first import early bay pending!! advice on title

[sackmcgannay]

Got my first import paid for and ready to be taken to port..

can anyone tell me when i should get the title - does the shipping company take charge of title and present to me with paper work at UK port?
What have you guys done re this - should I be asking for title or scan to be sent to me first?

I have already been sent a photo from seller showing title next to vin plate.

Any other pointers or advice welcome - wanna make sure i've got everything covered.

thanks.

 

[ib-bus]

The shipping company needs it to get it out of the country, they won't ship it without it, you will see it at the time you pick up the bus at the UK port.
It doesn't hurt to have a copy scanned to you , but there is not much you can do with it.
Do you have any pictures of the bus? You know we like pictures around here :mrgreen:
If not, any pictures of the title ? :lol:

 

[Graham L]

As Juan says the shippers need the title doc to get it out of the US, then when it arrives in this country the title will be sent to you by the importers within a couple of weeks of you collecting it and then HMRC will send you the c384 form to say you've paid the duty etc on it.

 

[sackmcgannay]

ok that makes sense... does this mean though that I have to keep the bus off the road somewhere before HMRC have sent the c384 form and i have received the title from shipping company??

I was hoping i could pre book an mot test...go pick up the bus from port with a set of uk headlights..drive bus from southhampton - Brighton and swap headlights over outside the MOT station! - getting the MOT done using the vehicle chassis no.

I dont know how easy getting tax would be without a UK V5 form but you can get temp insurance i think? Can you clear this up - its all second hand information and a bit scrambled up in my head :?

thanks guys

p.s. Am weighing up weather to get the bus shipped to Felixstowe in a shared container or RO-RO to Southhampton
Felixstowe - to port was around $2000
Southhampton - $1700

Any experience with either port?
Or prefered transport - RO-RO/ container.

 

[Guest]

im in the same position. i imported a bus and bug.

You can insure on the VIN number, get your MOT sorted (you can drive to and from the MOT centre with no plates as long as you are insured.

You will need a letter from HMRC stating you have paid all duties, a current MOT, insurance cover note insured on the VIN of the vehicle. Take these all to the DVLA to get your UK registration and plates, you can then get your road tax at the same time and you are UK legal.

 

[uber cool]

you'll need to do a bit more work prior to the MOT

rewire the indicators at the rear, either fit additional indicators or use the reversing lights or fit UK rear light clusters with indicators built in.

There;s a post on here what to do by Gadget.

 

[Graham L]

You will need a letter from HMRC stating you have paid all duties, a current MOT, insurance cover note insured on the VIN of the vehicle. Take these all to the DVLA to get your UK registration and plates, you can then get your road tax at the same time and you are UK legal.

One small point here, when registering an historic tax free vehicle they don't give you a reg number straight away or a tax disc, it takes approx 5 working days for them to process it and your V5 and tax disc etc will arrive in the post (they now insist on posting it to the registered address of the keeper)

I would still question the legality of driving the vehicle from the port and if you talk to the shipping companies they also state its illegal, we've been here so many times. Its far safer to get it trailered to your location.

Also changing the headlights isn't a simple swap the modules, its about 3 hours work as you need to rewire the sidelights, change the rear lights so the indicators don't flash red which entails running a feed back from either the hazard switch or the brake light switch to the rear of the vehicle.

 

[sackmcgannay]

hada real good search for a thread explaining how to convert rear indicators and headlights for UK requirements but cant find anything?
can anyone point me i right direction please?

 

[Graham L]

In the technical How To's at the top of the technical section

http://forum.earlybay.com/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=8176" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

There are other threads as well but you will need to search for them,