Know All The Costs Beforehand - Outline Summary

Before I go into detail on all the procedures and form filling, here is roughly what it will cost you to buy and import a fairly good condition DeLorean DMC-12 from the East Coast of America to Southampton UK and legally use it here the UK (Based on 2004 exchange rates and prices) :-

DeLorean DMC-12 : £7,885.95 ($14,000)

Shipping Via TransGlobal Auto Logistics : £876.31 ($1,533)

The Breakdown of that cost is...

• $1,295 : Vehicle Pick-up and Shipping
• $183 : Marine Insurance - Covers total loss only.
• $25 : Courier Fees - To send you the documents.
• $30 : Wire Tranfer Fees - Covers their bank costs.

UK Side Fees, paid in cash to Wainwright Bros. When You Pick The Vehicle Up £1327.92

The Breakdown of that cost is...

• £65.00 : Customs Fee.
• £80.00 : UK Port Handling Fee.
• £876.23 : UK Import Duty (10% of Car Cost + Shipping)
• £306.69 : UK VAT (17.5% of Import Duty + Shipping)

A Cost Reserve For Essential MOT Fixes & UK Registration : £900 Approx.

APPROX. TOTAL : £11,537

And not forgetting the non-essential items.
£2,000 Approx : Periodic works of updating & restoring the car to a high standard.

To get an idea of the typical costs you'll have to spend, click here for an itemised running total of what I have had to spend to get my DeLorean restored, both mechanically and cosmetically (and I'm far from finished yet !).
It's an investment in the long run as a very good condition DeLorean located in the UK tends to fetch around £14k - £17k on EBAY, if presented well with it's full history and photos.

Where To Buy - Ebay Online Auction

Well, unless you are in the USA and scouting around various car dealerships, then the only other place that you'll find a DeLorean for sale on a fairly regular basis is on Ebay of course !
But the downside is you're not exactly able to pop around and view the car. By the time you'd have booked a ticket at great expense and got out there, the 7 day auction could have ended, you may have been out bid, or the seller may withdraw the car from auction early because of a local sale.

So the best way to reassure yourself that the car is any good is to study those digital photos very carefully, the more pictures displayed by the seller the better (especially any engine bay and underside chassis shots) as it shows that they are not trying to hide any defects.
Together with this visual reassurance you should ask lots of questions.


The more questions you ask, the more the seller will take you seriously as a buyer. Also, remember they are the ones who are selling (i.e. in need of your money), so it's in their best interest to answer all your questions with detailed answers.
If you are in any doubt, wait for the next DeLorean to come up for sale (I waited 18 months before I eventually bought one) or join the DeLorean Owners Club UK before you purchase and ask their opinion on the car via their DOC-UK Yahoo News-Group.

The seller will usually list the faults on the car (well some of them anyway). So, don't forget to ask the seller those usual DeLorean related questions. Tactfully, start your email with something like this....


I am very interested in the car you have for sale on Ebay at the moment. So I'm sorry for all these questions, but here goes :-

1. What condition is the chassis/frame in ?
   Any visible rust spots ?
2. What condition is the stainless steel bodywork in ?
   Any small dents or deep scratches ?
3. What condition are the front and Rear fascias in ?
   Any cracks or deep scratches ?
4. Are all the windows free from cracks or chips ?
5. Has the vehicle been involved in any accident or collision ?
6. Is it Driveable and does the engine start first time and run smoothly without any dark smoke from the exhaust ?
7. Has the vehicle been in storage for any prolonged length of time ?
8. Does the Air Conditioning still blow cold ?
9. Are the Electric Mirrors, Windows and central locking system still fully operational ?
10. What condition is the Dashboard and Instrument panel binnacle in ? Any Cracks or Sun damage ?
11. What condition is the interior fabric and Seating in ? Any Tears or Cracks ?
12. What replacements or upgrades have been done to the car ?
13. I'm aware that I will need to update parts of the car. In your opinion, if you were to keep the car and had to do any further work or upgrades, what would they be ?
14. Would you be able to assist in communications with the transport company TransGlobal, so that I may import the vehicle to the UK ?

