Importing a Car from the USA! All you need to know!

[EAT-30T]

Article by Terry aka 70mach1


1.Find a car. (US E-Bay is a good place to look believe it or not)-check the dollar conversion rate daily and watch trends before you commit to a car-have 3 or 4 choices on hand.

2 Get ISD if you don't have it and speak directly to the seller(s).Check the time zones of course.Americans are generally fairly informative and happy to spend time with an aussie on the phone.
Try to avoid cars from snow affected states and have all your VIN numbers/codes on hand if you're after something built in lesser numbers so that you can check for colour,transmission changes etc .

2.Have the car inspected.

3.Make sure the car has clear title and ask for an email copy.Your importer will need a copy too.He will have a legal contact in the states who will need to process the original.The car cannot legally travel across international borders without it.

4.Find an importer

Check their credentials thoroughly.Ask if the car is coming direct( West Coast USA to Australian eastern seaboard) or via Asia which takes almost twice as long ie.up to 8 weeks..

Get a commitment up front that you will be regularly informed of transit progress- ie at least twice a week.

Find out which shipping company the importer uses and ask for the container number-you can keep track of the container's progress live on Lloyds Shipping MU.

Find out who the freight forwarder is in Australia and ask if you can be in attendance when the car is taken out of the container-some will let you be present

Buy a car on the West Coast if possible-transit from central or eastern states takes time and money.


5.Contact DOTARS Canberra on line for an import permit well before the car arrives.

6. Make sure as soon as you buy a car that you have it insured-the importer can help with this.

7.Make sure you have calculated the full cost of the car landed inc GST,cleaning ete etc so you're not caught short.

8.Lastly-unless you're prepared to convert a car to RHD and have it engineered then try to look for a car thats basically stock or has after market parts which can be easily removed.
A car with minitubs etc etc is going to be pretty tough in some states to register as left hand drive.

That's the short hand version- but there are lots of details in the above steps which need to be addressed as the process unfolds.
A good import agent will help with most of this.



People feel free to add your .02c and I will edit this first post as need be!

Cheers

[AUSCAMARO]

Great idea Kurt!!

Mitch

[Nev68]

Guys watch this space as we compile a step by step car importation flow chart.

;)

Step 1. Find a car:D

[67SS502]

just what the doctor ordered.

[RAW454]

Don't forget the "Importing Car Parts from the USA! All you need to know!" subsection :)

[EAT-30T]

Step 1. Find a car:D

This is the hardest part Nev!! lol

[wizardowaz]

http://www.pcca.org.au/import.html
This may be of some help for the import info

[Sin]

how's this coming along? ;)

[toycorvette]

Hi , i am new to the site.. i am after a 1959 corvette resto mod , i believe this is the correct wording. i have found a few in the USA , but they are asking serious dollars ,they start anywhere from $100k to $200k, with taxes and gst it ends up costing close to $250 to $300k aus..
i love the shape and prefer a car that has a bit of street rod about it..
any advice ...

[cluxford]

Welcome aboard. So you are looking for a completed ready to drive ?

Might be better to get one that is mostly completed or a bit older resto and tidy it up

What sites are you looking on for a good car

I love early vette's would kill for a pro-street 62

[cluxford]

One of my fav sites is www.cars-on-line.com, not a day goes by I am not up there dreaming.

I did a quick look there are some super nice 58-61 Vette's up here. I've just pulled out the 59's and 60's for ya.

With the AUD at 93 cents today good time to be buying

This one is real nice at $59,000
http://www.mershons.com/view_photo.asp?ID=6532&image=Exterior

I realise this one is the sort of crazy $$$ type you mentioned. $296,000, but very very nice 59
http://www.continentalclassiccars.com/view_selected.asp?id=102

Bit to orange for me and probably still too much on the high side $$ wise $159,000
http://www.carsonline-ads.com/colsite/col?use=UC3_ViewPosting&cmd=showPosting&postingID=36076

Don't know how much they want for this one, but you could get it completed to your liking so it really can be whatever you want it to be. Looks pretty tricked up
http://www.carsonline-ads.com/colsite/col?use=UC3_ViewPosting&cmd=showPosting&postingID=44477

Example of an older resto for $65,000
http://www.carsonline-ads.com/colsite/col?use=UC3_ViewPosting&cmd=showPosting&postingID=44149

Anyway good luck with the search hope these help out....

[EAT-30T]

Sorry guys I meant to do this a long time ago.. by all means if you have anything constructive to add to this fire away...

[MadVk308]

lol damn... Im almost in the market to get something sent over and got all excited when I seen this thread :)

[EAT-30T]

Feel free to ask any questions.. MOST peeps here can answer.. :) I'm just short on time! :(

[70mach1]

I hope I'm not jumping the gun here if a guide to importing is forthcoming.

I've done it but I'm not sure I'd do it again..

If you can find a local car and pay a bit more to avoid the importing and registration head aches-it might be money well spent..but if you're after something that's not available locally then you may have no other choice.

I think the experience could be a lot more pleasant than ours was with better import agent.

-------------------------------------------------------------

It goes something like this... SEE FIRST POST! ^^^

[USA-69Z]

thats good advice Terry ...


Gav

[Russ]

Currently researching this subject, as I've just booked my first inspection for a US based vehicle & need to figure this **** out.


Here's some useful links:

DOTARS - Importing Vehicles to Australia (http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/roads/vehicle_regulation/bulletin/importing_vehicles/index.aspx)

DOTARS - Import Approval Application Forms (http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/roads/vehicle_regulation/bulletin/importing_vehicles/general/Application.aspx)




A few NSW specific links:

NSW RTA - VSI 40 - Registration of left hand drive vehicles .PDF File (http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/registration/downloads/vsi/vsi40_rev1.pdf)

NSW RTA - VSI 15 - Engineering signatories .PDF File (http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/registration/downloads/vsi/vsi_15_engineering_signatories_rev_20_23march_2010 .pdf)

NSW RTA - VSI 07 - Australian design rules .PDF File (http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/registration/downloads/vsi/vsi_07_-_australian_design_rules_nov_2007.pdf)

[70mach1]

All the best mate.You'll be fine-one step at a time ;)

[tezza101]

Hey Russ - you doing your import yourself, or using an importer? Am looking about myself...

[Russ]

I'm using USAtoAUS (http://www.usatoaus.com) - Been communicating with Phil over the last few weeks, and my first car should be inspected in the next day or 2.

I looked over everything, and it's a pretty daunting task. The only way I would consider doing it myself, was if I went to the States and handled everything personally, and didn't leave until the vehicle was on the boat. And then I'd only consider doing that is I was a multi-millionaire that didn't need to work :)

For the sake of an extra few bucks, have someone do it for you.


Had I not gotten a reply from USAtoAUS, the other company I would have gone through would have been Shermatt (http://www.shermatt.com/) - have heard nothing but praise for them.

[Russ]

Got a question for all ...

What's the process if you decide to buy a bunch of parts and chuck them inside the vehicle you're importing? New set of rims etc? Not asking for me, it's just come up on another forum, and I'm curious.

What sort of paperwork etc is needed? Is it as simple as adding them & their value on the shippers cargo inventory/invoice so GST & Customs fee's can be calculated once here?

Or is there something specific needed to be done on the importer/buyers end here in Oz?

Cheers.

[S[_]SPECT]

The vehicle importer will usually have their own way of doing it.. however the items will need to be itemised with values as you said, not only for GST/Duty, but insurance and buyer checking at the receiving end..
Have heard a number of people complain that parts have gone missing when shipped with a car.
If they are wholey USA made, make sure it is documented and you wont (shouldn't) get hit with duty.. just GST.
From what I have been told GST WILL apply to parts shipped in the container, even if the parts order is sub $1k..

I brought over a heap of parts through Phil (USA2AUS) and it was pretty painless on my end.. was only the long wait for them to arrive.

[Russ]

Thanks mate.

[Russ]

...and another importing related question:

Once the ship gets into it's designated port, assuming there's no trouble, what sort of time does it take for things to get processed once the containers are unloaded off the ship?

The Ship with the Chally arrived in Sydney on Sunday night.

[stuart]

Got a question for all ...

What's the process if you decide to buy a bunch of parts and chuck them inside the vehicle you're importing? New set of rims etc? Not asking for me, it's just come up on another forum, and I'm curious.

