goingau

I'm after some advice, i use the seach tool and found 'buying a car in qld' thread.

My current thinking is after we fly into sydney we are going to have a day or two there and then take a slow drive upto brisbane.

Rather than rental car for the drive i thinking about buying a car in sydney and using that as a temporary relocation/hauling car with a budget of about $6000.

In QLD anything sold is supposed to have a RWC what about in NSW.

So the questions are, to get on the road what do i need to do, inspect car, get a RWC with car, Rego? how/where from. Of course insurance but that should be just ringing up for.

Beoz

A Rugby World Cup. Yeah one.

carolinephillips

It isn't that easy to find a reliable car for $6k. The price of second hand cars is silly here.

goingau

yes i agree in comparison second hand cars are in oz are pricey, but i don't want to outlay a huge amount on something that we find is not suitable for our needs later.
So we would be looking for a wagon to transport luggage from arrival and house/rental furniture when we find some.
also factoring the cost of a hire car for that amount of time, it could be offset by buying.

KJCherokee

In NSW you have to have a RWC ("pink slip") every year to renew the registration: in QLD a RWC is only required at change of ownership.

If you buy a car in NSW and drive it to Qld you (theoretically) have three months before you need to re-register it with the Qld DTMR.

Mike at Taree

The car must come with a safety certificate that is provided to the seller by a registered garage (virtually the same as the MOT in the UK).

It doesn't cover things like engine or gearbox problems, basically lights, brakes, exhaust and steering.

Then you have to get a "green slip" for yourself, which is a compulsory third party insurance policy in case you run over little old ladies or plough into a crowded cafe killing diners and getting sued for millions. Cost to you will be around $400 per annum depending on a "points score".

You still need to get private insurance in case you run into a Mercedes, this isn't covered by green slips.

Ok then good to go, if you have a valid licence.

I'd disagree about the six grand, Australian used cars have been traditionally more expensive than the UK, but they do last longer (more favourable climate and no salt on the roads) and don't rust nowadays. With the advent of $15,000 drive away no more to pay prices on many smaller cars nowadays, that has really depressed the used car prices compared to just a few years ago and you should get a perfectly good Falcon, Commodore or Toyota for that price.

However as in everything it's pot luck. You can get a pre purchase test by a number of independant garages such as the NRMA (equivalent of AA or RAC) and some used car yards sell pre approved by NRMA cars.
Edit: second hand cars from a new car dealership tend to be expensive, but as they have been accepted by the dealers as trade ins they are usually keen to quit them, so some bargaining is often rewarding, if you are a good haggler. They keep the newer top end trade ins and send the rest on to wholesalers but often have a gem or two "in the pipeline" that they will flick onto you cheaper, so worthwhile trying the dealers if you have time and energy.

Icecube

Probably good to think about the full cost of a car bought in NSW and sold in Qld. If / when you do sell it then you will need to factor in either trying to sell it in NSW whilst based in Qld (and for a $6K car the market for this sort of vehicle is low) or re register it with Qld plates which will also end up being expensive.

If you look around you can get some great deals on rentals which will give you flexibility in the type and duration you have the car. Generally the longer you rent the car the cheaper it is per day.

Mike at Taree

I've always found Thrifty to be good.

goingau

hi mike, yes thrifty are good.

Hmm didn't know about re registering. roughly what sort of cost.

Mike at Taree

When I moved from QLD to NSW in 2012 the procedure was:

Get car inspected for a safety certificate
Get a green slip
Attend the Transport Department with ID and QLD registration certificate and the old number plates.
Then pay the NSW registration fee (same as UK road tax if they still call it that).
Pay for NSW number plates that are handed to you over the counter, $40 unless you want a vanity plate.

Claim back any months of rego still paid for with QLD, in our case none.

I'd guess NSW to QLD would be the other way around. At the end of the day you would be better off renting for your Sydney to Brisbane leg. It's only a 12 hour straight through drive so you'd be able to see all the interesting bits in three or four days.

goingau

just been looking on qld transport site at re registion the fees seem to be about $30. (if i'm looking in the right place)
car tax still exists in the uk average is about £220 a year.

Icecube

Just did a Qld eQuote for a 6 cylinder car, worth $6K. Registration was about $1,100. Hence the idea of renting a car in NSW, either from a tier 1 supplier (eg Hertz) or else a second tier supplier (rent a wreck) is more economic and adds flexibility. All of the fees etc make it un economic to re register low value cars etc.

goingau

i guess i must have been looking in the wrong place, could you direct me

Icecube

http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/registration.aspx

billymacker

what I have done in the past was bought a car in kings cross car park Sydney Saturday morning (one that a back packer has been using), the car I would buy was registered for the state I would be selling it in your case QLD, make sure it has plenty of tax still on it when you buy it you will get it cheaper because they are selling in NSW but on QLD plates and want the money quick because they are going home. the last one I got was a Toyota $3000 on WA plates drove from Sydney up to Townsville cross to Darwin and down to Perth got $4500 when I sold it in Perth.