Today is a sad day Options

[reko]

As you guys know, we, in Canada, can import 15+ cars. Yesterday, the SAAQ (the organism that delivers immatriculation in Quebec) decided to suspend the attribution of new licenses for JDM cars.

This means that all the money i was saving to buy my GT-Four ST205 is now useless... The worst thing is that i was wating to get my tax back next week to buy it

http://www.montrealracing.com/en/?p=581

At around noon today one of our members, prelude83, published a forum discussion thread containing a draft ministerial press release that had some very disturbing news for JDM lovers in it. According to the press release, the SAAQ (the Quebec Auto Insurance Board) has banned new registrations of right hand drive vehicles for for at least 180 days while they study the matter further. Apparently these vehicles were deemed unsafe for Quebec roads. Those who doubted him didn’t have to wait long because shortly after the thread was made, the SAAQ itself confirmed the rumor and put out the press release.

Prior to this enactment, it had been legal to import any vehicle fifteen years or older and many companies took advantage of the high demand for right hand drive JDM (Japan Domestic Market) vehicles. Nissan Skylines, Nissan Sylvias, Toyota Soarers, Toyota MR2s and even Honda Civics and CRXs with right hand drive were becoming quite numerous on our roads.

The SAAQ has put word out to its certified garages to not do any inspection for a RHD vehicles as of April 29 2009. Without an inspection the vehicle can not be admitted to the road. The move will not affect current owners of these vehicles who have already had them plated legally or specially certified RHD vehicles such as garbage/recycle trucks, street cleaners or postal vehicles. We can only guess the amount of losses that JDM importers who have shipments of RHD vehicles en route scheduled to arrive after today will have to absorb. Needless to say if the move becomes permanent, the value of the RHD vehicles that made it on the road before the new law will surely increase to the delight of their owners.

Dealers will not be permitted to put x-plates (temporary dealer plates) on any RHD vehicle not registered before today. If you are in the market for a JDM or RHD vehicle ask for the proper documentation to prove that the vehicle was properly plated before the deadline otherwise you’ll be in for a surprise.

The SAAQ is scheduled to remit a reccomendation to the Transport Minsiter Julie Boulet before 180 days.