Discussion
Currently over in the us at my dads house and I see so many corvettes. I had always assumed they were expensive but you can get a c5 for $10k which is about £7k with current exchange rates.
Why is it that they cost £14k+ in the uk? Maybe I'm not looking in the right places but they seem expensive.
Why is it that they cost £14k+ in the uk? Maybe I'm not looking in the right places but they seem expensive.
AdeTuono said:
Taxes, insurance, taxes, shipping, taxes, IVA, taxes, exchange rate, texes.
15% import tax makes it £8700 or so. £1300 shipping puts you at 10k then all that is left is to register/iva?Fail to see that costing £4K as people import cars that need registered/converted from Japan all the time.
Just looks odd to me personally that they cost so much. Would of been even cheaper pre brexit.
You have import tax at i believe 10% on car and all other landed costs.
£8000 + £1000 shipping = £9000 + 10% = 9900
Then you have VAT on top of that at 20%
£9900 + 20% = £11,880
Then it needs an IVA test, indicators and headlights mostly,
probs £500 / £1000.
Theres £13k as a rough estimate, without a profit for the importer.
Hope my numbers are near right.
£8000 + £1000 shipping = £9000 + 10% = 9900
Then you have VAT on top of that at 20%
£9900 + 20% = £11,880
Then it needs an IVA test, indicators and headlights mostly,
probs £500 / £1000.
Theres £13k as a rough estimate, without a profit for the importer.
Hope my numbers are near right.
It's fair to say that some early/high mileage etc. C5s can be bough for around £10k or sometimes even less, plus US models are generally cheaper than euro-spec models (as the opportunity to sell into Europe is not there due to type approval issues, and European prices are generally quite a bit higher).
You will save some money by importing yourself from the US, especially if you do the IVA conversion work yourself, but you do need to factor in all the overhead costs.
You will save some money by importing yourself from the US, especially if you do the IVA conversion work yourself, but you do need to factor in all the overhead costs.
'Usually' if you import a US spec machine you will not need to change out the headlights, I didn't on my C6. USDM lights are a flat beam so can be adjusted to not shine in the bit they aren't supposed to shine in. Euro headlamps though will need swapping if you import from across the channel.
Another bonus of a US import
. Just do your homework as there are probably exceptions to this.
Another bonus of a US import
. Just do your homework as there are probably exceptions to this. MrNoisy said:
'Usually' if you import a US spec machine you will not need to change out the headlights, I didn't on my C6. USDM lights are a flat beam so can be adjusted to not shine in the bit they aren't supposed to shine in. Euro headlamps though will need swapping if you import from across the channel.
Another bonus of a US import. Just do your homework as there are probably exceptions to this.
C5 should be the same too. My SVA tester said at the time it would not dazzle anyone with the flat beam pattern. And my MOT guy just adjusted them slightly to align better with the test equipment.Another bonus of a US import
. Just do your homework as there are probably exceptions to this. I converted a C5.
The headlights are flat beam (neither left or right dip) and will pass the IVA with minor adjustment. They are also crap but that's a different issue.
The main things it needs are
(i) white sidelights but because they cannot share a compartment with the indicator, you have to fit separate white lights from the UK spec C5.
(ii) an illuminated fog switch in the liune of sight of the driver and a rear fog light mounted in accordance with the lighting regs.
(iii) orange rear indicators - best done with a set of euro spec lights from Ecklers in the US
(iv) side repeaters - either drilling the plastic wings and firring universal repeaters or getting them into the door mirror somehow.
(v) some IVA centres take issue on Euro compliant tyres but if it has the stock tyres (unlikely), they can acknowledge that. Don't know if anyone has had this issue but my mate was questioned about it back in 2004 on a 2003 car.
I used to have a comprehensive "How to" on a website which they subsequently screwed up but I think the Corvette Owners Club may have preserved it somewhere and I believe it still remains a definitive piece. Unlike other cars, the C5 has none of that CANBUS crap, it's all easy DIY electrics.
The headlights are flat beam (neither left or right dip) and will pass the IVA with minor adjustment. They are also crap but that's a different issue.
The main things it needs are
(i) white sidelights but because they cannot share a compartment with the indicator, you have to fit separate white lights from the UK spec C5.
(ii) an illuminated fog switch in the liune of sight of the driver and a rear fog light mounted in accordance with the lighting regs.
(iii) orange rear indicators - best done with a set of euro spec lights from Ecklers in the US
(iv) side repeaters - either drilling the plastic wings and firring universal repeaters or getting them into the door mirror somehow.
(v) some IVA centres take issue on Euro compliant tyres but if it has the stock tyres (unlikely), they can acknowledge that. Don't know if anyone has had this issue but my mate was questioned about it back in 2004 on a 2003 car.
I used to have a comprehensive "How to" on a website which they subsequently screwed up but I think the Corvette Owners Club may have preserved it somewhere and I believe it still remains a definitive piece. Unlike other cars, the C5 has none of that CANBUS crap, it's all easy DIY electrics.
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