Paying For Your DeLorean - PayPal & Bank Transfer

Ideally, you should secure your deposite quickly via a safe method like PayPal as most deposites need to be paid within 3-5 days of winning the auction. The rest of the payment should really follow within the 2 weeks follow that. Using a Bank Transfer is, again, the safest method and usually takes about 4 working days at a cost of about £25 (Natwest). The seller should supply you with his Account number and Bank ref. code (sort code). If you don't have a PayPal account then contact the seller explaining that, instead of the deposite, they will receive the full funds within 4-5 working days. They should be more than happy with this. Then arrange that bank transfer as soon as possible.

Getting It Shipped - Appointing A Transporter

Look no further than TransGlobal Auto Logistics, all the other shippers quotes were pretty much the same, also the majority of DeLorean importers have used this company without any problem what so ever.
First of all, get a quote by using their online quotation form. After submitting this, you will shortly receive an email with a POV form to fill in and fax back to TransGlobal on 001 972 602-0072 (This number is the full dialing code and number from the UK). I dealt with a guy at TransGlobal called Tony Lester who was very helpful and reasuring, as this was my first time exporting anything from the USA. Click on one of the following page links to view an example of how to fill it in : Pages 1 2 3 4

The Approximate Costs

$1,295 : Vehicle Pick-up and Shipping
$183 : Marine Insurance (Based on $14,000 car)
$25 : Courier Fees - To send you all the documents.
$30 : Wire Tranfer Fees - Covers their bank costs.

$1,533 : TOTAL APPROX. COST

Making It Legally Yours - Certificate Of Title

Once the Seller has received your full payment for the Vehicle, they should then sign it over to you, by entering their signature, sale price, mileage and your name and address details on the back of the Title. The seller should also hold on to this until TranGlobal requests it.











The DVLA will keep this when you finally register the car here in the UK, so you may want to colour copy or scan it for posterity. The pictures display both Front and Back examples.
The seller also needs to write you a ...

Your Receipt & Conditions Of Sale - Bill Of Sale

This is a one page receipt drafted by the seller, outlining at the top, the details of 'the Seller', and You 'the Buyer', acknowledging receipt of funds for the vehicle.

It can read something like this :-

FOR GOOD CONSIDERATION, and in payment of $14,000 in US funds, receipt acknowledged, the undersigned Seller, hereby sells and transfers to the buyer the following vehicle :-

[Make, Model, ID Number, etc Here]

SELLER WARRANTS THAT :

1. Seller is the sole owner of the vehicle.
2. Such vehicle is free of all encumbrances, security interests, and other defenses against seller.
3. The vehicle has been accepted by buyer, and transportation of vehicle is at buyers expense.
4. All disclosures to buyer and other metters in connection with such transaction, are in all respects as required by, and in accordance with, all applicable laws and regulations governing them.
5. Said vehicle is being sold "as is" without any express or implied warranty as to condition or working order.

In witness whereof, the parties hereto have executed this sale contract on [Date].
The seller will sign underneath all this, and there will also be a space for you to sign.

Vehicle Condition Slip - Bill Of Lading

When the transporter turns up to collect your vehicle, the seller will be asked to sign the Bill Of Lading, agreeing to transporters visual assessment of the vehicle. The seller will keep and copy of this document and should then hand over the original Certificate Of Title (Already signed over to you on the back) and the Bill Of Sale to the transporter. Once this is done, the Seller has finished their part of the whole process and customs should have all the documention they need to release your car from the US, so you needn't contact the seller again.

On It's Way To You - Transportation

The vehicle will now be on the back of a transporter, or already at the Port Of Jacksonville, Florida awaiting the next ship to Southampton. Tony Lester at TranGlobal advised me that he wanted to put my vehicle on a direct sailing as others went via Amsterdam, where the vehicles would have to be driven off one ship and on to another. He didn't recommend this route and so a later / direct sailing was opted for. After a 29 days of sitting at the Jacksonville port, my Vehicle finally boarded the Hual (Höegh) Tropicana for its 13 day trip to the UK. If you find out the name of your ship you can view it on the Höegh Autoliners website if you want. You can also check to see if your ship has arrived in Southampton on the due day by going to the Southampton Port Information Network website. Don't forget that you'll probably end up waiting at least a week or more after the ship docks before your vehicle has cleared customs and is ready to pick up. Wainwright Bros. will send you some documentation by mail, within this will be your C&E386 form. Make sure you do received this as you will need it to register your car in the UK after its MOT.

