jonfrank123

Hi all

I will be moving to Canada (Montreal) in January and wonder if anyone has any advice. I the UK I know that I can pick up a good reliable old japanese car or old Mercedes for a a couple of thousand. However looking on Canadian web sites the price of these cars seems hugely inflated compared with the UK. I am wondering if there is an equivelant of Loot or Exchange and Mart in Quebec. Also do vehicles need to have an MOT over there and are diesel cars readily available. Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

Jonathan

Souvenir

You don't see too many used (old) cars over here. They don't last very long in this climate.

From what I can see, most used cars are bought by teenagers or the very poor.

I don't think there is such a thing as an MOT. There is a requirement for emissions testing.

Edward de Par

The MOT is not a requirement here in Canada but when a car changes hands or sold it really has to have a safety done.. warranting the vehicle is roadworthy.
Gone are the days when you could sell a car if it had major problems ..you can only sell it privately without a safety and then you won't get much for it.

Some people do like to have older vehicles especially for the winter. With the V8 motor..it will generally start with no problems without being plugged in overnight.
Others like to have restoration vehicles and others like not to pay the government 3-4 thousand dollars in insurance every year. In the countryside it is cheaper to insure a car than in the city. A truck is much cheaper than a car. A motor home is half the price in insurance of the same passenger van style vehicle.

Newer cars generally are not able to be fixed by a home mechanic due to computer components, whereas the older ones..you may be able to keep running up to 25yrs. It's up to you really.

Examples:

2002 Chrysler 300 $2600 city

1995 Pontiac Grand Am Insurance $1400 annual in city $607 in rural with maximum merits.

Dodge Caravan passenger van $1200 city, $543 rural.

Edward de Par

If you can get a Toyota Corolla with the A4 engine 1.8 litre, you can get about 1/2 million kilometres out of this engine. Its easy to work on,cheap on gas and insurance..runs forever. Only problem is that the older vehicles went rusty very quick die to the Japanese being sold inferior steel by the US. They solved that problem now

Luke I Amyofath

If you want an old car youd be better off migrating to australia and not canada, they rust like hell in Canada from the road salt and climate. On the other hand I have seen so many old british cars here in mint condition its like going back in time.
rover 2000, ford cortina mk 1, hillman super minx etc, its really quite amusing

jonfrank123

I know but my wife is Canadian and she's homesick so we gotta go there. I know what your saying about Australia, actually seeing Rover SD1's on the road still, I couldn't believe it.

Jonathan

jonfrank123

Thanks for that

I had a Corolla in the UK before, I think that is the way forward, as it never let me down.

Daveyboy_The_Red

how do the car numberplates work?

I heard that they are to the person rather than the vehicle?

Edward de Par

When you buy a car here, it may or may not have plates on them.

My advice is: get a new plate as its def worth the money in terms of grief avoidance.

For example:

I insured a vehicle with a number plate from one of my old vehicles. Taking it out of Province was stopped and told by Yorkton City police that the vehicle was registered to my old vehicle. Whaaaaa! Despite having the new reg in the glove box printed by Manitoba Public Insurance, my vehicle was confiscated and towed. :scared:

It turned out that inter-Province computers had not been updated. There are some pretty unbelievable happenings going on in this modern day world of technology.

Daveyboy_The_Red

is it easy enough to do? (with a uk licence)

jonfrank123

Hi

Is it easy to find a car wth Manual gearbox in Canada? and do they tend to be cheaper or more expensive. I've also had quite a reasonable qoute for bringing my car over there. It seems crazy but that would save me money, is it legal to use a right hand drive car in Canada.

Jonathan

agibson6

Would appreciate receiving some information on shipping a car over as that could be a consideration for me as well

jonfrank123

I was qouted £1700 to get my car over there by a UK based removals company. However, this was my "classic" MGB which is fairly light. I believe though that this is a standard car rate.

From what I have seen it is cheaper to buy a toyota camry in the UK for a couple of grand and if that shipping rate applies It would be worthwhile. However I need to find out if there is any special import taxes to get it into canada.

Do you know anything about this?

andy_sheila

The 1st step would be to find out if you are allowed to bring your car in, any car over 15 yrs old is automatically allowed but the rules are very strict for newer cars.

agibson6

Join the club I've just put my 1969 MGB up for sale through the MGOC but it was one of our other cars we may have considered shipping over.