cobras from the US

[mdl.wright]

I'm sure someone on here will have an answer for this.
Has anyone imported a cobra from the states and if so how did you go? I have imported Mustangs before and have no fear on importing cars as there are some serious bargains out there.
On the title document, cobras all seem to be listed as the year of the car they are replicating. In peoples experience has this been enough to satisfy import approval and subsequent rego inspection.

Cheers people.

[spookypt]

A common topic on this forum especially since the AUD launched in 2010 (?)

May I suggest you do a little digging on this Oz forum. Lots have already talked at length and a few members on here have done this.

From memory there's at least 6 or 8 who have done it successsfully. There's lots of stories to be told but most of the basic stuff has been talked about.

Its not easy but can be rewarding... but if you don't do your research outside this forum in relation to import approvals, LCT, GST, Import Duty, transport, engineering, State requirements bla bla it can/WILL end up a nightmare.

Would I do it again. Dunno. Knowledge is power. Once you have done it once it never seems as hard to contemplate doing it again. There are some very nice bits of gear coming out of Australian Production houses now the quality in Oz is really hard to beat. Its horses for courses and depends on what you want to use your car for, look like, etc etc

Spookypt

[boxhead]

You can't go by the "Title" year of manufacture, you need a vehicle that can be confirmed with registration papers and documents as being atleast XX amount of years old (can't remember of my head what the year requirement is)

[Tengu]

G'day mdl, the Dept of Infrastructure and Transport are awake to cobra replicas registered as 1965 or 66 cars in some US states and refer to them as an example in their car import fact sheets. My car was registered as a 1966 cobra but in order to gain import approval I had to provide proof of the date of manufacture which they describe as being when the body was joined to the chassis. Ideally if you can obtain registration documents from pre 1989 or any other documents that prove date of manufacture was pre 89 you're on your way. In my case the owner only had rego papers from when he bought it in 1995 which was no help. Fortunately the previous owner had provided him with the original order form and delivery date of the completed cobra, indicating that the car was constructed in 1983.
DIT and customs provide info on the net, and check with Canberra's rego requirements for pre 89 imports to make sure you can get it registered.
Good luck
Mike

[rpatton3]

Can you import, title, license and drive a LHD car in Australia?

How hard is it for a retired yank to move to Australia. My wife is a teacher and also speaks Dutch. When we retire, we want to get far away from family.

[boxhead]

I think it is different if you have owned it for 2 years with a US address.

[mdl.wright]

rpatton3. You can import a LHD car if its over 30yrs old. And importing anything newer than 1989 is a no go unless you owned and used it over there for a minimum of 12 months.

[Tengu]

Yes rpatton3, you can. There are several schemes for importing vehicles to Australia. You would be able to bring your car with you as a "personal import" if you have owned it for more than a year, but it won't get registered LHD unless it is 30yo (I can only speak for the state of NSW). You will have to have it converted to RHD if its a later model and have any required mods done to comply with ADR rules.
I'm not sure what you need to migrate here, but once you're here you have to give us all a drive of your cobra ...and this is about as far away from your family you can get.
You will get used to the sharks, crocs and snakes after a while.
Mike

[Merv and Sharon]

QLD also on the 30 year rule for LHD. Don has a such a car.

[Flukeyluke]

What about just bringing a chassis and body in?
The US bodies seem to be truer to the original shape where as we have some odd looking cars here, particularly in the rear quarters.

Has anybody looked at it?

[Gav]

You could import a Cobra body/chassis from Afganastan if you like but it will still need to be engineered and will have to pass all relevant Australian ADR's.