More Expense ! - Import Tax

Pre-January 2005 you would have been eligable for a Tax reduction to 5% of the purchase price for an original factory standard DeLorean DMC-12, as it was classed as an "Item Of Historic Interest" (previously tarrif classification number 970500 00 00).
But now the classification has changed to the heading 8703 (not 9705), so unfortunately you are left with a bill for Import Duty (10% of Car Cost + Shipping) + UK VAT (17.5% of Import Duty + Shipping) to pay this side of the water (Approx. £800 extra to pay compared with Pre-Jan 2005 imported DeLoreans).
Basically in 2004, I paid £547.10 in cash to the import handler at Southampton Dock. If I had waited until 2005, I would have had to pay £1,327.92 cash !
HM Customs and Excise have always be aware that approximately 6000 were still in existance and granted tax reductions based on this fact. But Customs have now revoked their conditions, stating that "...there are simply too many cars remaining for them to be considered as Vehicles of Historistic Interest...". UK owners and propective importers are currently considering appealing against this decision and hopefully the 5% Tax rate can be restored. But don't hold your breath (!)

Picking Your Vehicle Up
How To Get There & What To Take With You

You can use the AA Route Planner to plan your exact route before hand.
Use your post code and the Southampton post code SO14 3PX to confirm the route. When you get to the docks, find the sign for Gate 4 and drive up to the gate, mention that you are picking up a car from Wainwirght Bros, then drive through, down to the end of the large grey warehouse on your right and immediately there to your left is the Wainwright Bros. hut.

You can walk into the large grey storage warehouse on your right to see your car if you like (and the other nice cars that are stored there - My son was more interested in the Knight Rider car than my DeLorean) and is probably a good idea if you want to check it, so that you can raise any problems before you hand your cash over to Wainwright Bros.
Show them proof of who you are, your vehicle insurance documents if you intend to drive the vehicle away and your Wainwright letter stating the reference number. Then get your cash out...

The Costs Will Be Roughly As Follows :-

£65.00 Customs Fee
£80.00 UK Port Handling Fee
£1182.92 - Import Duty + VAT (See above notes).
Wainwrights will confirm this amount in writing before you go to collect your car.

£1327.92 - IN TOTAL
(Remember, they only take Cash).

Once you have got your receipt, walk down to the Queen Elizabeth II Terminal Building, sign a release form or two and pick your keys up. Then walk back to that big grey shed and drive it away ! - Although you may have to inflate a tyre or two first, as I did.
So having learnt from this...

A FEW VALUABLE THINGS TO TAKE WITH YOU BEFORE SETTING OFF FOR SOUTHAMPTON

If you intend to drive the car from the port I advise that before you set off for Southampton you should take the following with you...

A Mini Fire Extinguisher

just to be safe, as you don't really know the condition of those fuel lines, etc (It's purely a precautionary measure).

A Foot Pump

Incase one or two of the tyres has deflated in transit - Luckily I did as the front-left tyre was totally deflated (so were most of the cars in storage there and they had obviously driven the vehicles off the ship like that as there was wear on the side walls). There was another guy there those 4x4 also had a flat front-left tyre and there was no one around that could of helped either of us if I hadn't have brought one with me. We had to frantically pump both our tyres up as the dock was closing in 10 minutes.

A Pair of Pliers

Just incase the hood release handle (located under the steering wheel) has come off the cable. I had to fill-up with petrol but couldn't get the hood open to get to the petrol cap. Luckily I managed to borrow some pliers from an AA man who was parked up at the petrol station. It's at this point that 2 or 3 people will walk up and start asking you about the car, its history, how many were made, etc. So brush up on that DeLorean knowledge before attempting to stop at any petrol station ;-)

Jump Leads

If they managed to get your car off the ship without any problems (and believe me they would have charged you for it if they had towed it off the ship) then the battery should be OK. But, you never know...

Your Vehicle Insurance Documents

Driving without any plates at all, as I did, shouldn't be a problem as long as you are insured and are just taking it home or to a garage. Should the Police pull you over then at least you can show them that you are insured. The DVLA could verbally confirm this if you asked them.

Back-Up Vehicle

I would also advise that you get someone to follow you home in another vehicle just incase you get any engine problems, etc. so packing that tow rope may not be a bad idea either.

Well that's about it on the Importing side - Good luck !

