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Australia: Importing and driving a classic cadillac question

Started by 47bigcadillac, July 27, 2010, 07:17:36 PM

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47bigcadillac

I might need to relocate to Australia (Sydney) for work.

I plan on taking my 1932 and 1947 Cadillac with me from Japan.

Both cars are in their original state. Are there any specific rules for historic vehicles when it comes to registrating and driving such cars in Australia as normal vehicles ?
I understand that there is a club linked system for vintages vehicle, but driving range and times are limited to events etc..

I just want to drive the car on week-ends whenever I feel like, just like a normal car.

Are there any major taxes/fees involved ?

Thanks
Rob
R. Brandys

1932 355B  5 pass Coupe,  Fleetwood          
1935 LaSalle Coupe  5077
1947 Club Coupe      6207

The Tassie Devil(le)

G'day Rob,

A premature welcome to Australia.

Any vehicle older than 30 years, can be driven on full Registration, and also can be registered on Concessional Registration for Club Events and the like.   But saying you want to drive them "When you feel like it" might have you considering Full Rego.

Not sure what it costs up in Sydney, but it is a lot dearer than down here in Tasmania.

The Import Duty is the 10% GST, but not sure about your situation, being an owner, migrating, or just plain visiting.   If you are only "Visiting" then you can, depending on the length of your stay, bring in the vehicles, leaving them Registered in the place where they are currently Registered and drive them around for something like up to 12 Months.   Once you take up residential status, then you have a certain time to register them locally.   Insurance will need to be checked to see if your current Insurer is recognised in Australia.

Better check with the Federal Government on:

http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/roads/vehicle_regulation/bulletin/importing_vehicles/index.aspx   But you had better contact the authorities with regards to the importing of your vehicles as most of this site is referring to Australians importing vehicles for themselves.

Bruce. >:D
'72 Eldorado Convertible (LHD)
'70 Ranchero Squire (RHD)
'74 Chris Craft Gull Wing (SH)
'02 VX Series II Holden Commodore SS Sedan
(Past President Modified Chapter)

Past Cars of significance - to me
1935 Ford 3 Window Coupe
1936 Ford 5 Window Coupe
1937 Chevrolet Sports Coupe
1955 Chevrolet Convertible
1959 Ford Fairlane Ranch Wagon
1960 Cadillac CDV
1972 Cadillac Eldorado Coupe

John Tozer #7946

Rob,

Echoes of Bruce's premature welcome and his good advice.

Just a word or two on a few angles you might use and a few traps you will undoubtedly or may come across (having been there and, nearly, done all that!):

1.    In theory the 10% GST (Goods and Services Tax) which is the only "duty" that will apply to your cars - they are too old to attract import duites - will be applied to the landed cost of the cars - i.e., they will take what you say you have paid for them, add the shipping cost and take 10%.

2.    There can be a problem with cars that you have owned for some time and/or can't demonstarte a purchase price for. They will then insist on "valuing" the cars themselves (like they have a clue what a '32 or '47 Caddy is worth!). They refused to accept the Ebay receipt for the last car I bought here (a '37), charged me AUS$425 to have it valued .....then promptly valued it at exactly the Ebay purchase amount! You are far better off to be able to tell them what they are worth by producing reciepts for their purchase than leaving it up to them. AUS $425 x two cars is currently US$850 odd.

3.    You will be charged about AUS$225 (about US $400 for the two cars) to have each car steam cleaned when it arrives. Don't bother doing it before it leaves if you can help it because they will only insist on doing it again when it gets here.

4.    Make sure you are ready to receive the car (or have arranged for a mate etc. to receive it for you) the DAY it clears Customs and document this fact in emails etc. - i.e., make sure your import agent has been informed in writing that you are ready to receive it the day he clears it through Customs and then be ready to do so. Demurrage charges in Sydney can be horrendously high - my car sat on the docks for about a week after the agent the importer used went broke and the stevedoring company that owned the dock wanted $8,000 to release it. It was only released free of charge when I could produce the emails confirming that I had a pick-up arranged for it the day it was released and told them that if they didn't release it, they could keep it. There were only two such cars in this country under restoration, the imported car was a parts car only, I owned one of the other two and I knew the guy that owned the second one wouldn't buy it ....and I wouldn't pay the $3,425 shipping bill for something I didn't receive!

5.    You have probably deduced from this that Sydney docks are full of bandits. Historically, there was a whole bunch of convicts that we DIDN't send south with all the other bad ones to Tasmania (tee, hee!). They are, so act accordingly and use an experienced and reputable import agent and document exactly what you expect of him.

6.    Do not get caught short without the Import Approval Form from the Department referred to in Bruc'e post.

7.    Don't let me scare you off too much but you won't find a lot of this on any government web site and 'cos forewarned is forearmed.....

Regards,



John Tozer
#7946

The Tassie Devil(le)

Rob,

Don't let John scare you, but as you own the cars, and aren't planning to actually LIVE here, or are you?, you shouldn't have much of a problem.

I found that you MUST clean the vehicles, inside and out, in the vents and radiator vanes of bugs, leaves and any other plant matter.   Remove all dirt from inside chassis cavities, vacuum the carpets and especially under the seats, etc, and if the Quarantine people see that the vehicles are totally clean, you shouldn't have much trouble.

If you are not going to become a resident, then I don't think you have to pay any GST, or importing duties, unless you actually try to sell the vehicles.

