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What are peoples experiences importing US buses?

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Scratch Commited Dubber

74 posts · joined Mar 2011 ·

#888761
Been throwing the idea around for a while. Buy a $30,000USD or abouts 21/23 window from the states and convert the drive. Must surely beat paying the 55K+ AUD for a bus here.

I'm guessing a lot of people have done something similar, just wondering what the vibe out there is regarding the process.

Sorry I know this must come a bit.

Joal
Looooooooook aaaat thaaat tuuuuuuuurtle go, broooo..

volma1 0428212510

529 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#889030
Easy to import but not easy to convert unless handy with a welder. Doors need to be changed incl pillars, steering easy and dash, but hard to convert a walk thru. Drivers seat base wider on one side than the other. Not for the feint of heart. volma1
They are still there, just have faith you'll find one.

thebugnut Casual Dubber

22 posts · joined Jul 2005 ·

#889053
You are not allowed to drive a Left Hand car there?
I never would have thought that you would have to go through the work of converting it to RHD in order to use it there.
Here, in the States, you can drive a RHD car, no problems.

It is almost refreshing hearing that someone else is importing cars from here.
I am surprised that there are any left after the U.K. guys have bought them all up.
Sad thing is that they are all just going to rust away, like thiers already have.

Americans are stupid though. If they are not greedy and selling them to the U.K. for more money than they would get here, they are cutting them up and parting them. Some people think that they are going to make more money selling the bits rather than the whole car or are afraid to apply for a lost title.

Anyway, off my soapbox, good luck with the import, if you decide to go through with it.

68BUS Wolfsburg Wizard

485 posts · joined Jul 2011 ·

#889058
Drive it left hand drive over here. Don't ruin it by converting. you will be too slow to need to overtake on the freeway anyway.
If you go to sell it you will get a little less for LHD over RHD, but if your talking about a samba who gives a sht.
As far as the import, ring customs and quiz them on the fees to import based on what is is and how much you will be paying for it.
Factor in $3000-5000 for shipping.
Plus $3000 to go and inspect it yourself.
Then all good.
1966 Aussie 11 Window

1303Steve Scirocco Rare

8,650 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#889062
Hi

Once a car reaches 30 years old it can be driven LHD, that's in NSW, I'm sure the same would apply in SA.

Steve

Scratch Commited Dubber

74 posts · joined Mar 2011 ·

#889116
Yeah cheers Guys. Didn't think there would be so much work in the doors. Are you talking about the driver's and passengers side or just to get into the back?
Looooooooook aaaat thaaat tuuuuuuuurtle go, broooo..

DakDak67 Officially Full-On Dubber

208 posts · joined Sep 2011 ·

#889148
I have a Cali 67 Deluxe, full Vic rego and love the Lefty.. sweet.

AyeBee Seriously Crusin Dubber

155 posts · joined Jun 2010 ·

#889323
SA rules are pretty crap when it comes to LHD vehicles. My understanding is that there can be no modifications to a vehicle while it is in LHD config than to anything other than stock standard (even down to paint colour in the engine bay). I'm talking has to have standard wheels, suspension, brakes EVERYTHING no matter how anally retentive you think it might be.

In other words - you'd need to justify and prove everything to the folks at Regency Park just to get the thing registered, and it would need to remain that way forever unless you changed the car to RHD.

Thats my understanding from friends who have bought from the US and currently live here in Adelaide. I'd ring Regency and find out the rules first before importing to make sure.

68BUS Wolfsburg Wizard

485 posts · joined Jul 2011 ·

#889338
Check with Dak Dak further.
Pretty sure he has a pretty big engine in the back of his.😁
1966 Aussie 11 Window

77dual Seriously Crusin Dubber

131 posts · joined Feb 2008 ·

#889365
Yeah he does, but he's in Melbourne not Adelaide 😉

Try DSK or the kombiclub forum, there are a few fellas on both sites that have imported their own splitty's and can fill you in on the cost and how to go about it.

DakDak67 Officially Full-On Dubber

208 posts · joined Sep 2011 ·

#889450
68BUS wrote:Check with Dak Dak further.
Pretty sure he has a pretty big engine in the back of his.😁
Yup 2276, adjustable narrowed beam, etc,etc.. you will need all ADR req to be met, my bus had 10 k spent once it arrived in Aus but the owner did strip a bunch of go fast stuff from it. You will need an engineering cert with all mods.

Scratch Commited Dubber

74 posts · joined Mar 2011 ·

#889724
Thanks for the help guys. Still undecided. I'll keep snooping around. I don't know if i could handle driving LHD every day. I think it would get to me. But if thats what it takes....
Looooooooook aaaat thaaat tuuuuuuuurtle go, broooo..

volma1 0428212510

529 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#894678
I had no probs importing from the states, in fact bought sight unseen 4 years ago and going over next week to visit the prev owner in San Diego Ca. volma1
They are still there, just have faith you'll find one.

waltermitty Legend when my beer goggles are on

1,993 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#894684
if you buy a double door bench seat front these are not that difficult to convert. I have driven LHD but I couldn't imagine doing it everyday it would shit me. Mitchell
23 windows ...8 too many!

farkengruven Seriously Crusin Dubber

167 posts · joined Jan 2006 ·

#894700
I too have heard from people in Adelaide that have tried to register LHD cars. The bus would have to be 100% stock, including the original paint colour. I have heard of cars getting knocked back because they have the wrong colour roof.
2007 T5 TDI Crewvan
2003 Passat
NSU Ro80
1975 Passat TS
1973 L bug

KombiMadness Learner Dubber

12 posts · joined Jul 2011 ·

#918651
waltermitty wrote:if you buy a double door bench seat front these are not that difficult to convert. I have driven LHD but I couldn't imagine doing it everyday it would shit me. Mitchell

Importing a splitty from the US is really straight forward and easy. Driving a LHD vehicle here is really not an issue; you'll get used to it very quickly and once you're used to it it becomes 2nd nature and definitely won't "shit you". Most of the people that bag left hookers haven't actually driven one for any length of time. Of course, driving one around the block feels weird at first; everything new feels weird! I honestly got used to it within 10 mins..... piece of piss.

Another big plus that no one has mentioned is rust, or actually lack of it! There are very few (if any) Splittys in Oz that don't need serious rust repairs which can easily cost 10K plus. If you do your research and buy a west coast bus that has original paint, it will have little rust. This is a massive plus because mechanical repairs are a known quantity and fairly easy - rust can be a can of worms and very expensive. The more new metal is welded in to your Kombi, the less original it becomes.

Good advice above re DD & front bench. You can buy a DD panel for very little. SC's are also very cheap. 11 & 13 window's are plentiful. 15 & 23's are getting harder to find even in the US and in the last 2 years prices have risen quite a bit....

Mate, do your research, don't listen to the knockers and buy an original paint bus! Shiny looks nice but what's hiding underneath? Even pro restorers can be fooled.

Shipping for a Kombi from West coast US to East coast Oz is around $3500 + GST on purchase price/freight cost. There is no duty on vehicles imported that are more than 30 years old.

If all of that is too hard for you (or the south Oz regulations limiting) - buy an Aussie split! 🙂