What sort of paperwork etc is needed? Is it as simple as adding them & their value on the shippers cargo inventory/invoice so GST & Customs fee's can be calculated once here?

Or is there something specific needed to be done on the importer/buyers end here in Oz?

Cheers.
What i did was to get the guy i was buying the car of to put on the receipt that the car was sold with new parts as part of the sale. I didnt have to pay any extra.

[tezza101]

...and another importing related question:

Once the ship gets into it's designated port, assuming there's no trouble, what sort of time does it take for things to get processed once the containers are unloaded off the ship?

The Ship with the Chally arrived in Sydney on Sunday night.

Took mine about a week...

[Russ]

Cool.

Apparently in recent weeks they've "upgraded" some sort of system at Port Botany, and everything is in a shambles - with a backlog of over 4000 containers.

Hopefully that's all been dealt with.

[firebird69]

I've bought 2 firebirds on Ebay USA - first one a 69, last year in may, took 6 weeks to arrive to my door - looked good in photo's but when paint came off, was a pile of rust - lucky i sold for same price I bought, minus the 4K in cost to bring over. my new one (a 68) arrived last week, pretty much as the photo's and description, except the front floors worse than was told.
I reckon much better to spent the couple of thousand and go over and check out yourself if you wanna be 100% sure.
even in OZ, I bought a 67 bird of Ebay, lost my 500 deposit coz turned out to be a heap of **** - was sold by some bikers in adelaide.
funny thing about my new bird was that the wrong car was delivered to my door last week, a 77 firebird - of-course I freaked, would have been great if it was instead a shelby or Z28

[skywalker]

pretty tough call buying off Ebay US especially if it hasn't been pre checked, good luck with the new one

[firebird69]

I bought some floorpans a headliner set and carpets from classic industries and had them shipped to one world shippers in LA where my 68 bird was waiting to be shipped over with the car - gave instructions, tracking numbers etc - goods arrived in LA ok, car took less than 3 weeks to come from LA to melbourne, took nearly 4 weeks for customs to clear - seems january is not a good month for containers at the port of melbourne.
well, car arrived with one of the two boxes - floorpans and headliner failed to show up.

[BuickGSX455]

I have used "Automobile Inspections LLC" www.automobileinspections.com/
For $379 they sent a Buick Concourse judge out to inspect the car I was intending to purchase.
He spent 2 hours crawling over the car, put it up on a hoist, test drive etc etc.
I received a 6 page critical report and 80 digital photos.
All important stamped numbers and documents were checked and verified.
When the car arrived weeks later it was exactly as the inspection reported, not one blemish more or less.
They claim to have manufacturer specific experts in most US states and I was very impressed with the service I received.


Customs and Quarantine in Melbourne held the car for 3 weeks, Customs was quick Quarantine took a long time.

[victorypark]

Has anyone brought over a car recently, say since the new import rules came into effect and the car had exisitng modifications and to what extent?

I'm curious to see where customs/dotars draw a line in the sand with regards to modified vehicles and how "flexible" they are with this.

Anyone had any good stories? bad? Do share.

[anychevy]

Anyone had any good stories? bad? Do share.
This made it :D
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/1967-CHEVROLET-CHEVELLE-PRO-TOUR-SS-HOTROD-DRAG-BBC-NOS-/280653975414?pt=AU_Cars&hash=item415847cf76
So it's clearly a matter of who you know

[victorypark]

This made it :D
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/1967-CHEVROLET-CHEVELLE-PRO-TOUR-SS-HOTROD-DRAG-BBC-NOS-/280653975414?pt=AU_Cars&hash=item415847cf76
So it's clearly a matter of who you know


Yeah saw that one Dave. I see in the ad though it was purchased in the USA three years ago which means he wouldn't have fallen under the new provisions.

[anychevy]

I see in the ad though it was purchased in the USA three years ago .
That explains that :rolleyes: but the law hasn't changed, it's just being enforced now.

[guffer]

Has anyone brought over a car recently, say since the new import rules came into effect and the car had exisitng modifications and to what extent?

I'm curious to see where customs/dotars draw a line in the sand with regards to modified vehicles and how "flexible" they are with this.

Anyone had any good stories? bad? Do share.
I brought in a `70 corvette and a `67 camaro at the start of this year, the corvette was inspected for soil or plant material and the camaro wasn`t looked at, customs wanted proof that i had actually paid for it, had to provide bank transfer docs, really varies a lot, if you want i can give you details of a guy who is importing cars all the time, he would have more info

[victorypark]

I brought in a `70 corvette and a `67 camaro at the start of this year, the corvette was inspected for soil or plant material and the camaro wasn`t looked at, customs wanted proof that i had actually paid for it, had to provide bank transfer docs, really varies a lot, if you want i can give you details of a guy who is importing cars all the time, he would have more info

Yeah shoot us a pm shane if u wouldn't mind. May even know the guy.

Cheers.

[guffer]

Yeah shoot us a pm shane if u wouldn't mind. May even know the guy.

Cheers.

PM sent

[firebird69]

bought over a stock 69 bird last year - still had the plant matter all over it - even had a bucket load of california grass (unfortunately lawn grass) and newspaper shoved in under the body fillers - spiders with their webs - car took 4 days from docking to delivery to my house, so all this foreign matter came from the US.
bought a 68 bird in jan this year -just some hot chrome wheels and hi-rise with an edelbrock 4 barrel - so pretty much stock - no drama's really - except it took over 3 weeks from docking in Melbourne to arrive to my house again.
I've used AutoEzy in Bayswater the both time - they are OK, but I'm sure there's better around.

[alp003]

This made it :D
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/1967-CHEVROLET-CHEVELLE-PRO-TOUR-SS-HOTROD-DRAG-BBC-NOS-/280653975414?pt=AU_Cars&hash=item415847cf76
So it's clearly a matter of who you know

That Chevelle looks very much like another red 67 advertised a couple of years ago. The car had a pattern of faint lines painted into the red. It also had different wheels and the asking price was cheaper than this one. Can't remember much about the running gear but I wonder if it is the same car. Very tough!

[Scud]

Yeah shoot us a pm shane if u wouldn't mind. May even know the guy.

Cheers.

Hi Shane could you also give me the details of a person who you recommend to use as i wish to import a 68 Camaro from the States all the info i can get would be appreciated Thank Ray

[BuickGSX455]

Australian Government, Department Of Transport with regard to Authority to Import have just announced their intention to impose a Camaro limit.
Following earlier importing disasters such as Cane Toads, Mustangs and New Zealanders the Aus Gov believe there is a clear and present danger of Camaros reaching a critical mass on the roads of Australia.
Perth has been mentioned as a zone of particular concern with estimates of Camaros in the wild exceeding 3 for every man, woman and child residing in the city itself.

[anychevy]

Perth has been mentioned as a zone of particular concern with estimates of Camaros in the wild exceeding 3 for every man, woman and child residing in the city itself.
Yes, it's a worry and now there's talk (behind closed doors) about culling the mustang population, so wild camaro's could be next :D
PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Automobiles) are up in arms :rolleyes:

[Nev68]

Australian Government, Department Of Transport with regard to Authority to Import have just announced their intention to impose a Camaro limit.
Following earlier importing disasters such as Cane Toads, Mustangs and New Zealanders the Aus Gov believe there is a clear and present danger of Camaros reaching a critical mass on the roads of Australia.
Perth has been mentioned as a zone of particular concern with estimates of Camaros in the wild exceeding 3 for every man, woman and child residing in the city itself.

I thought they were Mustangs:rolleyes:

[guffer]

Australian Government, Department Of Transport with regard to Authority to Import have just announced their intention to impose a Camaro limit.
Following earlier importing disasters such as Cane Toads, Mustangs and New Zealanders the Aus Gov believe there is a clear and present danger of Camaros reaching a critical mass on the roads of Australia.
Perth has been mentioned as a zone of particular concern with estimates of Camaros in the wild exceeding 3 for every man, woman and child residing in the city itself.

I understand there is an exemption for Dentists :p

[BuickGSX455]

I understand there is an exemption for Dentists :p

No dentist would sink as low as a Camaro and certainly none would be seen in a Mustang.

