Centralbound

You are asking for bother! You will trip up somewhere - insurance, inspection, rules for imports, there will be something that will drive you nuts.

Best matriculation advantage is with a nearly new LHD low emissions, low consumption vehicle that is popular in the Portuguese market. If you want to change in in Year 6 you'll get good money, after years of low tax and low fuel bill.

mfesharne

I disagree. The requirements are plainly stated all over the net and all you need to do is make sure you get your ducks in a row before you import.

I bought my old (LHD classic) Jeep in from Africa and the registration and matriculation process (though slow) was fairly easy......... and it's value here was more than 10 times it's value there so IMO, money well spent.

gedscottish

I don't agree with EMR about the GNR being a problem, nowhere on the car documents does it mention the car being a a lhd or Rhd, not that you would have to carry old importation documents around either but not even on them does it mention the steering side.

I think Alice's idea is great in theory but according to work that needs done(if accurate) there is no way in the world they would complete all that in a day or within the budget suggested. I did read of an expat who bought one and it was a total botch job.. Wrong steering rack, total chaos with wiring, faulty air bags, brake pipe problems etc etc I mean for the fact alone fuse box needs moved or wiring extended should be enough to make any professional mechanic think twice never mind all the other stuff?!

I say bide your time and get a proper lhd... Leave these converted lhd cars to the polish and Africans . Modern cars are way too complicated, fair enough if it was a 1970's ford escort!

Train driver John

Centralbound; we are hoping to learn enough before we make a decision that we don't get tripped up. We know all the paperwork has to be spot on. We are torn between buying a more suitable RHD than we have now or a LHD like you suggest. There are obviously less LHD cars about in the UK to choose from and I worry about how to check their history.

mfesharne; we are confident we can matriculate a car like you have successfully done. We've read two posts on here where people have detailed the process they followed, it's not exactly straightforward but we know what to expect and are willing to try. It's just a matter a settling on what car to take when we have to sort it out at least a year in advance.

Alice.

barlaventoexpert

gedscottish...,

"......Leave these converted lhd cars to the polish and Africans"...

Do I detect a bit of xenophobia here??? What's different about being Polish or African!!!

Watch it!!

Train driver John

Ged; that's the trouble with modern cars, they are hard to work on. My first car was an old land rover series 3, it was so basic it was great. We are heading down to London this weekend to look around a big LHD dealers just to see how much choice there is out there.
Alice.

mfesharne

I couldn't agree more. The more technology a car has, the more it has to go wrong and be a PITA.

Going back to the certificate of conformity for a moment.

When I was arranging the export/import paperwork to bring my old 1982 Jeep over, I called the Portuguese High Commission and asked them what the CoC was and told them the age of the car etc & that it was American & they didn't issue such documents at that time.

They told me I just needed to produce a document with the original specs of the vehicle that included such things as kerb weight & engine size etc so all I did was go online and download a copy of the original sales brochure and the customs & registration/matriculation processes all went through without any questions whatsoever.

Whether that'd be the case with any car or whether it was the case for just my car because of it's age, I don't know.

gedscottish

I am honestly shocked at that, interesting... I wonder if that would do for an eu modern car?! customer of ours just paid around 150 for a coc from Mercedes!

gedscottish

Wind your neck in, it's commonly known that dangerous short cuts are taken with Rhd cars to be converted to lhd for polish and African markets.

What's with the "watch it"?

mfesharne

Ged

I've never actually seen a CoC........ do they just detail the spec of that model of vehicle or do they apply to one exact vehicle.

If it's just the spec of one particular model of car, the sales brochure usually does that & most if not all are available FOC online.

gedscottish

It applies to the exact vehicle, chassis,engine number spec etc I will see if I can get a photo copy of one and upload it. But I wonder now if what you done is enough?! Was looking at importing cars, that would certainly be a money saver.

Centralbound

You have nigh on 2 years to source one. Nothing stopping you importing to the UK from mainland EU or buying a new LHD from a UK franchise, or sourcing a used LHD from a UK franchise. Your only constaint is the 12 months ownership - nothing saying you have to drive it around in the UK.

mfesharne

Ged

This is what I gave them along with the registration document etc.

The engine didn't have an engine number on it at all (they came from the factory that way) and the one on the registration document was simply made up when the vehicle was first registered in RSA so all I did was make up a metal plate with the number stamped on it and riveted it to the bulkhead and then got a letter from my local Jeep dealer confirming the lack of numbers on the engine.

Quite honestly, getting the car out of RSA was much more of a hassle than getting it into Portugal.

peterfc

Hi

That is your Certificate of Conformity by another name. It is everything the same as mine from Vauxhall only the layout is different.

Peter " Dreams can come true "

mfesharne

Thanks Peter...... In that case, no need to go to the expense & hassle of getting an individual certificate because spec sheets for most cars are available free of charge online.