Car Shipping (again!) and Personal Belongings

[lou76]

Hi all

I am seriously considering shipping my car out to NZ from the UK. I have a lot of commuter miles on my car (diesel), so the sale value here would be very low. I have checked with AA NZ and it fine to import. However I did notice a rusty screw under the bonnet today- is it only bodywork rust they worry about or any rust?

Another primary reason for shipping the car is to put some personal possessions in. I won't be shipping the rest of my stuff for quite a while, so it would be good to take a few things in the car. However I have had mixed messages over possessions in the car. One shipper said I could stuff it full, the other said, only 4 boxes due to potential movement and damage and online I have read that you shouldn't put anything in the car due to movement and damage to the car. What did everyone else do? Or any other views?

Thanks for your help!

[BenScoobert]

Hi all

I am seriously considering shipping my car out to NZ from the UK. I have a lot of commuter miles on my car (diesel), so the sale value here would be very low. I have checked with AA NZ and it fine to import. However I did notice a rusty screw under the bonnet today- is it only bodywork rust they worry about or any rust?

Another primary reason for shipping the car is to put some personal possessions in. I won't be shipping the rest of my stuff for quite a while, so it would be good to take a few things in the car. However I have had mixed messages over possessions in the car. One shipper said I could stuff it full, the other said, only 4 boxes due to potential movement and damage and online I have read that you shouldn't put anything in the car due to movement and damage to the car. What did everyone else do? Or any other views?

Thanks for your help!

I'll bump this thread then, as I was about to ask similar questions.
My car is worth a lot more in NZ than here, plus I love the car, so I was thinking to fill it.

If the shipping company's only concern is movement then strap it all down in the car, surely a fully filled car can't have movement. Put in a dog guard to protect the front.
What's this rust issue?

[JandM]

I know that many shippers are fine with a car being packed full of whatever you want - shop around. And I know of cars that were packed full, and arrived without damage, no problem.

Here's an old thread that will give you some idea of the NZ attitude to rust in cars - useful links there. http://www.enz.org/forum/showthread.php?t=33095

[lou76]

Thanks both. I personally would have thought a full car would be better than one will just a few boxes in. Its just strange that one of the companies, specifed only 4 boxes (not negotiable), due to potential damage. Probably just trying to make more money out of us!

Does everything have to be in boxes for customs, or can you pad it out with duvets etc?

[BenScoobert]

Oh **** mine just got (more) complicated, I have an american 4x4 in UK, left hand drive is illegal over there. Emailed for conversion quotes as if I sell it here I'll get about £10k but going rate over there seems to be $45-50k, nothing is simple is it!!

[adotie]

We've just shipped my car in, a 7 year old Ford Fiesta, brought primarily because we wouldn't have got much for it back in the UK, and we thought buying a similar vehicle out here would cost in excess of any shipping costs. The car failed WOF first time due to under body rust, for which we paid $1200 to have removed and treated. Apparently this is a common problem with cars coming from the UK due to the grit used on the roads. So, any difference in cost has been negligble for us, and it meant I went a lot longer without a car which was a hassle. Having said that, I am still glad we have it, as I do find the manual drive far easier to handle on some of the roads out here than an automatic, but that's just personal!

[lou76]

Thanks Adotie. Did you know about the rust when you shipped it , or was it a surprise when it entered NZ? Did you fill your call with personal stuff?

I also have a fiesta and I think people must think I am mad going through the effort for what is essentially a relatively cheap car, but I have had it from new and I wouldn't get much for it in the 2nd hand market here in the UK. Have you had any problems with parts over there?

I agree about the manual. Last time I was in NZ, I had an auto, but missed the control you have with a manual.

[adotie]

Thanks Adotie. Did you know about the rust when you shipped it , or was it a surprise when it entered NZ? Did you fill your call with personal stuff?

I also have a fiesta and I think people must think I am mad going through the effort for what is essentially a relatively cheap car, but I have had it from new and I wouldn't get much for it in the 2nd hand market here in the UK. Have you had any problems with parts over there?

I agree about the manual. Last time I was in NZ, I had an auto, but missed the control you have with a manual.

We didn't have a clue about the rust, so it was a bit of a shock when we realised the extra cost! The car had been serviced in the few months before we left, and it had needed some work doing on a door which we'd been putting off, so we got that sorted. Nobody mentioned anything about underbody rust, but then I think that its such a common thing in the UK that its not something that would necessarily be highlighted I guess.

We didn't pack anything in it as had been told we couldn't. But to be honest I'm not sure we would have anyway. It took a lot longer to get the car through and out (aside from the work needed on it) than it did to get the household stuff cleared through.

As for parts I can't comment, its only been a few weeks that we've had it over here, and fingers crossed it will be a while longer before we need to worry about that! We did check with a garage out here before shipping, and were told that most would be available here and anything else could be got from the UK.