Hi all,

My partner and I are hopefully about to buy our first car over here.. Only on a working holiday visa so its not going to be anything fancy!

Can anyone please offer any advice on the process of green slips/Rego... There seems to be so much to consider and my brain is now fried!

The car we're looking at is almost out of rego, but the seller has just obtained the pink slip, prior to purchase.

Thank you!

Pink slip is the equivalent of the UK MOT (roadworthiness).

Registration is annual. To renew the registration you need to have first bought the compulsory green slip (or CTP) which is a kind of third party insurance. You buy these from regular insurance companies.

You can sort out the rego at an RTA office or on-line.

Good luck. Second-hand Mazdas are good value, I reckon.

errr - yeah - but FAR FAR less stringent... Just because a car has a pink slip doesnt mean its safe.

Or you could pay your rego 6monthly... As far as I'm aware all states allow you to pay for your CTP at the same time as rego so no extra administration occured on yoru part just tick the box to say which insurer and pay your vast sums of money.

Mazdas and Toyotas hold their value very well and have very manageable servicing costs. Mitsubishis may look temptingly cheap - but will all apart.. steer clear.

Everything will seem OUTRAGEOUSLY expensive for old junkers if you've still go your UK money-head on.

After being stung when we first arrived, I'd highly recommend getting a mechanic to check the car over before you buy it. Pink slip or no pink slip.

Thanks for the tips everyone

In NSW you get your CTP & pink slip then apply for your rego. Most CTP insurers are linked to the electronic system allowing you to get your CTP details automatically transferred to the RTA but I don't think the same percentage of pink slip comanies are (given there are so many more of them), so you may need to do the rego in person.

MOTs are not stringent. Well that is what the guy who did my last one told me anyway.

Any one in Brisbane recommend a mechanic for brake pads and maybe front disks on a 98 Corolla. I am thinking about Kmart auto or United brake and clutch, has anyone used them? Just thought I would ask before I start ringing around for quotes.

Yes we got stung too, dealers are good at making old bangers look good but start falling to bits after few months. Also, a lot of so called private adverts are dealers too.

There is a huge huge site in Acacia Ridge full of bashed up cars on 3 level bays, it was closed when I saw it but it looks like this is some kind of auction, I bet a lot of them and up back on the roads. There really is a lot of smashed up cars there for the population of Brisbane.