Importing a series

frans

Adventurer
With the 25 year rule for importing a vehicle moving up every year, more and more newer series landrovers are becoming available to us in the states. Often the price is much lower than what I see available on ebay, for example.

Here is just such an example. What I am wondering is, does anyone here have any experience with importing a vehicle to the states? And also, does this company have a good reputation that you know of?
Dropping 7-9 grand on a vehicle sight unseen is a gamble...

http://www.globallandrovers.com/images/forsale/s3_ht/s3_ht.jpg
 

KevinNY

Adventurer
MOT inspected vehicles at least are not rusted in two. That said, if you look around there are still plenty of series trucks for sale over here and they are more likely to have been rechassied to a galvy frame.
 

galen216

Adventurer
For 7-9 grand you should be able to find lots of Series in the states that have already been re-framed. I had a UK truck and be prepapred for many non-Rover fixes. Mine had a radiator for some other car, seats from another and shag carpeting galore. US trucks seem to be more original to what we envision a Land Rover shoud be than most of the imports. Over there it is just another truck and people repair them as such.

I liked my first truck and it was great but I wouldn't buy another UK truck unless I saw it in person.

And FWIW all Series are now available for import, we are now into the early years of the 90's and 110's.
 

stevenmd

Expedition Leader
Get in touch with Eric (norcalrelics) over on lrrforums.com. He usually has a container coming over every other month or so and is always looking to fill it. He is in the UK every other month too, it seems, so he can locate and look at them for you.
 

frans

Adventurer
Thank you all very much. Hate to be the guy who buys a vehicle and then gets told "You didn't know? I thought everyone knew not to do that"!
 

zimm

Expedition Leader
id get a us spec one. im wondering when states are gonna go GREEN and start to pull the registrations from "foreign" rigs. i know a friend with a 72pinz and thats his fear, apparently a couple states had a scare recently. just get a US vin. it cant be that much more when shipping and unknow PO fixes are factored in, and you can inspect the damn thing.
 

Linus Tremaine

Adventurer
dont do it

MOT inspections are not the end all solution to finding problems on a rover. Alot of MOT inspection facilities are not familiar with land rovers and will pass them (or fail them) for silly reasons. The on I imported passed MOT but when I got it it needed alot of frame welding that was over looked by a poor inspection and build up of dirt covering damage.

Also, their ideas of rust and ours differ greatly. There is no substitute for your own eyes when buying a car. Expect something to have been forgotten from your list of what to ask, and if you didnt ask about it, it will be broken! I found out the hard way, though I was still overall pleased with what I got, it could have been much better and I probably would have not purchased it or paid much less had I seen it in person.

If you do import, I suggest Cosdel International. They take car of DOT and EPA papers, you sign your name, pay the bill and take it away when it gets to the dock.
 

UK4X4

Expedition Leader
"Alot of MOT inspection facilities are not familiar with land rovers and will pass them (or fail them) for silly reasons"

not sure I agree with that concidering the amount of landrovers in the UK..however....yes you can dupe the average inspector with enough undercoat.

Undercoat is used extensively in the UK to make chassis look nice and black...

a bit like soft rhino liner stippled on with a paint brush

The UK is an island surrounded by salty water....

if its 25 years old

it has rust.......normally everywhere.

The MOT test for rust is a screw driver to poke around with and a magnet..

if the screw driver goes through it fails, if you used a coke can it fails....other than that....baked bean cans can pass:jump:
 

Godlykepower

New member
I can very VERY highly recommend the place I bought my 300 Defender from, here in the UK, the Land Rover Centre. The service is top-notch, and they do specialse in importing stuff over to you boys too.

Speak to a guy called Mark Griffiths, who is the Sales & Export Manager.

CLICKY

Martin
 

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