mudblood21

Hi

I have a Triumph Stag, which I was planning to sell in the UK before going over to NZ

The classic car market is not at its best. I took it over to EJ Wards and they said that the bodywork was amazing, it is mechanically fab, and all in all i would be an idiot to sell- and to take it with me.
apparently there are lots of Stags in NZ and he sends spares over there all the time.

but

my container has already gone, so i think i would get hit for some import duties, and i don't know how MAF react to elderly vehicles.

I am still undecided - i really wasn't planning to take her over, but when you drive the thing for a few hours, you start to fall in love again and think how lovely it would be to have her to drive around in NZ

so
can you either:-
advise me on sending a classic car over- has anyone done this? was it expensive / difficult / regretted?

or sell it for me really quickly so I don't have to make a decision!

thanks

simonsi

You can import a car duty free as an immigrant despite it not being in the same container.

You could send it in a container or RoRo (container more expensive but it would protect that bodywork....

MAF will want it clean or to clean it, just as with any other imported car.

As an older car it won´t have to comply with the more recent safety(crash/emissions etc, just like in most sensible markets.

Personally I would take it, just put some choice spares/consumables in a crate in the boot to keep you going until you find a suitable garage/mechanic/source of local bits.

Stormer999

Plus 1 crate full of head gaskets

lapsed kiwi

Hate to be negative, but I know someone who brought a Stag over, and had had to have it practically dismantled and rebuilt (at huge cost) because of reust in the chassis or soemthing like that. Just be very careful that it has no underlying rust or structural problems

Genesis

Or rather just ONE Rover V8! I had a Stag and when they goes well in their original mechanical guise they are great (despite the unit being 2 Dolomite engines welded together). I would bring it mate. Its the only car that you should bring..a cherished good classic one..unless you have something newer thats a bit special and means summat to you. Bring it. Just make sure its REALLY clean or MAF will do it and charge you. It would be great to have it over here aye? PM Robclubley he bought his RS Skoda over.

mudblood21

cheeky !
spooky thing is that despite being 'two dolomite engines welded together' there hasn't been any real mechanical trouble at all - had it 7 years now!

There is no major rust - had it checked out and there is a touch of surface rust on the valance that needs a wire brush and a paint over. This is why the mechanic said to bring it!

what to do.....

Jan n Neil

If u can afford it, if it makes u smile when u drive it ?

Bring it

Neil

rushmere

We've got a similar dilemma, except we have 8 cars - 7 classics plus one new car.

We've already figured out that it would be ever-so-slightly expensive to bring them all, but it's difficult to decide which ones will be left behind. At this rate, we'll be able to have a whole ship to ourselves rather than just a container!

I've already had a quote of £1550 for one car in a 20 foot container, or £2695 for two cars in a 40 foot container.

I say bring the Stag with you if you can afford it. You only live once.

teeym

Are there any limitations to what you can put in a container with a motor? Just thinking - we don't own enough crap to anywhere near fill a container and there may be others on the cusp of moving who are only planning on taking a few boxes and a sofa? Container sharing could be a way to get the cost down? Although don't look at me; we haven't even got the visas yet!

Suppose if you're doing it the common sense way, then flog the Triumph here and use the money you get from it, plus what you will save on shipping to invest* in a new classic when you get over there.

I've got a real hankering for a Triumph 2500 which seemed common as muck in NZ while I haven't seen one here in regular use since about 1989. SWMBO is already practising "the look".

*values can go down as well as up. They can also rust away to nothing.

DeadVim

I have no practical advice to add but just wanted to say I owned a Dolomite that had a hole in the exhaust manifold that made it sound like a Spitfire ... a Supermarine Spitfire. I had a soft spot for that car despite it having the worst electric blue paint job ever.

Currently running a 1971 MGB (which has been mechanically ... er ... satisfactory ) ... weather is getting perfect for it too ...

Good luck with the move.

simonsi

Well if thread drift has taken us into reminiscing then I still have fond memories of my 1969 Spitfire MK3 with (cue drum roll), genuine knock-on wire wheels! Wasn´t that fun when one of the splines stripped out under braking (think brake locked, wheel still turning, wheel nut unscrewing....) fortunately it happened at about 5mph so brought to halt while the wheel was still connected to the car.

Nice that the flip front let you sit on one front wheel to do the plugs and points, then sit on the other to adjust the carbs

Now 2500 - with PI or Strombergs

Genesis

Triumph 2000s and 2.5's are regularly for sale on Trademe. see www.trademe.co.nz

Look under classic cars in the car section..you can do a search. Re the Stag..had a 2nd thought. Unless the car has sentimental value why not look at the costs of shipping and landing it in NZ agin selling it and using the cash saved to ship it to buy an NZ new one. There are a few that have been over here from birth and if you get one that has been in a low salt area..like the Manawatu they can be totally utterly rust free..as in the UK its the road salt that knackers them... over here in my region we have no need for road salt as our winters are clement. An area NOT to buy from I have been told is the Hutt area in the bottom of the North Island. apparently prevailing southerlies blow shit loads of salt onto land and rusts everything.

teeym

2500S twin carb all the way! I'm don't think all were Strombergs either - I think some got SU's? Although whether that was the case with the Kiwi built ones I'm not sure?

*scuttles off to look at trademe*

simonsi

Yup I´ve seen, couple of Stags on there too. Am very tempted by the Fiat 130 Abarth on there....used to own (then modified) a Strada 105TC (the 1600 version), in my yoof...

Good point about the salt or lack of.

simonsi

Think you may be right but the Strom ones may have all been replaced with SUs by now in any case - easier to keep an SU oil level right than worry about the Stromberg diagphram....