Importing vintage car/bikes to India

[thunga]

Could some one tell me the procedure for importing vintage vehicles to India ?
If I want to import 1930's car, what will be the duty structure ?

[nitrous]

Its tough to bring in a Left-hand drive car.
These days, the customs are very keen at the Pollution certificate.
If I were U, i'd get in touch with any of the Vintage clubs and get help.

[khanak]

no idea about the duty structure or if you are even allowed to get a car that old into the country. im not sure but i tihnk a porsche 356 was bought into the country. is there any particular car you are interested cos India has loads of vintages just waiting to be restored.

[karlosdeville]

the rules arent very clear about these kinds of things...second hand cars for the most part are a nono, and well, vintage and classic are never brand new...yet, ive heard of a Jag mk 2, 60s, recently imported down south...but i was told he wrote it off as a study equipment for a college he owns...so its anyones guess!

A neighbour of mine brought down his citroen from south africe around 10 years back...
yup, a porsche 356 was brought down around 10 years ago...u can see pics in the VCCCI rally thread...

the easiest route i can recommend is the transfer of residence way...there are still plenty of cars here to be had, and probably cheaper than abroad, depending on model...

[Stanher]

Note: I hope this is not an incorrect thread to post this query here but this talk bout importing vintages made me ask sumthin I've been curious to know- wat r the challenges (if ne) in importing spares for vintage/classic cars/bikes......I was told tat importing ne item worth > 3k wud result in having to pay a duty....is this exactly true?
Does it also depend on wat kinda spares ur ordering?
So far I've only got home small & cosmetic spares (viz. horn buttons, switches, rubber beadings etc.) for my vehicles, thru relatives/family members who've been abroad on trips.....was hesitant to buy ne bigger parts...
Does the 'value' of the car also depend on it? ie., whether the vehicle is registered as a vintage/classic by clubs like VCCCI or not?
Neone whoz had ne experience w/ importing vintage/classic spares?

[v1p3r]

10 years ago was a different ballgame. The rules changed in like 1999, IIRC. Now no cars older than 3 years, and no LHDs are allowed. You can always wangle a carnet and make it disappear or claim it's for research.

[dominator]

I have imported spares for my bikes ordering them online. I have been lucky at times where no duty is levied and at times heavy duty fined without assigning reasons. I just imported an Amal Carb which was delivered without any hassle and was charged a bomb for the cam follows which arrived a little later. Downside to ordering online is that even though you quote the right part numbers there have been numerous occasions with the wrong part sent and remember, there is no exchange. I ordered parts for my Ariel Square 4 recently from Draganfly Motors and instead of Heppolite pistons which they promised, they sent me cheap Italian pistons which I had to further work upon for the valves.You can be lucky at times, unlucky most other times.

[Rehaan]

Originally Posted by dominator

from Draganfly Motors and instead of Heppolite pistons which they promised, they sent me cheap Italian pistons

I hope you atleast gave them hell ?

How do you get charged (when you do) ? Do they hold the package and you have to go pick it up from ___?___ and pay the duty?

cya
R

[dominator]

Rehan,

You get a notification from the local post office or customs, depending on the mode of dispatch. Our friend at the local office always believes that you have a pot of gold inside and even with the invoice as proof, he tries to get some loose change out - SIP - Standard Indian Practise. Even if it is a pair of Decals, he says it is a banned item. You just pay a bribe and get away or you pay up for whatever duty they levy.

Coming back to the parts supplier, unknown to lot of us, most of the electrical and rubber items for British bikes are made in India. The mechanical parts are sourced from Taiwan/ Italy etc. These guys do not have the original Dies and invariably most parts do not match the original specs. India still has a lot of original parts available, but we crib to pay because it is coming from a place like Chor Bazaar and not some dealer from a fancy street in Birmingham who charges 10 times more and still gives you the an inferior part with wrong specs.

[Stanher]

Thanks for shaing your experiences, Dominator. This has made me a little cautious about what spares to import! Hard to believe they charged you for a pair of decals!
Which makes me wonder- I plan to (but not yet decided) to get a few side-trims for my Herald from the UK, that too used ones. Any chances of risk in that?

[dominator]

I am not sure about the duty levied on used parts, but be assured, they will not let you go easy.Be it Decals or Pistons, anything imported is considered of great value. You never know, you may walk out without paying anything.Keep looking around, you may still come across some interesting parts in Afzalgunj.

How about some pictures of the Rolls & Buick which is parked at the Mechanic - Junaid - at Habseeguda ?

[Stanher]

Originally Posted by dominator

I am not sure about the duty levied on used parts, but be assured, they will not let you go easy.Be it Decals or Pistons, anything imported is considered of great value. You never know, you may walk out without paying anything.

Hmm.....yes I know what you mean....really silly to levy something on decals!
This morning I met Rashid Mody a bike collector/restorer at Uppal who told me about some spares that he imports for his bikes....although he fabricates a large no. of parts locally & finishes them to the original look...from what he said its relatively safer to get in used parts (upto a certain price limit) provided there is a declaration saying so....

Keep looking around, you may still come across some interesting parts in Afzalgunj.

Well, I do keep an eye/ear out for that.....but believe it or not, its getting tougher & tougher to find even crucial parts, leave alone cosmetics, for cars like Heralds there......they happen to sell their entire stock to scrapmen coming from Bombay....& even when they do get a car they break them very carelessly, resulting in loss of good salvageable parts! And for the ones they do happen to have, they nowadays charge exuberant prices, claiming that "yeh gaadiyaan aaj-kal todne ku milte-ich nahin...blah blah blah".....which makes me feel I could as well start getting them from abroad!

How about some pictures of the Rolls & Buick which is parked at the Mechanic - Junaid - at Habseeguda ?

Uh, I'd taken the pic. of that Buick around 2 years ago when I'd last been there.....no idea if its still around.....and also a '52 Chevy which was later sold....never seen a Rolls there though! I should visit that place again sometime....

[-GS-]

Originally Posted by nitrous

Its tough to bring in a Left-hand drive car.
These days, the customs are very keen at the Pollution certificate.
If I were U, i'd get in touch with any of the Vintage clubs and get help.

I sent an email to VCCCI a few days back asking them if its possible to import a 1960-70 classic, haven't received any reply till now.

The general rules regarding import of second hand vehicles are:
(a) The second hand or used vehicle shall not be older than three years from the date of manufacture

(b) The second hand or used vehicle shall:

[FONT=&quot](i) have right hand steering, and controls (applicable on vehicles other than two and three wheelers)
(ii) have a speedometer indicating the speed in km/h
(iii) have photometry of the headlamps to suit "keep left" traffic.

(c) In addition, the second hand or used vehicle shall conform to the provisions of the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988 and the rules made thereunder, as applicable, on the date of import.

(d) Import of second hand vehicles shall be allowed only through the customs port at Mumbai.

(e) The second hand or used vehicles imported into India should have a minimum road worthiness for a period of 5 years from the date of importation into India with assurance for providing service facilities within the country during the five year period. For this purpose, the importer shall, at the time of importation, submit a declaration indicating the period of road worthiness in respect of every individual vehicle being imported, supported by a certificate issued by any of the testing agencies, which the Central Government may notify in this regard.

(f) The vehicle has to be submitted for testing to Vehicle Research and Development Establishment (VRDE), Ahmednagar, of the Ministry of Defence or the Automotive Research Association of India, Pune or the Central Farm and Machinery Training and Testing Institute, Budni, Madhya Pradesh, and such other agencies as may be specified by the Central Government, for granting a certificate by that agency as to the compliance of the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 and any rules made there under.[/FONT]