Should I import my Brazilian Bus?!

[perpetualtraveller]

Hi Guys

Assume I know nothing about classic cars (pretty much true).........

I have a 1974 Brazilian split-screen VW Camper, I currently live in South America. It runs but is riddled with cancer.

I hope to be returning to Blighty mid/late 2017. I paid 1200 USD for the thing, and see them fully resto'd online asking up to 50k USD. As I'm kinda poor until I sell the farm I was planning a so-so resto job here (buddy is a welder, some new metal is available locally, but not all), paint it myself and enjoy it for my remaining time on this continent. Then sell it locally, for at best 3-4k usd.

If cared for properly she should continue to appreciate, right? Financially it makes sense to ship her over? Rough estimates at 5k usd shipping.

Labour is dramatically cheaper here than in the UK BUT the quality of workmanship is very hit and miss....botching is a national past-time (especially if their customer is gringo!). I don't have the funds to get it up to MOT-passing standards, and won't have until I'm sold up and ready to re-locate. I'm unsure whether I should bother fixing her up at all and just ship it as-is then resto back in the UK. Maybe get the mechanical stuff in great shape here and leave the body work for the UK?

What would you do in my spot?

Very much appreciate any advice etc.

Edited by perpetualtraveller on Wednesday 5th October 19:35

Edited by perpetualtraveller on Wednesday 5th October 19:36

Edited by perpetualtraveller on Wednesday 5th October 19:36

[TooMany2cvs]

It's rotten. You can't afford to get it welded properly. It's not that desirable here, being a Mexican Bay.

And you're thinking of lobbing good money after bad to ship it half-way round the world?

Look into what it'd fetch here, and what it'll cost to ship and import (20% VAT and 10% duty plus reg costs if/when it gets MOTd), and see if the numbers are worth the ballache.

[perpetualtraveller]

perpetualtraveller said:

Thanks for your input Toomany2cvs

TooMany2cvs said:

It's rotten. You can't afford to get it welded properly. It's not that desirable here, being a Mexican Bay.

It's a Brazilian Split, not Mexican Bay, a little more desirable imo?

TooMany2cvs said:

Look into what it'd fetch here, and what it'll cost to ship and import (20% VAT and 10% duty plus reg costs if/when it gets MOTd), and see if the numbers are worth the ballache.

I've owned if for more than 6 months, iut's 42yrs old and coming from outside the EU, I'm going back from being outside the UK for 6+ years. I have no intention of selling it in the next 3yrs, so my understanding is there would be no tax/duty on this import. If I'm wronbg that could be a gamechanger. But then 20% +10% of about a grand (what I paid for it) isn't a lot.

I can't find one for sale in the UK (she's so rare!), there's two in Netherlands ''in need of some work'' @ 20-25K mark. A few unrestored in the US starting at close to 6000GBP (plenty of rust, no engine etc). Fully restored 40,000 GBP.

You're 100% right tomention the ballache factor.

[TooMany2cvs]

OK - split rather than bay makes a big difference, I'd expect. I missed that in the original post, sorry.

[perpetualtraveller]

TooMany2cvs said:

OK - split rather than bay makes a big difference, I'd expect. I missed that in the original post, sorry.

No probs.....''1974'' + ''split'' don't usually go togethor.

[StonetheCrows]

IMHO theres no money to be made here. Its a personal attachment view, We explored ANZ on a Honda Goldwing and had such an attachment it had to come back. its gathering dust stands twice the value it owes us but only the kids would sell it

Edited by StonetheCrows on Wednesday 5th October 21:54

[perpetualtraveller]

StonetheCrows said:

IMHO theres no money to be made here. Its a personal attachment view, We explored ANZ on a Honda Goldwing and had such an attachment it had to come back. its gathering dust stands twice the value it owes us but only the kids would sell it

Thanks

Have found something similar for sale in the UK (71 Brazilian split), from the photos very, very nice inside and out. mot'd til 2017......on at 23000 GBP.

One 'angle' I see is the difference in labour costs between here and there....labour would probably be 1/5th, if not less, of that in the UK. But tbh honest I have no real idea of what a full resto would cost here or there!

P.S I did the same in NZ in a converted 70's Bedford Ambo....didn't bring it back tho'!

Edited by perpetualtraveller on Wednesday 5th October 22:47