I recently wrote off to VWUS Customer Relations and got the following
letter for my '87 Westy, which is a pure Canadian vehicle with no DOT
stickers or EPA or nothin' in that line:

"Based upon records in the possession of VW of Am, Inc we confirm that the
vehicle identified above was originally produced by VWAG, Germany, for sale
in the Candian market. The vehicle was certified by the manufacturer to
conform to all Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (CMVSS), to U. S.
Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) regulations and to all Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) in effect at the time of
manufacture, with the following exceptions:

       The speedometer must be capable of being read in miles per hour.

       The odometer must be labeled. In this case, it is sufficient to be
labeled in kilometers."

The also mention, natch, that the car does not conform to Calif emissions
standards.

Now I'm confused. I see that the EPA should be happy; but does FMVSS here
refer to DOT? I suppose it must, because if it were referring to the
Canadian standards then they would have repeated CMVSS.

Anyway, when the time comes for me to get this thing across the border (if
it ever comes to that), I'll let you know how it went. In the meantime, if
anybody is thinking of bringing a Canadian vehicle in, I started by calling
VWUS customer service at 810-340-5000. They were polite and helpful. The
letter came shortly after.

Neil Wigley

Neil Wigley
U of Windsor
<wigley@server.uwindsor.ca>