[guffer]

No dentist would sink as low as a Camaro and certainly none would be seen in a Mustang.

Truth be known they would rather something soft. comfy and easy to drive rather than a real muscle car :D

---------- Post added at 09:52 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:24 PM ----------

Hi Shane could you also give me the details of a person who you recommend to use as i wish to import a 68 Camaro from the States all the info i can get would be appreciated Thank Ray

PM sent

[BuickGSX455]

Truth be known they would rather something soft. comfy and easy to drive rather than a real muscle car :D[COLOR="Silver"]

PM sent

True, but occasionally you get the odd brilliant, young, dynamic, dentist who, with a pocket full of cash feels the need for speed and goes straight to the muscle car pinacle....and of course he buys a Buick, an obvious choice really.

FAST with CLASS !!

If he's real rich, he also buys his grandad a Cadillac! Probably a black one.

[69Superbad]

I understand there is an exemption for Dentists :p

Pisser!:D

[BuickGSX455]

Pisser!:D

Yeah, you started that ya knob. :rolleyes:

[18htan]

True, but occasionally you get the odd brilliant, young, dynamic, dentist who, with a pocket full of cash feels the need for speed and goes straight to the muscle car pinacle....and of course he buys a Buick, an obvious choice really.

FAST with CLASS !!

Wouldn't all the "Class" = additional weight. Then the Buick be considered more a modestly strong car, rather than a muscle car?

Dentists always have a soft touch, and wouldn't be able to handle a Camaro. More to the point, a Chevy dealer wouldn't have sold a dentist a Camaro.

[BuickGSX455]

Short memory Nate?

In reference to my Dentist car...



His beast is bloody nice, and sounds so tough!

[jaywildone57]

Dentists don't eat donuts do they Colin?

9086

[BuickGSX455]

Dentists don't eat donuts do they Colin?

9086

FFS, I bought 1 sixpack of donuts and Ben ate one, just cause you guys took 15 photos of me eating donuts does not mean I ate 15 donuts....

[guffer]

FFS, I bought 1 sixpack of donuts and Ben ate one, just cause you guys took 15 photos of me eating donuts does not mean I ate 15 donuts....

Well there is no photos of Ben eating any donuts, but we have 15 shot of you eating them, Proof :p

---------- Post added at 02:46 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:37 PM ----------

True, but occasionally you get the odd brilliant, young, dynamic, dentist who, with a pocket full of cash feels the need for speed and goes straight to the muscle car pinacle....and of course he buys a Buick, an obvious choice really.

FAST with CLASS !!

If he's real rich, he also buys his grandad a Cadillac! Probably a black one.

If your looking for a contest, then next time we meet you get out your white one, and will get out my black one and we`ll see who has the longest :D

[BuickGSX455]

If your looking for a contest, then next time we meet you get out your white one, and will get out my black one and we`ll see who has the longest :D

Your black one might be longer but mines Phatter and goes harder.

[guffer]

Your black one might be longer but mines Phatter and goes harder.

Size matters :)

[BuickGSX455]

Size matters :)

Agreed. But there's more to size than just length.
I measured mine, it's 455ci and the best your big black one can be is 429ci.

Too bad, so sad.

[guffer]

Agreed. But there's more to size than just length.
I measured mine, it's 455ci and the best your big black one can be is 429ci.

Too bad, so sad.

OK I`ll give you 26ci, now check metres, lbs and the important bit the Luxo meter, it measures cool based on age :p

[Nev68]

Maybe you 2 need to get a room:rolleyes:

[guffer]

Maybe you 2 need to get a room:rolleyes:

And have a pi5ssing comp

[18htan]

Short memory Nate?

In reference to my Dentist car...

Not a short memory...

A modestly strong car can sound tough :D

[whitey27]

pretty tough call buying off Ebay US especially if it hasn't been pre checked, good luck with the new one

I must have been lucky!

I took the gamble and bought my 68 Camaro on Ebay motors. The car was actually better than I was expecting:cool:

[skywalker]

I must have been lucky!

I took the gamble and bought my 68 Camaro on Ebay motors. The car was actually better than I was expecting:cool:

Nice 1, you must be on a High when it all pans out for ya, G@@d luck;)

[67SS502]

peter i can't wait to see it now.

[Zr1]

"Had I not gotten a reply from USAtoAUS, the other company I would have gone through would have been shermatt."

Hi Russ,

I'm new to the forum but what a great place with plenty of knowledgeable and helpful members. I'm currently looking into the import process, and wondering if you have purchased a vehicle yet and if so how did you find USAtoAUS, They are the one of the companies I had been researching

Many thanks mate

[guffer]

"Had I not gotten a reply from USAtoAUS, the other company I would have gone through would have been shermatt."

Hi Russ,

I'm new to the forum but what a great place with plenty of knowledgeable and helpful members. I'm currently looking into the import process, and wondering if you have purchased a vehicle yet and if so how did you find USAtoAUS, They are the one of the companies I had been researching

Many thanks mate

Hey ZR1 have you actually purchased something in the states or are you just starting to check things out ?

[Russ]

I sure did mate. I did use USAtoAUS, and all I can say is proceed with caution. Here's my thread on it: http://www.usmuscle.com.au/Forum/showthread.php?t=4840

Sent them my money, and then it took them near on 3 months before they picked up the car. Then another 2 months before they bothered putting it on a ship.

After the funds were transferred to their account, their communication dropped and was near none existent for most of that time. Any email reply you get came 2 weeks later and rarely addressed your concerns.


They weren't bad guys - I wasn't ripped off and the car arrived exactly as described - the time frame didn't really bother me either. Not knowing what was going on was the killer. If the seller wasn't a decent bloke he would have just upped and sold it to someone else. It sat for 3 months in his driveway after the deposit was made, before they came to pick it up and hand over the final payment.

Plenty of people have used them with success. I believe that at that point in time, they were just way too busy and over-stretched, taking on more than they could handle.


I won't say don't use them, but be sure you have some patience. When things did happen, the process was nice & easy - they handle absolutely everything. All you have to do is pick the car, pay the money, and pick it up when you get here. How long that process takes though could be anyone's guess.

Best of luck.

[Zr1]

Hi Gufffer, I haven't purchased a car yet, just looking into the process at this stage. I'm actually building a house (more garage space) which is consuming a lot of time and emotions, but it’d be nice to take advantage of the current parity with the Aus / US $

Hi Russ, thanks for the informative post and the link and apologies for doubling up on the post. That’s an awesome unit you’ve got. I’ve always had GM stuff but I’ve always liked the Mopar gear as well, and that’s one nice challenger. I bet the 383’s a strong mil. I'd have to agree with you that it's the not knowing bit that stresses one out. I'd be exactly the same with respect to the time it takes and wouldn't really be concerned how long it took (within reason) but it’d be nice to be comprehensively informed along the way with regular updates . I believe you can track container numbers etc, throughout the world but it’s no substitute for communication from the importer themselves.
Great to see you got your car and I hope you thoroughly enjoy it mate

cheers

[Russ]

I'd have to agree with you that it's the not knowing bit that stresses one out. I'd be exactly the same with respect to the time it takes and wouldn't really be concerned how long it took (within reason) but it’d be nice to be comprehensively informed along the way with regular updates . I believe you can track container numbers etc, throughout the world but it’s no substitute for communication from the importer themselves.
Great to see you got your car and I hope you thoroughly enjoy it mate


That was the biggest issue. Had I been told upfront that it may take X amount of weeks before they could pick it up, I'd have been fine - and I could have filled the seller in. As it was, both of us sat around for yonks twiddling our thumbs not knowing what the f*ck was going on, not having our questions answered.


Best of luck with the search mate.

[whitey27]

I used Schumacher Cargo Logistics.

They were great they responded promptly to every enquiry. They did everything they said they would when they said they would. No hidden costs. if I was to import another car I will definitely be using them again.

Try www.shumachercargo.com

Their receiving agents in Melbourne are Freightnet. they also communicated well and respond to all enquiries in a prompt manner.

Good Luck,

Peter

[Frank351]

I know a few people who used Shermatt - I would highly recommend them. Definitely go the extra mile for you.

Cheers,
Frank.

