sport5 wrote:
bnicho try a bloke in camden nsw called peter l. smith engineering as he was able to get our 1999 and several other cars imported and fully complianced.
as you have all rightly said it is a hassle and much better to get someone who can deal with the customs and import laws BEFORE importing the car.
ever wonder why they have customs auctions ? the owners bring in the vehicle it sits in quarantine racking up storage and red tape costs then the owner is forced to sell as it is no longer worth it.
It's not quite that easy.
'm guessing your car came in as Personal Import?
Unfortunately, unless recently granted, Peter Smith Engineering does not have RAWS compliance for imported Minis after 1988. They were able to do "low volume" compliance on later cars prior to the major law change in 2005(?) and are still able to do compliance for personal imports (ie: owned 12 months plus overseas).
Pre-1989 models camn be imported without restriction. You still need DOTARS approval, but that's just a formailty. $50 to the Govt for nothing!
Shipping a car without import approval would be fraught with danger! My Corona sat in a warehouse in Japan for a few weeks while the govt paperwork went through, even though there was no reason DOTARS would reject it. Most reputable importers won't put it on a ship until permission is granted anyway.
Cheers,
I have a friend working there for a year or so 
