Looking to buy a used Iltis in the U.S.

[charlie98210]

Looking for a used Iltis located in the United States. Not running but mostly complete, as I am looking for a low-initial-cost project for restoration.

If you have one you're looking to get rid of, contact my by Private Message or by email.

My email address is: schimancharles@comast.net

[Grant Bowker]

Since there are almost certainly more Iltis avaialble in Canada, I'm curious why you state that the Iltis must be in the USA. Is it because it is as awkward getting "military " hardware across the border into the USA as it is getting similar items out of the USA?

[alleramilitaria]

in lots o states getting a under 25yo vehicle in the US is not a easy thing to do if you ever want to plate it.

[charlie98210]

Originally Posted by Grant Bowker

Since there are almost certainly more Iltis avaialble in Canada, I'm curious why you state that the Iltis must be in the USA. Is it because it is as awkward getting "military " hardware across the border into the USA as it is getting similar items out of the USA?

According to the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Agency), which has been delegated the authority to regulatate the rules concerning importation of motor vehicles into the United States, all imported vehicles must meet all U.S. safety and emission standards which were in effect when the vehicle was manufactured. The rules also state that the only way to prove this is having the U.S. certification plate (issused when the vehicle was built) in its place on the vehicle.

So...if the vehicle was never meant to be sold in the U.S., there is no plate. The rules also say that having the car tested at an emission testing facility to show that it meets the emission standards is not enough. You must have a certified waiver, issued by the manufacturer, which shows that the vehicle was manufactured to comply with the U.S. emission standards, but was sold in a "non-complying country" and the certification plate was not placed on the vehicle.

Vehicles sold as "salvage" are banned from importation into the U.S.

So I figured my best bet is to find one which is already in the U.S. and have already jumped through all the hurdles necessary to be registered and driven.

The other alternative, I've been told, is to wait until 2010 for 1985 models, or 2011 for 1986's. Then they are exempt from the certification problems.

As you can see, this is a real can of worms as far as importing fairly modern cars or ex-military vehicles are concerned.

When I started looking at buying an Iltis, I thought I could just replace the engine with a U.S. certified replacement engine from VW. According to magazine articles written when VW started selling civilian versions, VW had it tested and it met U.S. crash and safety standards. But there's a rule against replacing the engine. too. NHTSA is interpeting the anti-emission equipment tampering law as including tampering with non-complying vehicles--sort of a Catch 22, if you know what I mean.
The more I research this, the worse it gets.

[charlie98210]

I did. He told me to wait until after 2010, when the 85's would be twenty-five years old and easier to bring into the country.

[alleramilitaria]

its not just the motor, its the lights, break lights, glass, seat belts and all the other items that must meet the safety standards.

dave

[maple_leaf_eh]

From my experience, the Iltis was specified by DND as fully compliant with normal highway traffic rules. It won't have crash resistent bumpers or air bags, but the lights, horn, hand brake and glass ought to be fully acceptible. Having driven one around Bosnia, I have no desire to get back into one or spend a dime. It was a poor replacement for the M38A1 and M151.

There are persistent rumours that Bombardier did sell some privately to Canadian businesses as well as to the military. The one story that sticks in my mind is some were sold for use down the nickle mines in Sudbury. Too bad INCO and Falconbridge are now either out of business or run by venture capitalists who look at every part of the entreprise as revenue-positive or revenue-negative. The first category get saved, the second get sold off or dumpstered. I suspect 24 yr old paper records about minor equipment acquisitions is in the latter.

[rob love]

Originally Posted by maple_leaf_eh

From my experience, the Iltis was specified by DND as fully compliant with normal highway traffic rules. It won't have crash resistent bumpers or air bags, but the lights, horn, hand brake and glass ought to be fully acceptible. Having driven one around Bosnia, I have no desire to get back into one or spend a dime. It was a poor replacement for the M38A1 and M151.

There are persistent rumors that Bombardier did sell some privately to Canadian businesses as well as to the military. The one story that sticks in my mind is some were sold for use down the nickle mines in Sudbury. Too bad INCO and Falconbridge are now either out of business or run by venture capitalists who look at every part of the entreprise as revenue-positive or revenue-negative. The first category get saved, the second get sold off or dumpstered. I suspect 24 yr old paper records about minor equipment acquisitions is in the latter.

The Iltis did not (and still doesn't) meet HTA regs. Examples are the tailamps, which are not SAE approved and lack the reflex lenses. It also does not have side markers. There will be a host of other things, but these one jump to mind.

Truck lite now makes SAE approved tail lamps for the SMP vehicles. They have multi LEDs in them as opposed to the old single filament light bulbs.