Hi from the UK, hopefully i will be coming to Oz this year and want to bring my 63 Split with me.
If anyone has any experience of this I would be interested in your comments.
Also, where's the best place to live in Brisbane ?
11CAB ·
Where are you going to be working?
LUFTMEISTER ·
Northside - southside suxs 😂
Zebra van man ·
I am really not too sure at the moment, I will be working for Nova systems nr Ipswitch ? they have two offices though in Brisbane, one in Brisbane and the other in Ipswitch. We are still in negotiations.
I need good schools for the kids and most importantly a massive garage !
11CAB ·
Well western brisbane would be the best bet as peak hour traffic in brisbane is shit. There are some nice places around Ipswich, and also the western suburbs
3amigos ·
pm sent 😊
Zebra van man ·
Thanks, is forest lakes , Springfield and Greenbanks any good ?
h ·
erm.. depends on what you like in an area?
Sides ·
Hey, cool - Brissie is a great city, so hope the move all works out for ya.
I moved here from Sydney with work almost 8 years back, and altho it was meant to only be a 2 year move I've ended up staying... I love the place !!!
👍
Anyway, each Brisbane suburb has a very different personality and 'feel' to it... and yeah, knowing where your office is going to be is an important to factor in. Traffic is nowhere near as bad as say Sydney, but it can be a large chunk of your day if you're going with the flow, and the rail networks here are a lot less than what you see in Europe.
My advice would be line up some temporary accommodation either in Brisbane City, or maybe somewhere like Kangaroo Point or South Brisbane for the first few months you're here... then travel around, get the feel of suburbs, price ranges etc. and then make decision on where to go. Coming from UK, won't it take like 3-4 weeks for all your stuff to arrive anyway ?
Coming into a suburb cold, or just on our recommendations can really wreck the experience.... 6 other guys from my company and their families moved in at the same time from Sydney, Perth and Adelaide... and the ONE guy of that group who didn't do the temporary thing first ended up somewhere difficult to live with, and so 12 months later him and his fam moved back home again. The rest of us all turned the 2 year transfer into permanent moves... as the real estate types say it's all about location, Location, LOCATION !!!
As to getting the split rego'd etc.... well it's RHD presumably, so providing not too crazily modified and in resonable mech condition is definitely do-able !!!
😉
Yogie ·
Welcome to Aussieveedubbers and and our community. Like Sides says, rent somewhere first as it will help you enormously. I live in Mt. Crosby which is about 20 minutes from Ipswich or a 45 minute drive to Brisbane. It is a small acreage area with lots of room to build a big garage if there is none there already. Forest Lake and Springfield tend to be smaller blocks of land so less room for sheds etc. I don't know much about Greenbank for housing but there is a big Army training ground there.
Once you rent somewhere, you can drive around and see what these places look like for yourself so you can see if they suit you.
Sides you've made some good points - maybe renting somewhere for a while is an option, then spend your weekends driving around different areas to see where you and the family want to settle. I commute/drive to work everyday into Brisbane and it can be a bitch, however there are some nice areas in between Ipswich and Brisbane like Chapel Hill, Kenmore, Brookfield and Fig Tree Pocket. Good luck with your relocation!
Zebra van man ·
Sides wrote:Hey, cool - Brissie is a great city, so hope the move all works out for ya.
I moved here from Sydney with work almost 8 years back, and altho it was meant to only be a 2 year move I've ended up staying... I love the place !!!
👍
Anyway, each Brisbane suburb has a very different personality and 'feel' to it... and yeah, knowing where your office is going to be is an important to factor in. Traffic is nowhere near as bad as say Sydney, but it can be a large chunk of your day if you're going with the flow, and the rail networks here are a lot less than what you see in Europe.
My advice would be line up some temporary accommodation either in Brisbane City, or maybe somewhere like Kangaroo Point or South Brisbane for the first few months you're here... then travel around, get the feel of suburbs, price ranges etc. and then make decision on where to go. Coming from UK, won't it take like 3-4 weeks for all your stuff to arrive anyway ?
Coming into a suburb cold, or just on our recommendations can really wreck the experience.... 6 other guys from my company and their families moved in at the same time from Sydney, Perth and Adelaide... and the ONE guy of that group who didn't do the temporary thing first ended up somewhere difficult to live with, and so 12 months later him and his fam moved back home again. The rest of us all turned the 2 year transfer into permanent moves... as the real estate types say it's all about location, Location, LOCATION !!!
As to getting the split rego'd etc.... well it's RHD presumably, so providing not too crazily modified and in resonable mech condition is definitely do-able !!!
