Importing a car from france.

[e287yba]

Thanks Nigel. What's the definition of 'EU oldie' these days? Bearing in mind some 2CVs are only 24 years old. 

 

 

Don't think anyone answered this?? (Could be mistaken !)

 

Ten years is the answer - or it was last time I looked. I registered a 1983 LHD MG Maestro 1600 in 2008, which had been originally sold new in Deutschland then repatriated in 2004; it was quite painless as described upthread.

 

NOVA seems a little, errm, pointless for cars over ten years old (therefore Duty & VAT-free) - but if it's what "the authorities" decree then I guess it has to be complied with nowadays. When my MG was repatriated in 2004, any duty & VAT due (and this was nil in my car's case ) would have been paid to Customs & Excise (now HMRC) at the port of import - what was wrong with this arrangement (apart from being sub-optimal in terms of profit for a bankrupt country, he wrote cynically)???

[Louise2cv]

hang on a mo...

 

what happens about MOTs if you bring a car in that is older than 1960?

[hairnet]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3YFzI4gplQ

 

cough

 

COUGH

[Louise2cv]

What are you trying to suggest

[dollywobbler]

hang on a mo...

 

what happens about MOTs if you bring a car in that is older than 1960?

 

My understanding is you still don't need one. Think Bickle has tested this?

[panhard65]

hang on a mo...

 

what happens about MOTs if you bring a car in that is older than 1960?

I just brought a Juvaquatre in which is 1958. All I had to do is fill in the import pack and send all the paperwork off. It didn't need an mot and I had a uk registration and tax disc within 3 weeks. Being vat registered helps as it is dead easy for me to do the NOVA. It really is easy the hardest part is getting the car here. I am still looking for a courier to bring some doors back from southern france but no one wants the job. The guy I have used to bring stuff back has disappeared and shiply quotes were a bit silly.

[Louise2cv]

Hi! So I finally got a Frenchman to reply to my emails, he is being very helpful and sent me the CT

 

 

I don't speak/read French but isn't the jist of this "It's f**ked"?:

 

CT pour envoi.pdf

[Pillock]

I think third line from the bottom suggests there's an iced coffee in the chassis?

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Its basically saying the brakes are not very good and need sorting to pass the MOT. Then it lists assorted other 'advisory' items including a few rust holes in the structure and some rubber boots missing from this and that and a few other trivial bits.

[dave21478]

Doesnt look catastrophic to me.

 

first three items are fail points, the rest are advisories.

 

Brake lights dont work

rear brake imbalance

overall brake effort too low.  The readings at the bottom show the left rear brake is doing nothing.

 

tracking needs adjusted

headlights have pitting/rust or something

multiple points of corrosion, holes, splits or tears underneath

bodywork (excluding doors and bonnet) is corroded

gearbox oil leak

driveshaft gaitor split

exhaust front pipe damaged/rusty

stamped chassis number not readable

left rear shock absorber cover is broken/rusty/missing

rear tyres unevenly worn.

 

 

Now, the rust could be an issue - they dont really care about structural rot too much like a UK MOT would, so saying the underside is rusty and cracked or holed could mean gaping holes you can fit your head through, or it could be a little rusty spot that needs a 6 inch patch - no way to tell.

 

The unreadable chassis number could just be rusty, or it could be missing altogether. I dont know if that affects importing and registering it if its missing?

 

 

It sat this test a couple of days ago and despite failing can be driven for the next two months.

[Louise2cv]

Thanks guys. The pics confirm the rot is quite significant, can't believe its only advisory!

[dave21478]

The ex ladyfriend21478 had a Renault 21 estate with drivers sill and bottom of the a-pillar so rotten that not only could you give the sills an elbow-deep fisting, the door dropped by about 6 inches when opened. It would have failed a UK MOT decades previously, but was only ever an advisory here.

 

 

And yet my Landyrover failed because it was running perfectly good 215/70/16 tyres instead of 195/80/16's even with no clearance problems or rubbing. Its not allowed because that size is not homologated for use by the manufacturer.  

[nigel bickle]

Sox, late to the party.

 

A French CT ( every 2 yrs) is pretty lightweight in comparison. Esp with rust....

 

Anticipate the worst, you'll probably not be disappointed.

[Rocket88]

ref imports from channel islands...if stuff has been previously registered in the UK, VAT not usually applicable.

[Skizzer]

This is a very handy and well timed thread.

 

I'm still a bit puzzled about the mph speedometer thing, though.

 

I know that if the car is less than 10 years old it needs EU 'mutual recognition' paperwork, and that requires a proper dual mph/kmh speedo.  Multiple stickers won't do.  But that's for cars less than 10 years old, and we don't care about them.

 

So if, just hypothetically, 'a friend' wanted to bring over a Matra Rancho from its native land, what would I need to do to the speedo for an MOT?  And has anyone got any recommendations of where to get the required bits (e.g. conversion gearwheel gadgets)?  I hope these are generic, as UK aftermarket parts supply for Ranchos and Simca 1100s appears to be fairly, er, limited.

 

I'm My friend is also assuming that beam converters/leccy tape will suffice for the headlamps.

[dollywobbler]

I've owned stuff over here with km/h only speedos. Pain in the arse to be honest! One actually had stickers for key mph - ie 30, 40, 50 (it didn't really go any faster than that). Both tyres appeared to pass MOTs though.

[Skizzer]

So if I get any grief I can enjoy a cruise up to Aber for MOTs

[theorganist]

The Renault 14 I imported had a kph only speedo. It passed the MOT, I was told as long as the speedo operated that is all the regulaions worried about. I never found it a problem quite easy to convert kph to mph on the go. I think theoretically the police may have a dim view of a kph only speedo but I figured the chances of being pulled over in a tatty R14 was unlikely, especially for speeding!!

 

I am thinking of another trip over next year possibly for another 14 as I kept the RHD headlights but I really fancy a Renault 6. The headlamp issue is something that concerns me the most about importing as my garage were insistent I needed RHD headlamps yet I have seen imported cars with LHD headlamps with the deflectors on and they have passed the MOT in that condition! If anyone has a definitive answer to that I would be most interested.

[Skizzer]

Good to know about the speedo on your R14.  I seem to remember the headlamp issue has been discussed on here before, and it depends on the attitude of your tester - hence my only half-joking comment about going to visit the MOT station that passed Mr Wobbler's cars.

 

I'd love an R14 - fond memories of the ones we had when I was a kid.  It's on the list.

[Noel Tidybeard]

when i were nobutalad father had a renner 12 which he proclaimed the head light to be crap- upon investigation the head light could be turned "upsidedown" to give rhd beam pattern

 

renner ftw

[nigel bickle]

My Seat Ronda has oh headlamps & a kph speedo. No issues

 

Just as we'll really, as rhd versions were never made!

[hairnet]

when it was cheaper to import motorcycles from japan privately in the mid 90s stick on numbers on the speedo passed and still do the mot

 

tape on the lights will pass too - on bikes we just rotated the light till the beam went ok