[Lang]

Tim

I have imported quite a number of vehicles.

For limits on age etc just go to the Government website and it sets it all down clearly.

The cutoff for vintage stuff is 1989, not 30 years! You can still import vehicles under this age if you bring it under another scheme justifying why it is unique or of interest - this procedure is also laid out very clearly and simply on the site. Import approval for pre-89 vehicles is a money making scheme. Fill in the form, attach a photo and $50 and the certificate will be in your hands in a couple of weeks.

As said, there is no import duty but you pay 10% GST just like you do on anything from chewing gum to hotel bills. They do not investigate the taxable value you declare so long as it is reasonable - they are not stupid and a $1,000 Porsche might raise questions.

There are so many old wives tales about customs - nearly always of a friend or acquaintance. If you have trouble with customs it is a paperwork problem and you either do not know what you are doing or have an incompetent Customs Agent.

First rule: Ask around and get yourself a good Customs Agent. These blokes are either part of a whole Shipping Agent company who can do EVERYTHING for you from UK to Australia or they are specialist who work closely with Shipping Agents and can recommend one. Get a fixed quote for the whole job.

Your problems will be with Quarantine. I have always found Customs Officers to be knowledgeable and professional. They are not interested in the vehicle and won't even look at it apart from confirming make, model and serial numbers.

On the other hand I have consistently found Quarantine staff to be untrained, ignorant people whose power is exercised in an unreasonable manner. They will take it upon themselves to open tool boxes, take out seats and leave everything dumped on the floor of the shed.

No matter how well you have steam cleaned the vehicle it is possible they will demand it done again (by a nearby authorised cleaner but usually by the shipping company who have a wash bay near their shed and make a fortune on the $200-$600, depending on the job, charged for this service). I would not suggest the Quarantine people gain some sort of personal advantage from referring vehicles for unnecessary cleaning.

To avoid, or reduce the risk, I strongly recommend you really go over the vehicle before shipping. Dirt under floor mats, dirt inside chassis rails when they run their fingers along and most off-pissing is a perfectly cleaned vehicle that has been loading in UK, where it is always raining, being driven gently through a puddle into the container having a small amount of mud or sand on the tyres. Greasy engines and axles will be a fail because they hold dirt and seeds. All these can lead to a reclean order.

You get a few days free storage for paperwork and inspections and cleaning will fall inside this period. Make sure you, or your agent, picks the vehicle up as soon as it is cleared. Storage (demurrage) charges are not hundreds a day as suggested but they are expensive.

With older, well used vehicles, I have found advantageous cleaning as best you can with a blaster then spray painting the entire chassis, axles, under body and wheel wells (don't forget inside the wheels), both gives the impression of a like new, unused vehicle but also covers any random dirty spots with paint!

Having said all this, I must say that out of all the vehicles I have brought in (including 20 Dnepr sidecars loaded in the rain in Genoa after a long rally including dirt roads) only about 5 or 6 have suffered extra` cleaning charges.

Forewarned is forearmed. If there is nothing to find they will not invent a problem but give them an inch and they will take a mile.

It is not rocket science, hundreds of old second hand vehicles are imported every week. The system is not random or subject to unknown rules. If it stuffs up because of paperwork it is your fault - get an agent! A vehicle will NEVER be impounded for minor paperwork faults - it might cause some extra cost or delay. It will only be impounded if it is illegal such as no import certificate or falsified documents or the shipping company has not been paid.


Do not take cleaning lightly.

Lang