ScottR

Anyone done it?

Is it worth it?

Do you know any rough costs? Shipping/import duties etc.

Thinking of making the move to Oz and was wondering what to do with the 964. Would want to get another p-car when I'm out there so was wondering how buying out there compared to shipping over.

Hilton

I shipped an Audi A4 to Australia when I moved here from the UK. Swore I'd never ship a car again.. I've since imported a 928 from NZ

Australia has import rules from hell.. you can't import cars built after 31/12/1988 unless you've owned and driven the car in the UK for at least 12 months (if its a car that was ever available for sale in Australia as a full production vehicle). There used to be a 15-year rule, but they changed it to a fixed date

This has the side effect of keeping second-hand P-car values insanely high.

Getting import approval is painful.. took more than 6 months the first time as it was a newish car (read: made after 1989! ugh) - I had to get a crapload of documentation to prove I was actually moving to Australia (including documentary evidence for termination of lease, bank accounts etc. in the UK). In the end the approval was only issued after I was actually in Australia.

In hindsight, if I'd known how hard it was to import a car, I'd have planned ahead and brought something more fun/worthwhile than the Audi from the UK - at the time it was just an economic decision (replacement cost vs. shipping/duty/GST/cost of being without car for a while).

Whether you ship your car or ditch and plan to replace depends on its model year, value in australia, how emotionally attached to it you are, and what other Porsche's you'd consider replacing it with when you get here.

It also depends on your car meeting all Australian Design Rules - from discussions I had with local companies, your 964 may have to have the rear seats removed and be classed as a 2-set vehicle, as I don't think it has the necessary restraining points for a child-seat behind the rear seats.

If I were you, I'd immediately buy the Porsche you want to own for the next few years (assuming its made after 1989), and plan to move in just over 12 months time

For an idea of costs, add:

* Shipping + insurance cost
* duty - 10% of value as assessed (pay a valuer so it gets appraised as an import, and not by local going prices.. unless you have a relatively cheap receipt for purchase in the UK)
* Sales Tax - 10% of the combined total of (car value+shipping+duty )

Then factor in other costs like:
Quarantine fees - approx $200
Steam cleaning (requested by Quarantine) - $300
Registration (stamp duty) - between 3-5% of value (local cars pay this too on change of ownership)

For an idea of local values, check out www.carpoint.com.au or www.drive.com.au

PM me if you want more info.

ScottR

Thanks for this, very helpful.

I've owned the car for 12 months in February so hopefully that means I'd be OK to bring it over if I decided to.

It's a 1990 964 C4 - I like it a lot but would be just as happy replacing it with something - but it was the cost of replacement that got me thinking it might worth looking into shipping.

But then again, your point "If I were you, I'd immediately buy the Porsche you want to own for the next few years (assuming its made after 1989), and plan to move in just over 12 months time" is worth considering too

I'll do some research and look at the figures.

Cheers
Scott

Hilton

Make sure the 12 months is aggregate time *you've* spent in the UK while owning it. Holidays or trips outside the UK get subtracted from the total time, as you can't have been "driving" the car in that time.

As for buying one to import.. don't plan to make a profit from it, as imports tend to be priced lower for resale here - its more a case of saving money against buying the same model in Aus., and being able to pick from a much broader selection of used vehicles that you find in the UK than is available here to choose from.

The cars that command the highest prices here compared to the UK are the early-mid 90's ones.. 993's of all flavours, 928 5-speed GT and GTS, 968 CS.

Good luck with it all.

ScottR

Cheers.

Just had a quick look at the Australia Design Rules - blimey, bit daunting! But I guess no more than a detailed doc of MOT details would be.

It's knowing what it's likely to fail on I guess as I'm sure the majority of regulations are similar to the UK?

Hilton

PM me your e-mail address and I'll send you a copy of my engineer's report from a few months ago - its for a 928, but it's a short summary of the checks carried out to ensure ADR compliance that will give you an idea on where a ex-UK 964 may have issues.

