Outer Limits 4x4 Board

Just wondering if it is possible to get around current importing issues for an OS GU Shorty - if it is wrecked??

Does that get around the seating, luxury tax and the too close to a saleable vehicle already in Oz dramas?

THen fix it up here and register it.

i have heard a rumour that if you import the vehicle with out the motor in it it is classed as spare parts therefore bypasses all the taxes and import duty etc.
please dont quote me on this as it is only a rumour i heard
if someone could verify this it would be good

flyinwall wrote:i have heard a rumour that if you import the vehicle with out the motor in it it is classed as spare parts therefore bypasses all the taxes and import duty etc.
please dont quote me on this as it is only a rumour i heard
if someone could verify this it would be good

Then after you have done that, go and try to register it.

I think you will find the ATO will have a field day on your front lawn.

You can import a car in bits, but not excpect to be able to register it with alot of ease.

flyinwall wrote:i have heard a rumour that if you import the vehicle with out the motor in it it is classed as spare parts therefore bypasses all the taxes and import duty etc.

I heard the same thing recently......I want to sell me runner and get a 3rd gen 4runner/surf (96+ model) and there wasn't that many brought into Oz....so spoke to some importers about bringing a body over that I could put onto a hilux chassis or something.....If it has no motor in it, it can be imported into the country, but wether qld transport would allow a import body to be complainced on a Aussie chassis I'm not sure.......but will try to find out soon....

Twisty, wouldnt it just be a matter of going through the same process to bring the body up to oz standards as it would be for bringing a whole vehicle up to oz standards, etc side impact stuff and whatever else

Yeah I guess so.....I'm really not sure what they'll want, or if they allow it, I really can't see why not??

Gribble wrote:Then after you have done that, go and try to register it.

I think you will find the ATO will have a field day on your front lawn.

You can import a car in bits, but not excpect to be able to register it with alot of ease.

I agree. Speak with Sierrajim.. thats his gig.

Sir Rollsalot wrote:Twisty, wouldnt it just be a matter of going through the same process to bring the body up to oz standards as it would be for bringing a whole vehicle up to oz standards, etc side impact stuff and whatever else

what if they want to do a side impact crash test though??? then your stuffed, youd need lots of import boddies, or a big tim of bog..........

benhl wrote:Just wondering if it is possible to get around current importing issues for an OS GU Shorty - if it is wrecked??

If you are importing a wreck, then I assume you will be classing as a car to be dismantled? If so:-

From the governemnt website:
Vehicles for Dismantling
The importation of complete vehicles for dismantling purposes is not permitted.

If you are importing a vehicle that is NOT for dismantling, then you must be importing it for use. The, I assume, the usual rules apply.

You may also want to read: http://raws.dotars.gov.au/Docs/Word/Gui ... ssue_1.doc

And this:
The register of Specialist and Enthusiast Vehicles is a list of vehicles that are eligible to be imported by a Registered Automotive Workshop(RAW) or by a company applying for a New Low Volume Compliance Plate Approval. It does not infer that there is a current approval for that particular vehicle. (http://rvcs-prodweb.dot.gov.au/)

I just checked, and the Nissan you are after is not on the list.

Then, the only other option is a "race" or "competition" vehicle:
8. Racing Vehicles - Part 10 of the Application Form
Rally Use/ Closed Circuit Racing

Before approving an application, the Administrator needs to be satisfied that the vehicle will be only used for rally/race purposes

Import applications for rally/race use will only be considered where the vehicle will be used in serious competition, generally at professional level. Where a particular vehicle model is readily available in the Australian market, an import approval will not be granted unless there are compelling reasons to justify why it is necessary to import a vehicle to compete in events in Australia. The fact that a vehicle may be on an eligibility list for an event is not, of itself, a reason to justify the granting of an import approval.

At a minimum, the following criteria must be met:

Eligible vehicles for rally/race use are those homologated by the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). These vehicle models can be found listed at http://www.fia.com/sport/Homologations/ ... icles.html.

Under normal circumstances applicants will be restricted to importing a single vehicle and acceptable reasons will need to be provided to import another vehicle for rally/race use.

Road vehicles for rally use are imported on the condition that they will only be used in the course of competition, practice associated with competition and transport to and from a rally location.

