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-   -   car modification (https://britishexpats.com/forum/usa-57/car-modification-470020/)

fitz Jul 30th 2007 12:42 am

car modification
 
hi,does anyone know of a garage in perth that will modify my car to uk standards,i.e.fog lamps and instrument panel.
someone kindly answered an earlier thread and suggested a garage in balcatta,unfortunately they only do the instrument panel and not the fog lamps.

a word of warning to anyone considering taking their car back to the uk.
i contacted toyota uk and was told that they should be able to supply most parts,the parts that they cannot supply they would be able to order from japan or australia,great!

if however there is a major problem with car, ie engine.........they would not be able to do a diagnostic check on car as the computers are set to eu standards.
so here's hoping i don't get engine failure.

Wildhaggis Jul 31st 2007 8:37 pm

Re: car modification
 
My dad-in-law imported a car into UK from South Africa (but anywhere outside uk is similar). he had an absolute nightmare, the regulations are petty and obscure and a whole heap of work. Just one example : He had to move the car from the dock to the 'inspecting authority'. Drive, you think?. You can't drive the car without road tax. You cannot get temporary vehicle movement permit without insurance. You guessed it - you canot get insurance until the car is fully imported, and licenced in UK.
Please consider the costs, the value of the car when here (absolutely NO secondhand market), and the costs of just buying a car when you get here.
or, pay someone a healthy sum of money for them to do all the import formalities.

Dave_Was Jul 31st 2007 10:13 pm

Re: car modification
 
I've imported a car twice, both from the US. A couple of points to note with the proviso I haven't done this since 2000.

If the car is older than three years old you have to do the regular MOT, if less than three you have to do the SVA test. There was talk of making the SVA test applicable to all vehicles less than 10 years old, but that you would need to check.

The SVA test is an absolute nightmare. They go through and first check all the glass, body, height and mechanics to make sure it's up to scratch. Then they check the position of the lights and indicators. After this it's an emissions test and a general drive round.

The cost of the test was 250 pounds and I couldn't find a garage that would prep the car for it. The advice I got from the test center was to bring the car down, do the test and fail it and then you get a note saying what the faults are. Generally cars from the US fail on the lighting and indicators more than anything else.

The rules change and it's something that you should really check into. For example there was talk about making it a requirement that all wing mirrors need to be able to fold back in an accident and current most US cars don't do this. I don't know if this became law. For me I eventually passed the test, took two goes, and had the car on the roads.

Again at that time I was able to get insurance without any problems and customs and excise gave me a waiver to drive home. The insurance was completed on the Chasis number.

And I agree with Wildhaggis, look into the resale value of the vehicle. Knowing what I know now, I would have done it the second time round. The first time was different as it was a car that did have a resale value in the UK.

fitz Jul 31st 2007 11:58 pm

Re: car modification
 
hi, thanks for the reply's,i ve checked with the d.v.l.a in the uk and apparently you can drive the car unregistered to and from the garage that does the s.v.a. test,from port or home address,wherever the car has been dropped off.
i'll need to further research, because to register the car it has to be insured and insurance companies will not insure it unless it's registered,here lies the problem.
the only modification i will need apparently is fog lamps fitted and a new instrument panel{mph instead of km} fitted.

Dave_Was Aug 1st 2007 6:45 pm

Re: car modification
 

Originally Posted by fitz (Post 5131430)
hi, thanks for the reply's,i ve checked with the d.v.l.a in the uk and apparently you can drive the car unregistered to and from the garage that does the s.v.a. test,from port or home address,wherever the car has been dropped off.
i'll need to further research, because to register the car it has to be insured and insurance companies will not insure it unless it's registered,here lies the problem.
the only modification i will need apparently is fog lamps fitted and a new instrument panel{mph instead of km} fitted.

You can insure the car without it being registered. This is actually also done on new cars when you buy them in the UK. Also kit cars are done this way, they have to pass the SVA test and then get registered. You are right about not being able to register the car without insurance.

Ask the insurance companies to insure based on the vin/chassis number.


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