Has anyone ever bought and insured a car in the states?

[bigfatnick]

Hi all, i've got a mahoosive roadtrip planned for next year round the states. I've got a canadian mate coming who has a 89 civic but i figured it'd be too small for 3 of us. So i thought it might be wise to buy something at the start of our trip (new york) and flog it at the end, (LA or vancouver) top gear style.

My concern is that me, having a uk licence, and the other 2 having a aussie and canadian licence might struggle to insure a car for the 3 of us to use. Plus with us having no fixed address in the states it might be tricky to register the car/insure us.

Anyone have any experience?

Thanks

Nick

[4Lmike]

bigfatnick said:

Has anyone ever bought and insured a car in the states?

almost definately

[sawman]

it may be that your canadian pal might stand a good chance of doing it, although selling a car in canada may be problematic if it was bought in the US. there are strict rules about what cars can be taken into the country, and also issues around how long you have to keep something that you have brought in as a visitor before you can sell it

might be worth posting in the USA forum if you havent already

[Matt Harper]

Any friends or family over here?
Your biggest hurdle isn't insurance - you need a US address to register and title the vehicle to - without that you can't operate a vehicle unless you are doing so under an international carnet (personal, temporary import).
You cannot insure the car unless it has a valid tag/title and likewise, a friend or family member can make this happen for you (assuming they trust you not to throw them under the bus by driving like dicks and causing a trail of mayhem in your wake).
I've read on here that it's possible for non-US license holders to get full coverage insurance. I've lived here for some time and I can't find an insurer that offers that coverage (having asked several times on behalf of relatives/friends).
How long are you planning on being here? Is a long-term rental an option?
One other option, of course, is just to buy a car via craigslist and not bother with the paperwork. However, your first traffic stop will have you all hauled off to the slammer.
In summary, you need a US address to 'attach' the vehicle to.

[Plotloss]

I have, as a non-resident alien.

Even then it was eye watering money, as a temporary visitor I'd guess that it will be prohibitively expensive.

You may also need a driving licence to buy a car in the US, which you won't get obviously, as you're not a visa holder.

[bigfatnick]

sweet, thanks guys.

I know its a go-er from BC in canada (on account of i'm in BC at the mo and my roomie has done it) so i think i'll just try get a car here and insure us all on it. Just means an extra couple thousand miles driving.

[sawman]

bigfatnick said:

sweet, thanks guys.

I know its a go-er from BC in canada (on account of i'm in BC at the mo and my roomie has done it) so i think i'll just try get a car here and insure us all on it. Just means an extra couple thousand miles driving.

why dont you hop over the border at new york and pick up something canadian which you can sell when back in van'

[bigfatnick]

I'll do some research into it, but since i posted i've spoke to my canadian friend, turns out her dad teaches car mechanic type stuff at a college. Sounds like he can get us some kind of minivan for almost free.

Howeever, bc's government insurance (icbc) is awesome, anyone can drive the insured car (i've been driving my mates econoline for months out here) so it might be better to do this than to go to toronto etc and use a boggo insurance company. We'll see i guess, more research is required.