Import A DeLorean?

[DatumX]

Hi, I've been toying with the idea for a few years of importing a BTTF style DeLorean from the USA (i.e. no fuel flap, ridged bonnet one.) Making it UK legal, registering it, MOTing it etc and selling it on "as is" with a bit of a clean as a project car or better. The purpose would be to get the experience of owning one briefly and perhaps making a few quid in the process of realising my teenage dream of owning one.

Does anyone think there is an appetite for cars of that type and what do you think a market value would be. I'm relatively handy and would be doing the work myself (lights etc). I would not be importing any old junker. Just one which seems to be sound (in fact does anyone know of a US company who does the equivalent of AA inspections?)

All comments welcome slating or supporting the idea.

DatumX

PS: What do people think to this one?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/De-Lorea ... 0205908174

[Tourettes Tony]

the trouble is now, the vat and import duty is high, and over the last couple of years the has been a bit of an 80's revival and the value of the cars is staying quite high as the americans have caught on to the true value of these cars gone are the days of deloreans for £4-6k including import duties.

I reckon allow 15k at least and dont expect to make loads but you could always get your money back, and dont underestimate the cost of restoration my car was 7k imported and i have easily spent 5k on parts and 14 long months restoring it. good luck Tony TT

[Guinney1971]

^^^^^^^^^ what he said

My car was £4100 to my door in 2002 (as a rolling wreck), and to date,
probably owes me just under £10k - not that I'd ever sell her!

I'm not a huge fan of BTTF conversions, as the films are not the reason
behind me getting my car. I think also, there is a danger of 'too many'
BTTF replicas hitting the roads, and I'm not sure there's the market for
them. Call me old fashioned I guess, but I like things original-ish.

[Darren C]

Hi,

I imported my car in September last year. Cost £650 in Shipping and £1600 in duty on top of the purchase price of £7K.
It was a good car having 2 californian owners full history and 51k miles.
However the USA has no MOT so it now looks like the BTTF car at the end of No 3 on the railtrack after the train hit it!

I've re trimmed the whole interior, new dash, fetched loads of dents out the body, removed and repainted both bumpers. Refurbished the wheels,
realigned all body panels, replaced all seals, doors, bonnet, louvre etc,
converted the lights, re-wired most of the electrics, replaced all the switches, rebuilt the doors/window mechanisms, fitted euro springs, steering column bushes, track rod ends, rebuilt the wiper mech, replaced the sidemarkers, rear light lenses and the numberplate lights.
Rebuilt/refurbished the engine lid. repainted under the bonnet, etc etc etc.

I'm a coachbuilder by trade working on Rolls-Royce and Bentley, so my labour and skill is free. However I've spent £2K on parts so far!

My advice is, no matter how "good condition" a car is from the States, it'll need work to use over here.

If you've got the time and a little engineering skill, go for it!

However it's not a get rich quick formula!

Good luck

D

[DatumX]

Thanks for the replies. It's entirely my fault as I didn't explain myself properly but I didn't mean a BTTF look-a-like, just a vehicle near to the vin number of the BTTF car i.e. around the 5261 mark. I don't want to go around looking like a BTTF nerd (even though I would like to secretly!) I just want a bog standard DMC12.

Just to clarify. If you were looking to buy a car now what would you pay for an imported, UK road legal one, not restored, just legal and not overly shabby. For example, to take Darren C's experience, last year he paid:

£7,000 Car
£600 Shipping
£1,600 Tax
£9,200 Total

So last year he would have probably been prepared to pay about £10,000 for a pre-imported one, especially if he was able to see the car in person before purchase and it was ready to insure and drive home legally.

What does anyone else think is a decent price for a pre-imported one?

Tony, are you meaning £15,000 to import or £15,000 resell price?

Thanks all for your time.

DatumX

[Dodgy Motor]

correct me if Im wrong guys, I think I was the last in the club to import one,the car cost £11,000 shipping from Illioius was about £1000 and the other taxes etc were about £3,000, mine is a little it different from the norm but at the end of the day remember USA do not have an MOT test like we do, so even though it maybe a peach of a motor in pics, it could end up costing you heaps to mot, so unless you can do most of the work yourself or have a specific skill and can aim for cheaper cars that need that skill e.g, a vehicle trimmer buys one cos the interior is poor, then I dont think you will make a living out of it, youl always get your money back but youd have to be very lucky to make any profit, good luck and welcome to the forum :wink:

[steve.s]

there is not really a get rich quick scheme.

i have imported many cars from Japan. you buy a car, normally at auction, on some elses description, you have not seen or tested it, soemtimes little history, you don't know the seller.

there are so many pitfalls, ie i bought an eunos roadster (MX5) grade 4.5 (very high in Japan).

drove it home from Southampton. When home saw a split in the alloy, so ended up with new alloys and tyres.

then bad blemish on the bonnet, £400 spray. Luckily had a customer who had paid that extra (as it had a body kit, roll bar etc) so still made a bit.

but say you need the alloys refurbed and new tyres, that could be £5-600 alone?. calipers discs etc £300 or so refurbed and new discs.

if you do it do it for the love of the car, not really for profit.

not saying you cannot make a profit, but is not an easy ride. and you money will be gone for a couple of months!.

should a ship ever go down with your car you are highly unlikely ever to see any money,even if you have marine insurance.
Also you chance it being broken into on board!.

not trying to put you off of course!!!!!!.

[Tourettes Tony]

DatumX Wrote:Tony, are you meaning £15,000 to import or £15,000 resell price?

Thanks all for your time.

DatumX

15k is the average price of a car in this country, importing you may get a result but more often than not the cars need loads of work and as Chris parnham has said in the past if a car is that good it would sell in the states (correct me if im wrong chris) once the car gets to this country you cant do a thing legally hope this helps Tony TT

[Guinney1971]

steve.s Wrote:there is not really a get rich quick scheme.should a ship ever go down with your car you are highly unlikely ever to see any money,even if you have marine insurance.
Also you chance it being broken into on board!.
not trying to put you off of course!!!!!!.

deffo agree with you there Steve, I didnt bother with Marine Insurance
on Flopsy cos when I looked into it, it wasnt worth the paper it was written
on.

I think the days of 'cheap' project cars from the US are over.

I know roughly what Flopsy owes me, and PJ Grady have advised me how
much I should up the insurance cover to now, and yes, I could make a
tidy profit - but my baby is not up for sale, ever, at any price :wink:

[Darren C]

Hi DatumX,

It's true my car owes me £9200. but it ain't finished yet. I'd dread to think what it would be if I'd had to pay for the labour. I do around 3 hours a night on it. For example, tonight I've just put the wiper arms, new washer jet, grille at the windscreen base and under bonnet stickers on.

Realistically you shouldn't loose money but it won't be a walk in the park. There are cars still out there for £4K, I looked at two before I bought mine, you'll find them on the USA equivalent of Autotrader, and need a friendly guy in the USA to do some leg work, but if you're serious an economy flight to the US is a couple of hundred quid, a small price to pay to get it right. If the cars a dog then hey you just had a cheap holiday!

Regards
D

[DatumX]

Not exactly resounding enthusiasm for the idea then!

I'm not writing the idea off though. I don't need to make any money off it particularly, just cover costs and get to own a DeLorean for a bit.
I got in touch with the one I mentioned at the top of the post and he was amenable to a third-party inspection of the vehicle post auction and prior to payment and would have been happy to take payment via escrow. If my finances had been in place I'd have been tempted.
I'll be keeping the eBay favourite search going and might take the plunge at some point if the price is right.

Thanks all for your input.

Does anyone have any other auction/classified sites they can recommend in the USA.

DatumX