The applicant must lodge with their application a statement that the vehicle will only be used for rally purposes together with a copy of a current CAMS R3 or higher grade licence. For closed circuit racing the applicant must lodge with their application a statement that the vehicle will only be used for closed circuit racing purposes together with a copy of a current CAMS C3 or higher grade licence.

In addition, the applicant will need to provide evidence of a professional or high level involvement in rally/race sport, including:

details of events in which the applicant has driven a rally/race car;

details of specific events in which the applicant proposes to compete in the car for which the import application is submitted;

details of the rally/race club or organisation of which the applicant is a member and the length of membership; and

if the vehicle is a model available in the Australian vehicle market, justification for the need to import the vehicle (cost of the vehicle in the domestic market will not generally be considered an acceptable justification).

Talkin to a mate today in the car game, he said if its imported as a wreck, the chassis etc #'s are registered on the system the same as an 'unregisterable writeoff'. So, IHO, no it cant be done or 100s would be doing it and saving 10's thousands of $.

bogged wrote:Talkin to a mate today in the car game, he said if its imported as a wreck, the chassis etc #'s are registered on the system the same as an 'unregisterable writeoff'. So, IHO, no it cant be done or 100s would be doing it and saving 10's thousands of $.

This is not 100% true, what it is is the vehicle will not have an Import Approval so then it therefore cannot be legally registered for road use. So what acually happens if the vehicle has no import approval is the vehicles VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) is not registered on NEVDIS, if it is not registered on NEVDIS then this equals no rego.

Now to the first question, the vehicle must be completely dismantled for it to bypass al the importation regs, this means the whole drivetrain must be removed from the body & also the body to be partially dismantled. Now for it to pass Customs it must also be imported in different containers otherwise it will still be considered complete even if it is in a million pieces.

Say you get passed this & get it into the country & reassemble it ready for rego then you will have problems referring back to what GU4800 said.
The only other way is to get it classed as an ICV (Individually Constructed Vehicle), this is a pretty involved process & designed for people building vehicles from ground up. I would be very surprised if you get it registered this way.

Why dont you just go and buy a Prado? They are the same vehicle underneath & a hell of a lot easier to deal with if you have any problems.

mkpatrol wrote:

bogged wrote:Talkin to a mate today in the car game, he said if its imported as a wreck, the chassis etc #'s are registered on the system the same as an 'unregisterable writeoff'. So, IHO, no it cant be done or 100s would be doing it and saving 10's thousands of $.

This is not 100% true, what it is is the vehicle will not have an Import Approval so then it therefore cannot be legally registered for road use. So what acually happens if the vehicle has no import approval is the vehicles VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) is not registered on NEVDIS, if it is not registered on NEVDIS then this equals no rego.

Now to the first question, the vehicle must be completely dismantled for it to bypass al the importation regs, this means the whole drivetrain must be removed from the body & also the body to be partially dismantled. Now for it to pass Customs it must also be imported in different containers otherwise it will still be considered complete even if it is in a million pieces.

Say you get passed this & get it into the country & reassemble it ready for rego then you will have problems referring back to what GU4800 said.
The only other way is to get it classed as an ICV (Individually Constructed Vehicle), this is a pretty involved process & designed for people building vehicles from ground up. I would be very surprised if you get it registered this way.

Why dont you just go and buy a Prado? They are the same vehicle underneath & a hell of a lot easier to deal with if you have any problems.

You just hit the nail on the head.

You need an import approval to register a vehicle, without an import approval the vehicle can not be registered. Being that the vehicle would be under 15 years of age it would also need to be complied by a RAWS workshop.

The problem is that teh Feds will not allow the low volume importation of vehicles that are imported by a full volume manufacturer (eg Toyota and Surfs). So even a RAWS workshop can not help you here.

The only way that a vehicle such as this could be imported is if you did it as a personal import. This is not an easy thing to do.

1. You must live in the vehicles country of origin for at least 12 months with only 1 week allowed to be away from that country.
2. You must have the vehicle registered in your name for that time
3. You must have proof of ownership of that vehicle for that time (see #2)
4. You must have had legal residency/visa or similar in that country for that time.

I would suggest it would be easier to cut a LWB GU that is currently out here down to a SWB and have it engineered. Or you can just wait until they are over 30 years of age where pretty much anything goes.

what if you just import the body and then bolt it to a cut down aussie chassie then get it engineered as a body swap, would this be a way around it.

thanks SierriaJim - think i'll wait the 30 eh


to the feds!!