Paying For And Importing Used From Germany? (1 Viewer)

[Judge Mental]

VCA charge £120 I thought? And its a total rip off!..as all they do is check the letter from MOT station and associated papetwork

They can also hang on to paperwotk much longer then necessary! I phoned to confirm they got pack but it still took two weeks to get it back..two weeks for 5 minutes work? Grrrrrr.....

 

[Weinsbergaman]

Problem with that is the odometer will be be a much higher reading than your motorhome has done.
Also there are several different dial so have to make sure you have the right one.
Much eaiser to buy the correct dial from Lockwood and their dials have the kpm figures in white which are much easier to read.

Not the case. You still uses the original base speedo just swop the dial facia for the MPH, nothing else, so all the readings are original .

Thanks Antony

 

[Lenny HB]

Not the case. You still uses the original base speedo just swop the dial facia for the MPH, nothing else, so all the readings are original .

Thanks Antony

Whats the point a Lockwood dial is only £48 and has a better display

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[Weinsbergaman]

Whats the point a Lockwood dial is only £48 and has a better display

All I was originally saying is that you can get a better deal using an old speedo and taking the mph dial facia off that. I got mine off ebay for £19.00 which is a bit of a saving Just keep an eye out and you can save, that's the point

Oki Doki.

 

[Lenny HB]

All I was originally saying is that you can get a better deal using an old speedo and taking the mph dial facia off that. I got mine off ebay for £19.00 which is a bit of a saving Just keep an eye out and you can save, that's the point

Oki Doki.

The link you posted was 45 quid which is what I was commenting on.

 

[Weinsbergaman]

The link you posted was 45 quid which is what I was commenting on.

Hi Lenny,

It was just an example, my fault for the confusion, sorry

Thanks Antony

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[Soozywoozy]

Have been following with great interest and just back from holiday In Germany when we incorporated a mini "dealer " tour and discovered we could buy a brand new Hymer starline for less in euros than the UK £ figure - a saving of about £25k so just need to work out how to do it. Dealers all seemed so lovely and completely nonplussed by UK purchaser - not willing to part exchange a right hand vehicle though
Continue to keep us posted regarding import/ insurance and general logistics please

 

[Armytwowheels]

Hi SoozyW

We are at the stage of being ready to register Nessy (the monster van) for the UK now, just the paperwork to do. Took her for new tyres yesterday (ouch!) and then on to an MOT garage to have the lights and speedo checked. The headlights were switchable if somewhat awkward to get at and Colin did this himself, although the garage aligned them, he also swapped the fog and reversing lights around so they are now UK spec. He put in a new run of wiring so when w go to Europe he just has to change the lenses over and unplug the new wiring. We ordered a comparable used speedo unit from eBay, which Colin took apart and changed the facier over, it cost £17.oo.

Today I will be completing the forms from DVLA and sending them off with letter from the garage, the CoC and £100, hopefully that will be that. After a nervous couple of weeks we now have fully comp insurance through Safeguard, done from the VIN plate, we also need to sell the Hymer in order to transfer the no-claims over, otherwise she will have to be downgraded to 3rd party.

Phew! I think that's about it for now.

 

[Feltwell]

Did you say somewhere you were looking at changing the upholstery in that van?

It's a bit "Marmite" I guess - love it or hate it - I for one love it, nice and bright and makes a change from the usual very safe beige colours that everyone seems to have. I would never have been brave enough to have re-upholstered my van in those colours, but having seen it done, I like it! Better than my van - beige and shades of red & orange..........

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[Armytwowheels]

Did you say somewhere you were looking at changing the upholstery in that van?

It's a bit "Marmite" I guess - love it or hate it - I for one love it, nice and bright and makes a change from the usual very safe beige colours that everyone seems to have. I would never have been brave enough to have re-upholstered my van in those colours, but having seen it done, I like it! Better than my van - beige and shades of red & orange..........

The colour scheme has grown on me a bit, I think we will strip the dark red carpet out and get some covers for the cab seats first to see if that looks better. The multi coloured upholstery was very expensive but why they didn't get the cab seats done beats me, it really clashes.

 

[Weinsbergaman]

Hi SoozyW

We ordered a comparable used speedo unit from eBay, which Colin took apart and changed the facier over, it cost £17.oo.

Nice one

Cheers Antony

 

[GWAYGWAY]

Nice one

Cheers Antony

If you get a secondhand speedometer, why bother changing the dial just reset the miles odometer to the correct figure from the old KPH unit and it will carry on from there, save appearing to have put thousands of miles on it.

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[Armytwowheels]

If you get a secondhand speedometer, why bother changing the dial just reset the miles odometer to the correct figure from the old KPH unit and it will carry on from there, save appearing to have put thousands of miles on it.

