This is completely a non-issue OP. I cross with my evo across the border at least 30 times a year. Across the Niagara, Buffalo, and Quebec borders. My car has at least 7 things that are illegal, and border patrol just couldn't care less. I've also been searched by US and Cdn border patrol. They will have nothing to say about your car in specific. Border patrol knows nor cares about the legality of a car. A few times when I had my loud *** HKS exhaust they even had to tell me to turn off my car so we could hear each other . Even when you first import a car into Canada border patrol only cares about paper work. Then you go to a certified inspection place (usually Canadian tire) to do the road legalizing tango.

It also does not matter if your car is on a trailer. They'll just be more suspicious you're hiding drugs. But the car itself is not an issue. Just keep your ON plates and have your registration ready if they ever try to doubt its a car thats already been legally imported and registered in Canada. I also suggest you make sure the RIV certification sticker is on your car, but thats just to go the extra mile. You will NOT pay taxes again on the car because its already Canadian. There are many Canadian rally teams that trailor their car into the US for events every year. They're cars are registered "road legal" cars (as per CRC rules) and border patrol never hassles them. SCCA also does a few events in Canada and the US teams cross into and back across the border with their race cars (that aren't even plated for the street) without issue.

Theres only a few areas you can run into trouble. 1. Be nice, courteous and casual at all times! Don't tell them there were any mods done to the car when you bring it back from Buschur's. Don't even say that was the purpose of your visit. They have no way of knowing. The pic they take at the border is of your face, not your car. 2. Don't get caught lieing to them. Believe me if you're ever in doubt its better to claim that yes you have parts added to your car and present all bills you paid to Buschur. They will charge you HST on all parts (not service) added to the car. If you do get caught for lieing then you will be "flagged" for 7 years, of which the first 5 will be a mandatory search every time you cross and the other 2 will be a "random" search.

Again though, they will NOT confiscate or ticket your car. Border patrol cares nothing about your (in their eyes) mad-tyte-modified ride. One US border patrol officer wasted 10mins of my time explaining how his stock c5 'vert would spank my fwd 4cyl car.

Also why do you need a pro tune to drive the car? You just need a really basic tune to drive the car across the border. Possibly even stock maps if you're still using stock ecu. It will feel as slow as a prius but will get you to Buschur's in probably the same time.

 

Fertilizer is part of the recipe for homemade bombs.

 

Just leave your weed at home.....you won't have any problems!

 

^^^This is exactly what I was looking for. Thank you very kindly for your time and information. Very informative!!! Glad to hear its not going to be an issue at all

I thought i would need a protune because im going from stock engine to...
2.3 10:1 with gsc s2 cams
ID 2000 cc injectors
AEM EMS 2

Didnt think I could run on a stock map with those mods especially the injectors. Can someone say hydrostatic lock lol
-I was going to just install the injectors when I get there but still thought the engine was too far from stock to run safely

Thanks again buddy, this was exactly what I was looking for, to the T

Thanks to everyone else that has also commented and has given me advise. It is greatly appreciated. LOL I will leave the fertilizer at home

Thanks again and kind regards,
Chris

 

Just ask Buschur to email you a base tune. I'm sure he's got tons of reference maps for 2.3rpm / id2000 / AEM. Its easy to make a SUPER safe tune for a car. Its hard to tune a car for safe power.

If he doesn't want to email you a base tune, then you could drive over with your stock injectors / maf / ecu. Definitely shouldn't be paying for a tune to pay for another one.

 

I asked already, thats a big negative on a base email tune to get me to his door.

I definently dont want to pay for two tunes... If I get tuned down here at Magnus im looking at 1200$... just to drive to Buschur to get retuned. Plus on a side note Magnus has already told me that im crazy for thinking I can run over 24psi on 94 octane on a 10:1 safely. Buschur seems to have no problem with tuning it to 30psi or so on pump safely, which definently makes me want to go nowhere but to them. Plus its there engine, no one should be able to tune it better then David himself. At this time im not sure what im going to do Just keep going at my build and deal with that part when it comes time. 9 weeks will come quickly. I can only hope I figure out this hiccup quickly and smoothly.

 

I thought Buschur implied in the other thread he'd give you something to drive down to him with.

Paying magnus for a tune is out of the question. If anything go to neetronics or some other cheap place to get a driveable tune put in. You don't actually need to be strapped to a dyno to have a driveable tune.

And if he doesn't want to then get tscomp to give you something to drive with. Really the only big thing you actually need is injector scaling. If its stock ecu I'd say no problem, tons of info for that. AEMs are completely foreign territory for me (they hate communicating with my laptop ) and even though I'm pretty sure you can scale injectors with it the same way as stock ecu I'd rather not tell you something without certainty.

And like I said....last resort is put in the stock injectors, ecu, and maf sensor for the drive to the states. And run wastegate pressure and never go into boost. Its hard for a tune to blow up an engine off boost.

Also if you are flatbedding your car there don't tell them you're going to get it modified! First of all the US border patrol will really not care much why you're towing the car. Tell them its a strictly track car that is not road legal and you're going for a competition at the DSM/EVO shootout or something like that. And then just drive it back... The Canadian and US border patrol don't really know why you came and left. Other than you came in on this date and you left on that date. Be honest but don't volunteer info is what I'm saying.

EDIT: And I don't know why everyone is so scared about running boost on high CR pump gas. First of all we have good quality 94. My tune knocks in the states but not in Canada. Secondly as long as you pull enough timing you can run more than the normal amount of boost. There will be a trade-off (roughly speaking) between timing and boost. Can't have both with lower octane is all.

 

I responded to that,
"I have no intention of hitting boost at all when coming down to you. Not to mention WOT. You guys have my engine right now, Nick said its roughly 5 weeks away. Thats what I was planing on but was told that a basic email tune to get me to your door was not possible.

I dont think it will even run when I install the engine mainly due to the:
ID 2000 cc injectors
AEM EMS 2 W/SD conversion "


but on pm a month ago or so it was a complete no go.

Ill contact tscomp and see if they can help me out but I may have to run on the stock injectors, maf and ecu to get me down there. Trying not to flatbed if I dont have to. For the price I might as well get tuned here and then drive down for the re-tune. And thats with my tow truck hookups. Heavy stress over this build. Thanks again for all the great advice

 

I come from the Toyota side of the fence so forgive me for not knowing much about Buschur besides the name recognition. I have to ask though...is it possible for him to travel to you and tune where you live? It might be more money but in the end it may be comparable or cheaper than two tunes and certainly a lot less headache and it would save you the trip.

My local AEM tuner John Reed travels all over the world tuning AEM, Motec, Vipec, etc for Supras, Vipers, Lambos, Ferraris and all sorts of other cars. I don't know if Buschur travels but it would make things a lot easier on you!

 

I don't know what his strong stance against a get-me-to-your-shop tune is....maybe hes afraid you'll romp on it anyways and blow it up.

Tscomp should definitely be able to set you up with something. Honestly its like a 15 to 30min job to get you a driveable injector scaling and timing/fuel map. You don't even need to make any runs or a dyno to do it. There are many people in Toronto that can get your car running at the bare minimum. Neetronics, 4 star, Advance Power House, Dynamotorsports, etc. Not just magnu$$$$$$.

Just trying to help a friend out. I can see you're already getting stress ulcers over this build.

 

Crazy home grown terrorists messed up for the rest of us. LOL.

 

So as mentioned by others... I was over thinking the whole boarder crossing

It was a breeze! Although they did want me to shut the car off cause it was too loud

Canadian border also did an inspection on my car, but it was a quick thing that was no big deal at all!

Thanks for the advice guys!

Chris