Government Legislation On Import Cars?

[knowlson]

Just looking round the web on some car import sites I found this

Government legislation to be introduced on

01/04/04 will make it difficult or even

impossible for modified cars to be imported

from many countries including Japan.

Anyone heard of that???

Just spoken to magnum motors looks like it's true they wont be able to get hold of a modified jap car unless it is 10 years old they will still be able to get import cars but they have to come unmodified so not extra turbo's or superchargers

Edited March 30, 2004 by knowlson

[yannick]

This was posted a short while ago, and I think that it's what you're referring to. I don't know if the link still works... it was broken for a while last week:

Not A Good Thing

[ricomr2]

April fools?? :D

[yannick]

April fools?? :D

I'm afraid that it does seem to be for real... :(

[knowlson]

This was posted a short while ago, and I think that it's what you're referring to. I don't know if the link still works... it was broken for a while last week:

Not A Good Thing

ahh bugger looks like it is true then

[yannick]

I read the thread when it was posted for the first time, and it seems to me that it makes the whole thing more difficult, but not necessarily impossible. Already to import non-homogated cars (MR2 turbo for example) it's going to take a certificate that you're going to have to rent from somebody. For modified cars you're going to have to get it inspected to make sure that it conforms to UK/Euro law. This is already the case in France, and we still manage to have imported modified cars... but not many.

The costs of a one-off inspection could be horrendous. If it's a fairly standard mod then several people could share the inspection and lend each other the certificate.

I think that at the start there is going to be a monopoly on these certificates by certain companies that are going to rip everybody off. Over time though, it could become interesting for clubs to obtain certificates to be shared by members. It seems to be what they are suggesting at SXOC, and here in TOC the same thing could be done.

[LORD_ED]

the only way to det by this is to get hold of the certificates sound like it may be difficult but we are TOC between us all we should be able to get hold of certificates.....but we will need to work together using everyones connections

ed

[yannick]

the only way to det by this is to get hold of the certificates sound like it may be difficult but we are TOC between us all we should be able to get hold of certificates.....but we will need to work together using everyones connections

ed

As I understand the system, the first person to get a certain car inspected (be it modded or not) pays the full whack for the inspection (several grand!). Subsequent people with identical cars can rent the certificate to get a cheaper inspection, because the certificate comes with a dossier of pictures & settings that the inspectors can use as a guide. The idea is that for standard cars the first inspection is funded by the manufacturer. This way you can rent the certificate (not necessarily a cheap affair) from someone to get your car through cheaper.

The problem starts with modded cars. Whack an aftermarket turbo on (or even one from another car from the same manufacturer) and you get the honour of a full inspection, unless someone else has already had an IDENTICAL car inspected at the full whack, at which point you can rent the certificate.

The problem I see with this scheme, for people that want to import modded cars, is that very few modded cars are IDENTICAL. If there's a difference, you get the privilege of a full inspection, and the bill (whether it passes or not!).

A club can only hope to become the repository for standard cars, or cars with very common mods. The more outrageous stuff will become much more expensive to import due to the cost of a full inspection.

That's the way I see things, anyway.

[Dame]

Yet another money spinner for the government. An MOT would be able to point out any fundamental problems, and why would the government have reason for thinking that cars from say Toyota the aren't available here will be less safe that what can be bought here?

Utter tosh all they want to do is to force the UK buyer to pay massivly inflated prices for lower specced cars!!

Can't wait for the next general election.....