Exporting chod... any money in it anymore?

[Lankytim]

When I worked as a lorry driver I used to see stacks of shitty old motors at the southern ports being exported to Africa, loads of mercs, jap motors and transit vans. All typical MOT borderline and beyond bangers. Is there any money in this lark anymore? I'm fed up to fuck with my employers and dream of working for myself. Exporting scrap/quality used cars seems a way of combining my love of greasy old things and escaping the rodent race. Anybody been there/done that? Which cars are lucrative export fodder nowadays?

[Cavcraft]

Old Mercs and Bluebirds for starters. 504s and RWD Jap stuff used to command daft money (along with 309D type Merc commercials) but obviously there's less and less about now.

The bloke who took my 190 couldn't get enough old Mercs and the fella who bought my really tidy Bluebird last year (or 2010, can't remember) was paying crazy money for them.

I reckon half the battle is finding someone in Nigeria you can trust as the really good money would be to send them there yourself.

[Pete-M]

I know a couple of Latvians who'll buy any UK registered luxochod they can find. Provided it's likely to make the trip home without exploding.

[SambaS]

Anything Toyota from my mates yard and transit diffs all go for export

[RedSparrow]

Crappy 4x4s like Fronteras seem to be a popular export to Poland. They race them round fields and woods etc.

[fiatdaft]

A lot of the big petrol stuff,like range rover's,x5's,ml's,cl's etc heads far east to malaysia and singapore

[Ross_K]

I thought exporters in Japan had the whole 'RHD export to Africa/Caribbean' thing sewn up these days.

 

Exporting trucks and buses might work, but cars?

 

Where're you gonna find 504s and Bluebirds in this part of the world anyway?

 

Any of the ones left would surely be going for more than any Nigerian would want to pay.

 

The big ticket stuff going to Latvia/Lithuania/Russia is probably going in a container minus its V5 if you know what I mean.

[trigger]

I see lots of stuff come through work on the back of lorries which are also being exported, mostly japs stuff and Mercedes C classes but you do see stuff like Transit vans as well, most of the time they look knackered before they have even left the country.

 

1996 Toyota Hiace in Felixstowe by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr

 

I didn't know Nissan Micras were popular for export. by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr="375" alt="I didn't know Nissan Micras were popular for export.">

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

Senegal and the Gambia would be my preferred destinations, however they are LHD. I am told that you can make a bit of money (but not crazy riches) buying old chod in France/Belgium/Germany, driving it down there via Morocco (reasonably safe route, and the distance isn't massive) and selling on arrival.

[autofive]

someone near the scary yard exports trucks to africa, but i havent noticed any vans or cars heading out on his trailers.

 

i noticed this afternoon he had a delivery of 7 scania units. they will probably have their axles removed and wedged three to a stripped trailer on it's back, on top of the roadgoing trailer

 

i would think the truck side of things is pretty well sown up by the big players, maybe van / car export is more open to newcomers. the risks would be high, but would the rewards justify the risk?

i know you could make more cash filling 40 foot containers with white goods, tv's, hifi & clothes and exporting to africa, but thats another story

[Des]

Isn't most chod going to China these days?

[Cavcraft]

  Des said:

Isn't most chod going to China these days?

 

Only for frag, Des. Africa and the likes buy it to keep on the road, or at least use the parts for the same. I'm not sure what the script is with Russia now, years back it seemed every (Russian) boat leaving Ellesmere Port docks was packed out with shit old cars but I was told their own government put an end to this.

 

It's possible Iceland is a place to sell some 4x4s Tim, though I'm basing this on the one I sold ending up there a few years back and the exporting experience wasn't one I'd care to repeat in a hurry.

[STUNO]

There must be some money in later models because these took a few seconds to find for sale here.

 

vauxhall1 by stuno602, on Flickr

Asking 12500 pounds

 

vauxhall2 by stuno602, on Flickr

10000 pounds

 

vauxhall3 by stuno602, on Flickr

10500 pounds

 

vauxhall4 by stuno602, on Flickr

15000 pounds

 

And just because it was there for sale have a lovely vx

vauxhall5 by stuno602, on Flickr

5000 pounds and it looks about concours!

[Danblez]

I have seen quite a few Romanian trucks recently with crash damaged vehicles on them. I bet they receive all the love and attention to get them back to full road worthiness before being honestly sold on to punters!

[HMC]

We gave the wifes 72 triumph spitfire to my father in law as a retirement present/ project. We drove it over to Germany for him. Here spits are 10 a penny, over in Germany much rarer, and values much stronger. Apart from a few small headaches with the German TUV it was fine (they insisted the chassis itself, not just the body should have a specific factory ID, though triumph never did this apart from dutch market spits apparently) Did make me think....

