Toe Knee

iTrader: (2)

Was wondering if anyone is clue'd up on this...........


Bsically me and a friend are looking at importing a couple of cars from italy. As far as i know they should all have italian plates and paperwork but their far from standard!!!!! Been modified a fair bit.

We were wondering if we drove them back, obviously would have insurance etc sorted but, if customs got funny and decided to check them over for emissions etc can they impound them if they class them as not being suitable to drive in the UK?!?! their bound to stop them and check them over due to the spec etc of the cars.

Dont want to go thru all the effort going to get them to then have problems with customs on the way back!!

Cheers for any help

Graceland

drive onto the channel tunnel train and drive off in england, a few questions about your journey and thats about it

Toe Knee

iTrader: (2)

Yea but the channel tunnel still has customs the other end mate!!!!

Went to france a few years back with a mate and they pulled us coming back in my mates 5 series bmw, checked the car over etc and it was standard!!! luckly everything was ok so was let go but obviously in 2 cars like were gonna bring their gonna stick out like sore thumbs

Chip wasnt allowed on the tunnel either coming home when he took his mid engine nova another time we went!!!!!!!! Had to get the ferrry back IIRC

Graceland

and? we went to the nurburgring - about 30 cossies and ersts on the chunnel - no-one battered an eyelid apart from the random bomb dust swabbing on a couple of our cars

stevo

Tony ive been stopped a nuff times, they just check for drugs really and any excess goods like drink and fags.

All i would say is the car is your uncles and you are driving it to UK to get it rebuilt by an English mechanic

Toe Knee

iTrader: (2)

Know what ur sayin graceland but point being its 2 cars that wont be registered in our names, and may poss not be 100% road legal as they are on a uk road, and the fact their LHD will give them a good reason to get funny with the cars!!!

Chances are nothing 'would' happen, just wanted to know wheter you can bring cars back like that with no problems from customs etc as dont want to go to all the trouble then have them impounded........... remember being foreign cars their not SVA's or MOT'd etc, and their not say ur standard stage 3 cossie sorta spec either

Know thats what they usually stop u for steve but remember chips car wasnt deemed road legal coming back hence he had 2 get the ferry on the way home from a RTTG, and think he had to get it checked or something when it was back?!

Shings

If the car is over 10 years old it dont need SVA
Just take it to be registered where it will get an age related plate and get it an MOT

I believe thats what happens with Jap imports more or less- obviosly newer cars need to be SVA'd

On the modification point... When we came back from the ring last year-
Karl Norris was in his 205 ( now Tiffs) the gendarme pulled him to one side and asked him to open the bonnet- Gendarme asked Karl how much BHP and Karl goes 132 playing dump it was a 1.9 and the Gendarme shakes his head announces its 160 and that its from a different car, smiles and waves him through.

xr-stu

not true, any car thats being regestrered on the road for the first time needs to be SVA'd no matter what it is.

basiclly what you need to do mate is contact the local SVA centre and book a test, get that over and done with then regester is with the DVLA who will give you a resgestration(cant rmemebr if thats that way or the other way round mind! ), then get insurance and tax it.

then drive it!

the best bet would be do trailer them over, get someone to come across and meet you near the tunnel, chuck the cars on the back of the trailer and head over to england.

stevo

I cant remember tony, but if thats the case jump on the ferry

BillyCabrio

iTrader: (1)

Toe Knee Customs wont check any cars for emissions mate thats down to VOSA or on the SVA test when you take them there.

As long as you have all the right documentation there shouldn't be a problem, you'd be ok going from Italy to the Uk.

mk2rstaff

sounds to me that you can just drive through mate, i was in germany for 11 years and as long as you got right docs for car, as in ins bill of sale, and road license(tax) or just play like a tourist. not to many smugglers tippin up in yellow lambo's to get noticed if you know what i mean??????????

BillyCabrio

iTrader: (1)

Smugglers come in all shapes and sizes

Toe Knee

iTrader: (2)

Cheers, kinda what i was thinkin but we just want to make sure on facts before we come over, aint bothered bout the driving of it over here once were thru, just a case of making sure we get thru ok in the first place

Once thru will be SVA'd mot'd or whatever will need doin

Trailoring them would be easilest but unfortunatly dont anyone with trailors to bring them back as its gonna be 2 cars hence wanting to drive them all the way back! Plus obviously that would add alot to the costs of bringing them back!!

Shings

I am going on what Sean Bicknell told me whan I looked at going to LPA to get somet Japenese- I have checked my PM's and he defo said he got his car, MOT'd it and then registered it- as it was over 10years NO SVA was required.
(sean if I have misunderstood and you read this my apologies)

saff_cossie

I dont know the answer to your question but to look at it the other way:

How many Europeans from any of the 11(?) other states can now come to the UK in their cars every day.
How many Ex Pats living in any of those other states will come to the UK to visit friends/family/holiday.
How many people buying a European car as they are a fair bit cheaper will come through.

Based on those I would have thought you were safe and as long as you have a reasonable story that cross checks with the other drivers, I dont see why they would look twice.

The only to watch when I exported from the UK was that it has been officially exported from Italy if they have those requirements. I had to notify the DVLA with the purple bit on the new ownership document.

mk2rstaff

not sure if they lookin for that sort of ting, as you say you be insured, so it's another dept that will look at the legality of the car when it is on the road her. loads of peoles bring there non uk cars her on hls so shoudn't be a problem

focusv8

Imported cars DO NOT need SVA if they are over 10 years old., if they come from an EU country or any other with UK compatable standards, eg USA.

MOT is required and proof of purchase and reg document from that country showing that it has been exported LEGALLY.

To drive the car in to the country legally it would have to be taxed insured mot'd here, which you can't do as its not registered here.
OR be legal to drive in Italy eg taxed insured and whatever they do for MOT, you cant do that either because your not an Itallian resident.

Have you tried to get insurance in the UK for a NON UK registered car?

xr-stu

i could well be wrong then, just started working at an import dealers (from thailand/japan) a few weeks ago and thats the score with them, i assumed it was similar with the EU!

SteveB

iTrader: (3)

Also don't forget the 17.5% VAT and 10% import tax that needs to be paid before the car will be able to be registered as the DVLA WILL ask for these documents b4 registering the car/cars....

PAUL V

what you lot on about

Insure it drive it back get a MOT apply for the log book and drive of into the sun set.

NO VAT S/h car NO Import Tax We are in the EU Bu you must have the Log bbook fro where you got the car a bill of sale

I take it the car is a Lancia Delta ?????

Toe Knee

iTrader: (2)

Nah mate, still of the cosworth variety

Cheers for the update thou thought it was the same as how u described.

As u say you dont have to pay tax or vat if u move over and register a car here so as long as they come with log book etc should be ok, their not used on the road but were road cars originally so should still have some sort of log book etc

IIRC they dont have road tax over there so wont be needed i wouldnt have thought till its registered as a car over here with the dvla!!

PAUL V

Dont let the LHD put you of, i have had my Escort cossy for a few year now and love it, it came from Germany

Toe Knee

iTrader: (2)

Cheers mate Been waiting on it for a fookin long time now, and till i see it wont believe it but by sounds of it were goin over in the next month or so aparently so fingers crossed!!!

If i dont like the LHD aint difficult to get coverted so will see

foreigneRS

PJ ENGINEERING (PROX)
focusv8


spot on. just drive them over, mot them, insure them and fill out a form at your local dvla office, hand them some money for the fee, plus fee for tax disc and job done.

i've done it several times on cossie from germany.