Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[vwt2dollyvan]

Hello, I am new here.

I have spoken to Rick on one point with regards to excise duty, but i have a few others if someone can help, please.

I am due to receive an imported car in May but need a little help.

Firstly the car has a registration at present which would have been registered in that country. When the car is registered here i guess they will a sign a new number. If they do as the car is a 1956 it will have to be age related ie no prefix?
Secondly i have various forms to fill out and I believe i must MOT the car first prior to registration, but how do I insure the car when it arrives at the port if I dont have a registration number.

Thanks steve.

[buzzy bee]

Hi

Welcome allong, I am sure you will soon have answers to your questions, as I am relativeley young, I haven't had any experience of inporting, so can't help you, however I will watch this thread as I too would like to know the answer!

Cheers

Dave

[Rick]

Hi again Steve

You need to get a dating certificate produced by a DVLA-recognised authority, confirming the vehicle's age based on its chassis number, and if possible backed up by any original paperwork that comes with it. Some big clubs have reps who are recognised by DVLA. Otherwise I can recommend someone to talk with.

Yes you should end up with a non-dating reg no.

Yup you MOT the car on the chassis number, then apply with DVLA to get it registered. The car must also be insured, again temporarily on the chassis number only. You also need to present your 386 paperwork I believe at the same time (this confirms that you've paid your import duty - you should receive that shortly after importing the car).

hope this helps!?

Rick
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[vwt2dollyvan]

Thankyou.

i didnt tell my wife i had bought it but your reply yesterday popped up on my desktop, whoops. she then realised that i had been stalling on our holiday as i had to have a confirmed arrival date and had the booked the holiday a week after. Oh the joys of living on a knife edge.

[buzzy bee]

Hi

Whoops! hehe

I allways find it is best to turn up with something, then family members have little option but to accept, I have a feeling this will seriously backfire oneday, but it is working at the moment!

Cheers

Dave

[Brian M]

Just a small correction to Rick's reply - I have imported over ten cars from the US and in every case the US registration documents were acceptable proof of age. I know of cars coming here from Europe where the same applied.

You do need the DVLA recognised experts where the vehicle has never been registered or when you are trying to retain an original number previously issued to the vehicle.

For your 1956 vehicle you will get a 3 letter 3 number plate but for vehicles made after 1963 you will get the appropriate suffix or prefix.

The only time I had a problem was where a US car did not have a front plate (not required over there) and I was stopped three times on the journey back from the docks, until I made up a cardboard plate with the US reg details! I always book an MOT at my local station, and so the journey from the docks is "to travel to the MOT test" - saves a trailer if the car is drivable.

[buzzy bee]

Hi

I bet the first drive, is exciting, waiting so long for it, and then being able to get into it, and have a good drive!

What cars have you imported then Brian M?

Cheers

Dave

[Brian M]

Dave

In 1997 I lost my top management job and being unable (due to my age?) to find another, I set up my own Consultancy business.

I had lost the company BMW and decided that rather than spend on a modern, I would try running a classic as my only transport. I found a smart looking Rover P6 3500 for under a £1000 and quickly became known as the guy with the old car! It was a great advert and led to clients providing leads to old cars, for asking advice on buying, and even to organising classic events for charities.

A contact had a Spanish friend who had bought a TR4 in the US for restoration but the £1000 buy was going to cost £2500 to get registered in Spain! If the car was EU registered before going to Spain it would cost him £40 to get Spanish plates. In the UK so long as the car was MOT'd registration cost just £25. So the TR4 was shipped to me from the US, after a couple of weeks work on the electrics and brakes, a very scruffy TR4 was MOT'd and registered. I then delivered the car to Barcelona, using the Plymouth-Santander crossing to keep the road miles down, and had planned to fly home. When I arrived at the owner's house he asked if I would drive a Mustang back and get it UK registered for a friend of his. Three days after I got back, the Mustang was MOT'd and registered and the owner flew over to drive the car back himself. (This was the car without the front number plate mentioned in my previous post) I had a great drive back and pocketed £500 from each owner for my time. What a great way to earn good money.

These guys spoke to a British sportscar dealer in Barcelona who was also importing from the US, and in the following year a series of MGA's, MGB's, and various TR's were consigned to me for the same process.

Unfortunately Spain then came into line with the EU regulations on importing and registering US cars and my good little earner came to a sudden end!

In 2000 my son bought a US registered Porsche 912 and the registration process was repeated for one final time, but this one was sold in the UK.