Shipping a car from the UK

[fordel]

Ok, I got this in an email the other day from the EuroFordClub.com site , and as its not asking me for any money, im possibly thinking it might be legit.

If so what are your opinions/facts, so i can email this person back

Originally Posted by email

Hi!

I'm in the UK and I've been offered a postgraduate study place at the University of Adelaide. As this is a mid-career sabatical for me, I have a large quantity of domestic items I'l be bringing along.

From what I've heard, cars are cheap over there, but a bit of exploring on

websites like autoweb.com.au and carsguide.com.au shows this is just not true for older cars. Therefore I'm thinking of bringing my car with me.

At the moment, I have a brand new Ford Transit Tourneo (8-seat GLX), the most perfect vehicle in the known world for a family, and something you don't have your end. The thing is, it'll be less than 6 months old when I arrive, so I'll be charged full import tax - AGAIN! Already been extorted for that by UK Government!

By comparison, my Ford Scopio Ultima Estate, 1996, 150000kms, with every option you can imagine, at all for £750 (AUS $1700). Compare that with, say, a Falcon of the same age (probably closest model??) and the Falcon comes out at $5000 minimum, no?

My question: DO you think bringing over the scorpio would be a bright idea? The tax will be based on purchase price minus shipping costs (i.e. virtually nothing!), and, if I read the regulations right, I can keep it with the UK reg and pay a temporary licence for a foreign reg, until I take it back out the country, and get [any] tax back. I've had an email from the Aus customs, and they say this is for one year, but I can keep renewing that status each year of the four I'm likely to be over there for.

(I'd certainly like to bring the Tourneo, but I can't afford paying tax twice, plus can't affor the loan repayments while student status!)

Problems with the scorpio are - will your vehicle certification agency be happy about it, as it's not a model [I'm aware of] that was sold in Aus? .. and for that same reason will I have difficuties with parts?

All thoughts welcome!

best regards,

Chris Bradley.

Cheers

Chris