Importing a Land Rover (2010)
This in from Andy Ryan:
Importing a Landrover into New Zealand – Andy Ryan – 1-jun-2010
Having recently imported a SIIA into NZ from the UK I though I'd document the experience for the benefit of anyone else contemplating doing the same thing. The popular wisdom is basically don't do it unless you have a compelling reason, it can be a very expensive and lengthy process depending on the state of the vehicle. Prior to coming to NZ I had already read Andy White's article on the LROC web-site and contacted Wally Gee <WGee@aa.co.nz>, technical@vtnz.co.nz and Technical@imvia.co.nz, but even then I was by no means fully prepared. Had I understood the full extent of what was involved before I left the UK I would have done things very differently. Hopefully this article will give you a better idea of what can potentially be involved.
I decided to bring my 1969 SIIA SWB with me to NZ because I'd just spent over 500 hours and 2,500 GBP (about NZ$5,000) rebuilding it on a brand new chassis. The rebuild was completed and the vehicle MOT'd (Brit WOF) in October 2009, so when the opportunity to emigrate to NZ came along in November I hadn't had any time to benefit from the rebuild, therefore there was no way I was leaving it behind. Also, having owned the vehicle for almost 30 years there was something of an emotional attachment, though you have to wonder why as the only original bits left are the steering wheel, column and linkage bars; about two thirds of the firewall (bulkhead); the gearbox and both prop-shafts. Everything else has been replaced at least once.
If you want to import a vehicle from the UK and play with the LROC in NZ there are potentially six stages of compliance/clearance you have to undergo:
- MAF (Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry) Compliance;
- Customs Clearance;
- VTNZ (Vehicle Testing New Zealand) Compliance;
- LVV (Low Volume Vehicle) Compliance;
- Vehicle Repaire Certification;
- LROC Compliance.
1. MAF Compliance
All goods imported into NZ may be inspected by MAF to ensure they aren't carrying any potential causes of pestilence or disease. Your vehicle will usually be inspected at your shipping agent's premises and if suspected of carrying such disease it will be sent for steam cleaning. This is a MAF controlled process so you have no control over where or how it goes, it will be picked up by an approved carrier, taken to an approved cleaner and returned to the shipping agent's premises.
As I said earlier, my vehicle had only just been rebuilt and newly painted in the UK and it had done about 30 road miles in dry conditions. Prior to shipping I'd jet-wahsed it underneath, but MAF still insisted on it being cleaned. There seems to be no particular rationale for this, my wife's car, which I'd taken 150 miles to the shippers in London in driving rain, passed MAF inspection without question. Appart from missing large patches of paint from the chassis, more a testament to the quality of the paint (or workmanship) than the aggressive nature of the cleaning process, the Landrover looked no different after steam cleaning to the day it entered the container.
Cost of MAF inspection: NZ$150. Cost of steam cleaning: NZ$350.
2. Customs Clearance
You will need to prove the value of your vehicle and how long you've owned it. This can be in the form of an original purchase receipt, in which case Customs will apply a depreciation formula to derive the current value. Alternatively you can obtian a valuation from the AA in NZ via the internet, or I used www.carvaluation.co.nz who, after filling in a form and emailing a couple of photos, emailed me a valuation certificate. A copy of my UK vehicle registration document was sufficient proof of how long I'd owned it.
Customs clearance was a bit of a rigmarole, I had to email the valuation certificate to the shipping agent who forwarded it to Customs with a copy of the manifest and other docs, then emailed a release form to me which I had to take to Customs to get signed off. Then I had to return the signed form to the agent before they would release the vehicle to me.
If you've owned the vehicle for more than two years and you sign a declaration that you won't sell it for another two years in NZ, Customs will usually charge you no import duty. If you do sell the vehicle within two years you will be liable to pay GST on the vehicle valuation plus the cost of shipping and insurance. If you have owned the vehicle for less than two years you will have to pay import duty, which was 12.5% of the value of the vehicle plus the cost of shipping and insurance.
Cost of valuation certificate NZ$67.50. I believe the AA would have charged about $25 for the same thing.
Cost of Customs clearance NIL. This is the only piece of the whole process that will cost you nothing if you've owned the vehicle for more than two years.
3. VTNZ Compliance
This is a bit like a detailed MOT undertaken at a VTNZ testing station near where you live. You'll need to get the vehicle from the shipping agent's to the testing station. My agent was near the airport in South Auckland and I live on the North Shore, so I drove it myself. Strictly speaking it should have been towed, but this would have cost around $100, so I decided to risk a $150 fine instead. I passed more police cars than i've ever seen since, but none seemed remotely interested in a funny looking bright yellow ute with British plates.
