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Anyone with experience shipping/importing car into UK from US?
I'm moving back to Scotland in April, most likely permanently, and I am readying my 88 with manual transmission for sale, which is actually making me quite sick.
My brother suggested the possibility of shipping the car over to the UK and registering it there.
Does anyone have any experience with this, costs, and all the issues that it might entail (aside from the obvious steering wheel on the wrong side)?
Even being a stick shift, I think the cost and hassle may outweigh the benefits and its value, but I thought I'd ask!
I sold a car to a company in the Netherlands a few years ago and they had the car picked up (California) and sent to CFR Rinkens export shippers 1-310-863-7823. Geneo is the person I spoke with. I believe he handles everything....paper work, customs, container etc. He might be able to help you.
Fairly easy to do. Use a RoRo ferry out of Galverston into Southampton or somewhere closer to Scotland.
Costs about $3000 all in. I do not know what the current rules are taking a classic car into the UK but should be detailed on the customs pages.
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Does it have the "Do It Yourself" manual transmission, or the superior "Fully Equipped by Porsche" Automatic Transmission? George Layton March 2014
928 Owners are ".....a secret sect of quietly assured Porsche pragmatists who in near anonymity appreciate the prodigious, easy going prowess of the 928."
Wheeler Dealers do that run regularly and the costs seem to be in the price range Roger indicates.
What you should also be aware of is that if you have owned the vehicle for the requisite periods of time you will not be liable for import duty or VAT. However if you import the vehicle and plan to sell it on before a year has passed you will then be liable for the VAT at the full whack and I am not at all sure about the duty aspect. If such is of any relevance kindly check such info for accuracy.
These people seem to have it covered... https://www.seakargo.com/car-shippin...iAAEgKwNPD_BwE
I would suggest more research on the costs on arrival to clear customs, and hijinks required by MOT etc - did this from Saudi to Oz, and there were some peculiar hoops to jump through - needed permission to import BEFORE putting it on a boat!
An aside - my browser shows this thread to have zero replies, despite this being #7, and I have seen this elsewhere.
Is it a GT? They are worth big money here at the moment.
Obviously once you get it here it will need to pass an MOT. You may have issues with lights if things like indicators, fog, brake and head lights are not set to the same spec as the uk. You may have to swap out light clusters, not sure.
Obviously you will also have a left hand drive car which would likely impact value and reduce the amount of potential buyers. For me that would be an issue but not for everyone.
I would work out what your car is worth in the US and compare to a similar car if you can find one here in the UK. Good places to start are eBay, pistonheads, car and classic and autotrader.
I shipped my US 84 to England when I was stationed at RAF Lakenheath. After it arrived (about 6 weeks) and a pretty thorough inspection, they converted the lights by adjusting the front headlights to point the other direction. In the rear they cover one of the backup lenses with red tape and hot wire that light to the front fog lights (see pic below). So when you turn on the fog lights that light will also be on in the rear.
Personally I hated driving a LHD car in England and traveling throughout the UK. Auto carparks and paying tolls aside, I didn't like the idea of committing 1/2 my car when passing slow moving vehicles--and there were a lot of slow farm vehicles in East Anglia. Gas was cheap on base but buying it off-base was horrible - I think about $9 a gallon at the time. Not good for a 30-year old V8 gas hog.
If you have a lot of maintenance (drips, leaks, torn boots, cat-delete, etc.) you will have to make that right before inspection. Personally, since it sounds like you're going there to live permanently, unless your emotionally attached to the car, I'd sell it.
Thanks!
I've started to get quotes and it seems much more reasonable than I thought it would be.
Possibly the nearest port to Scotland in the UK for you would be North Shields, Port of Tyne Authority, a good friend of mine gets Japanese cars landed there.
If I can assist with further details just ask.
Cat removal should be ok for the MOT. I removed mine and have no issues. I think cats became a requirement in 1992 so older cars don't need them. That said registering a car for the first time may be different.
As for drips and leaks, i think that they need to be fairly significant to cause a fail.
02-28-2019, 07:13 PM
Anyone with experience shipping/importing car into UK from US?
George Layton March 2014