[Zr1]

Thanks peter, Frank, I’ll check them out also. It's great to get feedback from people that have used or know people that have used various companies, so i really appreciate your post

cheers

Jason

[guffer]

Jason, if you know exactly what you are after i would recommend you have a really good look at what some of the import companies have already brought into the country, there is some major benifits in being able to have a good look at something here, do your homework on it then decide if you want to buy it, you dont have to go through a lot of grief and headache that goes with shipping etc
I have imported two and bought two locally, buying locally was so much less stressful than importing, either way good luck whatever you decide

[Russ]

Jason, what state are you in - and what are you looking at buying?

There's a couple guys on here that do a US trip each year and bring back a couple to sell. 6pakdave comes to mind. Has some on the way right now. Check his for sale threads on here somewhere - might find something you like!

[Zr1]

Hi Guffer, thanks for the advice. I have 3 or 4 different ones in mind so will definitely check that out mate

Russ, thanks mate I’m in NSW, I will check that out too, sounds like a good alternative.


Whilst not ready to buy right now I definitely would like to get as much research done before hand. I also mentioned on my first post that there were some very helpful and knowledgeable people on here, and I must say you guys "rock". Thanks heaps for your advice and ideas, very helpful indeed. I’ve been on other car forums and you often get shot done in flames for asking questions that others feel you should already know, so again thanks heaps guys

[Drongobill]

Hi , i am new to the site.. i am after a 1959 corvette resto mod , i believe this is the correct wording. i have found a few in the USA , but they are asking serious dollars ,they start anywhere from $100k to $200k, with taxes and gst it ends up costing close to $250 to $300k aus..
i love the shape and prefer a car that has a bit of street rod about it..
any advice ...

Hi - did you find your 59 Vette ?

---------- Post added at 06:56 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:47 AM ----------

Hi Guffer, thanks for the advice. I have 3 or 4 different ones in mind so will definitely check that out mate

Russ, thanks mate I’m in NSW, I will check that out too, sounds like a good alternative.


Whilst not ready to buy right now I definitely would like to get as much research done before hand. I also mentioned on my first post that there were some very helpful and knowledgeable people on here, and I must say you guys "rock". Thanks heaps for your advice and ideas, very helpful indeed. I’ve been on other car forums and you often get shot done in flames for asking questions that others feel you should already know, so again thanks heaps guys

hello - what make and model car are you looking for - I can help you find the car. I travel back and forward to US from Australia every 3 months on business as my company is in San Diego. We can search out a great car for you, get a report , anything that you want and go from there. There are plenty of cars available especially as everyone in US wants cash now with the depressed economy. Tell me what you want and I will get you a few pics of cars available. There was a 73 Camaro on Ebay for US$8500 with a blower but needed a torque converter ( which we could throw into the boot) - shipping in its own container is $5000 LA to Bris/ Melb/ Fremantle.

[vette4us]

Article by Terry aka 70mach1


1.Find a car. (US E-Bay is a good place to look believe it or not)-check the dollar conversion rate daily and watch trends before you commit to a car-have 3 or 4 choices on hand.

2 Get ISD if you don't have it and speak directly to the seller(s).Check the time zones of course.Americans are generally fairly informative and happy to spend time with an aussie on the phone.
Try to avoid cars from snow affected states and have all your VIN numbers/codes on hand if you're after something built in lesser numbers so that you can check for colour,transmission changes etc .

2.Have the car inspected.

3.Make sure the car has clear title and ask for an email copy.Your importer will need a copy too.He will have a legal contact in the states who will need to process the original.The car cannot legally travel across international borders without it.

4.Find an importer

Check their credentials thoroughly.Ask if the car is coming direct( West Coast USA to Australian eastern seaboard) or via Asia which takes almost twice as long ie.up to 8 weeks..

Get a commitment up front that you will be regularly informed of transit progress- ie at least twice a week.

Find out which shipping company the importer uses and ask for the container number-you can keep track of the container's progress live on Lloyds Shipping MU.

Find out who the freight forwarder is in Australia and ask if you can be in attendance when the car is taken out of the container-some will let you be present

Buy a car on the West Coast if possible-transit from central or eastern states takes time and money.


5.Contact DOTARS Canberra on line for an import permit well before the car arrives.

6. Make sure as soon as you buy a car that you have it insured-the importer can help with this.

7.Make sure you have calculated the full cost of the car landed inc GST,cleaning ete etc so you're not caught short.

8.Lastly-unless you're prepared to convert a car to RHD and have it engineered then try to look for a car thats basically stock or has after market parts which can be easily removed.
A car with minitubs etc etc is going to be pretty tough in some states to register as left hand drive.

That's the short hand version- but there are lots of details in the above steps which need to be addressed as the process unfolds.
A good import agent will help with most of this.



People feel free to add your .02c and I will edit this first post as need be!

Cheers

Hi How do you bring in a US muscle car down under with the new regulations in place since July 2010 legitimately?
Has any forum members experienced any difficulties like having a order imposed by Customs to export or have your dream car crusched?
Are Customs Dumb and Dummer? Is Customs policing this new regulation to the letter of the law?Are they reasonable and flexible or we are playing Russian Roulette as I have noted one fmember has just recently acquired 15 USA muscle cars on a recent trip to the States and has borught them in.
He has somehow circumnavigated around this regulation as every car I have noticed is MODIFIED .
Forum members should also remember that your dream car should be degassed else face Cargo Dentention fess which are imposed upto $250 per day.
Forum members should also remember that AGENTS are shifty as Hell.
Donot trust them when the car is landed in your State.They can damage your ride as a form or retaliation if you have any disputes.
If your dream Fails the first AQIS another $139 will be charged.

[guffer]

Hi How do you bring in a US muscle car down under with the new regulations in place since July 2010 legitimately?
Has any forum members experienced any difficulties like having a order imposed by Customs to export or have your dream car crusched?
Are Customs Dumb and Dummer? Is Customs policing this new regulation to the letter of the law?Are they reasonable and flexible or we are playing Russian Roulette as I have noted one fmember has just recently acquired 15 USA muscle cars on a recent trip to the States and has borught them in.
He has somehow circumnavigated around this regulation as every car I have noticed is MODIFIED .
Forum members should also remember that your dream car should be degassed else face Cargo Dentention fess which are imposed upto $250 per day.
Forum members should also remember that AGENTS are shifty as Hell.
Donot trust them when the car is landed in your State.They can damage your ride as a form or retaliation if you have any disputes.
If your dream Fails the first AQIS another $139 will be charged.

I have recently imported 2 US Muscle cars and there have been no issues with the cars, the people who know what they are doing get the import approval before the car leaves the USA
i have also purchased a car from the member you refer to whom you have incorrectly assumed he has cicumnavigated around the regulation, none of these cars are modified they all have import approval
also think your post is factually incorrect and some of the respected forum members who operate a legitimate buisness as agents importing or folk who deal with these agents should be insulted by this crap, i know i am certainly feeling this way

[BuickGSX455]

Don't waste your breath Guffer, 3 posts from this Guy, all the same rant.
Clearly has some issues that are all somebody else's fault.

[guffer]

Don't waste your breath Guffer, 3 posts from this Guy, all the same rant.
Clearly has some issues that are all somebody else's fault.

Yeah i know but we dont need this crap, couldnt help myself :(

[Classic Custom Imports]

Hi How do you bring in a US muscle car down under with the new regulations in place since July 2010 legitimately?
Has any forum members experienced any difficulties like having a order imposed by Customs to export or have your dream car crusched?
Are Customs Dumb and Dummer? Is Customs policing this new regulation to the letter of the law?Are they reasonable and flexible or we are playing Russian Roulette as I have noted one fmember has just recently acquired 15 USA muscle cars on a recent trip to the States and has borught them in.
He has somehow circumnavigated around this regulation as every car I have noticed is MODIFIED .
Forum members should also remember that your dream car should be degassed else face Cargo Dentention fess which are imposed upto $250 per day.
Forum members should also remember that AGENTS are shifty as Hell.
Donot trust them when the car is landed in your State.They can damage your ride as a form or retaliation if you have any disputes.
If your dream Fails the first AQIS another $139 will be charged.



