What Is The Difference Between The Compliance Of A Sevs Car And A Personal Imported Car?

[Brood]

Just wondering what is different in the compliance process ?? I know there is less involved in a personal import than the other scheme, but would like to know what??? Can a personal import fail??

Thanks,

bhappy2cu

[RAnee B]

personal import would you owning a certain vechical overseas of at minimum 1 year and only then you are eligiable to import it. but yes a personal import can fail.

[Iron Chef]

Just to clarify that one, once a personal import has been approved (and bearing in mind that once you've owned and driven your car for a year overseas, any car is eligible), then it's allowed into the country. Getting the approval is usually the most annoying part, but if you have all your paperwork in order, it shouldn't be too much drama.

Getting the car registered is another matter - if you chose a LHD Ferrari to drive around in in Japan, for example, it would still have to be converted to RHD before being able to be registered and roadworthy, regardless of whether or not it was a personal import. So if you're planning to bring in a 900ps GT-R, getting it into the country is easy, getting a roadworthy and rego, not quite so

[Brood]

Just to clarify that one, once a personal import has been approved (and bearing in mind that once you've owned and driven your car for a year overseas, any car is eligible), then it's allowed into the country. Getting the approval is usually the most annoying part, but if you have all your paperwork in order, it shouldn't be too much drama.

Getting the car registered is another matter - if you chose a LHD Ferrari to drive around in in Japan, for example, it would still have to be converted to RHD before being able to be registered and roadworthy, regardless of whether or not it was a personal import. So if you're planning to bring in a 900ps GT-R, getting it into the country is easy, getting a roadworthy and rego, not quite so

I'm just waiting for my import application to be approved. My car is a tuned r32 gtr. However, I'm not wanting it get it registered straight away. So what happens after it lands and is cleared from customs???

[Iron Chef]

Sorry, misread your thread title slightly - once it's cleared customs, you'd need to arrange transport to get it off the docks and to wherever you want it to go. After that do whatever you like with it (aside from driving it unregistered on the street )

[Brood]

Sorry, misread your thread title slightly - once it's cleared customs, you'd need to arrange transport to get it off the docks and to wherever you want it to go. After that do whatever you like with it (aside from driving it unregistered on the street )

Doesn't my car need to have those small plates fitted??? Won't my car still need to have some sort of minimal compliance like changing the seat belts, mirrors?? Basically I want to do everything except getting the car registered.

[funkymonkey]

Doesn't my car need to have those small plates fitted??? Won't my car still need to have some sort of minimal compliance like changing the seat belts, mirrors?? Basically I want to do everything except getting the car registered.

your car will need to meet state registration rules, which varies. From memory all personal imports get a gold plate instead of a green or purple plate.

Once your car has an approval, then you can register it at any time after it gets here. It's just like trying to register an unregistered car.

[Nic_A31]

Just a slight off topic question; How does one 'own a vehicle for 1 year'?

The government has a little rule in place that you have to pay for a vehicle, and wait one year while the vehicle sits around half way around the world, before it can be imported here?

What does that acheive for anyone ??

[Iron Chef]

It achieves nothing, which is why you have to own it AND drive it. Among other things, they ask for copies of every page of your passport - pretty hard to prove you were driving a car in Japan if you were living in Australia

[CeJay]

Been seeing a few sev cars on the broker sites, with a fair list of mods and reasonable compliance costs, I take it if you were to import these cars, the cost to remove etc these parts would be on top of the compliance cost?

[Birds]

Just a slight off topic question; How does one 'own a vehicle for 1 year'?

The government has a little rule in place that you have to pay for a vehicle, and wait one year while the vehicle sits around half way around the world, before it can be imported here?

What does that acheive for anyone ??

It was originally created so that someone living in Japan (the criteria for living being residency and vehicle activity for more than a year) can come to Australia and take their car with them instead of just leaving it behind. The rule wasn't designed for people living in Australia who want to import a car into the country - it is just exploited that way by people who live here already.

[Beer Baron]

one other point. importing a GTR as a personal import is not really a good idea since all models can be imported via sevs easily. pick something that can not be imported via sevs, baring in mind you can only import 1 car in any 12 month period if planning to do a PI. bring in a nice late model NSX or NSX-R. australia needs more of them. we need more 32 GTRs like a hole in the head! they are already worth less here than they are to import (most of the time).

[Birds]

I agree with the NSX thing...you can make a bit of money out of personally importing something rare like that.

Would love an NSX if they had better aftermarket/part support. Fantastic looking cars.