Registering an Imported car

[eyedee]

Hi Guys, hope I\'ve posted this topic in the right area, sorry if it\'s not!  It\'s been a while since I posted on this forum actually as I sold my rex a year ago, but I still look in every few days and keep up to date with whats happening in the world of the rotary with the intent to purchase another FD3S in the future - probably one in need of TLC that I can strip and rebuild as a race car.  I really miss driving them!  Anyway\'s enough of my babbling, the reason for the thread...

I know some of you guys either import cars or have previously imported your own Rex\'s from the land of the rising sun.  I\'m in the middle of importing a Japanese car (350z) and I would REALLY appreciate advice and help with how I manage to register it with the DVLA as a Private Light Goods vehicle and NOT by Co2 emmisions data.  The difference in road tax price between the two variants will be about £200!!!  :eek   Can anyone tell me what I have to do to make sure it gets registered as a PLG vehicle?!?

Thanks for reading this and I\'m very sorry it\'s not Rotary related in a Rotary forum!!!  I\'m a little deperate!  Hopefully be posting many a Rex related topic here in the near future!   :yes

[elford_tim]

Did you check if there\'s a model report available for the 350Z?

If there isn\'t, the whole tax question is kinda academic.

[interloper393]

you  mark it as a private/light goods vehical when you hand over th v55 form when your gunna register thcar, you pay for 6 months tax and 38 for there registration fee bud.. o an esva tests are a nightmare if the cars modded lol.. been doing this for almost 2 years now.. so know a fair bit about it..

[eyedee]

Hi there and thanks for the reply.  It would seem that there is a model report for it.  Difficult to be sure as the report is labelled Fairlady 350z, but the fairlady is the basic model whereas Ive imported an ST.  But the brits sometimes label all imported 350\'s as fairlady\'s.  I\'m not sure how I could be sure if the report is for my car or not.

[eyedee]

Interloper393, thanks for the help too.  The cars a 2002, its unmodded apart from different alloy wheels.  If it goes through all the esva tests (which I think it will) will that make it herder to pass as a PLG vehicle?  And if a model report does exist for it, does that mean that it has to get registered as whatever it says on the model report?

Sorry, I\'m really new to all this!  

[interloper393]

model reports have nothing to do with what the cars registered as bud, there their to make sure the car is up to british standards.. pretty much just a way of slowing down the importers.. as cars are far cheaper from japan..

The registration of the car is done on the de-registration document that comes from japan, usually a week before its due to arrive.. it will be in japanese but you should have a english translation attached to it.. any info you need call me 07950670545

[eyedee]

Thanks very much mate.  I\'ll have a look at the documents as soon as I get them, hopefully in the next couple of days.  I think the de-registration was carried out on my behalf by the importing agent who is responsible for doing some of the work to get the car into the country.  If they\'ve already completed the de-registration document and havent ticked the car as being a PLG vehicle, does that mean I cant ever register it as a PLG from now on in?!?  Cheers again.  

[interloper393]

you will need the de-reg doc to register the car, if you dont have this then you cant register..

[eyedee]

Ok.  I\'m going to get the docs by wednesday, so I\'ll probably be speaking to you shortly for advice when I get completely consfused!  :3Confused   Thanks very much for all your help so far.  

[interloper393]

so probs bud, ring me anytime

[strickerz]

hi mate, if you need any advice on the 350z give mike feeny a call at MJP eastern auto he knows all there is to know regarding the car. if you google mjp auto or goto zclub.com you\'ll find his contact details.

[eyedee]

Thanks strickerz, may well do that.  Thanks for all the help so far guys.

[eyedee]

Hi Guys, just thought I\'d update you on what\'s happened for those that are interested.  I still havent got the pre registration documents as it seems the SVA company are responsible for registering the vehicle on my behalf, unless I want to travel to southampton and take over the responsibility, which could take days so is out of the question.  So the SVA company have the cars log book and SVA pass details.  In any case, it appears that it\'s impossible to get cheap road tax on any vehicle with is younger than 10 years and was imported and first registered in the UK after March 1st 2006.  To calculate your road tax band, the DVLA see what the vehicle type is (car) and what the C02/km reading provided during the SVA test equates too.  These two figures combined with its UK registration date dictate which bracket the vehicle falls into, and mines the top band.    Â£300 this year, £400 next year.  Even if it\'s registered as a PLG, it still gets ESVA\'s and the Co2/km readings still apply to ALL vehicles imported after March 1st 2006.  I get the feeling I may well keep the car for a year and then sell it and buy an FD3S.  I really do miss my old Rex!

[Smifta]

400 quid a year! Jeez, that\'s rediculous!  It\'s a far way from the 120 quid we all pay (well, not all of us, sore subject for some I imagine!)

[interloper393]

yep i was 63 for 6 months