What Pre-89 Car to Export to Australia?

[robm3]

Being now based in Australia you can import anything that's pre-1989 with the only condition it has to pass modern regs on emmisions and some other bits n bobs (note I've already used up my 1 'new' personal import on a BMW).
As car's are stupidly expensive here (think £100K plus for an M3 CSL) do you have any ideas what pre-89 could be interesting?

I'm thinking an UR Quattro, Porsche 911 or Countach but got a blank at anything else.

Robin.

PS, can't be modded at all.

PSS also fancy a S1 Lotus Elise

[GavinPearson]

I would think that a 348 would be worth considering. In the worst case you could make a tidy profit on it.

[Panayiotis]

Do you have a link to the regulations for importing the cars, I've been wondering this as I dont mind the older metal and Ive been kicking myself ever since getting here I didnt buy and bring over a CSL....problem is though that most of the cars I fancy that are worth it are LHD only.

Cars are ridiculously expensive here...

[deviant]

http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/roads/vehicle_reg...

Note that pre-1989 refers to pre 1st January 1989.

A car can be modified as long as you can prove the modifications were done prior to 01/01/89.

Elise is easy to do as they are a SEVS / RAWS car...Search here for companies doing imports under those schemes: http://raws.infrastructure.gov.au/rawswebpublic/RA...

Dont know how you go with LHD in some states. The compliance rules vary from state to state so you would need to chat to a local engineer.

[TVR1]

I'm assuming you are now perm? If so, there are no limitations on you bringing in any number of pre '89 cars. You can look up the regs or indeed, look down to the Australia forums to read a bit more. I went through this in depth before my move this Summer and yes, it is quite possible but be smart and be canny. As with anything in the motor trade, you will need money up front and be prepared to have to wait for buyers. Double it for shifting metal to Oz.

If you want a few pointers and if you are serious, there are a couple of members on here who have both the knowledge and perhaps a bit of interest in doing what you are suggesting.

have you considered bikes too?

BTW in most States, LHD is an absolute no no, unless for historical significance and only entering the country for a short period of time.

HTH

Edited by TVR1 on Wednesday 23 November 05:12

[Zad]

The Ur-Quattro was the first thing that sprang to mind, I must admit. Then the Sierra RS or RS500 Cosworth. Memories of classic Bathursts and all that. Very tricky to find an unmolested one though.

[Beefmeister]

This:

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3391383.htm



13 bags and whole sh*tload of cool.

[The Lukas]

A 635CSI ? Good ones are up for $30000. And what an excellent machine to tour the country in

[benjj]

Hmmm, some good money to be made importing and flipping cars in Oz...

M635 CSi
E30 M3
Porsche 911s
Sierra RS500
Mk1 Range Rover & Overfinch

Or my own personal preference, a big bag of Mk2 Golf GTis, Pug 205 GTis, Renault 5 Turbos, Alfa 145 Cloverleafs etc. If you dropped £30k on original unmodded hothatches I reckon you could claw back £10k after expenses...

[ZOLLAR]

Beefmeister said:

This:

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3391383.htm



13 bags and whole sh*tload of cool.

I don't think there is a set of alloys I prefer more than a set of black "Fuch"

[DeanR32]

Out of curiosity, how do they import Japanese cars post 89 then? You see loads, or did see loads of skylines, RX7's etc going over there. Just wondered how they get around that one.

[GC8]

944 Rob. Cheap as chips here but still attracting strong prices in Australia. S2s would be best but the cut off wont quite work, but Turbos should fare well.

[Liquid Knight]

Rover 213S?

[matt-ITR]

Lancia Delta Integrale?

[GC8]

No left hand drive cars.

[LotusOmega375D]

GavinPearson said:

I would think that a 348 would be worth considering. In the worst case you could make a tidy profit on it.

348 = too new. 328, Mondial 3.2 cabrio or Testarossa would be OK though. Good ones are all around the GBP25 - 45k mark in the UK.

[soxboy]

I'm sure there was a guy on here not too long ago who imported a Carrera 3.2 into Oz, not sure if it was on the Porsche forum or Reader's Cars.

Also worth considering Mercedes 190e 2.3/2.5-16. RHD and cheap as chips over here, parts availability quite good and may be able to get one with air-con.

[Big Rod]

You might be able to scrape a Z32 Nissan 300ZX in as I think they started making them in '88, but I'm happy to be proved wrong.

Or how about a MKIII Supra?

Or an Opel Monza? (A bloke called Brock looked into importing them to shoehorn V8s into but the idea never took off.)

Merc 450?

Vauxhall Viva/Magnum/Firenza?

[deviant]

benjj said:

Hmmm, some good money to be made importing and flipping cars in Oz...

M635 CSi
E30 M3
Porsche 911s
Sierra RS500
Mk1 Range Rover & Overfinch

Or my own personal preference, a big bag of Mk2 Golf GTis, Pug 205 GTis, Renault 5 Turbos, Alfa 145 Cloverleafs etc. If you dropped £30k on original unmodded hothatches I reckon you could claw back £10k after expenses...

The problem is that niche cars are extremely difficult to sell here. We are not talking a month of time wasters here....we are talking 2 years of zero interest until you happen upon another enthusiast in to the same car as you.

There are TVR's for sale here that have (no st) been for sale for 5 years!

If you happen to find someone in to euro hot hatches you might sell one but most people here are not really interested in them. Not much support for them, not many have AC and RWD cars are king here.

DeanR32 said:

Out of curiosity, how do they import Japanese cars post 89 then? You see loads, or did see loads of skylines, RX7's etc going over there. Just wondered how they get around that one.

The SEVS / RAWS scheme caters for post 89 stuff. Some Silvias and RX7's were sold as official cars here.

Big Rod said:

You might be able to scrape a Z32 Nissan 300ZX in as I think they started making them in '88, but I'm happy to be proved wrong.

Or how about a MKIII Supra?

Or an Opel Monza? (A bloke called Brock looked into importing them to shoehorn V8s into but the idea never took off.)

Merc 450?

Vauxhall Viva/Magnum/Firenza?

What on earth would you want a 300ZX for

They are already very common here anyway through import and local sales and not worth much.

Supra already comes in under other import schemes, thousands of the things here.

[robm3]

Sierra rs500 sounds good, hadn't thought of fast Fords.
Not actually thinking of selling it either, going into my 'modern classics' collection