| Author |
Message |
Thomas
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 31, 2001 - 8:52 am: | |
Hello Peter,
I am glad you have that 15 year deal up there, we would have to wait 25 years to get the same deal.
At least that is something.
Thanks
Thomas |
'75 308 GT4 (Peter)
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 30, 2001 - 10:56 pm: | |
I should point out that their is SOME freedom on importation into Canada. As long as the vehicle is 15 years old and older, it can enter the country UNMODIFIED. No emissions equipment, bumpers, and lighting equipment need to be replaced. Certain younger vehicles can be brought in too with some mods. Here are websites that I went through when I thought about importation:
http://www.tc.gc.ca/securiteroutiere/importusa/impxus_e.htm
http://www.tc.gc.ca/securiteroutiere/importusa/english/imind_e.htm |
Thomas
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 30, 2001 - 6:36 pm: | |
Hello Ben,
I am back in town and ready to go over your thoughtful message point by point. Ben are you sure your not a Ferrari salesman at that local Factory Authorized Ferrari dealer?
Either way let me respond to your points, because it is obvious that the dealer you talked to knows less about Euro Spec cars than your interested friend did.
First off, you mention that Dealers are forbidden to work on Euro spec cars. Well that is as usual, rather hypocritical on their part. I mean they said that 15 years ago, it was the same story back then, that they could never sell or service Euro spec cars. But the truth is far different when you follow the path of the money. Here is just one of many examples, at this very moment I know of a 512BB sitting in the show room of a Factory Authorized North America Ferrari dealer at this very moment!! That car was never imported by Ferrari of North America! What is it doing on the show room floor? Why are they now selling and servicing such a car? The fact is this, if your competing for with Ferrari N.A. on cars that the factory is currently producing your going to get nothing but horror stories from the dealers about directly imported cars. You would think that from listening to these Scare-Monger Ferrari dealer stories that the only Ferraris made at the Maranello Factory were the North American Versions, and all the others were made in Taiwan.
My experience with the dealer has been that they will work on Euro Spec cars if they can, if the conversion was done in a way that allows the mechanic to work on the car in the same manner that they were trained to work on the American Spec cars. This is what is important and this is what I am really talking about, these are the kinds of cars that I am talking about. There are Euro spec conversions being done today on late model cars that are being done correctly, this leads me to your next point.
You mention that your local dealer stated there were problems with the onboard computer systems talking to each other (like one of them talked in English and the other one talked in Italian), well the fact is that after your car is converted it will allow the American dealer's diagnostic equipment to talk to the Euro spec car as well as it did with the Ameri spec car. By EPA law the car has to be equipped with an OBD2 system for the diagnosis that you mention in your comments. That is an undisputable matter of FACT! I am taking a F355 to the dealer next week for a pre purchase inspection and the dealer will examine the computer system that your local dealer says will not be able to communicate, I will be happy to forward to anyone the results of this dealer examination.
You also say you would never consider a directly imported Ferrari, well what about the folks that have to wait 3 to 4 years on a waiting list to get a car, what would you say to them? Your SOL?
Why should they have to wait, if a suitable car is available? What if the sales price of the car is discounted dramatically?
Lastly I can see from the last paragraph that you wrote that you local dealer knows very little about these late model Euro spec cars, my local dealer was honest enough to say that they have never seen one yet and that mine will be the first. He said this just after he went off on his rhetorical diatribe about the evils of Euro spec cars, that was until I mentioned the 512BB on his show room floor, reminding him that the 512BB was a Euro spec car. Then he calmed down and we set an appointment for the pre purchase inspection. I mean what would you expect him to say? Something good? Let face it your in competition with your dealer if you have a Euro spec car, they can't sell those cars for fear of losing their franchise, and you damn well know they would love to sell them if they could. There are a lot of dealers out there that would love to shave the waiting list time for a Modena from 4 years to 4 months.
So Ben, do your friend a favor. Now that you know more about these Euro spec cars, tell him about the exciting and brave new world we live in, this ain't the 80's no more, and lets thank the good lord that we don't live in Canada, cause those poor guys will never have the options that we do, whether its medical care or Ferraris, neither of them are cheap, but at least we have a choice.
Best regard,
J. Thomas Schuesler
Ameristar Capital Wholesale
[email protected] |
'75 308 GT4 (Peter)
| | Posted on Saturday, January 27, 2001 - 1:46 am: | |
Thomas, tell me about it! Did you know that even kit-car manufacturers in Canada cannot even sell their cars in other provinces! Example: Intermecchanica (makers of fine Porsche 356 replicas) here in B.C. cannot sell in Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, etc...
During the time I was considering importing, I figured a way to bring a certain car in, but it was illegaly, so that idea got dropped quickly. Although there were (are) foreign cars here. I saw on a semi-regular basis a BMW Z1 in between Ottawa and Montreal (owned by a diplomat). As well as a Porsche 959 brought in by an exotic car dealer for "display" purposes.
I just hope Alfa will return to North America in the future. |
Thomas
| | Posted on Friday, January 26, 2001 - 8:13 am: | |
Hello 308GT4(Peter),
As to your question on the Alfa importation in to Canada, you can just forget it. Its to bad but Canadian law unlike US law is much stricter when it comes to "Direct Importation" of cars.