VTNZ found a number of defects: Rear drums worn past their tollerance; no axle bump stops; no steering stops; railco bush worn; steering arm fouling the front spring. But they also found that I had a number of modifications from the standard vehicle that they aren't qualified to certify such as raised suspension, non standard seats and full harness seat belts. So, the rule is, if you have any modifications they have to be assessed by a Low Volume Vehicle inspector. Furthermore they found the extensive repairs I'd made, especially around the bulkhead and door pillars and some holes in the lower door frames I hadn't bothered to fix during the rebuild. These have to be inspected and certified by a Vehicle Repair Certifier.
You have 20 working days to remedy all the defects, get the LVV and repair certifications and get the vehicle back to VTNZ for a free re-inspection. Otherwise they have to do a full re-test and charge you another NZ$500. Because I didn't understand the full process or the required standards it took me way longer than the 20 days allowed and therefore had to pay for two full inspections.
Cautionary Note: VTNZ will normally test for emissions and frontal impact compliance and if you fail either of these it will almost certainly cost a fortune to make the vehicle meet NZ standards. However, if you can prove you have owned the vehicle for more than 2 years prior to shipment VTNZ can obtain a waiver. There is also a waiver available for vehicles over 20 years old.
Cost of VTNZ inspections: $1,004 (cost is for the inspection and does not include cost of repairs).
4. LVV Certification
Again I drove the vehicle to the LVV tester in Beachhaven (Neil Frazer), the only one on the Shore. He took it for a test drive observing the steering, brakes and suspension. On visual inspection he found a defective steering joint and loose drop arm off the steering relay. He also told me that full harness seat belts are illegal in NZ road vehicles because they restrict rotational body movement and therefore prevent adequate rearward (over the shoulder) visibility, which I actually found to be true. So I had to buy standard three-point seat belts, which ironically I had removed and disposed of as part of the rebuild. I'd already beefed up the seat belt mounting points on advice from Neil Abbott (LROC), so he was happy with those. He asked me about the suspension mods and I told him they were standard military spring hangers with extended competition shocks, he was happy with that. The seats are out of an old Honda van and properely mounted on their runners and securely bolted to the seat box, so he was also happy with those.
Once the defects had been fixed he issued a certificate and riveted a LVV plate onto the front pannel. Be aware it takes about a week to get the LVV plate printed after a successful inspection. Neil was good enough in my case to have the plate printed while I was doing the repairs.
Cost of LVV certification NZ$450 (cost is for the inspection and does not include cost of repairs).
5. Repair Certification
This was the most frustrating of all the certification processes, not because of the work I had to do to remedy the defects found, but because had I understood the rules before the inspection I would have done things differently. The basic rule is that there must be no visible corrosion or effects of corrosion, regardless of whether they affect the structural integrity of the vehicle or not. So I was very frustrated when the repair man told me I would have to repair all the minor pinholes in the bulkhead, the corroded upper dashboard tray, the fluffy bits round the floor plates, the minor bits of corroded seat box where it comes into contact with the sill bar, and of course the bottom door rails. He actually hinted that had I covered up most of the minor stuff he wouldn't have worried about it, but because he'd seen it (and photographed it) it would now have to be properly repaired. To be fair the guy was doing his job and in fact he was very helpful and explained exactly what I should do to make acceptable repairs. Actually almost everyone I've encountered throughout this entire process has been very helpful.
So, the bottom line is if you have any really minor holes as a result of corrosion cover them with body filler before you have it inspected! Obviously i'm not advocating dodgy repairs for structural damage. The repair man will want to inspect the repairs before you paint over them, so you can't get away with a half baked job with sticky-backed plastic and a washing-up liquid bottle.
Cost of repair certification NZ$300 (cost is for the inspection and does not include cost of repairs).
6. LROC Compliance
You can read about the standards required by the LROC elswhere on the LROC web site, but the basic requirements are: sturdy towing points mounted with 12mm HTS bolts, one at the back and two at the front; approved tow rope, sling and certified shackles; 2kg fire extinguisher; and first aid kit. Whilst I already had tow ropes and shackles I decided to renew these items mostly because there was a LROC sale on at the time. Once you have all the requisite bits fitted one of the LROC scrutineers will inspect your vehicle and issue one of three levels of approval. This inspection is free to members.
Cost of bits for basic LROC compliance approximately NZ$500.
Lessons Learned:
The biggest lesson is to understand that if you have a modified vehicle or a vehicle with visible repairs or corrosion you will need to undergo additional separate inspections, so be prepared. I would have covered up the minor irrelevant holes before starting the entire certification process. I would have booked the LVV and repair inspections as soon as I booked the VTNZ inspection to avoid over-running the VTNZ 20 day grace period.
I won't add this lot up because it's a scary number and it may not be relevant to you, especially if you are fully prepared and better informed that I was.