[AnthonyG]

  Cavette said:

 

It's possible Iceland is a place to sell some 4x4s Tim, though I'm basing this on the one I sold ending up there a few years back and the exporting experience wasn't one I'd care to repeat in a hurry.

 

Ever since the country's finances went tits up in 2008 they are more likely to be exporting 4X4s themselves TBH.

 

Range Rovers are now known as 'Game Overs' as they were the choice of the 'entrepreneur' class, who are now all bankrupt or in jail.

[Lankytim]

  autofive said:

i know you could make more cash filling 40 foot containers with white goods, tv's, hifi & clothes and exporting to africa, but thats another story

 

 

EXPLAIN! I remember picking up a 40 ft container full of borked washing machines once, I think it was going to africa ... all this was in the good old pre credit crunch days though....

[Formula Autos]

Not chod as such, but ....

 

Certain American muscle cars appear to have reached extremely salty price levels in their home country, but seem relatively cheap in comparison over here (no doubt LHD,their size, and their thirst, limiting their appeal). Could re-patriating old Dodge Chargers et al be a potential money making enterprise?

[AnthonyG]

The UK has getting on for the highest depreciation rates and thus the cheapest secondhand cars in the world, so there's money to be made, I would though finding someone trustworthy at the other end is the hardest part.

 

A lot the classic cars you see advertised for silly money at little dealers here end up in West Europe, if anyone's going to pay £4995 for an 1962 Austin A40 it will be a nostalgic Dutchman, German or Swede.

 

Buying up decent but not mint Spitfires, Midgets, Minis and MGBs here and selling them for twice the price on the continent could be worth looking at once you've built up a bit of cash to buy decent enough examples to start with - cars for the German market in particular have to be good as their MOT is probably the strictest in the EU. Over there Mercedes actually take back, rebuild and sell 'Youngtimers' through their domestic dealerships but as you can imagine, they ain't cheap - 15,000 euros for a stock four cylinder W123 as an indication and a lot more for S class V8s, SLs etc.

 

P.S the scrappy were I worked in the mid 1990s, in the middle of Hereforshire, sends virtually all the vans/minibuses/lorries to places like Bulgaria and Romania, and also Vauxhall Corsas/Astras/Zafiras to Poland/Hungary/Czech as they just stick an Opel badge on them and they sell well apparently. One guy there was buying any Mk3 & 4 Astras at the local auctions (Kingsland & Brightwells) that got knocked down for under £300 and getting £5-600 apiece, regardless of Mot or whatever, just as long as they were all in one piece really. Over there they get a brief tarting up and get pushed out for 1500 euros.

[eddyramrod]

Used-car prices are ridiculously high over here in RHD Cyprus. I've had at least 3 (and still own one) ex-UK imports and I see many UK-plated cars, vans and trucks in yards and garages. My ex-landlord (from the old house) drives a taxi as a second job, and bought an ex-UK Merc for that; he won't be the only one, by a long way. In fact when I walked through the industrial estate the other day there were some UK plates lying around by a skip, I might have to go back and pick up one or two... Somebody's bringing cars in and registering them here! Whether they are selling is another matter, people don't seem to have any money. At least not for a 10-year-old pickup or a 40-year-old Granada...

[AnthonyG]

  Formula Autos said:

Not chod as such, but ....

 

Certain American muscle cars appear to have reached extremely salty price levels in their home country, but seem relatively cheap in comparison over here (no doubt LHD,their size, and their thirst, limiting their appeal). Could re-patriating old Dodge Chargers et al be a potential money making enterprise?

 

A good thought, but they have to be really spot on and with matching numbers as Yanks are obsessed with that. Also often the really salty ones have either been restored to the point where they are effectively new cars, or have certain option packs or engines that means there were only 57 made that year etc. A minty but popular/common spec of Challenger or Camaro from 70 or 71 can be $40-50K, a rare convertible in a silly colour/trim can be $500k. As they say over there, 'go figure'.

[AnthonyG]

  Lankytim said:

  autofive said:

i know you could make more cash filling 40 foot containers with white goods, tv's, hifi & clothes and exporting to africa, but thats another story

 

 

EXPLAIN! I remember picking up a 40 ft container full of borked washing machines once, I think it was going to africa ... all this was in the good old pre credit crunch days though....

 

Some countries in Africa are the only places that pay money for UK analogue TVs, as they use the same standard (PAL) and all the voltages are the same. Digital is a long way down the road for them. Must be the same for all electrical stuff I guess. Think Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, any of the countries that were once part of the Empire.

 

A lot of what gets dumped here in tips has a second life in the sun .

