Bringing a HSV to UK

[fpap]

Hi
I was hoping someone that has already imported a HSV to the UK may be able to help me.

I'll be moving to the UK in April and am wanting to bring my HSV GTO with me.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

Frank

[ringram]

Good idea. Though LS2 GTO (VXR's) Can be had here for around £24K maybe less second hand. So check the financial side before doing so. If its an auto you should be cool.
You also need to have owned it 6+ months from memory to get around tax and testing issues.
Check out the DVLA site on personal imports.
You can land it and drive it on foreign plates for a while so maybe dont deregister it in your home country just yet.

[hsvgtscoupe]

Welcome to the forum... 2 years ago I imported my GTS Coupe (since sold to a fellow Aussie over here). I'd be lying if I said it wasnt a painful process but I dunno a country where dealing with beuracracy is ever easy!

A few other expats have done the same so there will be no shortage of experience for you to benefit from.

Unless your car is unique (eg auto trans as mentioned already) I'd have a long hard look at the equiv year VXR over here (exact same as GTO) - yours will automatically be worth less if it's apples for apples as it's going to be a personal import so you can certainly get the same wheels over here for very good money with factory warranty in many cases. If anything the poms are doing it even better than HSV with the recent last hoorah of the VXR500.

The whole exercise WILL cost you money (not just the shipping) so look hard before you commit and bringing a set of HSV badges to restore your VXR to it's true identity will be cheaper for sure! Any advice, just ask. Julian

[bovered79]

Hello mate i used seaway for mine and cost me £750 but do remember SVA, MOT, Tax and lastly insurance companies..........r yeah lovely insurance companies also get used to COMPUTER SAYS NO!

Zane
I have contact details for you if you want me to PM them to you for seaway

[fpap]

Thanks Guys

Just to provide some more infomation. I have a Series II GTO, Black with red interior and auto gearbox. Some work has been performed that inlcude Pacemaker 4 into 1 headers, Kostecki Cold Air Induction and tuning modifications by the guys at Crow Cams. Runs about 410 HP at the moment and some more work in the next few weeks will take it to around 450 HP.

I dont mind going through a bit of pain as the car is sentimental to me.

Thanks for all of your replies, I really appreciate them.

Now I just have to find a place to garage the thing!!

PS. Are auto's hard to get? I notice people mention that if it's auto it's ok.

[fpap]

Guys

Here's a photo for your enjoyment.

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r5

[AM04ARO]

bovered79 said:

also get used to COMPUTER SAYS NO!

If you don't have your banking sorted already pm me to do it before you come, a lot less hassle.

Alan

Nice car btw

[roger440]

Autos are not hard to get, just very unusal in holdens/hsv's over here.

[ringram]

None of the cars imported are auto's Not even early VT's they were all manual. Only a few personal imports are around with auto's. I personally only know of 1.

[uk hsv]

Just for info......there are a few auto HSV's from the origional 31 cars..........and one is a very nice Supercharged one now!!!!

[fpap]

Thanks for your help so far. Any idea what I shoudl budget for insurance? It wont be a daily drive. Maybe once or twice a month.
Cheers

[raggyman]

I have julian's hsv... and a commodore that I originally brought over as a private import.
Insurance was around £650 for the Coupe, and £450 for the commodore. Be careful though, cause for some stupid reason, you can't claim no claims bonus on more than one vehicle like you can do at home, so be careful which one you insure first.

[V8 EOL]

fpap said:

Thanks for your help so far. Any idea what I shoudl budget for insurance? It wont be a daily drive. Maybe once or twice a month.

Forgive me but... what is the point of shipping a car half away around the world, going through the SVA malarky, paying through the nose on tax, getting it wet, salty and rusty in our climate and then only driving it 12 days a year?

Or am I missing somthing...

[ringram]

Yes you are missing the alternative. Driving a FWD Euro crap box.
Common sence rarely comes into decisions on cars
Hence many of us spending thousands on our cars which we will likely never get back and already can break the speed limits in 2nd gear.
Its about enjoyment of life.