Vette4us, you are completely out of touch with the importing process and trust that is required by both the buyer and agent. It’s a small world and anyone who’s dodgy doesn’t last in this game.
Let me first say I run a 100% legitimate business, I have a Company, a full LMCT licence and regularly deal with DOTARS. There are many threads on USM that go through the changes in the import laws and I assume you have not made the effort to read them to fully understand the rules.
Let me say as a matter of fact that DOTARS will not reject a car if it’s got a set of wheels and has lowered suspension, some of my car DO have that and I am completely open in saying that.
What they will reject is highly modified cars (blowers, chassis mods, mini tubs, big block in a small block car etc) and this is NOT the case with ANY of my cars!!
You claim that ALL my cars are modified, unless you need glasses have another look at the pics, can you see these mods on ANY of my cars??? In fact most of them (black 62 impala, 65 convertible, black 69 Camaro, red 69 Camaro, Red 65 hardtop ,Poppy red 65 convertible, Blue 68 fastback) are 100% original.
It seems to me you have had a bad experience with someone down the line in the past (You claim “AGENTS are shifty as hell and can damage your ride as a form of retaliation”)
Please share your “so called” horrors on this forum so other members can be aware of these people

[Zr1]

"hello - what make and model car are you looking for - I can help you find the car. I travel back and forward to US from Australia every 3 months on business as my company is in San Diego. We can search out a great car for you, get a report , anything that you want and go from there. There are plenty of cars available especially as everyone in US wants cash now with the depressed economy. Tell me what you want and I will get you a few pics of cars available. There was a 73 Camaro on Ebay for US$8500 with a blower but needed a torque converter ( which we could throw into the boot) - shipping in its own container is $5000 LA to Bris/ Melb/ Fremantle."

Hi Drongobill, I'm not actually ready to purchase right now (building new house need to finish first) and am just doing as much research as i can in the mean time. I'm looking to get something stock with no mods to rebuild (and to ensure it meets import guidelines) I'd be looking at any of the following 55 or 56 belair in any body shape, a 67,68 or 69 camaro, a 67 or 68 mustang in either body shape. Again I’m not ready right now but will keep you in mind. Thanks heaps for your input mate much appreciated

cheers mate

[Russ]

Mate, those cars you're after are plentiful in Oz. Definitely keep your eye on whats available locally before committing to an overseas purchase. You may save yourself a major hassle, plus it's always a bonus being able to inspect a car in person.

Also, if looking locally, don't stick to just the main sites: Carsales, Carpoint, eBay etc. Keep on eye on dedicated forums - USMuscle :D, OzRodders (http://www.ozrodders.com/), Mustang OCA (http://www.mustang.org.au/forum/), Mustang Tech (http://www.mustangtech.com.au/Forums.html), Aussie V8 (http://www.aussiev8.com.au/) - plus a few others around.

[Zr1]

Thanks Russ, will keep that in mind. Also I couldn't help myself and went back and had another look at you car, it's awsome mate. Bet it's hard for it not to become a daily driver. I'd struggle to stay out of it :D

jason

[guffer]

Mate, those cars you're after are plentiful in Oz. Definitely keep your eye on whats available locally before committing to an overseas purchase. You may save yourself a major hassle, plus it's always a bonus being able to inspect a car in person.

Also, if looking locally, don't stick to just the main sites: Carsales, Carpoint, eBay etc. Keep on eye on dedicated forums - USMuscle :D, OzRodders (http://www.ozrodders.com/), Mustang OCA (http://www.mustang.org.au/forum/), Mustang Tech (http://www.mustangtech.com.au/Forums.html), Aussie V8 (http://www.aussiev8.com.au/) - plus a few others around.

Spot on Russ, the decision is way less stressful if you can spend a day or more crawling all over a car, stick it up on a hoist, start it, drive it etc
doesnt matter how many pics you get there will nearly always be stuff that just didnt show up in the pics that will be a surprise if you cant see the car 1st hand
also if you can find something locally that you like, bingo pay for it then take it home.......... easy

[chevguy]

Just a quick question out of interest Adrian(or anyone else that knows), how do you guys go about going on your buying trips, purchasing cars that you like, then getting the import approvals after purchasing(if it's done this way). All the posts about importing say about make sure you get the approval 1st. Do you just take the chance as you pretty much know what will pass? Just something that intrigues me.

[Classic Custom Imports]

Just a quick question out of interest Adrian(or anyone else that knows), how do you guys go about going on your buying trips, purchasing cars that you like, then getting the import approvals after purchasing(if it's done this way). All the posts about importing say about make sure you get the approval 1st. Do you just take the chance as you pretty much know what will pass? Just something that intrigues me.

Good question mate, we ONLY give our shipper the green light to load our containers once we have received our VIA (import approval). As we go about our buying trip we have our laptop and scanner with us and apply for a VIA as soon as we have brought the car.
By the time a car gets transported to Long beach and we have enough to load a container our VIA is usually only a few days away.
DOTARS have really picked up their game and we are getting ours usually within 15 business days. They are always querying cars and asking for more info, and be assured, if the cars have major mods they will be knocked back. At the end of the day they will not knock a car back if its got a set of aftermaket wheels or is lowered, a big NO NO as described in other threads is chassis mods, mini tubs, chopped roofs, fibreglass panels, big block in a small block car, blowers, 4 link rear ends, ladder bars etc.
Hope this helps

[chevguy]

Ahh sweet thanks for clearing that up. So I guess in theory if they knock it back you have the chance to on sell it to cut your losses while it's still in the states.

[Classic Custom Imports]

Yeah, would rather sell it over there than send it back from here (Aus) or worse still......get it crushed

[Drongobill]

Hi Classic - some good info there I had not realised that it was so stringently regulated. I brought my 63 Vette home to Oz in 2006 and it is now registered and my weekend driver when I am there. I have owned it since 1998 in USA. I just bought the 1973 Mach1 which is being re-painted and which I hope to export to Oz also. I certainly need to review the regulations - thanks .Bill

[USAtoAUS]

I sure did mate. I did use USAtoAUS, and all I can say is proceed with caution. Here's my thread on it: http://www.usmuscle.com.au/Forum/showthread.php?t=4840

Sent them my money, and then it took them near on 3 months before they picked up the car. Then another 2 months before they bothered putting it on a ship.

After the funds were transferred to their account, their communication dropped and was near none existent for most of that time. Any email reply you get came 2 weeks later and rarely addressed your concerns.


They weren't bad guys - I wasn't ripped off and the car arrived exactly as described - the time frame didn't really bother me either. Not knowing what was going on was the killer. If the seller wasn't a decent bloke he would have just upped and sold it to someone else. It sat for 3 months in his driveway after the deposit was made, before they came to pick it up and hand over the final payment.

Plenty of people have used them with success. I believe that at that point in time, they were just way too busy and over-stretched, taking on more than they could handle.


I won't say don't use them, but be sure you have some patience. When things did happen, the process was nice & easy - they handle absolutely everything. All you have to do is pick the car, pay the money, and pick it up when you get here. How long that process takes though could be anyone's guess.

Best of luck.

Russ I am not going go into a lot of detail on a public forum about your deal but I feel certain things should be pointed out as it seems so easy to make comments like "It sat for 3 months in his driveway after the deposit was made, before they came to pick it up" and not add any accountability to the comment. So lets state some facts:

1. The car you purchased did not have a clear title. The seller was not holding the title and from the day you decided to purchase the car to the day the loan was paid out and the seller had the title in his hand was almost 2 months to the day. This had nothing to do with us.

2. We could not apply for a VIA without a Bill of Sale and we were not willing to pay in full until there was a title in hand. The VIA took another month to come through.

3. Yes it did take about 3 weeks to arrange a schedule to get the car picked up and transported to our depot. Timing is everything and sometimes it works for you and sometimes it is against you.

4. At that point we didn't have any other travelling partners to Sydney and you had to wait 5 weeks for the car to be packed.

I am more that willing to admit that we are not perfect even though we start every day with the intent and hope that we will be.

I am more than willing to admit that sometimes this stuff takes some time, be it for seen or unforeseen circumstances.

We exchanged over 100 emails and countless phone calls. We saved you some good coin on the purchase of the car, it was treated with white gloves all the way and delivered in the same condition it was picked up in.

You are correct in saying that plenty of people have used us with success, we notched up container 100 a few weeks back which means there are hundreds of happy clients. Along with that are always going to be a small percentage of unhappy ones and we try and do our best to keep them to a minimum by improving our time management tools and skills.