In Canada if the car was not specifically constructed for use in the North American market, right from the get-go, at the factory you can not import such a car into Canada, well not legally that is.
John Thomas |
Thomas
| | Posted on Friday, January 26, 2001 - 8:06 am: | |
Hello Ben,
Thanks for your comments, and please lets start a Bon Fire, even consider throwing in a can of Aviation fuel, I like the aroma. Your question is great, I will have a super specific answer for you in a few days, as I am out of town at the moment and I don't want to guess at anything. But off the top it sounds like the Dealer in your area is really laying on the propaganda thick, but that is what we should expect from any dealer.
John Thomas |
Ben Lobenstein 90 TR (Benjet)
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 24, 2001 - 7:50 pm: | |
Well not to start a flame war, but there ARE some very important differences between recent USA Ferrari's and NON-USA Ferrari's (Grey Market Cars). First being that Ferrari, N.A. has forbidden authorized Dealers in the USA from doing work on them. If each dealer follows this rule is questionable (and maybe be handled on a case by case or car by car basis). Secondly and most importantly (after further questioning my local dealers on why buying USA would be important), they explained that since about 1995 all Ferrari's are computer controlled to some extent more than others, not just engine management but other systems as well. As they explained USA dealers can use the USA diagnostic equipment on USA cars only (basically the computers here in the USA all speak USA), and the NON-USA cars speak NON-USA (thus USA diagnostic equipment don't speak NON-USA and vice versa). This means that any recalls or other problems that do occur that require error code reading, those with a grey market car are SOL.
Due to the number of recalls on the 360 alone I would (personally) not condenser this to be an option. But I have already seen a 360 Spyder here, obviously a grey car. I guess to some it doesn't matter that much.
This is just what I have discovered after a lot of questioning at my local Ferrari Dealer(s) as I did have a friend that was once considering trying to get a grey market car, but I think since gave up.
-Ben
PS. USA = USA + Canada (basically a North America Car) |
'75 308 GT4 (Peter)
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 24, 2001 - 6:43 pm: | |
How about this: I love the Alfa Romeo 156 Selespeed wagon, any way of those coming to North America (Canada specifically)? With the GM purchase of shares in Fiat Auto, Alfa is expected to return in 2003, but I've heard only GTV's and Spyders could (will?) be brought in. Any change to this? I've looked into importation before, but seemed to be a real hassle. |
Thomas
| | Posted on Monday, January 22, 2001 - 11:20 pm: | |
Hello Fellow Contributors,
Wow, what a wonderful mistake I made in finding this site, so please indulge me while I take a moment to run an idea by you all.
I am with Ameristar Capital Wholesale, very soon our company will be providing Euro spec Ferraris at deep discounts to their brethren, Ameri spec Ferraris. I would like to know your opinion of our soon to be offered service and what you like and perhaps where you feel we may fall short of your expectations.
I have no idea what percentage of Ferrari enthusiasts are aware of the fact that todays difference between a US version and the Euro version Ferrari is almost nil, the Ferraris of 1996 till today are all nearly "world cars".
With this in mind, and willing to offer to proof to anyone that is interested, please allow me pose this example:
Let us say that your in the market for an F355 Spider. You contact us and we propose the following car. We offer you a 1999 F355 Spider, with F1 gears, one owner, Red and black or any acceptable color of your choice, 5ooo miles, service history, books and records, and no stories. The price would be $149,000, for lack of a better expression, this would be exactly what you would expect of a properly maintained and well cared for Ferrari. It has an Expired warranty, past the 2 year warranty date ( not that Ferrari of N. A. would honor it anyway ). The car also receives a full pre purchase inspection at an authorized Ferrari Dealer in Europe. We then contract with you the buyer for the purchase of this car, as described above.
Lets then say that the car then arrives in America, purchased by our company with our company money on your behalf. Prior to that, you the buyer, would place your $149,000 into an escrow account. Upon arrival of the car in America you are able to inspect the car and have an authorized or Independent Ferrari service center inspect the car.
After the inspection is completed and the car passes muster, the escrow company then releases to our company half, or $75,000. The car is then converted to US specs ( and believe me having personally done this since 1978, there is very little to do to these cars now days to make them fully comply with DOT and EPA standards ). The car in now fully serviceable at any Ferrari Service center.
Within approx. 60 days after arriving in the USA, the car receives the DOT and EPA releases and the car is Titled in one of the 50 States, in the name of you the buyer. At that point the rest of the money is released to our company.
We then shake hands and say good bye. I then go about helping additional Ferrari lovers and you drive away into the sunset, enjoying your new car (with a fatter wallet to boot), singing our praises and telling your friends. Ok, not so fast, I know what your saying, "the devil is in the details". Which is true. But having done this hundreds of times already, it's really just about as simple as mentioned above.
This proposal, from our point of view, is very do-able. But what would your thoughts be? What would your concerns be? Please don't hesitate to post your ideas or comments, and e-mail me if you have any further questions.
Thanks for the time,
J. Thomas Schuesler
Ameristar Capital Wholesale
[email protected] |
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