How it works, process explained
How it works buying a vehicle that’s already listed on the website:
1. The first step in purchasing one of these vehicles is to sign our import agreement and send us a deposit of $1200.00 Cad.
2. We will place the vehicle on hold and arrange for a further inspection / extra photos and relay all of the details to you. At this point you can make a decision to either go ahead with it or have your deposit refunded or applied to another vehicle.
3. Once you have chosen your new import, we will send you an invoice with all of the vehicles details, including VIN number. You will need to make a payment within 48 hours by heading down to your bank for an international wire transfer ( we will give you step by step instructions and this only take a matter of 10-15 minutes time )
4. The car is booked for export on the next available vessel to Canada.
5. Once arrived, we will get you to fill out a Canada customs form, confirm your personal information, and forward all of this to our customs broker for customs clearance. Your vehicle will clear customs in 4-5 business days in most cases. You now have a final bill for these charges that can be paid via credit card, bank transfer, PayPal, etc.
6. The car is now ready for pick up or further shipping. If you decide to get the car from port yourself, we will inform port authorities of your schedule and provide you with the address of it’s location. If you decide to have the car shipped directly to you, we will make the arrangements for delivery right to your door step or nearby.
7. Bring your car for it’s provincial safety inspection and start driving!
How it works having us locate a specific vehicle or custom order:
1. The first step in custom ordering a vehicle with us is to sign our import agreement and send a deposit of $1200.00 Cad. Once this has been completed and both parties are in agreement, you’ll need to let us know specifically what you’re looking for along with a budget.
2. We will send you daily emails with potential vehicles to choose from. These emails will include a few photos and a brief description. Once you see a vehicle that looks interesting, you can notify us and we will arrange for a further inspection on that vehicle and relay all applicable information to you.
3. At this point you can make a decision to either go ahead with it or continue the search.
4. Once you have chosen your new import, we will send you an invoice with all of the vehicles details. You will need to make a payment within 48 hours by heading down to your bank for an international wire transfer ( we will give you step by step instructions and this only take a matter of 10-15 minutes time )
5. The car is booked for export on the next available vessel to Canada.
6. Once arrived, we will get you to fill out a Canada customs form, confirm your personal information, and forward all of this to our customs broker for customs clearance. Your vehicle will clear customs in 4-5 business days in most cases. You now have a final bill for these charges that can be paid via credit card, bank transfer, PayPal, etc.
7. The car is now ready for pick up or further shipping. If you decide to get the car from port yourself, we will inform port authorities of your schedule and provide you with the address of it’s location. If you decide to have the car shipped directly to you, we will make the arrangements for delivery right to your door step or nearby.
8. Bring your car for it’s provincial safety inspection and start driving!
Warning though if this is your first import…… It’s a bit overwhelming to see all the passers-by faces gleaming of envy as you drive down the road !!! ( any JDM owner will be able to tell you about this unique experience of the famous “” first drive down the road “”
Extra Information
At the point of the process when your vehicle has been customs released, it is ready for pick up or further shipping to Canada. JDM Connection can arrange further shipping for you if needed. You can recieve an online quote for inland shipping costs here http://www.searail.ca/request-a-quote.php
Once arrived to it’s final destination in Canada, you will need a licensed mechanic to go through the vehicle to ensure that all related safety items are in good working order ( lights, tires, brakes, suspension components, etc. ) We do have the vehicles inspected in Japan prior to purchasing, there are sometimes small details left out ( such as tire tread, thickness of the brake pads, etc ) as our inspectors are more concerned about major mechanical faults and cosmetic blemishes.
It’s a good idea to have some extra room in your budget in case some repairs or maintenance are required. On average we see that the vehicles need $300.00 - $600.00 in maintenance and repairs for their first owners, although this does depend on the specific vehicle you choose.
There are also some provinces in Canada that require ” compliance work ” to be done to the vehicles prior to being registered. Some provinces will require that you install day time running lights, change the headlights, install a third brake light, etc. if the vehicle is not already equipped. Most of the vehicles we currently import already have these requirements, but some may not and will need to be modified to meet provincial licensing requirements. We do recommend that you consult with your provincial registries office to find out about these requirements prior to purchasing an imported vehicle.
Of course we will provide all of our customers with a step by step guide to registering their new import. If our customers do not choose to handle this work themselves using out step by step guide, we can also recommend you to a facility in your area that can handle all of these modifications for you at an additional cost. We are currently working on a full price list for compliance packages that will be published on the parts page in the near future. Until we have this information published, please contact us for a general quote if needed.