Cheers

[6pakdave]

Makes sense to me...Deposit or full payment Russ? Sounds like the deposit was paid until the title was cleared ya?

Dave

[Russ]

You're absolutely right Phil (assuming it's you), I should be clearer on the finer details. A few things happened that are par for the course, but there were a few that were definitely not.

- It did take a while for the the seller to receive the title. It was 4 weeks after my payment had cleared before Capital One (finance company holding title) received the cheque. That was because your company mailed to the wrong address, had to be returned, and then re-sent. What should have taken 1 week ended up taking 4. Sh!t happens, and it could of happened to anyone - fair enough - but by the end of the process, all that wasted time adds up and is worth noting.

23rd June - Payment cleared by finance company.

13th July - Title received by seller. Lawrence notified same day.

20th July (with no other contact in between) - Seller gets voicemail from Lawrence stating car will be picked up end of the week.

16th August - Car still not picked up without any communication as to why.

23rd August - Seller notified Lawrence will be there the in 2 days (25th) in the afternoon/early evening.

25th August - No show. No Contact.

30th August - Contact made.

1st September - Car picked up.

21st October - Car shipped.


Import Approval is signed & dated 11th August.


Some of that is as it had to be - but a fair bit if it isn't.

As I've said to anybody that has asked - the only problem was the communication. Waiting is part of the process. Being told one thing, weeks pass without a word and no actions - and then being told something else: is not!

The Seller was told the car would be pick up in a week, and a month goes by without so much as an email? Then given another date for pickup again to have no-one show and no contact until a week after said pickup date.

I'll never say "don't use USAtoAUS". On the contrary, I've told plenty of folks that have asked that they should consider you. When things happened, they happened. Once the ship landed it was smooth sailing. The customs/payments/quarantine & pick-up was fantastically quick, and the exact kind of service a first-time importer such as myself would want. Kudos on that. It really was awesome.

All I've ever made note of to someone else looking to import was the poor communication. If they're patient and arn't rushed, go for it - if they need daily updates and want to know what's going on every step of the way as it happens - then maybe they should look elsewhere.

Sure, I've got dozens of emails from the process as well, but not all of them really say much. Waiting a week or 2 for a simple email reply, and then for it to not really address my concern, made the process a little uneasy.

It's frustrating to sit back waiting for the car to be picked up, and then getting the email 3 weeks after the due date saying it couldn't be picked up because he was waiting on other jobs in the area to finalise, and didn't want to waste time going down there just for my car.

Had we been informed of that upfront, we would have been OK. We would have been prepared and at ease. Maybe even made alternate plans for transport & final payment to ease the burden. Instead, both the seller & I had to sit back and wait like muppets without the faintest idea as to what was going on.


All the best,
Russ

[71RS]

Communication goes a long way from the start of this process. If you are thinking of buying a car or parts to import, the communication is critical. If it is lacking at the intial stage then dont expect it to improve once they have your car/parts and money. Its a stressful time as alot of your money will be overseas in someones else's hands. When they dont tell you what is happening for weeks then you get very anxious.

Get references from guys at the local club or on the forums, not from the shipper.

we notched up container 100 a few weeks back which means there are hundreds of happy clients.
Cheers

I like that bit. Who are they? Because I know you have never returned any of my phone calls or emails.

I gave up and went elsewhere.

[USAtoAUS]

You're absolutely right Phil (assuming it's you), I should be clearer on the finer details. A few things happened that are par for the course, but there were a few that were definitely not.

- It did take a while for the the seller to receive the title. It was 4 weeks after my payment had cleared before Capital One (finance company holding title) received the cheque. That was because your company mailed to the wrong address, had to be returned, and then re-sent. What should have taken 1 week ended up taking 4. Sh!t happens, and it could of happened to anyone - fair enough - but by the end of the process, all that wasted time adds up and is worth noting.

23rd June - Payment cleared by finance company.

13th July - Title received by seller. Lawrence notified same day.

20th July (with no other contact in between) - Seller gets voicemail from Lawrence stating car will be picked up end of the week.

16th August - Car still not picked up without any communication as to why.

23rd August - Seller notified Lawrence will be there the in 2 days (25th) in the afternoon/early evening.

25th August - No show. No Contact.

30th August - Contact made.

1st September - Car picked up.

21st October - Car shipped.


Import Approval is signed & dated 11th August.


Some of that is as it had to be - but a fair bit if it isn't.

As I've said to anybody that has asked - the only problem was the communication. Waiting is part of the process. Being told one thing, weeks pass without a word and no actions - and then being told something else: is not!

The Seller was told the car would be pick up in a week, and a month goes by without so much as an email? Then given another date for pickup again to have no-one show and no contact until a week after said pickup date.

I'll never say "don't use USAtoAUS". On the contrary, I've told plenty of folks that have asked that they should consider you. When things happened, they happened. Once the ship landed it was smooth sailing. The customs/payments/quarantine & pick-up was fantastically quick, and the exact kind of service a first-time importer such as myself would want. Kudos on that. It really was awesome.

All I've ever made note of to someone else looking to import was the poor communication. If they're patient and arn't rushed, go for it - if they need daily updates and want to know what's going on every step of the way as it happens - then maybe they should look elsewhere.

Sure, I've got dozens of emails from the process as well, but not all of them really say much. Waiting a week or 2 for a simple email reply, and then for it to not really address my concern, made the process a little uneasy.

It's frustrating to sit back waiting for the car to be picked up, and then getting the email 3 weeks after the due date saying it couldn't be picked up because he was waiting on other jobs in the area to finalise, and didn't want to waste time going down there just for my car.

Had we been informed of that upfront, we would have been OK. We would have been prepared and at ease. Maybe even made alternate plans for transport & final payment to ease the burden. Instead, both the seller & I had to sit back and wait like muppets without the faintest idea as to what was going on.


All the best,
Russ


Russ, I appreciate your feedback and that you can give an unbiased opinion. The intent of this post was not to have a go at you or start a slagging match, simply to state the facts and show that sometimes comments are made off the cuff and there is a lot more depth to them.

As I said it wasn't a perfect scenario and everything didn't go to plan. Would I like it to have been shorter, yes, and on paper it doesn't look good but from this side we do everything we can to make things happen as fast as they can and sometimes we don't know what life throws at us while we are busy making plans. In the course of the transaction it also included a trip to/from the USA for me which was part work and part vacation and that didn't help the communication situation.

Communication has always been the weakest part of our company, it is documented and it is something that we continue to try and improve on. We are good at getting the job done and sometimes there are 20 things happening in the background to make it happen and I generally like to tell you when something has happened not when it is supposed to happen and this translates to poor communication. A good example of our growing pains is that we decided to ship parts and didn't really expect the results we got and looking back we were ill prepared for the decision. We have since spent a lot of money on developing a system to handle them the right way and that will be launched soon and will hopefully result in less transit times and less agro.

We are busier than ever and hope that our communication has continued to improve. We don't have 50 people working for us and a call center to take messages, we are a very small family business and what we achieve, we think, is pretty phenomenal, we are averaging over 1 shipment a week, be it a container or a roll on roll off shipment of a boat/5th wheel/RV etc.

[USAtoAUS]

I like that bit. Who are they? Because I know you have never returned any of my phone calls or emails.

I gave up and went elsewhere.

I can't respond to that as I don't know who you are or what your email address is. I am not doubting you but I can't respond. I would say it is unusual to not get an email response and even more unusual to not get a phone call back. We have been in this business for over 10 years and I am sure that a few have slipped through the cracks.

