Of course, the CDN import is different, but it's really just the feds that care about this stuff. The major paperwork was getting it in the country. Getting it registered and licensed probably varies depending on your state. TN was a piece of cake. I just handed them the federal documents and didn't have any problems. I can't see why it would be much different anywhere else, except CA.

Insurance was no big deal, either. I gave them the VIN and they gave me a policy. I think it's listed as a 4KQ, but I don't mind. My '85 was insured as an Audi Coupe, but I certainly changed their mind when it came time to pay up. If I give them an accurate VIN, it's their responsibility to pick the right policy. If they're not charging me enough, that's their problem!

Now, for a 20V urq, I can see where insurance would be a problem, but there are plenty of companies that'll give you a custom policy. As this thread is concerning a Euro '85, I doubt there'll be any issue here at all. Theoretically, once it's modified (bumpers, lights, etc.) to meet the federal standards, it's identical to a US '85.

Hmmmm... I just remembered that the Euro WR had higher HP and different emissions. Does the WR even have an O2 sensor? This could be bad, because it means that they WILL be asking questions about the motor. With any luck, they'll just verify that it's been modified to run with a cat and O2 sensor.

 

You already had the right VIN, bumpers, door beams, cat, seat belt attachments, etc. About all you have to do with a Canadian car that has a US version is to swap the speedo to read in miles. A Euro VIN throws a big wrench into things. AFAIK, all conversion work needs to be done and documented (pictures) by a registered importer. I'm not sure if you could register with DOT yourself and document all the changes, like door beams, bumpers, instruments, mirrors, lights, reflectors, etc., or pass that documentation to a registered importer to submit for you, but I doubt it. That might be worth looking into. There is the chance that there may be a way to fly under the radar so it would be absolutely no big deal. I couldn't find that method.

What I found with that '90 RR was that there are a bunch of places where if you missed something and/or they got picky, the car would have to be shipped back or destroyed. You could bring it over as a show and display car, but there are lots of stipulations to how and how much the car could be used. The CO DMV required the proper DOT/EPA/NHTSA compliance documentation to register a Euro car.

With that RR it wasn't worth it to me to spend $25k on a car that I potentially couldn't drive. My understanding is that the guy that originally brought it in lost a bunch of money on the deal to get out of it. Dean Treadway ended up buying it, and while it did have a good title, I doubt that he has registered it. If he found a way to do it legitimately, more power to him.

It makes no sense at all to me how someone can drop an old polluting big block Chevy V8 on a Model T frame, cut up some beer kegs for seats and drive around with it legally, yet you can't register a modern, safe car without spending a lot of time and money jumping through hoops.

 

I was told if you have a home in Italy - you still can't own a car in italy.

 

So.. was that RR actually registered, anyone have the owners info?

 

Mike D has one, so did Mike Bond, not to mention Mr Bremer himself... there has to be some sort of a presidence. In fact RR is better because it has emission controls etc.

 

Whatever the case, there were also US versions of those cars at the time. In the mid '80s there were all kinds of grey market Euro cars coming into the country. The automakers and dealers themselves (like Ferarri) pushed to change grey market importations, which made it VERY difficult for people to bring in cars. Only recently has it become possible to bring in Porsche 959s. Bill Gates' 959 was in impound for years. Also look how long it took, and how much it cost for people to bring in B5 RS4s, and those aren't much different than a B5 S4 Avant.

The RR ur quattro is also 3-5 years newer than the ur quattros that Audi originally imported. The RR engine was not certified (doesn't matter that it is almost identical to the 3B), etc. Not to mention crash safety requirement were probably different between '85 and '90. What we think and what makes sense has nothing to do with the EPA/DOT/NHTSA. Their regulations make bringing in cars extremely difficult. They have gotten a bit less stringent in the last few years, but if you go by the book, it still isn't easy. Now if you could go about getting a letter from Audi certifying that a Euro ur quattro meets all requirements, you would have it made. Hah!

Of course, people always find ways around "going by the book". Witness cars like Cosworth Escorts, Nissan Skylines, etc. running around...

 

Check with the Bennetts at 2Bennett Audimotive. I believe that they do the work on his cars.

 

But there are some gotcha's.

For one you have to pay dual taxes, ouch.