Bring them into Tasmania, and start your holiday here.   Heck, you might even decide to stay. ;)

Bruce. >:D
'72 Eldorado Convertible (LHD)
'70 Ranchero Squire (RHD)
'74 Chris Craft Gull Wing (SH)
'02 VX Series II Holden Commodore SS Sedan
(Past President Modified Chapter)

Past Cars of significance - to me
1935 Ford 3 Window Coupe
1936 Ford 5 Window Coupe
1937 Chevrolet Sports Coupe
1955 Chevrolet Convertible
1959 Ford Fairlane Ranch Wagon
1960 Cadillac CDV
1972 Cadillac Eldorado Coupe

47bigcadillac

Hi Bruce, John
Thanks a lot for the answers.

I read that site and there is a GST exemption for pre-owned cars but that's only valid for one vehicle.

So that leaves the GST on the other Caddy, and I have the reciepts from when I did pay the 5% GST (Japan).

My other questions are regarding registration and inspection to get the license plates as normal vehicle in Australia, once all the import procedure has been done.

Is it hard to pass the inspection for an old Caddy (no seat belts/wipers) ?

Is it expensive in terms of yearly taxes/fees/Minimum liability Insurance ?

Thanks
Rob



R. Brandys

1932 355B  5 pass Coupe,  Fleetwood          
1935 LaSalle Coupe  5077
1947 Club Coupe      6207

The Tassie Devil(le)

G'day Rob,

Don't have to have Seat Belts, but Wipers are a must.   It does rain down here, and in Sydney, sometimes you will just have to stop on the side of the road till the torrential downpour stops, like a lot of other drivers with a lot newer cars.   Oh, and if it starts to hail, those "Cricket-ball" sized hailstones really make a mess.

As long as everything works as it came out of the factory, you won't have a problem.   The vehicles will have to undergo a rigorous Road Worthy Inspection, so make sure that all King Pins, Steering Joints etc have no slop in them at all, and that your Wheel Cylinders aren't leaking. (That trips up a lot) and no engine Trans or Diff Oil Leaks.   No Stone Chips in the windscreen, especially in front of the driver, and you will need your Indicators working, as no hand signals allowed here.  Nobody is allowed to place any part of ther body out past the glass line in any vehicle.   That means no resting the elbow on the top of the door with the window open.

You will have to replace the Headlights with "Dip-to-the-left" lights, but I suppose you already have those seeing as you are in Japan.

The Australian Design Rules (ADR's) for Seat Belt Laws didn't come in till 1969, and the Amber Indicators came into play in 1972.

The "Mainlanders" can advise you better on the costs, but Sydney is by far the dearest place in Australia to Register a vehicle.

Bruce.  >:D
'72 Eldorado Convertible (LHD)
'70 Ranchero Squire (RHD)
'74 Chris Craft Gull Wing (SH)
'02 VX Series II Holden Commodore SS Sedan
(Past President Modified Chapter)

Past Cars of significance - to me
1935 Ford 3 Window Coupe
1936 Ford 5 Window Coupe
1937 Chevrolet Sports Coupe
1955 Chevrolet Convertible
1959 Ford Fairlane Ranch Wagon
1960 Cadillac CDV
1972 Cadillac Eldorado Coupe

John Tozer #7946

Rob,

This site will give you the registration costs for NSW (Sydney) cars:

http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/registration/otherinformation/registrationfees.html?rlid=7

Don't forget to add the compulsory third party (CTP Greenslip) insurance. I think there is a link to this on these web sites.

The following site sets out what you need to do to register an imported car in Sydney:

http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/registration/getnewrego/importedvehicles.html

...and this is an application for registration of an historical vehicle which would, if you choose to join a club and restrict the amount of driving you want to do, apply to either of your cars:

http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/publicationsstatisticsforms/downloads/45070939.pdf

Good luck,


John Tozer
#7946

Jim Thompson

You cannot ride down the road with your arm resting on the door sill? That is one unusual law!
1946 Cadillac model 61 fastback

Quentin Hall Australia

"You cannot ride down the road with your arm resting on the door sill? That is one unusual law!"
THat is because it is mandatory for all Aussie drivers to tie up both hands fumbling with a mobile ph  ;D

I got pulled over at 2 am in my 59 Biarritz LHD here in Brisbane about 4 years ago and the cop walked around to my wife sitting in the RH seat and Breath tested her. I was worried cos my wife had been having white wines all night. Luckily she was under the limit and we drove off, the cop none the wiser. Would have been funny if she blew a high reading.  ::)

David King (kz78hy)

David King
CLC 22014  (life)
1958 Eldorado Brougham 615
1959 Eldorado Brougham 56- sold
1960 Eldorado Brougham 83- sold
1998 Deville d'Elegance
1955 Eldorado #277
1964 Studebaker Commander
2012 Volt
CLCMRC benefactor 197

Director and Founder, Eldorado Brougham Chapter
Past President, Motor City Region

Rare Parts brand suspension parts Retailer via Keep'em Running Automotive

The Tassie Devil(le)

Quote from: Jim Thompson on July 28, 2010, 03:23:41 PM
You cannot ride down the road with your arm resting on the door sill? That is one unusual law!
I would find it very difficult trying to drive with my arm down that low, but yes, the door has to be closed.

Bruce. >:D

PS.   I think you meant Window sill?   Which is what I said.

'72 Eldorado Convertible (LHD)
'70 Ranchero Squire (RHD)
'74 Chris Craft Gull Wing (SH)
'02 VX Series II Holden Commodore SS Sedan
(Past President Modified Chapter)

Past Cars of significance - to me
1935 Ford 3 Window Coupe
1936 Ford 5 Window Coupe
1937 Chevrolet Sports Coupe
1955 Chevrolet Convertible
1959 Ford Fairlane Ranch Wagon
1960 Cadillac CDV
1972 Cadillac Eldorado Coupe