Who are they, well I can't give you that but here is a brief list of the major items we have shipped and there are a lot of repeat customer in amongst the list:


12 Ride on Mowers
12 Ride on Mowers
14 Ride on Mowers
16 Ride on Mowers
18 Ride on Mowers
1932 Cab
1934 Ford
1935 Rolls
1939 Caddy
1940 Ford Tudor
1941 Ford Coupe
1950 Buick
1950 Ford F1
1951 Pontiac Convert
1953 Buick Roadmaster
1953 Chev P/U
1954 Chevy
1954 Ford Victoria
1955 Chevy 210
1955 Chevy 5 win
1955 Chevy Cab
1955 Chevy Chassis
1955 Chevy Chassis
1955 Chevy pick-up
1955 Chevy PU
1955 Chevy PU Cab
1955 Ford F100
1955 Ford Thunderbird
1955 Truck Wreck
1956 Chevy
1956 F100
1957 Chev
1957 Chev
1957 Chev pickup
1957 Chevy
1957 Chevy
1957 Chevy
1957 Chevy 2 Dr Wagon
1957 Chevy PU
1958 Corvette
1958 DD Walk Thru VW Panel
1958 Ford F100
1959 Caddy
1959 Cadillac
1959 Chev Apache Pickup
1960 Caddy Ambo
1960 Impala
1960 Impala
1960 Oldsmobile
1960 Pontiac Bonneville
1961 F100
1961 Lincoln
1962 Dodge Dart
1962 Ford Pickup
1963 Ford Galaxie
1963 Galaxie
1963 Lincoln
1964 Chevy C10
1964 Fairlane
1964 Ford Fairlane
1964 Ford Galaxie
1964 Ford Galaxie
1964 Impala
1964 Impala
1964 Impala
1964 Impala
1964 Mercedes
1965 BSA Motorbike
1965 Caliente Conv
1965 Ford Mustang F'back
1965 Galaxie
1965 Harley Panhead
1965 Impala SS
1965 Mustang
1965 Mustang
1965 Mustang
1965 Mustang
1965 Mustang
1965 Mustang
1965 Mustang Convertible
1965 Mustang Fastback
1966 Chrysler
1966 Cobra Replica
1966 Dodge Coronet
1966 Fairlane
1966 Ford F100
1966 Ford Galaxie
1966 Ford Pickup
1966 Honda
1966 Impala
1966 Impala 4dr
1966 Jaguar
1966 Mustang
1966 mustang
1966 Mustang
1966 Mustang
1966 Mustang
1966 Mustang
1966 Mustang
1966 Mustang
1966 Mustang
1966 Mustang
1966 Mustang Convert
1966 Mustang Convertible
1966 Mustang Fastback
1966 Mustang F'back
1967 Belvedere
1967 Camaro
1967 Camaro
1967 E-Type Jaguar
1967 Ford F250
1967 Impala
1967 Impala
1967 Impala 4Dr
1967 Mustang
1967 Mustang
1967 Mustang
1967 Mustang
1967 Mustang
1967 Mustang Convertible
1967 VW Bus
1968 Cadillac
1968 Charger Race Car
1968 Dodge Charger
1968 Dodge Charger
1968 Mustang
1968 Mustang
1969 Cab
1969 Camaro
1969 Camaro
1969 Camaro
1969 Chevelle
1969 Corvette
1969 Mach 1 Mustang
1969 Mustang
1969 Mustang
1969 Mustang Fastback
1969 Mustang Fastback
1969 Mustang Mach 1
1969 Pontiac Firebird
1969 Pontiac Firebird
1970 Cadillac
1970 Challenger
1970 Challenger
1970 Cutlass Supreme
1970 Firebird
1970 GTO
1970 GTO
1970 Plymoth GTX
1970 Plymouth Barracuda
1970 Suzuki TS250
1970 Torino
1971 Chev Camaro
1971 Mustang
1971 Mustang
1972 C10 LWB
1972 Chev PU
1972 Chevelle
1972 Chevelle
1972 Chevy pickup
1972 Corvette
1972 Firebird
1972 Firebird
1972 Ford Ranchero
1972 Mach 1
1972 Mustang
1972 Trans Am
1973 Firebird
1973 Firebird
1973 Mach 1 Mustang
1973 Mustang
1973 Mustang
1973 Porsche 911
1974 Kawasaki Motorcycle
1974 Moto Guzi
1974 Trident
1975 BMW Motorcycle
1975 Corvette
1975 Kawasaki Z1
1975 Maserati
1975 Mazda RX3
1975 Suzuki GT-750-ML
1975 Triumph
1975 XB GT Ford Falcon
1976 BMW Motorbike
1976 Caddy
1976 Corvette
1976 Torino
1977 Camaro
1977 Corvette
1977 F350
1977 Ford F150
1977 Ford F150
1977 GMC Long Bed
1977 Pontiac Firebird
1977 Trans Am
1977 Trans Am
1977 Yamaha XT
1978 BMW R100-7
1978 Caddy
1978 Camaro
1978 Chev Stepside
1978 Chevy Crew Cab
1978 Corvette
1978 Ford F150
1978 Kawasaki KZ1000
1978 Trans Am
1978 Trans Am
1979 Corvette
1979 Corvette
1979 F150
1979 Raired Jet Boat
1979 Trans Am
1979 Triumph Bonneville
1980 El Camino
1980 El Camino
1981 Bronco cut
1981 Ford F250
1981 Mustang
1982 F250 Cab Cut
1982 Honda CB650
1984 Bed, 55 Cab
1984 Lincoln
1985 Kawasaki GPZ
1986 Camaro
1986 Chev Corvette
1986 F350
1986 Ford F250
1986 Harley-Davidson FXR
1987 Grand Prix
1987 Itasca Motorhome
1987 Suzuki GSX-R
1988 Corvette
1988 F250
1988 Harley
1988 Harley
1992 F250 wreck
2 Jag chassis
2 Jet Skis
2 pallets RV parts
2 walk behind mowers, 2 BBQ
2 x Jetski's + trailer
20 Ride on Mowers
2005 Chevy Silverado
2006 Chevy Silverado
21 Ride on Mowers
4 Ride on Mowers
42" Bagger
440 motor/box #1
440 motor/box #2
460 Motor/box
5th Wheel
6 Ride on Mowers
7 Ride on Mowers
7 Ride on Mowers
8 Ride on mowers
8 Ride on Mowers
9 Ride on Mowers
Baby Grand
Baby Grand
Baby Grand NASCAR
Bad Boy 5000ZT 27Ko 50"
Bad Boy 5000ZT 27Ko 50"
Bad Boy 5000ZT 27Ko 50"
Bad Boy 5000ZT 27Ko 50"
Boat
Boat
Boat - 2006 Reinell 204
Boat - 2007 Pro-Line
Boat - 2007 Sea Ray 210
Boat - 2008 Maxum 2100
Boat - Regal Commander
Bobcat
Bobcat
Bobcat
Car Trailer
Chassis and frame rails
Chev Truck Cab
Chevy Silverado
Cobra Kit
Complete Plane
Craftsman mower
Daytona Cobra
Daytona Cobra Kits
Dodge van body
F150 Cab (Red & Silver)
F350
Ford XB GT Falcon
Golf Carts/Mowers
GTM Supercar Kit
Harley + parts
Harley drag bike
Honda HRR216K5VXA
Honda HRR216K5VXA
Honda SP HRR216K5VKA
Honda SP HRR216K5VKA
Husqvarna EZ4824
Husqvarna Bike
Husqvarna EZ4824
Husqvarna GTH26V52LS
Husqvarna GTH26V52LS
Husqvarna H354SG
Husqvarna MXER
Husqvarna MZ5225T
Husqvarna PZ6034FX
Husqvarna RZ5424
Husqvarna RZ5424
Husqvarna YTH21K46
Husqvarna YTH21K46
Husqvarna YTH23V48
Husqvarna YTH26V54
Husqvarna YTH26V54
Husqvarna YTH26V54
Jet Ski and trailer
John Deere D100
John Deere D110
John Deere LA115
John Deere LA145
John Deere X320
Kit Cars
LA115
Malibu
Maverick
MS250 Woodboss 18"
MS291 Farmboss 20"
MS391 20" bar
MS660 Magnum 25"
Mulcher Kit
Polaris RZR
Ride on mower
Ride on mower
Ride on mower
Rolls Royce Chassis
RV-7A finish kit
RV9 Aircraft
RZ4824F
S&H Torino
Sand Drag Car
SeaDoo
Sprint Car
Sprint Car
SS4235
SS4235
SS4235
SS4235
SS5060 (74376)
SS5060 (74376)
Tent Trailer
Toro SS5060
Toro TimeCutter SS4235
Toro TimeCutter SS4235
Toro TimeCutter SS4235
Trailer
Triumph Motorcycle
Truck bed, parts, motors
Truck Cab
Truck Cab
Truck Cab and bed
Vans Kit
Vans Kit
Vans Kit
VANs Kit
VANs Kit
VANs kit
Vans Kit
Vans Kit
Vans Kit
Vans Kit Plane
Vans RV7 &
White Car Trailer
X300R
X320
X324
YAK-52 Plane
YTH21K46 Mower
YTH22V42
Z225
Z425

[71RS]

Thanks for that list. No wonder you dont reply, you're too busy. Congrats

Looks like I need to get into the ride-on mower import business!