A Helpful Tip For New DeLorean Drivers : When you finally get home and go to put your car in your garage, reversing slowly into a garage with the aid of those side mirrors is far easier than driving into a garage front first. The combination of the long front bonnet and the very low seated position, makes it impossible to see exactly where the two front corners of the car actually are. Also, after parking, always open your door very slowly as you won't always get it in there perfectly. A good idea is to line your garage wall with some old carpet at some point, as nicely brushed stainless steel and brickwork do not go well together. If you are unsure that your car will fit, measure your garage and check the DeLorean dimensions listed here.

Car Insurance - Cheaper Than You'd Think

AON Classic Car

These seem to be the best value around for DeLorean owners in their mid-thirties or above. For younger drivers you may have to shop around.
You will need to have insurance cover in place before you collect your car from customs, because they won't let you drive off without seeing that certificate or cover note.
Once you are on your way you should bare in mind that, until your vehicle has actually Passed its MOT and is then UK Registered, it is only insured for 14 days road use.
After that time it reverts to Private Off-Road / Garage cover only, depending on your policy.
You are only ever insured to use it on UK roads again if your insurers issue you with another '14 Day Temporary Certificate'. It is very tempting to get one of these and start using your car, but be warned. These temporary certificates are mean't to be used for getting your car TO and FROM a pre-booked garage for repairs and MOT testing only. If you had an accident, the insurers would certainly investigate the time, location and reason for your journey. So in a nut-shell, it ain't worth the risk !

The annual insurance premium for a classic car is normally very cheap compared with other cars. With this being the case, insurance companies like to keep the costs down, (i.e. they just want your cash without all the admin of continuously mailing you Temporary Cover Notes one after the other).
I soon found out whilst preparing my car for it's MOT (over a 6 month period) that they will not issue you with more than 2 or 3 Temporary Certificates until it has been MOTed and UK Registered.
So, after I had exhausted my fair share of temporaries (2 in total !), I had to resort to having DMUK send me the neccesary parts and then drive, un-insured, to a local garage for the installations. My only other option was to get another insurance company to insure me for my trips to DMUK in Stevenage, but why should I pay two lots of premiums !

For peice-of-mind, I made sure that the local garage had insurance on their forecourt and that if it was to be kept overnight, it would be stored inside their workshop. I didn't want various bits of my car appearing on Ebay the following day (!)

When you finally get your MOT Test Certificate (and believe me, for most owners whole process leading up to the MOT is never a quick & easy one), you'll then be pleading with your insurers to issue one final temporary certificate, so that you can register for your UK number plate. Once you have been issued with your UK registration number, you'll have to ring your insurers again, so they can send you your Full Insurance Certificate.

Making It UK Street Legal - The MOT

Well, if you've paid about the same as I did for a DeLorean then don't even think about putting it through the MOT when you first get it home. This is where the sometimes costly, time consuming and frustrating process begins...
For starters, you'll need the following UK regulation items :- Rear Fog Lighting with Cockpit mounted 'Light ON' Indication, also you'll need Headlamp 'Side-Light' Functionality, this needs to be a dim 'White' Light (for driving at dusk) as the US standard 'Orange' bumper mounted lamps are not sufficient for UK regulations.
So replacement of all 4 Headlamps with side-light functionality is the best option here, also the issue of the incorrect (USA - Right Hand Lane) angle of illumination will also be rectified. Check out the DMUK website for replacement Headlamps and the Fog Light wiring if you don't fancy doing the work yourself. But it doesn't end there.
To view the processes that I had to go through to get my car fit for UK Roads click here.
With the main issues on my DeLorean being a faulty Steering Rack and poor Earth connections in the rear lighting clusters, plus issues with insurance cover notes (read above), I think I got away lightly (so far).

Getting Your UK Number Plates
UK Registration : DVLA Form V55/5

Application for a First Licence for a Used Motor Vehicle and Declaration for Registration.
You can visit one of the DVLA offices in your area to register over the counter, Go to their website to find a DVLA office near you.

