Importing your own car to New Zealand

[Golfboy666GTI]

I grew up in nz. You need to have owned the car for a minimum period to import as part of personal effects. Also while the shipping might be around £2200, the cost of insurance is the killer. Also give the supply of spare parts some consideration, custom machining can actually be cheaper if you have obliging mates.

If you move to Christchurch, there are a bunch of petrolheads who have some extremely valuable machinery stashed away in barns and industrial lockups all over the place. Don't rely on the local main dealer to help without charging you through the nose.

If you end up in Dunedin, the main dealers are Audi enthusiasts and already service a Noggy RS2.

Incidentally, per head of population, Audi sells the most RS models of anywhere in the world in NZ.

Not anymore:

[skiffy]

Once a car is 20 years old you are fine to import it into NZ.

ah 20 is it. thought it was 25. All good then!

Is that your broken RS2 Golfboy?

[ColonialNomad]

Not anymore:

Bloody hell - I got chatting to Kent at SMG about this car when I had my yellow S3 serviced. It was parked outside as I drove up one morning. What happened to it?! Presumably it didn't come off the Peninsula Road...?

[Jack4688]

Oh, why would you want to freeze you nuts of down in the South Island?

It's about 17-18 degrees here in Halifax today so freezing my nuts off appeals very much

[Jack4688]

There's a lot to consider there, I was concerned the logistical and legal aspects of it would be prohibitive in terms of cost but perhaps getting the car up to a standard that they will accept it into NZ would be the killer for me...

[skiffy]

It's about 17-18 degrees here in Halifax today so freezing my nuts off appeals very much

Assume you meant 27-28°?!

[skiffy]

There's a lot to consider there, I was concerned the logistical and legal aspects of it would be prohibitive in terms of cost but perhaps getting the car up to a standard that they will accept it into NZ would be the killer for me...

Wouldn't be too bad I wouldn't have thought, so long as the brakes are quite new and it's structurally sound. Quite common for VTNZ to dictate that the brakes be replaced on entry, thankfully mine were all good.

Not sure if the emissions standards apply to classics either.

[Jack4688]

Assume you meant 27-28°?!

I wouldn't know, once it gets up to around 16C my Irish blood starts to boil!

I replaced the brakes last year but through a combination of recent lack of use and some wet weather they've gone a bit rusty. Hoping that'll scrub off once it gets used again but I'll do a bit of an inspection if I get round to putting some better pads on.

[Golfboy666GTI]

ah 20 is it. thought it was 25. All good then!

Is that your broken RS2 Golfboy?

No, not at all. Mine is RS Blue though. The above car was the Dunedin car - the only RS2 in the South Island. It was sold in its current state and is getting rebuilt in the North Island.

[Golfboy666GTI]

Bloody hell - I got chatting to Kent at SMG about this car when I had my yellow S3 serviced. It was parked outside as I drove up one morning. What happened to it?! Presumably it didn't come off the Peninsula Road...?

It was parked on the outside of a corner, an old lady in her 80's drove around the corner eating a pie and crashed into the back of it. Then someone threw stones at it hence the broken windows.

[Golfboy666GTI]

There's a lot to consider there, I was concerned the logistical and legal aspects of it would be prohibitive in terms of cost but perhaps getting the car up to a standard that they will accept it into NZ would be the killer for me...

The car doesnt have to be standard. Where did that come from?
NZ gets a lot of imports from Japan, lots of those cars have mods. If you have the likes of coilovers and spacers you will need to get a cert for those though. Aftermarket wheels and standards lowering suspension kits are fine.

[Golfboy666GTI]

It's about 17-18 degrees here in Halifax today so freezing my nuts off appeals very much

Im based in Napier, Hawkes Bay (middle of the North Island on the east coast). this is our winter weather for the next few days:

[Jack4688]

The car doesnt have to be standard. Where did that come from?
NZ gets a lot of imports from Japan, lots of those cars have mods. If you have the likes of coilovers and spacers you will need to get a cert for those though. Aftermarket wheels and standards lowering suspension kits are fine.

Not what I meant lol although from this link I found a statement that says it must not be modified, or that it will be inspected upon arrival to check that it is not modified.

But what I meant was getting it to a standard i.e. up to scratch for NZ authorities to accept it into their beautiful country I'm concerned about rust and all the British muck that it's covered in!

[Golfboy666GTI]

Not what I meant lol although from this link I found a statement that says it must not be modified, or that it will be inspected upon arrival to check that it is not modified.

But what I meant was getting it to a standard i.e. up to scratch for NZ authorities to accept it into their beautiful country I'm concerned about rust and all the British muck that it's covered in!

That link isnt offical. Thousands of cars come into NZ second hand with mods each year.

Does your car get driven on grit?

[Jack4688]

Brilliant, not planning anything major but that sounds more reasonable. Grit in winter as per usual frost/ice/snow preparation by the local council, I think the most of the dirt is remnants of mud/grass etc from driving close to farmland.