[Detailed]

Guys maybe private emails or calls not spamming the importing information thread with egotistical slander and arguments yea.

[rodent]

Guys maybe private emails or calls not spamming the importing information thread with egotistical slander and arguments yea.

If you see something that you think needs attention Mitch, hit this icon http://www.usmuscle.com.au/Forum/images/v4/buttons/report.gif on the top right of the post in question and it will get looked at :D

[Detailed]

If you see something that you think needs attention Mitch, hit this icon http://www.usmuscle.com.au/Forum/images/v4/buttons/report.gif on the top right of the post in question and it will get looked at :D

Ah ok sorry Jim.

[rodent]

Ah ok sorry Jim.

Don't be sorry,we'll spoon later ;)

[Detailed]

Don't be sorry,we'll spoon later ;)

Nawww now I'm all excited:rolleyes: but won't Shane be jealouse

[guffer]

Nawww now I'm all excited:rolleyes: but won't Shane be jealouse

Nah mate i share ;)

[Nev68]

Don't be sorry,we'll spoon later ;)

I think this post should be looked at by Moderators :rolleyes:

[rs/ss 396]

Just got import approval for our Nomad in about 2 weeks :)

[TUFF68]

you know the drill Toni, we've gotta see pics......what year ?

[18htan]

Just got import approval for our Nomad in about 2 weeks :)

Great news Toni!

[rs/ss 396]

you know the drill Toni, we've gotta see pics......what year ?

Yeah, sorry about that, still suffering jet lag. Its a 56.
Pics attached.
Will look even better once we fit the new 17 inch wheels, AC, Power steer, steering column, original type 14 inch steering wheel (hate those tractor size steering wheels) etc.
We drove it from Sacramento to LA and cruises along at 85mph, no problem.

10593

10594

10595

10596

10597

[guffer]

Very cool Nomad Toni :)

[71RS]

Don't be sorry,we'll spoon later ;)

WTF Jim, and you where going to delete my "Any given Sunday-going to church post"

[OldsmobilesDownUnder.com]

The ultimate Chev wagon !

Love it ...

That wrap around windscreen is making me miss my old EK van.

[tezza101]

awesome!

[TUFF68]

A real nice cruiser there Toni :cool:

[amwe]

Hi Everyone
my name is Wayne Luxford and we Import direct into Fremantle from L A
Our company name is America West and if we can help anyone shipping Cars, Bikes or freight email us at americawest@bigpond.com

[18htan]

Will he become Wuxford?

[Shermatt]

Trying to send you a PM mate, but still says you arn't accepting.

Have a few thoughts you might like to hear, but want to keep them out of public view, for now.

---------- Post added at 05:25 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:11 PM ----------

I will say this, as mentioned above, having someone do it for you the first time is highly recommended. There's so many small things that can easily get overlooked by a first-timer. Especially if it's your dream car (as is in most first timers case) - emotion can easily get the better of you and it's far better to have someone with a level head that is removed from such distractions.


Having said that - after my current experience, the only way I would ever buy from overseas again is if I went there personally and handled everything myself. Trying to deal with people over the internet is crap. If you can be there in person - searching for the car, doing the deal, picking up the car, delivering the car, and dealing with people & businesses face to face - then you might find it a little less troublesome than sitting in front of a screen on the other side of the world dealing with who knows, always 4 steps behind, working around international time-zones and such, with seeds of doubt constantly in the back of your mind.

Hi there Russ

I can understand EXACTLY what you’re talking about mate. I was in this position 15 years ago (when I lived in Oz) and it is kinda shi7y not being able to get answers or seeing progress when you’re on the other side of the planet...that is why we set up Shermatt International

We don’t have a hundred thousand clients at once...too hard!!

Taking on to many clients at once, just slows down the personal time you can actually spend with that 1 client. We like to get to know our clients... who they are, what they do, all that stuff. Its very personal for us. When were in Oz, we like to catch up with our clients because they are now our friends

Don’t get me wrong, we have 3 clients out of 1000's that have a story but we can’t please everyone. That is why we sorta interview our potential clients now to see if there budget is realistic or if there realistic people to start with...our biggest word's we use is "realistic" and "patience"!! If you’re a patient person, we can deliver exactly what you have in your head as a muscle car. Your specs, your budget.

Our time with our clients is one on one. We don’t do photo's, we do video. Real time video inspections with commentary explaining what you’re looking at in the video that has been uploaded to youtube for all to see. Nothing to hide and no hidden surprises at the other end. (if we used video 2 years ago, we wouldn’t have those 3 upset clients). We video the payment and the signing of the title and bill of sale so you’re paying what were paying on the day (we don’t load the prices up at this end like most other companies do)....and they do!!

We have no emotion involved when looking at a car like a client would when inspecting it for them self. Yeah we could negotiate a price and buy the car so we could get our fee BUT, I don’t have that emotion. If the car is a turd in a Champaign glass, I shi7 can the car and move on to the next car that is EXACTLY what the client wants...that’s our job. It’s our reputation on the line and if I wouldn’t buy it for myself, my client isn’t having 2nd best either. This is where patience prevails

I suppose were a little bit backwards when it comes to business. We're more interested in getting you what you want than making our broker's fee and having a good mate at the other end of the deal is our biggest satisfaction

You only need to ask our clients that have dealt with us and the few that we have inspected several cars before we found "the one", that we are there for them and we get the job done. Our email time sucks sometimes but that’s because we get a 1000 emails (feels that way) over night and I can’t answer them all but at ANY given time...you can pick up the phone and call us....and we WILL answer (that’s if were awake):)

I enjoy haggling sellers down and saving our client's money and getting them the car they envision when they get it at the other end and we photo copy all the receipts involved to buy the car, charge the EXACT costs involved and email all of it to the client

We take care of everything at this end and all the paper work to get it to Oz. You just have to clear it at customs.

I love my job. I’m good at it and I enjoy hookin a fellow Ozzie up back home

That’s MY satisfaction

A client should be a friend not a $$ sign

That’s my 2 cents

[Tough Guy]

Hi there!

It has been a while since my last (first) post. I used Shermatt and found the communication to be great. The help was good and well worth the fees.

There was one bit of confusion about cleaning the car for export, which created a massive amount of hassles when it came to picking up the car (that was mainly because I lived 6 hours drive from where I needed to pick it up - if I still lived in Adelaide, it wouldn't have been a hassle), but I got exactly what I wanted and for what I wanted to pay!

I also fell victim to some bad timing when Matt went on holiday and I wasn't sure what was happening, but as soon as he was contactable he spoke to me. The poor guy was as crook as a dog but still made contact.

Shermatt used Schumacher as well for shipping and they were great too.

For my first experience in importing a car, I was nervous as you hear of too many rip off stories. If I was to do it again, I would definitely use Shermatt and would probably buy one of their mustangs :D

[Dad]

I used Shermatt.

Very happy.

PS : Matt and Sheri, the car should be registered on Thursday 29th Sept. and I'll send you the pcitures I promised !

[rs/ss 396]

[QUOTE=rs/ss 396;71537]Yeah, sorry about that, still suffering jet lag. Its a 56.
Pics attached.
Will look even better once we fit the new 17 inch wheels, AC, Power steer, steering column, original type 14 inch steering wheel (hate those tractor size steering wheels) etc.
We drove it from Sacramento to LA and cruises along at 85mph, no problem.


Yeah, Our Nomad has cleared and is ready for us to pick up on Thursday. Special thanks to Lee from Import Perfection for a great job done! :)

[victorypark]

I can vouch for Matt and Sheri as well. Kindest and most generous and giving people I have met in the automotive industry. What u see is what u get and some.

My experience was a little different to most a couple of years ago and didnt turn quite as I hoped (personal reasons) however I would never have even got to the stage I did if it werent for these guys.

Happy to supply a reference.


Cheers.

Ash.