😉
chaps
many thanks for this it is really helping me. The bus is majorly modded and that's what i'm worried about and its also a left hooker but the old girl is nearly 50 years old so i was told that more and more left hand drives are hitting the scene down under......is this true.
The bus is running 200bhp and has a Subaru conversion but I was thinking about putting an air cooled lump back in just to get it through customs etc and then re fit the Subaru. I wanted to import it under the pre-1978 rule which means it needs the air-cooled motor back in.
what do you think ? i'll try and post some photos later.
Yogie ·
Not sure how the mods would affect the import side of things. To get approval to register here though, it can stay LHD due to the age so that would not be a problem. You would have to get the headlights changed to RHD lenses and probably have amber blinkers. The Subaru would also need to be approved by a local engineer so any photos of the build should be brought with you to show the engineer. It would probably also need the brakes upgraded if not already done and for them to be approved by an engineer as well.
Yogie
Zebra van man ·
Hi Yogie,
brakes are disks all around. Due to the year it doesn't have amber flashers they are single round red ones, so they flash like in the USA and the flashers in the front are white - this is all legal in the UK. I'm confident that the Scoobie install is engineered to a good standard, but would it be easier to convert it back to air-cooled then re-fit ? I see that there is a specialist subaru / vw garage in Brisbane so what do you guys do when you change the engine from air-cooled to Scoobie ? do you have to have an engineers report ?
The headlights should already by RHD for the UK yearly test.
My plan was to convert it back to air-cooled and put the Scoobie engine inside the bus when I send it over - along with the contents of my garage !
keep the comments coming, maybe we'll hook up for a beer sometime.
Andy
Yogie ·
Custom Off Road in Stafford do the subi conversions here. Have a look on the governments website that I sent to see about the engine for import. I would have thought it would not be too hard to bring it in with the new engine in it but you will need a local sign off for it before registration. Same for the brakes. It is probably easier if they are brakes from another vehicle (Porsche for example). Still think you would probably have to do something about the blinkers though.
Let us know when you are here and we will meet up.
Yogie
kombibob ·
engine and brakes will be no prob, i can give you the number of the guy in brisbane that approved my split (also with subi motor) 😉
things like dropped spindles and such are frowned upon.
Some of the disc conversions are as well.
Good luck and see ya soon 👍
Zebra van man ·
kombibob wrote:engine and brakes will be no prob, i can give you the number of the guy in brisbane that approved my split (also with subi motor) 😉
perfect, yes please.
I think the issue will be more like getting it registered as a 63 with a MY1999 engine in it by the customs people. They may register it as a 1999 vehicle and therefore has to comply with emissions etc....due to the engine install, i'll try and post the link later.
Andy
Governor ·
Put the air cooled back in, at least then you can use it when you come over, then look at what's involved with the Scooby conversion.
Also the rules recently changed and I believe it basically must be stock , ie height engine, brakes, wheels ect, I know the custom car sellers are having a hell of a time trying to get modified Yank cars into the country.
You won't have a problem with it being a left hooker, the closer you can get to it looking as stock as possible the easier it will be to get into the country.
I think you will have a problem with the disc brakes, they won't even allow some genuine ones here , ie if you even fit Porsche ones you have to get them engineered, I have heard of an engineer not passing CSP brakes as his excuse was he hadn't seen them before so he wouldn't pass them?
Also some places say you have to have demisters , two speed wipers ect if you have a later engine fitted, it all depends on the engineer and how they interperet the rules, you first problem is getting it in the country and regoed first
Zebra van man ·
kombibob wrote:engine and brakes will be no prob, i can give you the number of the guy in brisbane that approved my split (also with subi motor) 😉
That would be kind thanks. I have found out a bit more about the job, I will be working at either Bribane airport or Victoria Army barracks. So North side of the town may be better for us.
I have been looking at Samford Village and Ferney Hills - are these places any good ? Good schools are essential.
Do you guys have any shows coming up ? Hope to be there in September.
ha ha love it!
Samford is a nice place to live semi rural and still not far from every thing, i live just up the hill from there.
But yep chuck the aircooled back in for the trip and trust me you will have no probs getting the rest engineered in QLD once you have the customs stuff sorted😉
tar76 ·
Can't wait to see that split at some shows 😎,
dave1342 ·
Zebra van man wrote:Thanks, is forest lakes , Springfield and Greenbanks any good ?
I moved here from UK 18 month ago I sold my 67 split as it was a pain to bring it over I was told you have bring it back to stock to re register in qld.
Anyway if your working in Ipswich forget living in the north lol. I have worked in Forrest lake and know the area well and would say there is better places in Brissy to live. For a start it's right next to Inala which is a a dump.
