Today I was tidying my office and came across an old UK car registration document that I no longer needed (I now live in Atlanta, GA). A reg for a 1937 Ford that is, so quite unusual. I had bought a US title and "imported" it into the UK back in '96 to use on my 'glass 37 Ford replica. So, just for grins I thought I'd post it for sale on my favorite hot rod site. Immediately beefyboy37 said, yes please, how can I pay, and it was paypal'd within the hour. Bear in mind that I'd put it up for $300 - and it seems you can get most titles here in US for $30-$100. I thought I'd get beaten down to $150 or $200. But no haggling took place! How cool was that? I was well chuffed. Guessed it yet? The catch? Five minutes after the first guy, another one stepped forward. I said sorry it's gone and he said.. "i thought it would have been, these are swapping hands over here for £700, yes pounds, each so yours was real cheap!!" FYI, 700 pounds is $1372.42 as I write this. Of course, I'm still pleased - I got what I wanted, and quickly too! Still... The moral of the story: don't assume values are the same in different countries.
they switch hands for so much over here as its totally illegal to sell them indipendently to the chassis that the document refers to...
That's how things are supposed to work. You use something and make a few bucks and then the next guy makes a few bucks (though it does seem that the next guy is going to make alot of bucks in this situation). I've sold stuff I knew the next person was going to make money on. I'm happy (as you say you are) so all is well.
When I registered my 1962 TR4 in the UK, I wanted the black and silver plates. I did get them (UYJ465), but I had to go through hoops. An inspector went over the car with a fine tooth comb to assure himself that my car was the one represented on the U.S. title. Have they lightened up?
Nope...they haven`t lightened up infact its about to get harder to drive a Hotrod on the road if the government have their way.... to drive a bog standard car on the road over here you have to have 1.Insurance....for my daily i pay roughly $300 per year 2.MOT...the test your vehicle has to pass annually to stay on the road....roughly around $100 mark per test 3.Road fund license...or the tax disk...payed for annually and is priced according to the emmissions the car produces...mine is around $280 per year 4.Petrol/Gas...around the $7 mark per gallon now the thieving scum government want to introduce pay per mile on top with all vehicles using a tracking device...apparently this is to aid congestion on our roads and ultimately help stop gobal warming...????????? in future to gain your vintage road fund license and wear the black and silver plates you described your hotrod/modified car will have to be built from mostly original parts that your vehicle V5/pink slip as you call it describes it as...which at the end of the day isn`t that easy over here... as you can see in my location below my name, i live in a country that costs you an arm and leg just to survive apart from that I`m happy monkey
Your post makes it clear why the "revolutionaries" had to have the Boston Tea Party over here, to make their point about taxation. Maybe if the Brittish government hadn't been so greedy, the US would still be a Colony.
The Jalopy Journal