Issues for my ex-UK 928 (that I bought from a guy in NZ) were:

• 3-point rear retracting seat belts with Aus. Design Rule certification on the labels. My car had lap-sash only, so replaced with 928-original 3-point belts from a breaker.
• Child-seat mounting points positioned rear of the rear seat backs on the frame (UNC-threaded holes - my 928 and my Audi both had them as standard - apparently some 911's don't)
• Emissions test - '89 928's had no cats in the UK, so I borrowed a cat from a local 928 breaker in exchange for a slab of beer. I didn't have to put my Audi through an emissions test, but that was 5+ years ago.
• Km/h markings on the speedo - all UK cars have this, so fine there.
• Metal fuel-tank restrictor with a flap on it in the neck of the petrol tank (928 didn't have one.. I bought one from a parts vendor)

Everything else was easy.. although helped by a completely stock 928 with no modifications - stock exhaust passed the noise test, stock wheels etc.

ScottR

PM sent - much appreciated.

What are the child seat mounting points? Where do they exist? Are they like to isofix system?

Scott

Q

The child seat mounting points are a small bracket that are mounted on the rear parcel shelf behind each rear seat.

I will empasise something that Xlot mentioned.
RESALE VALUES
Imports take an absolute pounding by the car industry here.
If you were to trade it, you would receive approximately 1/2 of what an identical AUS car would. [this is trade in figure, not retail figure !!!!]

964 C4's are not a high-demand car over here. DO NOT BRING IT.
Anything on Xlot's list would be better.
My vote would be a 95> manual 993 carrera coupe with s/roof and a/c
......but you would need to own 12months prior.....

Porky

Interesting thread. I am thinking of moving back to Australia and taking my cars. We want to take three cars. Porsche 997 Turbo, Ferrari 430 and a Cayenne S. I know they are very expensive in Australia - even though Australia gets the left overs of the Japan market and are identical - confirmed by Porsche Australia and Ferrari - Porsche in Melbourne have been very nice and said they would help me import them but Ferrari are a bunch of rude PIGS. I want to import JUST to annoy the scum bags. Seems like Ferrari Australia is only interested in screwing the consumer. It can definitely be done just a matter of whether its worth it or not.

Q

Hey Porky. This is a bit harsh ^^^^
Lets not forget that AUS was the first RHD Porsche market in the world.

If Ferrari is proving difficult to deal with, maybe these guys are worth talking to...
http://www.modenaimports.com/
I believe they do some compliancing.

Cheers
Paul

ScottR

I hear ya.

It just worries me that if we do make the move (we haven't decided yet!) that I won't be able to afford a porker once we're over there and it does appear to be cheaper to get mine shipped over than to sell it and buy another one.

But the resale bit does put me off. Why are imports so bad on resale? Seems a bit harsh?

Scott

stules

Hey Porky-san
Do you still have any contackts in Japan that deal in Porsches?
I am living in Narita, and have been looking for a GT3 Mk1 clubsport. Yen has been too strong of late, but is now getting weaker again, so I am back in the market.
Regards Stuart

MC 968CS

HI. I don't view it as quite as difficult as described above. I completed it in late 2008.

I just brought back my 1993 968CS from New Zealand after an expat stint. Once I had the required proof I really owned the car and my import approval from the Aus Govt, importing it as a "private Import" meant nearly all the ADR's were irrelevant. You really can bring almost anything back and register it if you owned it for the 12 month (with the conditions) described above. Only wish with hindsight-that I had purchased something far more exotic in Aus.....993rscs....964rs.....caterham r(/?)500...etc.

Just providing an alternate view. It also only took 3 months. Shipping time is the quick bit at 1 week. Paperwork slower.

Borkas

Hi MC968CS,

I am looking at importing my 2005 Porsche Cayenne S to Australia (from the U.K) and am interested to know how difficult it is in terms of paperwork, design regulations cost etc? I’ve owned it for over 12 months and it would qualify as a personal import.

Also, do you have any information as far as selling an imported vehicle? Does the reduced value of an import outweigh the cost of importing the car? Are imports generally seen as inferior within the Australian market?

Any tips/hints or common pitfalls on importing a vehicle/Porsche would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Borkas

Q

- imports have terrible resale value.
- pitfalls:
1) resale value
2) resale value
3) resale value
....... especially something as undesirable as a Cayenne.
- tip: Carefully reread MC968CS's hindsight comment of bringing back something more exotic.