Hey everyone! Recently I moved to the UK for work and am now very interested in bringing my car over from CA. Finally achieving my dream job as a car designer at Mclaren is great but I want the car that started it all here with me.
Its an 1988 GT mostly stock, aside from brake upgrade and no catalytic converter. Anyone had any experience registering or bringing a car over to the UK. Would be very nice to have it here.
The car in question is the Red 88GT in my other thread.
Get Export rules from US Customs. You need all docs listed for Export.
Get Import rules from UK Customs. You need all docs listed for Import.
To put it on UK roads... You need UK Inspection. Maybe a special inspection for first time after import. Likely won't pass inspection w/o a cat. Need to rewire side markers, turn/park lamps, etc to UK/EU rules. Brake "upgrade" may be trouble. Stock brakes can be hard to pass inspection.
Not sure if UK requires to be Right Hand Driver conversion.
------------------ Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should. (Jurassic Park)
Thanks everyone for the info. I have looked at some here, but not sure about the state of these vehicles. I know my car like the the back of my hand. Will look for every avenue to do this.
As far as the move, I graduated with a degree in Automotive Design from Art Center in CA. While there I worked for Polaris, BMW, Volvo, and Toyota in Japan, that combined with some good timing and luck opened the door for me to sketch supercars all day . Keep an eye out for the next few models coming down the pipeline. They are something...
As far as the move, I graduated with a degree in Automotive Design from Art Center in CA. While there I worked for Polaris, BMW, Volvo, and Toyota in Japan, that combined with some good timing and luck opened the door for me to sketch supercars all day . Keep an eye out for the next few models coming down the pipeline. They are something...
-A
Congrats! Seems like just yesterday you were talking about going to Automotive design school.
Maybe you can answer a question I've always had... why do nice looking cars have to be so expensive? Or in other words why are inexpensive cars so ugly? It should cost about the same to make a nice looking car as an ugly one, but why do you have to pay super car prices before they are really sexy looking? I mean couldn't BMW, Volvo or Toyota make a car that looks sexy like a Lamborghini but not cost lambo price?
Many things are associated with the vehicles we see on the road. One of the things you mentioned is caused my bad packaging (packaging is the way people, components, drivetrain fit into the platform). Great proportions make a sexy vehicle, if the proportions are bad you can style it all you want and it will never look "sexy". A exotic car looks good primarily due to proportions. Secondly the manufacturing process makes a difference. A cheap Chevy Sonic has stamped steel panels, the reflections, the exaggerated surfacing and overall panel quality is affected by that process. As opposed to a 300k supercar which is usually composite, gets much hand finishing during assembly will always look and feel more premium. Sadly another factor is that people in general like boring same old same old.Sorry to say it... So many new and innovative things we come up with move into concept phase and once we do a focus group, customers shoot down the ideas. Right now there is an industry push to remove side view mirrors with cameras and has screens in the interiors. Sounds great for aero, virtually removes blindspots, it's the future etc... But then that is shown to consumers at a concept stage they feel it's too different and prefer the comfortable thing they are used to. Hence technology and design is held back. Same is also relevant for design, something new and sexy might appeal to you and me, but most people don't want a sexy jetta, they just want a jetta that's nice and gets the job done. We can't push too hard otherwise it will turn off half of the buyers sadly. When you compare practicality and flash, they live in different worlds. Companies just can't break even on a vehicle at the cost of a sonic while utilizing processes and technology of a Lamborghini. Hope that answers the question
Arrange shipping from the US side, it'll be cheaper. Add consumables to the car, it won't affect the shipping charge much, but it'll save you in the long run.
Get as much original documentation as you can, if possible a letter from GM, or a FAX, stating clearly the year of manufacture and the model details. The UK DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authourity), aka Swansea, aka muppets, will not accept emails. They don't accept copies of whatever documents register the car in another country either. Only originals. If you have to surrender those documents before the car is UK registered it can be a right pain. It used to be much simpler with local offices and people who knew what they were doing. DVLA is staffed by people who don't know their own rules, don't particularly care and expect you to do all the work for them. Seriously, they're dreadful.
As the Ogre outlined, you'll have to fit front sidelights and amber indicators, with wing repeaters, headlights must dip to the left. You'll need a rear foglight. An LED strip in the rear centre panel or above the number plate is easiest. You won't need a Cat. LHD is perfectly acceptable. It must pass a UK MOT roadworthiness test. The main difficulty for Fiero's is lights and handbrake. The car must be trailered to/from an MOT testing station unless it's still registered in the US and on US plates, it MUST be insured though, which is another nightmare trying to insure a car on foreign plates with UK insurers. I found a specialist who would insure the car for the day the easiest way, last time I did it was about £35. Speedo must be in MPH.
Your brake kit will be acceptable, as will the coilovers. DO mention those to your insurers!
You'll have to pay 20% VAT (tax) on the car based on it's value, use a UK valuation if you can, they're not worth a lot over here, so, it pays to ship it covered in wax polish so it gets dusty. Leave it that way until it's registered, just incase DVLA want to inspect it. You have to pay a one off initial registration fee and either 6 months or a years road tax. Currently £230 a year, I think. It should get an age related registration, either an E or F, followed by three numbers, then three letters. If you buy a personal registration, do make sure you get a prefix the same or older. You can't use a 'newer' registration number.
Keep copies of EVERYTHING, and send recorded delivery ALWAYS when sending documents to DVLA.
As far as the move, I graduated with a degree in Automotive Design from Art Center in CA. While there I worked for Polaris, BMW, Volvo, and Toyota in Japan, that combined with some good timing and luck opened the door for me to sketch supercars all day . Keep an eye out for the next few models coming down the pipeline. They are something...
-A
As a fellow Art Center grad, I offer congratulations and good luck! I would be inclined to leave my Fiero in the States, even if it had lambo doors on it, and go after another one, but these decisions are not always rational, are they?
[This message has been edited by Gall757 (edited 07-06-2014).]
...Same is also relevant for design, something new and sexy might appeal to you and me, but most people don't want a sexy jetta, they just want a jetta that's nice and gets the job done. We can't push too hard otherwise it will turn off half of the buyers sadly. When you compare practicality and flash, they live in different worlds. Companies just can't break even on a vehicle at the cost of a sonic while utilizing processes and technology of a Lamborghini. Hope that answers the question
Yes that does answer the question. I'm sure BMW, or Honda could make a sexier car, but they don't want to turn off half their customers. I can remember when every year the new cars came out I was so excited. Now I can barely tell one car from the next and they haven't changed much in the last two decades. A 90s car looks about the same as a modern car. Not much as changed in terms of styling. Where are the gull wing doors? or something different from what we've had for 100 years.
. Keep an eye out for the next few models coming down the pipeline. They are something...
