Well on the 15th of April i am putting my clubman 77 in the shed and flying off to Germany. I intend to spend about a year in europe.

I want to bring some parts back(new engine, disc b) if it will save me a lot of money getting it from england and sending it back. I also want a mini pickup if $ allows.
So my questions are has anyone had experience shipping engines cars from england to Australia etc.
If so does it end up being cheaper after total costs?.
Am i better off just paying big $$ getting it all in Oz?

I will be doing a total resto on my clubman s when i get back and if i can get a new engine from england it will make things come together nicely.
im doing all the work myself except painting. anyway advice needed.

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"You can turn your back on a person, but you can never turn your back on a Mini"(or wallet for that matter)
R(a)ph

Buying in Europe and shipping should work out much cheaper then buying in Oz - if you ship in bulk.... like a complete car with stuff inside.

If you export from Europe you can get the VAT refunded - but not really sure of the time frames.

Import to Oz is duty free as long as the stuff is "owned and used" for a year. Used is a very flexible term. A "year" is also flexible as long as stuff doesn't look like you bought it yesterday.

Get a 70s Mini, do it up with nice but not flashy bits, buy a few spares and ship home.....or maybe a nice BMW instead.

Cheers, Ian

Hi,

I spent 2006 living in Ireland and bought a may/2000 cooper sports pack.

The plan was to return home with the Cooper sports pack as it is a rare car in OZ as per the TME last month.

But beware UK salts the roads for snow so my 6 year old car had lots of rust blister coming up and so did all the other cars i seen.

But i didnt own it for more than 12 months and wasnt able to send it home, i was 2 months short. as i had taken 12 months leave without pay and we took 1 months to get to Ireland then 1 months to get home as we did touristy on the way over through canada then europe and asia on te way home. good old around the world tickets are great.

so i bought up big with Minispeed and ebay eg 8.4 discs, webber. i also got a fully rebuild Austin GT(almost a CooperS) engine then put it all on a pallette and posted it home with a furniture company. it cost me about 800 euro which i think is aussie $1300.

Had heaps of our crap on there 2

I would get a 500 cooper sports pack and bring it home. but there are lots of rules about this like if you live in Germany and the car is in germany then if you say go to Ireland then go back then your time starts again.

I had it easy as i have a european passport.

I also couldnt claim the VAT back either due to i posted it home, to claim VAT you need to show it all to the customs/vat desk on your way home as proof you are taking it home, then you get the money on the other side of customs inside the terminal..

Hope this makes sense

Michael

Thanks for the reply. im thinking the best method is get a mini van and putting the engine and bits in the back i just have to check that car freight companies allow it.

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"You can turn your back on a person, but you can never turn your back on a Mini"(or wallet for that matter)
R(a)ph

Get a Traveller or Clubby Estate, not a van. Much rarer in Oz.

Most shipping companies will allow goods inside the car. Some spares were shipped in the boot of my car from Japan to Aus.

Cheers,

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Brett Nicholson
Greendale (near Ballan) VIC.
1971 Morris Mini Moke
1966 Austin Mini
1965 Morris Mini Traveller
1973 LR Series 3 88
2007 LR Freelander 2

Where in Germany will you be?

We are just on the German border near Munster & Osnabruck.

Make sure you check out the British Car Trophy. It is a Mini series they run in Germany. Looks quite good.

cheers
Michael

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the world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page
66 Mini Minor sponsored by http://www.lifeonthehedge.com.au/ The Dog Harness Specialists
It was a pleasure ausmini. I'll miss all you misfits and reprobates

Awesome i will be living on lake Konstanz Bodensee, and will be moving around Germany from there. I would love to go to the German mini series shows. I will surely end up going up your way. I will message you when i do if thats fine. I want to get to some mini shows in europe.

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"You can turn your back on a person, but you can never turn your back on a Mini"(or wallet for that matter)
R(a)ph

linky

http://www.british-car-trophy.de/

We will be at the IMM in May if you can get there look for MOCTwente club

http://www.imm2008.nl/start/

another one that i am looking at

http://www.fisc-eurotour.org/

cheers

michael

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the world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page
66 Mini Minor sponsored by http://www.lifeonthehedge.com.au/ The Dog Harness Specialists
It was a pleasure ausmini. I'll miss all you misfits and reprobates

tell me if you reach Hamburg

the biggest meeting over here should be Braunschweiger Mini Tage 4.-6. july

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Rover 214 atm ....

and if in Hamburg go down to the Reeperbahn, its a mini amsterdam street