[Lankytim]

Maybe there is a gap in the market for importing something with hideous scene tax to the U.K from a tax free country. E.G import shitty mk1 Golfs from Germany or rust free but sunbleached VW campers from Australia. It would be very satisfying taking a big wad of money from a scene twat in exchange for a pile of scrap.

[autofive]

  Lankytim said:

  autofive said:

i know you could make more cash filling 40 foot containers with white goods, tv's, hifi & clothes and exporting to africa, but thats another story

 

 

EXPLAIN! I remember picking up a 40 ft container full of borked washing machines once, I think it was going to africa ... all this was in the good old pre credit crunch days though....

 

PM on its way

 

but for now watch this: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0 ... _My_Trash/

[worldofceri]

I think there's plenty of outfits already importing 'rust-free' (but otherwise shagged) Californian campers.

 

Another plan:

 

  eddyramrod said:

Used-car prices are ridiculously high over here in RHD Cyprus.

 

1. Take a fortnight off work.

2. Purchase latest, nicest Merc you can afford.

3. Drive to Cyprus.

4. Sell for small profit.

5. Purchase mkI Escort 2dr for pennies.

6. Drive home.

7. Sell for massive profit.

8. Reflect on the fact that you failed to take into account the cost of fuel, tolls, ferries, bribes to officials, import duty and getting recovered from Bulgaria on a flatbed.

[Albert Ross]

Older Land Rovers are a good bet. European markets are odd. Some countries like LHD only, some either LHD or RHD, others like only the original drive side (Not a huge job on a Series 2/2a model) I paid £400ish for a (just) road legal 1961 ex MOD LWB Petrol about 7 years ago. If restored with standard spec parts, onto a new galvanised chassis, and left as RHD, it would fetch about £4K here. Possibly £6K on the Euroland territories. As a LHD, it sorts out the market somewhat. Dutch can't touch it, as it's had a drive side conversion, as Denmark also, possibly. Germany, Italy, France, all good, it may command about £8K with overdrive. But with the Good Ol' US of A, possibly £25K in the right hands. That said, if it has any original Military items on it (wiring, tow hitches, over-bumpers, switchgear etc) it cannot be exported to some member Eurostates. Well, that is of course if the Military history is declared. Cough. Finish is important for these though. Depp Bronze Green, new full canvas roof, correct type wide rims, oversize tyres, parabolic HD springs, Fairey overdrive, and correctly retrimmed also. Yes, it's a greater investment, but the return is higher. Drive side conversions need no metal mods if the new chassis is specified as Universal. Just a steering box, parking brake relay, brake and clutch pedal pipework, wiring loom mods and lower steering arms. I just happen to have most of the hardware for this already.... all I need is the time.

What about re-importing Healeys from sunnier USA states, and restoring them for the Germans?

[AnthonyG]

PC did this thing about 10 years ago where they went to South Africa with about £6k or something and bought 4 60s/early 70s Mercs and bought them back here for sale, I think the idea they would keep 2 and the sale of the other 2 gave them back all the costs involved plus the initial capital back.

 

All I remember is Holman, being a dozy twat, wrote his off. I think they did sell the two they planned to but I don't think it really worked out financially. Plus it was all somebody else's money (presumably the publishers) anyway, which usually means nobody actually does the sums properly.

 

How about Fiat 500s/Alfasuds from Italy/Spain/Portugal? I don't think there's much of a classic scene there for ordinary chod. Vespas perhaps? you can get quite a few of them in a high top Transit!!

[AnthonyG]

What about Dacia Denems from Romania, buy for naff all, sell to all the nutters on here who want one!

 

No offence YugoLada, Andrew353 etc!

[Ross_K]

  AnthonyG said:

Vauxhall Corsas/Astras/Zafiras to Poland/Hungary/Czech as they just stick an Opel badge on them and they sell well apparently. One guy there was buying any Mk3 & 4 Astras at the local auctions (Kingsland & Brightwells) that got knocked down for under £300 and getting £5-600 apiece, regardless of Mot or whatever, just as long as they were all in one piece really. Over there they get a brief tarting up and get pushed out for 1500 euros.

 

Can't see it happening in Poland - you can't register a right-hand drive car there.

 

Unless someone's converting them to left-hand drive or cloning fucked local cars...

 

The EU's taking Poland to court to challenge the rule, but seeing as they can't stop the Irish government charging an illegal vehicle registration tax I won't hold my breath.

 

Slovakia's got a similar rule I think.

[eddyramrod]

  worldofceri said:

3. Drive to Cyprus.

 

5. Purchase mkI Escort 2dr for pennies.

 

I can't begin to tell you how hard that made me lol! Think I woke up the dog, and she's outside!

 

Cyprus has a rally scene, so the ol' Escort commands rally money. So do Minis, Mantas, Sunbeams etc; all the usual suspects. Need to think outside the box a bit....