US imports Insurance and Car suggestions.
Discussion
Hi chaps,
Think im going to be selling the ASTON (Any body interested, 2008 registered, 48K Kiliometers, Cobalt blue Vantage V8 Will be going on Dubizzle for about 210K starting) to downgrade and buy two cars over the next month or so. Been looking around and trying to think what i want, not easy. Looking realistically at around 100K AED, ive seen a few US imports on things, does anyone have any experience with insuring this sort of thing, especially when im the first owner over here?
So been looking at maybe a Nissan 370Z NIsmo, BMW M3 (at the high side of the Budget!) Any other suggestions lads, still want a bit of fun!!
Think im going to be selling the ASTON (Any body interested, 2008 registered, 48K Kiliometers, Cobalt blue Vantage V8 Will be going on Dubizzle for about 210K starting) to downgrade and buy two cars over the next month or so. Been looking around and trying to think what i want, not easy. Looking realistically at around 100K AED, ive seen a few US imports on things, does anyone have any experience with insuring this sort of thing, especially when im the first owner over here?
So been looking at maybe a Nissan 370Z NIsmo, BMW M3 (at the high side of the Budget!) Any other suggestions lads, still want a bit of fun!!
Hi 
I have an F150 Raptor which was imported from the US from new (first one in the UAE allegedly). I'm not its first owner, but it's been insured with RSA since it hit these shores without a problem.
You may find the first monk... sorry, 'call centre executive' gives you the #computersaysno treatment, but as always, if you challenge something assertively enough out here, you'll get the answer you need. Do make sure you agree on an insured value should the worst happen, however.
What is more of a problem is parts availability. It may be limited to Ford or Premier/Al Tayer, but obtaining parts for my car is a herculean mission, invariably leading to shipping the bits myself from a dealer in the US. I am adamant that the dearth of parts is due to my US import red flag rather than an actual lack of basic bits for what is ultimately a common barn-door-engineered truck out here, so it's worth mentioning. The response has been the same outside of the dealer network too, where even something as simple as a refrigerant hose was apparently not available in the whole of the GCC. The other thing to mention is that the aforementioned main agent won't warranty any work they do on my car whatsoever (officially at least), because of its origins.
In short, running and maintaining an import out here can be a bit of a hassle, but it wouldn't stop me from doing it again for the right car (i.e. one that hasn't spent the first few years of its life bouncing off its limiter, sand dunes, other cars or all three!).
As for the car itself, the Merc C63 is no doubt an absolute weapon, but it is also the vehicle of choice for every local young buck and tends to come out the other side accordingly. My theory is that a manual car on the other hand is (somewhat perversely) likely to have been owned by a more mechanically sympathetic individual, which is where the M3 would get my vote; and it shouldn't feel like too much of a step down from the Vantage either.
I have an F150 Raptor which was imported from the US from new (first one in the UAE allegedly). I'm not its first owner, but it's been insured with RSA since it hit these shores without a problem.
You may find the first monk... sorry, 'call centre executive' gives you the #computersaysno treatment, but as always, if you challenge something assertively enough out here, you'll get the answer you need. Do make sure you agree on an insured value should the worst happen, however.
What is more of a problem is parts availability. It may be limited to Ford or Premier/Al Tayer, but obtaining parts for my car is a herculean mission, invariably leading to shipping the bits myself from a dealer in the US. I am adamant that the dearth of parts is due to my US import red flag rather than an actual lack of basic bits for what is ultimately a common barn-door-engineered truck out here, so it's worth mentioning. The response has been the same outside of the dealer network too, where even something as simple as a refrigerant hose was apparently not available in the whole of the GCC. The other thing to mention is that the aforementioned main agent won't warranty any work they do on my car whatsoever (officially at least), because of its origins.
In short, running and maintaining an import out here can be a bit of a hassle, but it wouldn't stop me from doing it again for the right car (i.e. one that hasn't spent the first few years of its life bouncing off its limiter, sand dunes, other cars or all three!).
As for the car itself, the Merc C63 is no doubt an absolute weapon, but it is also the vehicle of choice for every local young buck and tends to come out the other side accordingly. My theory is that a manual car on the other hand is (somewhat perversely) likely to have been owned by a more mechanically sympathetic individual, which is where the M3 would get my vote; and it shouldn't feel like too much of a step down from the Vantage either.
with all these cars outside Sams villa it's going to look like an upscale 
s palace!
My Elise is a Canadian import and had no issues with insurance, was never even mentioned.
Manual 997 911? If jase doesn't buy it soon there's a manual Dodge Ram srt10 for sale locally, great spec and price.
s palace! My Elise is a Canadian import and had no issues with insurance, was never even mentioned.
Manual 997 911? If jase doesn't buy it soon there's a manual Dodge Ram srt10 for sale locally, great spec and price.
Onetrackmind said:
Mr Sandman said:
Wrong gearbox though.
Same garage has a manual m3, same year, with 84k for 103k. I'd take a dsg/PDK/dct type gearbox out here. Easy to live with in traffic and still good fun when you want it. They're a huge improvement over old slush boxes.You're right, dual clutch boxes are fantastic feats of engineering and I'd welcome one in my SUV or waftomatic cruiser. But in a sports car? Anyway, that's a debate for another time.
I'm fortunate that traffic in Abu Dhabi isn't really that bad. Apart from which, I used to commute through London in a GT3, so my left leg is used to a bit of clutch pumping!
shirt said:
with all these cars outside Sams villa it's going to look like an upscale s palace!
My Elise is a Canadian import and had no issues with insurance, was never even mentioned.
Manual 997 911? If jase doesn't buy it soon there's a manual Dodge Ram srt10 for sale locally, great spec and price.
Ha... Well.. The raptors gone and ive moved out... So the astons about 500 yards away at my villa now!! s palace! My Elise is a Canadian import and had no issues with insurance, was never even mentioned.
Manual 997 911? If jase doesn't buy it soon there's a manual Dodge Ram srt10 for sale locally, great spec and price.
I heard about the Dodge truck... could be an option... Is it still going... and where is it? Sams back soon so can ask him!
Still undecided... although now not worried about the import thing... so thanks for the info...
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