in my possession.

Hi D Brands, who did you use to import?

Thanks

The Manc wrote:Hi D Brands, who did you use to import?

Thanks

Who did I use for RoRo?

Yes please