LEBONCOIN........WTF?????

[Charlie Croker]

Sorry if this question seems a bit mong-ish but how come classics/shite motors are so much cheaper over the water than here? Obviously a better climate leads to less rust so more survive and the countries are bigger so more sold when new leads to more being around now but some of the prices make me ( and no doubt you ) want to get a transporter or two and go over and have a whey old time.

 

Ive looked on Leboncoin and could be there for hours.......I mean a Ford Cortina/Taunus  2 door for 300Euros and a early 78 Chrysler......ok Simca Horizon for 600Euros?

Dunno am I missing something or have I really just answered my own question?lol.

[spike60]

I noticed the Yank and French stuff seemed cheap, Brit and German less so.

[Lord Sterling]

As has been said, attitudes differ from country to country, whilst there are Ford/VW etc... scenes here, there won't be over there.

 

Rover name for example is pretty much despised in this country but in France, British cars do command quite a premium.

[Dave_Q]

As has been said, attitudes differ from country to country, whilst there are Ford/VW etc... scenes here, there won't be over there.

 

Rover name for example is pretty much despised in this country but in France, British cars do command quite a premium.

 

Interesting...

 

1. Buy Rover

2. Drive to France

3. Sell Rover

4. Buy £300 Cortina

5. Drive home

6. Profit?

[Lord Sterling]

That would be a good idea except one problem. France have left-hand drive cars, Britain has right-hand drive cars so you'd have a limited audience in selling cars.

 

However, if you could import a couple of 2-door Mk2 Escorts from Cyprus....

[Pillock]

You could also find countries where our tat would sell for megabucks. I once worked out a deal where you could drive T25 campers from certain mainland european countries to the UK, sell it, spend 10% of the sale price on a barge and drive it back again... would result in a bank balance that makes the queen seem impoverished after a few weeks.

 

I know in a lot of countries such as Poland they really cherish their eurobarges. It's a sign of wealth so when they come to the UK seeking fortunes, the fact they can buy an '03 BMW 5-series for a months wages they think it's brilliant. Our car park is full of Omegas, Superbs, 5-series and even a LWB 7-series.

OTOH I was chatting to one guy who had bought his 1999 Passat over with him, and was a bit gutted to find it would be harder to shift than crabs in Newcastle. LHD, pezzle powered and in "yawn" silver.

[panhard65]

The biggest problem is cost of transport, the cars don't work out so cheap then. The French are very picky about buying cars as it costs a few hundred quid for them to register them so they don't change cars often. They are very adverse to right hand drive and although a lot of the rural sellers will be very honest about condition watch out in the cities. I bought a 504 coupe from Lyon and to say he was economical with the truth was an understatement. Selling left hand drive in the UK isn't that easy either you will be amazed how quickly a 300 euro bargain turns into a couple of grand to get legal in the UK.

[Junkman]

Different cars attract a different following in different countries, it's that simple. As our sterling Lord already mentioned, British cars are a lot more coveted on the Continent than they are in the UK. Nobody over there would pay more for an old Escort, than for an old Jaguar, for example.

France's specialty is cheap yanks, for the simple reason, that there are a lot of them left, due to sturdy oily bits and a mild climate.

Nowhere in Europe are higher prices paid for yanks than in Germany, where there is also a hefty scene tax on old Opels.

Austria is infamous for insane prices for old Ovlovs, and you can't buy more expensive old Fiats than in Italy, where they throw old Fords at you.

Nowhere in Europe can you get old Alfa Romeos as cheap as in the UK, and since the Pound plummeted in 2008/9, it has been literally raided of most of its older domestic stuff.

[spike60]

It's certainly right about Yank high prices in Germany, I was aware Corvettes commanded higher prices there and had played with the idea of advertising mine over there. As it turned out I didn't have to, within 24 hours of listing on ebay UK I had taken a deposit from a Brit living in Stuttgart. Met up in Hull, deed done.

[purplebargeken]

Bloody tempting but......

[CortinaDave]

I sold my admittedly lovely 79 Manta Berlinetta on eBay and the buyer was German. Flew over from Hamburg and drove it back - told me it was worth much more there even though it was RHD

[dieselnutjob]

http://www.leboncoin.fr/voitures/607603179.htm

 

want

[michael1703]

Depending on the vee hickle it could be financially viable,older would be better, think of steel dashes that have a centre cubby box and a mirror image panel that would accept a steering column and pedals, wiring no problem,dizzy and coil, basic rexine trimmed upholstery which isn't handed in anyway and there's quite a few cars that could be easily converted

 

Don't think I'd convert anything newer than mid 70's though

[Pete-M]

To get my MK2 Escort here from the Czech Republic is going to set me back at least a grand. Even if it was still in Germany it wouldn't cost much less to do.

 

If you buy something from a dealer who can help you with registration it could work out less expensive but I jumped in with both feet first and bought something than needed work doing. Not the best way.

 

Basically if it's not Road legal you obviously can't drive it back. So that means either trailering or Shiply type operation. Which is gonna cost a minimum of £600, if I'm lucky. £1k if I do it myself. To get it through a TUV inspection means at the very least four new tyres, then a couple of weeks in Germany to sort insurance and registration to drive it back. Which is gonna be a few hundred quid.

 

To get it through a Czech mot means de registering it in Germany, massive amounts of bureaucratic wrangling in Czech and ending up with stupid little pieces of paper instead of registration plates as export reg. To register it as a normal Czech motor isn't an option. The Czech historic V plate would be good but it's another pain to acquire. Basically it has turned into a nightmare leaving me with one option of doing a 2000 mile round trip with a trailer to collect. This means paying double for ferries etc.

[panhard65]

Euro tunnel are pretty good for trailers I used to take my 17 foot bed trailer and a discovery for 120 quid return over a weekend. Prices have gone up sharply recently though last time I went the ferry was cheapest. It cost me about 800 to go down to Grenoble to pick up a Hotchkiss. That included hotels so made a nice weekend out of it. The best shiply quote was 750 to get it to Dover. I do have a couple of contacts for transport in France including a guy who runs regularly around Brittany he is quite reasonably priced as well

[catsinthewelder]

If you drive out with an empty car trailer can you save a few £s by putting the towcar on it during the ferry crossing?

 

Or list an old Astra on German ebay a fortnight before you go

[andy18s]

Anyone in Belgium?

 

http://www.kapaza.be/fr/opel/opel-ascona-b-1-9-op-papier-79244528.htm

 

Lovely..........

[nigel bickle]

I've bought one or two rare bits of worthless chod from France, Belgium, Poland etc over the years, without any real issues. Its no more complicated than buying at the other end of this country, logistically.

 

Sellers attitude to a 'foreigner' can sometimes be difficult, but local plod have always been a doddle -even when giving me a tug. Last time was A framing the enormous black Gaz back behind the (comparatively) diminutive Legnum, which was gross overloading. Stopped at a checkpoint, I was soon on my way again -leaving 2 bemused Gendarmes headscratching.

 

Dial in transportation costs -and its either got to be rare, a huge price differential, or something you really really want.

 

But its a simple op that several of us, on here, complete regularly. Go for it!

[theorganist]

I got my R14 Shiply'd from just south east of Paris to the West Midlands for £300 in 2010.

 

However that was via a company that was making regular trips to and from the continent transporting cars so it was not a dedicated load.

 

It turned out to be as cheap as the plane and ferry costs to go and collect the car and drive it back!