Aussi Returning home, can I bring my SVX??

[GreenMarine]

Hey fellow Aussi's

I was born in australia (Adelaide area) and plan on comming back to australia after I finish my time in the Marine Corps. I was wondering if I will be able to bring my SVX back to Australia with me. Is it alright for me to have a car that has the steering wheel on the left side?? How would I go about that?? I love my SVX alot, and from what I hear there are hardly any SVX's in Australia. Something like only 250 cars total!!! So If I could bring it back it would be a really rare car there. More so there than here in the States!!! That would be awesome!! If any of ya know if there are any rules about bringing a car from another country, please get back to me... I have about 2 more years on my contract and plan on comming back in about 3 years. But I'd love to plan ahead before I spend lots of money on my car... Thanks mates!!!! have a great day!!!

[GreenMarine]

Anyone there??

[Trevor]

Sorry you have not had a reply from down under.

All I can say from this side of the pond is that it could be possible. But and this is a very big but, what rules will apply in 3 yrs. time ? We have had changes lately making things more difficult. Sadly it would appear to be hard to plan ahead with real confidence. Check Aust. Govt. sites as the current info. should be available. On the basis of economics I doubt that you will be able to justify it as the SVX is hardly a collectors item.

[svxistentialist]

Green Marine

For what it's worth I agree with Trevor on the import.

The little I know about Australian imports indicates they have made it difficult and expensive to import second hand into Australia in an effort to keep out cheap Japanese second hand motors. This legislation will be a blunt instrument, and will apply to yours as well.

In addition, you will be bringing a lhd motor onto rhd roads. Not ideal, though you get used to it, but the cars are worth less to the local market because of the unideal driving set-up. You will probably be penalised [brutalised?] by the insurance on it as well.

It would be a better plan for you to look ahead before the move, sell yours in good time, and have an Australian car lined up with the proceeds. Nothing is impossible.

Joe:) :)

Where are all the Down Under posters??

[Jamsvx]

Sorry about the delay....very busy at new job

:(

My advice would be to sell yours before you come here and then buy one here for a number of reasons:

1) Compliance issues - as the others said, it is now a nightmare

2) Although relatively few SVX's here, they hardly ever sell and can sit in the papers for ages! (I keep track of them..helped me gauge how much I should pay for mine) so would be very easy for you to pick one up

3) Who knows...you may even want to get a Nissan Skyline GTS, Eunos Cosmo or some sort of Holden 250kw hoonmobile....there are a fair assortment of cars here to choose from!

Best of luck

James

[GreenMarine]

Can you give me an average price for newer SVX's over there??? I am comming back to visit my dad and sister later this year and will probably check aroung myself..... Also, how's insurance over there??? good price?? What about if I order the 5 speed transmission??? can I get it put in down there???? cause I want to put a 5-speed in my SVX over here, when I leave could I put the Auto Back in it and then bring the Tranny over and put it in an Aussi SVX??? Thanks for all the help!!.....

[Jamsvx]

Originally posted by GreenMarineSVX
Can you give me an average price for newer SVX's over there??? I am comming back to visit my dad and sister later this year and will probably check aroung myself..... Also, how's insurance over there??? good price?? What about if I order the 5 speed transmission??? can I get it put in down there???? cause I want to put a 5-speed in my SVX over here, when I leave could I put the Auto Back in it and then bring the Tranny over and put it in an Aussi SVX??? Thanks for all the help!!.....


Hmm....I have seen 1996 SVX's with average of 50,000km selling for mid to low $20K's....insurance is high (I pay $2200 p/a) for what it is but will depend on your driving record.

I would not contemplate the 5 speed swap here...too much stuffing around and also no one is familiar with SVX's for modifying so rest assured they would stuff something up!!

Sorry to sound like a doom and gloom merchant but really not worth trying to mod it here.

Cheers

James

[GreenMarine]

Damm!!!! so pretty much after I leave the US, I have to leave my dream car behind too?!?!?!?!!!!!! That really sucks!!!!! What about if I did the 5-speed swap myself?? Would that work????

[floatingkiwi]

Not sure how easy it is to get SVX's in Aussie, but we certainly do them very cheaply in NZ (if you can find one I must add), but they are here. I do see them for sale every now and then for pretty damn good prices. Ours are all JDM spec too, not sure how this compares to the Aussie models which I assume would have been specially imported for the Aussie scene. One nice thing about our jap import flooded market is the availablility of any models with every gizmo you can think of. Not like back in the good old days of NZ assembled cars where AC alone was an option......

[Aredubjay]

Perhaps James will let you borrow his Camry chase car, 'til you can find a suitable SVX in Oz. :D

[Jamsvx]

Originally posted by Aredubjay
Perhaps James will let you borrow his Camry chase car, 'til you can find a suitable SVX in Oz. :D

When money permits, I intend to convert it to a wagon, drove an SVX front on it, SVX front and rear windows, paint it yellow and....yeegads!!!

Its an Amadeus SVX Support Vehicle, loaded to the gunwhales with transmissions, bearings, visors and window switches! Rego plate, in Randy's honour, would be "ARANDY1"

;)

Can you put your car in storage?? Its seriously not worth the effort...I made some tentative inquiries and not much change from $10,000AU (including a WRX 5 speed).

Thats half the price of a very very good SVX!!!

James

[oab_au]

Originally posted by GreenMarineSVX
Damm!!!! so pretty much after I leave the US, I have to leave my dream car behind too?!?!?!?!!!!!! That really sucks!!!!! What about if I did the 5-speed swap myself?? Would that work????

Don't bother bringing a US spec model to Aust.
I know that is not what you wanted to hear, But the Aust model is a better car. Glass headlights, a REAL AWD system not a FWD with rear assist. Not worth converting to RHD.

Come on down, buy an Aust mod get it converted to manual transmission, get a Ozze shop to fit a turbo. There are guys down here that still know how to fit anything into anything.

We are flooded with second hand Jap engines, transmissions, brakes. You can even get a 'front cut' car with all the working bits still there.

May be you would like any of the Nissan GTR's that have been here for yonks. WRX's have been here since 94, buy a couple of them.

You don't know what you have been missing over there.
Harvey.;)

[GreenMarine]

You know I really hoped that I would never have to say this.... But you are right.... I guess I should leave my baby here and just pick up a new one somewhere else.... I really think that I will get all teary eyed when I sell it though.... I'll just have to get lots of pictures before I sell it... That's what I can do at all the meets here in the states!!!! Yea, and I can still be apart of the network!!! That will be cool though..... :):cool:

[Aredubjay]

Originally posted by Jamsvx


When money permits, I intend to convert it to a wagon, drove an SVX front on it, SVX front and rear windows, paint it yellow and....yeegads!!!

Rego plate, in Randy's honour, would be "ARANDY1"

;)



James


<Gasps, whirls, faints> THUD!