1983 Defender 110 5-door wagon

[fayd]

Just curious if there was any interest out there for a 1983 LHD Defender 110 5-door wagon. A friend of mine in Germany was recently shown a fairly well kept one with 150k on the clock, original V8 replaced with a 2.5 diesel (not certain how many miles on the diesel yet), manual w/ solid body & doors. Other than the engine, it's still almost entirely original from what I can tell. I was considering importing it for him in January, when it will be 25 years old and eligible for import without the red tape, but after crunching the numbers figured it really wouldn't be worthwhile unless I could get at least 20K for it once it hit the states. Anyway, I can certainly send photos and more info if anyone has any genuine interest. (Though all questions have to go through my buddy to the seller, since I don't speak German, so there may be a little lag.) Happy rovering...

[cgalpin]

Last week i would have been. But 20k sounds high though. People looking to go that route can do it for well less than half that.

[fayd]

Really? Well less than $10,000? Shipping alone runs between 2 and $3,000, not to mention customs and transport to the docks, which I've gotten really robbed on in the past... I almost hate to ask, as I have a feeling I'd end up with another motor to feed, but if you see any '83s in solid shape for that kind of money lying around I'd be very interested, and would appreciate the tip. This guy in Germany wants substantially more than that (maybe he's aware that it will soon be legal for import and is looking to take advantage of that...) Thanks for the heads up though - I'll let my buddy know to give it a pass...

[cgalpin]

Ok, maybe not well less, but I think 8-10k is a reasonable estimate. I am sure people are catching on that the '83s have value here.

[JimC]

LHD trucks sell for more than RHD ones. Nice 83's and 84's on mobile.de an autoscout24.com (of which there are few) usually are priced between 6-9k euro, so we're on the wrong side of the exchange rate. Shipping is only 2-3k if you put it in a container. Use EH Harms, pay separate insurance, a customs agent, and the truck will be landed for under 2k. No import cost of any kind. 20k leaves room for a nice profit, which of course you have to have to make any effort worthwhile. My gut feeling - if you import it, you'll find a buyer.

[cgalpin]

Ok, I guess the bottom line is could you get $20K for it here. If it is in good condition, I think Jim is right and you will be able to sell it no problem. And yes I have no issues with wanting to make a profit for doing so if that's the goal (although I'd rather see someone do it because they want to keep it).

Jim, I have noticed the pricing go up recently but didn't think they were that high, but I probably wasn't singling out LHD, and probably not looking at the cream of the crop. And yes the exchange rate has only gotten worse for us.

charles

[fayd]

I used EH Harms when I imported my '93, RO/RO via Wallenius, and the total ended up being $2,100. I used RO/RO because containers are far more expensive... Got a quote from Wallenius recently for a RO/RO to Tacoma which is running a little over $3,000 for shipping alone.
Also, unless I'm mistaken, you still have to pay a duty tax to US customs of 2.5% of the value of the vehicle when you import from abroad, even if it is bundled into the cost of the agent... Not a huge cost, but it adds up.
Appreciate the advice guys - honestly, I'm not really in a place financially right now where I can invest in another vehicle, even if I went 1/2 with my buddy, but figured that if there was someone real excited about the prospect, I'd stretch a little to help out a friend and get someone a nice vehicle. Can't say that owning a really nice '83 isn't appealing, would be cool to have one of the first real model years out there, but it's just not happening now unless I sold my '93, which ain't happening. At this point I think I'm going to let it go for now, but if anyone who comes across this does have an interest, let me know and I'll put you in touch with the seller directly...

Eric

[mpsteil]

Is there no emissions issue with the 1983's. And if so does it have to have a motor that has been approved for import. I thought I remember reading that the TDI motors for Defenders are not legal here in the US. I think it was ECR who said they wont do TDI conversions for street use. Could be wrong just going by what I thought I read awhile back.

[fayd]

Depends on the state and the vehicle... Most states have varying requirements depending on the age of the vehicle... some states are pretty liberal, while others, (CA springs to mind) are very strict. You can usually find the requirements on the state in question's DMV/DOT page. Requirements are different depending on the type and age of the vehicle. (a series vehicle, for instance, in Pennsylvania, only gets a gas-cap check and a visual inspection - because of it's age they don't even check emissions)

[chrisvonc]

Import discussions can continue in the Whats Legal thread.

thnkx