As we spend as much time in Europe as we do in the UK, we got one that showed both KPH and MPH., which is what we now have.

 

[veevee]

If you get a secondhand speedometer, why bother changing the dial just reset the miles odometer to the correct figure from the old KPH unit and it will carry on from there, save appearing to have put thousands of miles on it.

How do you do that?

 

[Weinsbergaman]

How do you do that?

Same here, surely that is illegal? The only thing I changed was the facia the speedometer is the original one in km from new with the correct KM total. Mine too now shows MPH & KPH.

Cheers Antony

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[Ivory55]

Loads of places advertise mileage correction. It's not illegal to do, only if you fail to inform who ever your selling the car /van to that you have altered the readings.

 

[Armytwowheels]

Loads of places advertise mileage correction. It's not illegal to do, only if you fail to inform who ever your selling the car /van to that you have altered the readings.

Totally open to abuse then.

 

[Ivory55]

Yes we have some queer laws

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[GWAYGWAY]

I think you are thinking about digital odometers I meant the old rotating numbers one, and if you put the truthful figures down then nobody is hurt. The speedo you buy would be off a van used commercially with maybe 180000 miles on it, so it would be correct to put the REAL figures down. 90000 km would be 56000 miles.

 

[Armytwowheels]

Guys, I am becoming a bit confused with the paperwork and form filling, can you help please?

I have done the HMRC thing online and had confirmation there's no VAT to be paid.
I have completed the V55/5 first register for vehicle tax for a used import. Not sent it yet but it is ready to go with £55 fee and £165 tax.

Do I also have to complete the Mutual Recognition form? The van is Type Approved so I do not understand why I have to do this?

Thanks
Sandra

Edit - think I have answered my own question by reading back through this thread. I have to do the VCA thing before the DVLA bit, hence the need to get the letter from the garage, which we have done. My brain is getting a bit aggeled.

 

[Judge Mental]

Whats the point a Lockwood dial is only £48 and has a better display

Plus there are a 101 diferent style dials with different icons. Only way to get the right one is to take a photo with all lights on and send to Lockwood's

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[Lindacarole]

Got as far as Metz and just about squeezed into a very full Municiple site, on the banks of the Moselle. Not very well prepared for our first night, we had a finger buffet which consisted of pizza and salad, without cutlery!

The nextdoor neighbours are quite nice though, but very greedy!

What a lovely van, and good luck with driving it!
LC

 

[Weinsbergaman]

Plus there are a 101 diferent style dials with different icons. Only way to get the right one is to take a photo with all lights on and send to Lockwood's

Not the only way and not the cheapest

 

[Lindacarole]

Plus there are a 101 diferent style dials with different icons. Only way to get the right one is to take a photo with all lights on and send to Lockwood's

This is a great quote, I jumped to the end of this thread, got TOTALLY confused by the above quote so had to back track to find out what Judge was on about.
The things you learn from this forum.. )
LC

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[Judge Mental]

Keep banging that drum @weinsburgman...most I know not bothered re saving a pittance and ending up with wrong speedo. Especially considering the savings made.

Anyway german dealer takes care of changes. Speeding up registration when I get van home. My days of searching round scrap yard or ebay for bits ended in my teens

 

[Lenny HB]

Not the only way and not the cheapest

Maybe not, but it is the best and Lockwood dials are much easier to read in low light than Fiat ones.

If you are spending up to a 100 grand maybe more on a new van why put an old S/H bit on it, doesn't make sense to me.

 

[Weinsbergaman]

Keep banging that drum @weinsburgman...most I know not bothered re saving a pittance and ending up with wrong speedo. Especially considering the savings made.

Anyway german dealer takes care of changes. Speeding up registration when I get van home. My days of searching round scrap yard or ebay for bits ended in my teens

Are you saying my advice is not worthy oh wise one? Let me know when I can speak again oh master

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[Judge Mental]

Being silly..listen to Lenny. I am presuming you bought used. Most of these threads concern new or recent. And you keep banging on about saving peanuts, when most want an easy registration process. FYI i had my MOT appointment for day I brought van home from Germany. Papers with VCA next morning...

 

[Judge Mental]

Maybe not, but it is the best and Lockwood dials are much easier to read in low light than Fiat ones.

If you are spending up to a 100 grand maybe more on a new van why put an old S/H bit on it, doesn't make sense to me.

Nor to anyone else I should think! lol

 

[bellabee]

Just fitted our Lockwood dial, today. A bit fiddly (but we're really incompetent and still managed it). Phoned Lockwoods when we got stuck, and got excellent advice from them. Looks good. Money well spent.

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