Using capitals in black ink, you only need to fill in parts of the V55/5 form that are marked in BOLD below, the details in brackets are specific to you and your car and where it is left blank, the DVLA will fill that part in :-

1. Registration Mark : ________
2. Taxation Class : PLG
3. Period Of Licence applied for :
   12* Mnths 0 Wks
4. Registration Fee : ____
   Duty payable : £____
5. Make : DELOREAN
6. Model : DMC-12
7. Type Of Body / Vehicle : COUPE
8. Wheelplan : 2 AXLE RIGID
9. Colour(s) SILVER
10. Type Approval Number/Category : N/A
11. Variant : N/A
12. Version : N/A
13. Length mm : 4267mm
14. HC g/km or g/kWh : N/A
15. Unladen Weight (kg) : N/A
16. Number of Seats (inc. driver) : 2
17. Max Net Power (kW) : N/A
18. Tech. Perm. Max. Towable Mass of the Trailer :-
    (a) braked (kg) : N/A
    (b) unbraked (kg) : N/A
19. Width mm : 1988mm
20. NOx g/km or g/kWh : N/A
21. Revenue Weight (kg) : N/A
22. Number of Standing Places : N/A
23. Max Permissible Mass (exe.m/c) : N/A
24. Power/Weight Ratio (kW/kg) : N/A
25. Date of original registration : (US Reg. Date) **
26. Date of Registration in UK : ________
27. Euro Status Directive No. : N/A
28. Date from which Licence is to run : (Today)
29. Type of Fuel : PETROL
30. VIN/Chassis/Frame No. (In Full) : (Full VIN No.)
31. Engine Number : N/A
32. Cylinder Capacity (in cc) : 2849
33. CO2 g/km : N/A
34. Mass in Service : N/A
35. Particulates (pm) g/km or g/kWh : N/A
36. CO g/km or g/kWh : N/A
37. HC + NOx g/km : N/A
38. Trailer Weight (kg) : N/A
39. Stationary Sound Level (dB(A)) : N/A
40. Engine Speed Sound (min-1) : N/A
41. Drive-by Sound (dB(A)) : N/A
42. Year of Manufacture : (1981, 1982 or 1983)
43. Partial Postcode of Purchaser : (Postcode)

Ignore all the information directly under Question 43 and turn over the page.

44. Name and Address of Vehicle Keeper : (Name & Address)
45. Date of Birth : (DOB)
46. Is the vehicle exempt from Type Approval ?
If so, please indicate the full reason for
exemption : CAR MANUFACTURED IN 1981
47. For Goods Vehicles only, leave blank.
48. For Goods Vehicles only, leave blank.
49. For Goods Vehicles only, leave blank.
50. Mileage recorded on Speedometer :(Not Compulsory)

* The period of your 1st Tax Disc, 6 or 12 Months.
** Refer to the 'Date Acquired' on US 'Cert. Of Title'.

Declaration

Sign & Date the form and tick the boxes relating to the documentation you are supplying with the form. The documentation needed, is as follows :-

• Your Driving Licence & A Utility Bill Or Bank Statement
  This documentation confirms your name and address.
• Certificate of Insurance
  Not the Policy or Schedule, so if you only have 'Garaged / Off Road Cover' then get your insurers to send you a 14 Day cover note. That's all the DVLA will accept.
• C&E386
  Original Customs Form : This confirms to the DVLA that the Customs importation process has been followed.
• Valid MOT Test Certificate
  You'll get this back in the post with your new Tax Disc and allocated Registration Number.
• Original US Certificate Of Title
  The DVLA will keep this. So you may want to colour copy it beforehand for posterity, because you'll never see it again.
• Duty Payable
  A cheque made payable to 'DVLA'. For me the cost was £203 (£38 Reg. Fee + £165 One years Road Tax).

It will take approximately 5 working days to process your registration documents, whether you visit the DVLA offices or do it via post.
In some cases the DVLA will want to inspect your car. The DVLA do random chassis number checks in an effort to combat fraud / ficticious car registrations. This 'Check' has happened to a couple of DeLorean owners recently, so the other reason could be that those guys at the DVLA office just want to get a good look at a DeLorean !
But, in most cases you'll just receive a V948 Number Plate Authorisation Certificate, Your Road Tax Disc and Your MOT Test Certificate stamped with your new registration number. Now you can go and get your number plates made up. Or as I did, a set of 'show' plates from DMUK.

Your UK Registration Certifcate (V5C) will arrive by post after a further seven days, this is the UK replacement for your old US Certificate Of Title. This means you are now the recognised UK registered owner and also means you could now sell it on to someone else if you wish.