Cars going overseas

I am just curious, seems like when I read on here and guys selling their cars a lot of them are going overseas. I know there are a lot of hot rodders in other countries but figure it has to cost a fortune sending one over. How many of you guys have sold a car that went overseas? I couldn't afford to be a hot rodder if I had to pay to get it to the US.

 

I have bought most of my cars in the States....tipically I pay around 2500/3000 $ for shipping and 30% on value for custom clearance. When you have no other choice...
Keep in mind that most of the stuff I put on my cars is coming from the US...so on everything I buy must pay shipping and custom duties. Not cheap, for sure

 

Jepp, it's an expensive hobby for sure

 

Some years ago, I got a 57 Caddy freighted from Tennessee to New Zealand for about US$4000 landed in Auckland. (plus cost of the car)

Theres all manner of folk in the US making a good living collecting these cars & getting them shipped out to us. We even have one guy who goes to Pomona swapmeet each month, photographs hundreds of cars & puts a link up on the NZ hot rod magazine forum with owner contact numbers incase we want to follow them up. Hes a shipper and can get the cars/trucks/bikes to us safely.

Thirty years back, we mainly just had fordoors down here to play with. Thanks to a weakened US dollar, the internet, and the various "service providers" we can be pretty confident that we can buy what we want for a fair price, and what turns up will be a fair representation of what we thought we were buying.

Its all good for us, and I guess it gives sellers a wider bunch of available buyers too.

 

Sold my '51 Fleetline to a guy in Norway. We were chatting, and he told me that the $7000 car would cost him $12,000 when it finally hit his driveway. Shipping was about $4000, with various taxes and tariffs making up the rest.

Someone overseas REALLY wants to have an old American car in order to go through all the time, expense, and aggravation.

The seller did all the work setting up the shipping, although I did have to talk with the shipper a few times and help load.

Chris

 

Yea, it seems Krazy to me too, the costs of the shipping, not to mention the high tariffs these countries charge... But you know over the past few years I have found myself in the middle, or assisting in 5 or 6 overseas sales. Australia, England and Sweden were the destination points...

 

I have had an interest in Citroen 2CVs for many years and I see cars going the other way. I've found cars and parts for US 2CV enthusiasts and their position is very similar to European rodders i.e. you've REALLY gotta want one.

US buyers pay ridiculous prices for these cars and associated spares.

 

Being willing to foot that high cost makes me respect the over-seas builder even more.

 

Ive sold a...

1960 Chevy C10 truck to austrailia
1950 F1 truck to Denmark
1931 Ford coupe to England

all buyers were great guys and it did cost them plenty to get them shipped.

 

Shipping a car from NYC to Europe is about the same as shipping one from LA to NYC. I always feel bad about the postage on small parts when I have to mail them overseas. Somehow it makes me feel good sending stuff overseas to people that love and respect the stuff just as we do. Bob

 

In addition to the additional cost these guys have to jump through some serious hoops to get the car on the road in each of those countries. I've got huge admiration for the heavy commitment these folks have for American style rodding. That's dedication......

 

Bought my '66 Thunderbird in Oregon, by the time I had it in N.Z. and on the road I had almost doubled the price I paid for the car.
And it was a good clean car - so imagine the cost if it had needed paint and interior and a brake rebuild etc.

Us Kiwis love our 'Yank-tanks' - but hoo-boy, we pay through the nose for them and parts.

 

I bought a 51 Merc from Matt Townsend-sleddnmatt on here, and by the time it arrived on my door it cost nearly $5000 on top of what I paid for the car.
That was Riverside C.A to Melbourne Australia.
Worth every damm cent in my opinion!!!
And Matt couldnt have been more helpfull!!

 

Ive sold a few to a broker for overseas shipping to Finland.. cars were mixed in with Small Cessnas or SuperCubs for there Journey..

 

Got a German buyer here in Fla. Sold him a 67 GTO,delivered for him 40 miles away,opened warehouse door and it was full of classic cars. His boss tells him what cars to buy and they are already sold before they are shipped. I got $ 14,000 for the goat and it brought $25,500 to a German buyer. Seems like the guys overseas just make and have more money than we do.

 

I sold a '33 Ford 3W coupe body to a mortician in Swededn who was working through Rich Venza at AI Fiberglass in the late 1970's, so it has been going on for a long time. I always wondered what ever happened to the '33 coupe. As noted, as the dollar continues to tank, expect more.

 

Sold my 57 150 to a guy in Germany. I got he money I wanted, he got a rust free California 57 Chevy for a fraction of what he could buy close to home. You gotta bare in mind that the exchange rate for guys in Europe can make the shipping costs disappear and they still get the car for a good price. When the Pound or Euro is strong American cars can look almost half price.......on top of that, try finding a rust free car of your choice in Northern Europe....buying in the states can be really smart choice for a lot of European guys.

 

Wow! Hats off to you guys for getting it done and putting up with the extra cost and red tape. As someone said earlier that is dedication.

 

so when a car worth $5000.00 here ends up costing $9,000.00 by the time you get it shipped could it sell for $9,000.00 over there?

 

I think the overseas guys could get that shipping cost back if they ever sold it ....if the buyer complains , tell him to ship his own car ....nowhere else to buy !

T

 

Nope, probably double that again!!! What you guys throw away we charge a premium price for
You gotta do what you gotta do.

Scotty

 

With the US$ down compared with a number of other currencies I am sure cars and old car bodies will continue to go abroad.

 

Nope, way more, at least that's how it is for the '47 Oldsmobile convertible I sold to a guy outside of Brisbane Australia. He's thrilled with the purchase and he paid just as much for transportation from Livonia, Michigan to Brisbane as I charged him for the car.

 

2 of my cars a 60 MGA and a 69 vette went overseas

 

The Model A in my avatar went to Switzerland...deal went smoothly, and the buyer was excellent...

 

well that's just nutty. it's good to live where all the cool cars come from.

while on the subject of nutty, I sold a Sunbeam Alpine to a guy from the UK. he said they can't find any that are not all rusted out over there. good thing he didn't ask what it looked like when I got it.

 

And more.

I have 20K in my '66 T-bird - but would expect a bit more IF I sold it.

But I didn't get it to make a profit.

 

Doesn't seem like stuff is selling too well here, I figure at least if they are willing to pay to have the car shipped, at least they are going to a home where the people will appreciate the car.

 

sent my 32 Sedan to Japan,I was told it cost a ton with shipping & customs. HRP

 

So what classified listings from here do you oversea shoppers watch? I'm thinking of listing a couple to free up some space.
The Wizzard