Re: [Chrysler300] 300 import

["Roger Schaaf" <obiwan10@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I purchased my B in Canada in 1986.  It had been sitting outside under a 
tarp for 10 years and was in possession of the Sheriff of Pentictan(SP) 
which is located a couple hundred miles East of Vancouver.  We purchased it 
on a sealed bid auction and the car had no title.  Never did find why the 
Sheriff was in possession except was the result of some type of litigation.

Upon being informed that I had won the auction(4,500.00 Canadian) I called 
the local Chrysler dealer to find if they might get it road worthy for us so 
that if we would fly in, we could drive out.  They sent one of their 
mechanics out who towed it to his home where it received some brake work, 
starter, generator,  gasoline drain and fill, new oil and other maintenance 
to ready it for our trip home.

This gentlemen picked us up at the airport, invited us to spend the evening 
at his home, go out to dinner(he insisted that pay) with him and his wife. 
After dinner I asked him what I owed him for his repair efforts.  He 
responded 500 dollars.  I insisted that this was to cheap but he insisted 
this was what the bill was.  I then gave him 500 dollars, whereupon he 
returned some 150 of them, telling me that his bill was 500 dollar Canadian 
and would not in spite of my protests would not take a cent more.

We then drove the car to Vancouver where the 1986 World's Fair was being 
held.  We spent several days there and then began the drive home to 
California.  Great time in Vancouver, except being stopped 3 times by local 
Police as we had no license plates, and they also were a stickler on 
assuring that we had proper insurance(which you can buy by the day as I 
remember).

Also while driving around Vancouver, one day I was parked at a telephone 
booth(remember those before cell phones?), a lady in a Cadillac pulled up 
and spoke to my wife who was sitting in the car while I was on the phone. 
When I left the phone booth she introduced herself and told me that she had 
stopped as she had noted the 300 and said that she felt that she knew every 
300 in Vancouver and this was a new one on her.  I asked her why she knew 
every 300 and she told me that she was the wife of Norm Frey and he owned a 
collection of them, loved them and had a service garage that specialized in 
MOPAR products and service.

She invited us to follow her to her home where we were introduced to Norm 
and his collection of 300's(2 55's 2 56's and perhaps a 57(not certain on 
this) and other assorted Mopars including a 67 Satellite(?) with low miles 
and a hemi and a 79(?) 300 with some 5000 miles on it.  Ending up spending a 
day or 2 with him(he replaced a vibrating U-Joint for me) and having a great 
time with he and his wife Rose.  Also staying at his home and eating several 
meals with them.  We have remained friends for many years and they have 
visited us when they came thru to California(he loved to come down for the 
big swap meets at Turlock and Watsonville).

When we attempted to enter the US we of course were stopped by Customs as 
again no license plates.  After presenting a bill of sale from the Sheriff 
and they then calling him to assures that we were legit, we were informed 
that we owed duty on the value that we had paid for the auto.

After much discussion regarding our feelings that we did not owe any duty, 
and they finally being persuaded that indeed we did not after I pointed out 
that this was a USA built auto and was merely being returned home, and again 
Customs making a couple of telephone calls to their superiors somewhere, 
they waved us on thru and told us to have a nice trip home.  No duty was 
paid.  Car averaged just over 17 miles per gallon for the entire 
trip(probably 1800 miles total and used zero oil) and had no problems except 
for vibration from U joint and tire balance.

Car was then shipped to Warren Automotive in Iowa City, Iowa where it spent 
2 years for a frame off restoration.  A fellow club member at that time by 
the name of Ken Block(who owned his own very fine 300 B) who lived in Cedar 
Rapids helped oversee its restoration.  I would stop by on my frequent 
business travels back East to look in also.  When restoration was completed, 
it was shipped back to California via Passport.  California labor at that 
time was about 50 to 60 dollars hourly and finding a great shop was almost 
impossible.  Warren Automotive in Iowa City did a wonderful job and labor 
rates were 25 dollars hourly.  They basically specialized in Bloomington 
Gold Corvette restorations but with Ken's guidance(they had also done his 
car) were able to do repeat their great work on his car.

The toughest problem that I had with the car restoration and getting it back 
on the road, was persuading the California DMV to give me a title(took 2 
years) based only upon a Bill of Sale from a Canadian Sheriff and 
registering a set of NOS 1956 license plates(still in original DMV wrapper) 
that I had picked up at a swap meet in Watsonville(I think for 75 dollars at 
the time) to the car.

So now you asked what time it is, I told you how to build a watch.  The 
short of it should be, that if the car was built in the USA, I doubt that 
you should pay duty to bring it back.

Good luck.

Roger Schaaf
300 B Calyfornua




----- Original Message ----- 
From: <hmpirish@xxxxxxx>
To: <Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, August 30, 2005 8:01 AM
Subject: [Chrysler300] 300 import


> Hi 300 Fans,
>    I am looking at buying a 300 in Canada.  Does anyone know what is
> required by US Customs in the way of paperwork and tax?  I don't want to 
> use a broker
> to bring it in to save money.
>            Thanks for any insight.  All the Best 300ing !
>                Phil Irish - outside Memphis (wet from Katrina but only
> slightly blown around)
>
>
>
> To send a message to this group, send an email to:
> Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
> For list server instructions, go to 
> http://www.chrysler300club.com/yahoolist/inst.htm
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>
>
>
>
>
>
> 




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