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c0nt3xt
Joined: 22 Mar 2008
Posts: 57
Location: Slovenia
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 Posted: Sat Jan 10, 2009 9:28 pm Post subject: Cars in UK |
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I'm thinking about getting a new car for myself, so I have been on the internet searching for options and noticed that cars in UK are much cheaper than in our country (almost 50%), so i am thinking about a little trip in summer to UK. Hoping for some holidays and getting home with a new car.
I am looking for a lhd (left hand drive) car. Those cars are more rare, but they exist and some of them are for sale. I just have to wait for the right one for me.
Ok, now that you know some background, this is where i need your help.
1) Are UK cars any different from others, lets say German? Do you have to change any parts when you import a car?
2) Do you have some temporary registry plates? Do they exists in UK? Or is there another legal way to drive it home?
3) What about price.... i know people in some countrys are offended if you dont try to lower the price, other are offended if you do. How is with that over there? I noticed some letters with prices like: VAT, ONO and similar. what are those?
4) Anything other i need to know before i go on a plane with a suitcase of money? 
cheers |
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bunsenjetson
Joined: 12 Aug 2007
Posts: 1119
Location: Stuart Hall
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| Posted: Sat Jan 10, 2009 10:20 pm Post subject: |
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I'm surprised you thikthey are cheaper here because everyone complains about the price, and some people travel to mainland Europe to buy their car. That said, you can get a bargain right now because they are not selling because of financial hysteria.
1) Sometimes they have different names, but most UK-built cars are foreign as we don't really have a car industry any more. Apart from being right-hand drive, they won't be much different, but it's quite hard to get a left-hand drive car here.
2) I don't know. Try here: http://www.dvla.gov.uk/
3) It's always worth negotiating. A sale is a sale and in the current economic climate you can probably get quite a lot knocked off. VAT is 15% Value Added Tax - I don't know if you'd have to pay it being from overseas. ONO just means Or Nearest Offer, i.e. the offer that's closest to the asking price.
4) Every foreign visitor has to report to Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister. If you have a suitcase of money he'll be very accommodating. His address is 10 Downing Street, London, Cumbria, England. |
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Spanky_McCoy
Dirty Deeds Done Cheap(ish)
Joined: 13 Aug 2007
Posts: 1401
Location: Fortress Spanky
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| Posted: Sat Jan 10, 2009 11:37 pm Post subject: |
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To be honest I reckon you would be better off trying another european country because of the selection of cars. Holland and Belgium were popular places for UK people to go and get a right hand drive import so it might be worth searching there first.
There are left hand drive cars here but more often than not they are taken here by migrants coming to work so if they are selling them the chances of finding out the full servicing history or any of the history can be hard. Because of that I would be dubious about handing over a lot of cash if you can't be sure the person selling it owns it or it isn't a cut and shut or if it's been serviced and repaired properly.
I would look into it quite a bit before visiting and handing over cash 
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JawZ
Joined: 29 Oct 2007
Posts: 1991
Location: Bedfordshire
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| Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2009 1:44 am Post subject: |
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ill assume your looking at second hand motors, my dad regulary looks at second hand cars just to see whats on the market, he was saying yesterday how things seem so much cheaper at the moment, im guessing this is because of people not willing to splash around as much as "normal" due to the circumstances.
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c0nt3xt
Joined: 22 Mar 2008
Posts: 57
Location: Slovenia
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| Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2009 8:03 am Post subject: |
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Yes, i am looking for used roadsters, mostly BMW z3, z4 with 2.2l engine.
Prices in our country starts at about 10k€ for that kind of z3, and about 18k€ for z4.
But when i was looking at autotrader z3 starts at a bit under £4k, which is 4.5k€, and z4 from £8k (9k€). For that difference i think it is worth buying a little less maintained car and get a full service back here. Isn't it?
Finding a proper lhd is a problem, right now none are for sale. But i'm in no hurry, i said i will buy it till end of 2009.
I was looking at autoscout24 for cars in holland and belgium, and prices are a lot like in our country. Maybe i should look somewhere else?
tnx for your help |
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evil_homer
All-Round-Good-Guy
Joined: 10 Jun 2008
Posts: 656
Location: Preston Lancashire
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Middenrat
actual speed
Joined: 10 Aug 2007
Posts: 2260
Location: Location: Location.
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| Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2009 1:01 pm Post subject: |
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Statistically speaking, any LHD that ends up in the UK is going to have an 'interesting' history and I wouldn't touch one unless I'd imported it myself ie certain Japanese roadsters, US musclecars, South African Beetle and other oddballs. Belgium or Holland or Germany would be a safer bet for your money.
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DaCheese
Joined: 05 Sep 2007
Posts: 1471
Location: GMR Towers, South Shropshire, UK.
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| Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2009 1:04 pm Post subject: |
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Don't they drive on the left in Japan too?
