Discussion
In reply to your questions.
Anyone can import a car.
Cost is a simple equation
Cost of Car + Shipping (usually about £500) = Landed Cost
Landed Cost * 10% = Duty Payable
(Landed Cost + Duty Payable)* 17.5% = VAT
This is the cost of getting the car into the UK.
Then you have to add the cost of the SVA work which ball park figure is £1,500.
Time it takes from purchase of car to landed in the UK is anything from 4 weeks depending on route etc.
What do you need to do? Save your cash!
Anyone can import a car.
Cost is a simple equation
Cost of Car + Shipping (usually about £500) = Landed Cost
Landed Cost * 10% = Duty Payable
(Landed Cost + Duty Payable)* 17.5% = VAT
This is the cost of getting the car into the UK.
Then you have to add the cost of the SVA work which ball park figure is £1,500.
Time it takes from purchase of car to landed in the UK is anything from 4 weeks depending on route etc.
What do you need to do? Save your cash!
Regarding the SVA work, does it need to be done by an approved garage? It used to be that many years ago the owner could do it all (a friends brother converted a Charger he'd imported) & save a fortune on labour costs. Has the law changed in that area? Or do they just make it really awkward for people doing it themselves?
It's not difficult to do, commercial vehicles (pick ups) are slightly easier proposition. All you really need to do is some research into your particular vehicle before you start. We have been preparing a lot of Jap imports for SVA lately and there are a number of wrinkles that can be applied.
Single Vehicle Approval.
All vehicles sold in Europe have to be type approved. i.e. the crash them etc. to test that they are safe.
Obviously they cannot crash test every car that is personally imported, so they apply a set of rules called Single Vehicle Approval.
It is similar to an MOT test just more intense.
Vehicles imported from American are exempt from large parts of the test as they are certificated for use in the USA. As the certification process is similar to the SVA, any points where they pass in the USA are not retested in the SVA.
Hope this helps.
All vehicles sold in Europe have to be type approved. i.e. the crash them etc. to test that they are safe.
Obviously they cannot crash test every car that is personally imported, so they apply a set of rules called Single Vehicle Approval.
It is similar to an MOT test just more intense.
Vehicles imported from American are exempt from large parts of the test as they are certificated for use in the USA. As the certification process is similar to the SVA, any points where they pass in the USA are not retested in the SVA.
Hope this helps.
I think most of the SVA stuff on a late model car would be lighting issues. Obviously SVA is easier if the vehicle was ever offered in Europe (like the GM stuff was).
a.E-marked right hand drive headlamps.
b.Foglamp mounted offside rear with illuminated switch correctly positioned. I converted one of the reversing lamps to a fog on my 91'.
c.Conversion of front amber running/turn signal lights to indicators only.
d. Amber rear indicator lenses - these are available for Corvettes and Camaro's etc.
e. Door mirrors can fail SVA by being too small or not sprung - EU Corvettes came with different mirrors so these can be obtained.
Can't think of anything else right now..
All pretty easy DIY stuff.
a.E-marked right hand drive headlamps.
b.Foglamp mounted offside rear with illuminated switch correctly positioned. I converted one of the reversing lamps to a fog on my 91'.
c.Conversion of front amber running/turn signal lights to indicators only.
d. Amber rear indicator lenses - these are available for Corvettes and Camaro's etc.
e. Door mirrors can fail SVA by being too small or not sprung - EU Corvettes came with different mirrors so these can be obtained.
Can't think of anything else right now..
All pretty easy DIY stuff.
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