North Brissy is best lol but in all fairness even the Worst suburbs are nice compared to most ruff places in UK.
Keep the thread updated and if there is any help I can give ( having made the move) let me know
dave1342 ·
Oh yeah I live in Arana hills right next to ferney hills lol.
Nice place
vassy66T1 ·
Northside people are generally deluded about the desirability of their suburbs. 😘
Some very nice suburbs in south Brissie along with ordinary ones.
Southern side of Brisbane has all the new road networks so you can get around a lot better IMO
matberry ·
vassy66T1 wrote:Northside people are generally deluded about the desirability of their suburbs. 😘
Some very nice suburbs in south Brissie along with ordinary ones.
Southern side of Brisbane has all the new road networks so you can get around a lot better IMO
Spoken like a true southsider.....😂😂😂
waltermitty ·
kombibob wrote:engine and brakes will be no prob, i can give you the number of the guy in brisbane that approved my split (also with subi motor) 😉
Not correct , to import it needs to be stock but once here you can get the mods engineered and then register with the goodnesses. Mitchell
Zebra van man ·
dave1342 wrote:Oh yeah I live in Arana hills right next to ferney hills lol.
Nice place
Ferney Hills is also on my list. I am determined to bring the bus as well. I'll keep you posted.
As far as I can see there are two hurdles the first is import / customs and the second is the engineers report for registering it.
Still loads to get through at the moment with the job - was it a good move for you or do you miss Blighty ? What's good, What's bad ? How long does it take to drive to the beech from your gaff ?
Andy
Zebra van man ·
waltermitty wrote:
kombibob wrote:engine and brakes will be no prob, i can give you the number of the guy in brisbane that approved my split (also with subi motor) 😉
Not correct , to import it needs to be stock but once here you can get the mods engineered and then register with the goodnesses. Mitchell
Does anyone really know or is it what people think ?
my take on it is, you have to declare the mods, but whether that changes things well that's another question. The reason you have to declare is to determine whether it can be imported as a pre 1989 vehicle. I understand that major mods such as changing the engine i.e a Scooby lump would mean it couldn't be imported as a pre-1989 vehicle, But this wouldn't mean I couldn't import it if it was fitted - it just means that it wouldn't come under the pre-1989 label - it would be classed as the year it was fitted. If imported under the pre 1989 scheme the van would be exempt from some of the concessions.
I will put the air-cooled back in for this one.
The fact that the brakes are fitted again doesn't mean it can't be imported - I mean come on - just because you change the brakes doesn't make it a 2011 vehicle ! some common sense required i think. Hopefully this won't make a massive difference to the import side of things - we'll wait and see.
dave1342 wrote:Oh yeah I live in Arana hills right next to ferney hills lol.
Nice place
Ferney Hills is also on my list. I am determined to bring the bus as well. I'll keep you posted.
As far as I can see there are two hurdles the first is import / customs and the second is the engineers report for registering it.
Still loads to get through at the moment with the job - was it a good move for you or do you miss Blighty ? What's good, What's bad ? How long does it take to drive to the beech from your gaff ?
Andy
I decided it wasn't worth the bother my bus like yours was pretty well modified (dropped spindles blah blah) and I hated getting rid as I did a full resto myself. But thought I can get a good right hand drive bus to restore here (now have bloody squareback instead lol)
Best move ever for sure sunshine coast about an hour away gold coast a little further. The weather is amazing but can be pretty humid. Some people won't like me saying this but sorry the vw scene isn't the same as UK sorry to say but just being honest just the whole show thing in the uk is heaps better. When you looking at coming.
Zebra van man ·
I might come over for two weeks for a pre visit to check the place out etc...around April, looking to move in August and then start job in September.🙂
Cool just had a thought re importing your bus have you been on poms in oz forums, maybe worth asking. Bit of a long shot but you never know.
sx200 ·
looks great
72superbug ·
ive always wanted a zebra to ride rather then a horse........you have exactly that...love the ride and i hope
your ride to australia is safe and pleasant and where better then queesland.....nice weather but be careful of
areas of flooding as we havent had a very good run up north of brisbane in the last 5 years as you are probably aware
kombibob ·
waltermitty wrote:
kombibob wrote:engine and brakes will be no prob, i can give you the number of the guy in brisbane that approved my split (also with subi motor) 😉
Not correct , to import it needs to be stock but once here you can get the mods engineered and then register with the goodnesses. Mitchell
Yes thats what i was talking about, after its imported he will have no problems returning the mods and getting it engineered in queensland.