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Middenrat
actual speed
Joined: 10 Aug 2007
Posts: 2260
Location: Location: Location.
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| Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2009 1:08 pm Post subject: |
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 i meant motorbikes 
the FTO always was a bit of a hazy pipedream
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sosteve
actual speed
Joined: 13 Dec 2007
Posts: 521
Location: settee
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| Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2009 5:03 pm Post subject: |
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Had a LHdrive inoccenti cooper S back in 1978 loved it 
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c0nt3xt
Joined: 22 Mar 2008
Posts: 57
Location: Slovenia
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| Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2009 5:22 pm Post subject: |
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that z3 is probably sold already, link on that page don't open the advertise. And 115.000 km is not so much for a 8 year old car. Not in our country and even less in Germany. Thats a bit over 60k miles. My limit is 150.000 km or about 90k miles. Less is better of course 
You are right about questionable service history of LHD cars in UK, but if you believe me or not... every third car on sale here has reverted "mileage", fully stamped service book (right before sale), and all are in perfect condition (yeah right). At least thats how they are advertised. Well, if you don't know you don't care.
I know i am not buying a new car, so i don't expect it to be like that. I know i wont take it to authorized service if i can change oil, brake pads, sparks and that kind of stuff at home. Why should seller?
example of a car that would be a good candidate, if it had a 2.2l engine:
http://tinyurl.com/9qnxjr
any help or suggestions are more than welcome |
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msquires
Spam King
Joined: 12 Apr 2008
Posts: 803
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| Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2009 5:44 pm Post subject: |
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There are some basics you also have to consider which I hope u will have already known, like speedo form mph to kph and the headlights altering etc!
You should be able to get a total bargain if you can find a lhd car here cos nobody wants them...why would they if they live here and drive on the left??
You might be being a bit specific though...certainly if you were in a rush! But you definately have a good idea as our economy is on its knees at the moment and the euro goes so much further here than it did even 6 months ago!
Autotrader is the most comprehensive for british cars but I'd put lhd in the keyword search http://www.autotrader.co.uk/ |
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c0nt3xt
Joined: 22 Mar 2008
Posts: 57
Location: Slovenia
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| Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2009 6:49 pm Post subject: |
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| msquires wrote: | There are some basics you also have to consider which I hope u will have already known, like speedo form mph to kph and the headlights altering etc!
most, if not all, lhd cars have kph speedo's. If i happen to find one with mph (and everything else like wanted) its not a problem to get it in kph from some wrecked car, but i think this wont happen.
What do you mean about headlights? Thats new for me, please explain.
You should be able to get a total bargain if you can find a lhd car here cos nobody wants them...why would they if they live here and drive on the left??
i'm counting on that
You might be being a bit specific though...certainly if you were in a rush! But you definately have a good idea as our economy is on its knees at the moment and the euro goes so much further here than it did even 6 months ago!
i am specific, but i might change my mind and consider also 2.0l engine (i want 6 cyl). But like i said, i am in no rush.
And like you said - Euro is strong now and/or pound is weak, they are almost equal (1€ = 1.1 pound)
Autotrader is the most comprehensive for british cars but I'd put lhd in the keyword search http://www.autotrader.co.uk/
i did exactly that. thanks for tip anyway
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my comment bolded in quote |
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msquires
Spam King
Joined: 12 Apr 2008
Posts: 803
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| Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2009 7:31 pm Post subject: |
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| When you take a car which was made for a specific side of the road (right or left) it has the headlights set up so that when they are dipped they shine away from the centre of the road. This will need changing unless you want to permanently drive around with stickers on the headlights to stop you blinding anyone driving towards you |
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c0nt3xt
Joined: 22 Mar 2008
Posts: 57
Location: Slovenia
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| Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2009 8:09 pm Post subject: |
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| msquires wrote: | | When you take a car which was made for a specific side of the road (right or left) it has the headlights set up so that when they are dipped they shine away from the centre of the road. This will need changing unless you want to permanently drive around with stickers on the headlights to stop you blinding anyone driving towards you |
oh, i didn't think about that. tnx |
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-slowth-
Joined: 22 Oct 2007
Posts: 167
Location: Northants
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| Posted: Mon Jan 12, 2009 11:41 am Post subject: |
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| Always buy your car in the last week of a month and, even better, on the Thursday of that week. Car dealers will bend over backwards to make any kind of sale to hit monthly sales/bonus targets. |
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c0nt3xt
Joined: 22 Mar 2008
Posts: 57
Location: Slovenia
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| Posted: Mon Jan 12, 2009 1:55 pm Post subject: |
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| -slowth- wrote: | | Always buy your car in the last week of a month and, even better, on the Thursday of that week. Car dealers will bend over backwards to make any kind of sale to hit monthly sales/bonus targets. |
thats good to know, tnx |
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xaniel
Joined: 31 Dec 2023
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xaniel
Joined: 31 Dec 2023
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