Buying a car, is it straight forward?

[supernovadw]

Hi there everyone.

I'm from the UK but live in Laos, I've been looking around on the internet at cars in Malaysia and it seems like there is a very nice selection of classics available there for a good price such as MK1 & MK2 Escorts etc..

Anyhow I was just wandering if I come down to Malaysia is it easy for me to buy a used car and can I put it in my name? Or is it a potential pain as in Laos?

Thanks in advance

[Necron99]

Check Laos import laws and duties.......

[beerlaodrinker]

Do you want to buy the car in Malaysia and import it to Laos or export it elsewhere? ( UK)?

[supernovadw]

Do you want to buy the car in Malaysia and import it to Laos or export it elsewhere? ( UK)?

Check Laos import laws and duties.......

I don't want to import to Laos, as Beerlaodrinker said I am thinking of buying to send to the UK.

I do have a friend in Vientiane who has a Malaysian registered car and simply does visa runs for his car by driving to Nong Khai once per month so it also could be an idea to buy a car for myself there and do that as the prices are so much cheaper and there is a very nice selection of old cars there which is what I like.

[Albert Shagnastier]

You want it for yourself I take it - not to make money?

[supernovadw]

You want it for yourself I take it - not to make money?

If I bought one and took it to Laos yes I would simply keep it however I am looking in to the idea of sending some to the UK to sell on, why'd you ask?

Anyhow does anyone have any idea if you can easily buy a car in Malaysia?

[Albert Shagnastier]

I am looking in to the idea of sending some to the UK to sell on, why'd you ask?

Because I've looked into it many times myself

UK end, If the mark-up is there after import costs/taxes/registration - why not.

I have no experience, but would guess that the Malaysian side is a simple exercise of paying the required bribe/taxes.

[Fondles]

Can't buy one on a standard visitor visa.

[Roobarb]

^ agreed.

In addition: to change anything on the registration of the car it needs to be inspected by Puspacom. They check for structural integrity (i.e. that it's not a cut & shut), roadworthiness (brakes/lights etc, bit like a UK MOT test), to ensure that all numbers match the registration document and that the car is not recorded as stolen/has a bank lien on it/outstanding police summonses.

You may find that some old cars are being offered cheaply as the owners know that changing the ownership might prove problematic. Some years back the company that I worked for in KL had a company car that had had a reconditioned engine fitted. Nobody of course thought to update the registration so when we came to sell the thing it couldn't be transferred to the new owner until we got the customs documents to show that tax had been paid on the imported replacement engine. Luckily for us the garage still had the necessary paperwork. A Mk 1 Escort that had an engine changed by someone's uncle in a remote kampong twenty years ago... it could prove more difficult.

For export I think you need to de-register the car first, so if all you are doing is buying the car to export it then it shouldn't need to be put in your name as being de-registered there would, fairly obviously, be no registration. I'd guess that de-registration would also mean a trip to Puspacom first so make sure that the engine and chassis numbers match the paperwork and that the car hides no surprises. Perhaps get the seller to do it/make it a condition of sale.

When it arrives you'll be hit for some import duties in the UK as you/it won't qualify for tax exemption. Not sure how the UK registration works but it would need to pass an MOT test.

As an aside, I'd be a little wary of buying a classic car in Asia. Decades of poor parts supply and no annual road tests make for some truly spectacular bodge jobs. I had an old Alfa in Malaysia which whilst 'fully restored' would have struggled to get through a UK MOT. The replacement wiring for instance was highly dodgy, but then again it was an Alfa so electrics were never a strong point even when new.

Good luck with the idea, if you do give it a try then post a thread on how it goes.

[nigelandjan]

Hope your getting on ok over there Loveydovey ,, not heard much from you a long time ,, is your Mum over yet ?

all the best

[Primo]

A mk1 or 2 Escort would have rusted away by the time you got it to Laos or the UK.

[supernovadw]

Thanks very much for all the replies!!!!

Very helpful!

Before posting this I stupidly forgot that my Dads cousin lives in Malaysia and is married to a Malaysian man so that should certainly help!

As for the condition of the cars I'm no so bothered to be honest as its just the shells which are the important part really, I am actually back in the uk at the moment for a short while but when I get back to Laos I shall take a journey down to see what's on the market.

Importation to the UK is very easy to be honest, and the costs are quite fair (I've done it before from Japan)

Wish me luck

[Fondles]

Just buy a new one.

BRAND NEW Ford Escort Mexico/RS1800/ RS2000 MK2 Shell, see this !!! Big | eBay

[TonyBKK]

I have no experience, but would guess that the Malaysian side is a simple exercise of paying the required bribe/taxes.

Yes, it's obvious you have no experience and know fuck all about Malaysia.

[rickschoppers]

I would think if it was easy to do and make money on it, everyone would be doing same.

Never easy to take a vehicle from point A to point B when two different governments are involved.

I imported a Mercedes from Saudi Arabia to the US, and it was a royal pain in the ass.

[AndyCap]

When I had a tooling company near KL about 7 or 8 years back, all around me there were Malay chop shops repairing "classic" cars, used to see all sorts.

Might be worth looking into. A drive around the repair shop areas of USJ, ShaAlam, etc. and a chat with some of the salesmen might throw more light on the subject.

I always thought that this was underestimated.

Cheers

Parky

[leemo]

It can be done but take this test before you try, blindfold yourself and walk to Rayong. If you're already in Rayong then walk to Pattaya.

[bangkokbonecollector]

Visa runs for his car, now I have heard it all

[peterpan]

I brought TR4 in Kl, pain in the ass with regulations, par-tic if anything was changed My TR ran hot so i put an oil cooler on it.
I wished I hadn't bothered. The company I worked for change the tire size on the truck they owned, Fuck me what a hassle!

[supernovadw]

Bit of a revival on my thread here.

Not looked into the idea much recently in all honesty but certainly doesn't mean that I have dismissed it!

Paperwork wise the import into the UK is very easy and the tax very low for classic cars, as for Malaysia I'm sure it'll be more difficult however nothings impossible!

Main thing I'm waiting for is warmer weather as I don't want to begin buying cars now as it'd mean I'd have to go back to the UK in the middle of the winter, something that I certainly do not want to be doing!

[bobfish]

Unless you're really smitten, I'm not sure if it would be worth the hassle for a mildly collectable classic or three. A lotus/mexico would be already be priced accordingly. Moons ago I ran around in many friends cars in Penang - mainly Brit sports cars purveyed by the garage which was near the E&O - fun, but all suffered from rot in the tropics.

Later, I had a P930 imported from Penang, no rot, but then it did have a galvanised body. Still miss it .....but I've no idea if the original owner made anything on exporting it.

I've also shipped a few cars HK to Oz - MB560SEL, MB320CE, P944T, P9113.2. Like I say, you've got to be smitten....

[bobfish]

MK2 is best, its smooth and easy to drive

Bit like a Vios then?