US number plates in the UK. How does that happen?

snowdog · 11 Apr 2010 at 13:02

I find it a shame you can't take your car on a ferry to the US like you would between the UK and the EU Mainland

.

I really do not think that you would, take your car with you on a holiday to the US that is. What a bizarre thing to say you would do in-fact.

Did I say I would do it ? I said ''I'd love to'', not ''I'd''... :confused:

Janesy B · 11 Apr 2010 at 13:05

snowdog said:
I find it a shame you can't take your car on a ferry to the US like you would between the UK and the EU Mainland .

Probably because it would take absolutely ages and cost a fortune.

Dunks · 11 Apr 2010 at 13:37

snowdog said:
I find it a shame you can't take your car on a ferry to the US like you would between the UK and the EU Mainland .

Did I say I would do it ? I said ''I'd love to'', not ''I'd''...

It'd take around 5 days to get there.

Lum · 11 Apr 2010 at 18:22

[TW]Fox;16339970 said:
'In any way it actually matters'.

Despite Lum's protestations to the contrary, it isn't a 4 door Skyline GT-R

Never said it was, it's a 4 door Skyline GTS4 until I get around to doing the RB26 swap.

Not that it matters since the point of my last post obviously went over the head of a lot of people here, I was basically agreeing with snowdog. Chances are that guy had the 3 litre V6 version anyway.

Joshy · 11 Apr 2010 at 18:55

[TW]Fox;16339970 said:
'In any way it actually matters'.

Despite Lum's protestations to the contrary, it isn't a 4 door Skyline GT-R and it wouldnt do anything on a road trip of the USA a similar power Maxima wouldnt, meaning his slagging of the guy who brought a Maxima over whilst in the same post explaining how he'd love to take his Cef over is hilarious.

Wat?

By this logic surely you're a fool for driving a 530i Sport, because "In any way it actually matters" a cheaper to buy and run 520i SE is 'identical' and wouldn't do anything that the 530i couldn't do?

[TW]Fox · 11 Apr 2010 at 20:04

Joshy said:
Wat?

By this logic surely you're a fool for driving a 530i Sport, because "In any way it actually matters" a cheaper to buy and run 520i SE is 'identical' and wouldn't do anything that the 530i couldn't do?

Can you do me a favour and read posts before replying?

In this case, I would indeed be a fool if I saw a 520i on USA plates and said 'LOL WHAT A WASTE OF TIME BRINGING THAT OVER' and then immediatly after, said 'I wish I could take my 530i over to the USA, that would be great'.

daz · 11 Apr 2010 at 20:13

It costs about £1.5-2k to ship a car between the US/UK from what I understand.

Lum · 11 Apr 2010 at 20:14

Difference is finding a 530i in the states would be pretty easy as they were sold over there.

A Cef? Impossible. Easier to find a Skyline thanks to the whole Motorex thing.

Clarkey's Evo vs Lancer comment (assuming Evo 7 or earlier) is more on the money than 530 vs 520.

majestyk · 11 Apr 2010 at 20:27

More years ago than I like to remember I personally imported a vehicle from the USA.
Paid the duty and was given paperwork to take to licensing office to get reg number and tax. Don't recall there was any time limit on it.
I smoked it around on US plates for a few weeks.

The regs are obviously different for temporary imports, like the Arabs who bring their exotica in to London during the summer months. Some of the plates are in Arab script and unreadable to my eyes.

I think you can take your car to the US for a temporary import as I've seen definately seen German plates over there and UK plates on TV.

The problem is permanent importation~converting the car to US emission regs would be financially unviable.

Joshy · 11 Apr 2010 at 20:31

[TW]Fox;16342533 said:
Can you do me a favour and read posts before replying?

In this case, I would indeed be a fool if I saw a 520i on USA plates and said 'LOL WHAT A WASTE OF TIME BRINGING THAT OVER' and then immediatly after, said 'I wish I could take my 530i over to the USA, that would be great'.

I didn't mention shipping your car to the states? I asked if right here, right now if you were a fool for driving a 530i Sport if a 520i SE is "Identical In any way it actually matters"?

Anyway...

A quick question - What makes people compelled to have their car converted to UK Spec and plates if they can bring a US car into this country and get it past the docks and onto the road as easily as this thread makes out? I ask as we do quite a few U.S Spec to UK Spec conversion at work, and they really aren't cheap (I've heard figures upwards of £10,000 :eek:

). I've always wondered why people bothered, especially if they could get around it?

[TW]Fox · 11 Apr 2010 at 20:46

Joshy said:
I didn't mention shipping your car to the states? I asked if right here, right now if you were a fool for driving a 530i Sport if a 520i SE is "Identical In any way it actually matters"?

But the comment I made and the comment Lum made was in the context of why you'd bother to ship your car to another continent :confused:

You are confusing.

[TW]Fox · 11 Apr 2010 at 20:47

Lum said:
Difference is finding a 530i in the states would be pretty easy as they were sold over there.

We are delving into the realms of extreme pedantry now but they never actually sold a 530i Sport in the US - the closest was the very limited run 540i/6 Sport sold in 2003 only.

majestyk · 11 Apr 2010 at 21:10

Joshy said:
A quick question - What makes people compelled to have their car converted to UK Spec and plates if they can bring a US car into this country and get it past the docks and onto the road as easily as this thread makes out? I ask as we do quite a few U.S Spec to UK Spec conversion at work, and they really aren't cheap (I've heard figures upwards of £10,000 ). I've always wondered why people bothered, especially if they could get around it?

Good question. When I did it c1980, there was none of this EU nonsense. I got it through several MOT's with lap type seatbelts and red indicators on the rear. You wouldn't stand a chance now.

Lum · 11 Apr 2010 at 21:55

You can't legally register the car without a conversion and (depending on age) an MOT or an SVA/ESVA (both now replaced with the IVA) and you'll eventually be noticed and in a whole world of trouble.

If you're a US resident driving it around on US plates then that's fine so long as it's a temporary import, but if you're a UK resident and have purchased it from the US then you're not even allowed to drive it on the public road except in certain special circumstances, eg driving it to/from the MOT/IVA inspection.

A common trick I've seen with people importing Japanese cars on their own is to book an MOT on the day it arrives from the docks, book it half way between the docks and your house, drive it to the MOT, attempt to do the foglight conversion before they test it and then drive it home regardless of if it passes or fails. The £50 for an MOT failure is a lot cheaper than a flatbed.