RESEARCH
I decided a few months ago to buy one of these beautiful cars and so started trawling the internet. I found one in upper New York State I liked and started discussing monies, as I live in London and the car was in New York, there was a lot to organise but I wanted to just pay and get the car without looking at it or getting anyone else to check it over. The guy selling it pulled out and sold to someone else at the eleventh hour. Although I was initially disappointed, it turned out to be the best thing because he honestly explained that the car probably wouldnt pass its MOT here in the UK. Honestly prevailed.. so I was back to square one and less hasty. I started to ask many more questions and began to get an awful lot of helpful advice. I pleaded ignorance from the beginning and found all sellers to be surprisingly upfront and honest. this website turned out to be the most useful place to buy a Pagoda!
Then I started thinking what I could afford, the ones in the UK were out of my price range and not actually in as good condition as those in the states (tip number one you need a rust free sound car and this is where you will find them!). The US dollar was weak against the pound so I thought I'd buy a US car needless to say it was left hand drive but I wasn't fussed about that.
I posted a message here with what I was looking for and received a response from Douglas Kim the secretary who was thinking of selling his car. After 100s of emails and an inspection by Christies in New York (who said if I didnt buy it they would have it!!) I bought this beauty with all original features:
-no rust (only the most superficial and small/isolated areas of it)
-clearly never been hit/very straight (original nose, bonnet, tail and doors, but fenders/wings were changed)
-very good chrome
-strong motor & recently serviced transmission
-extensive recent documented maintenance
-very original/unmodified (original radio, wheels, soft top, spare, toolkit, etc.)
-with the exception of the seats, the interior is very good and original
GARAGE
Again with a car like this it would be foolish not to look after it so I looked into garages in London, well as you can imagine I might as well take out another mortgage...
www.craigslist.com is good as is
www.gumtree.com but also google private car parks because people have council garages and often they will let but I found an underground car park in town as a camden resident it worked out cheaper and its manned 24/7 with cctv so its worth doing although costs a grand a year, my advice shop around and something will come through...
IMPORT INSURANCE
I used Devonshire wilson, they were helpful and it cost me about £180 . Marine insurance is based on the value of the vehicle. It must be purchased through an FSA regulated broker. details are; Devonshire Wilson, contact - Stewart Johnson. Tel; 01482 330253).
CAR IMPORT
as with the car it pays to shop around, I suggest getting about ten qoutes if you have the time and if like me you want to be sure they will look after the vehicle, my advice is to ship the car in a container not roll on roll off as its much safer, for an extra £200. It cost me £900 to ship from New York to Thamesport with Customs on top of that.
I used Steve Shores
Kingstown Shipping Ltd
Ferry Berth
King George Dock
Hull
HU9 5PS
Tel: 01482 374116
Fax: 01482 711997
email: steve@kingstown-shipping.co.uk
website:
www.kingstown-shipping.co.ukThey were very helpful, they sort out all customs forms and advise on how to fill them out and take the stress out of it. They held my hand throughout the ordeal and believe me I was like a mother hen even checking the cross ocean weather reports!
WARNING!
However this is very important...I must inform you of the potential serious hazard that could have occurred to me after collecting the vehicle as a result of the methods of starting the car. I went to collect the car, a guy drove off in a fork lift truck to jump start her after she had been sitting in a container for three weeks. He drove it round and it dually stalled several times. I managed to get out of the dock but it consequently stalled again, totally dead with no power.
The guys at the docks were very helpful, however, as it transpired when speaking to the breakdown man, my MOT guy and my mechanic the outcome was that by jump starting my car with a fork lift truck they had melted the wires from the starter motor and I was lucky the engine didn’t blow! They had either put the leads on the wrong way or the fork lift truck had 24v and not 12v. I am very grateful that I have the best mechanic who has gone out of his way to help me get her back on the road
My concern is this. The guys at the docks were very helpful and friendly and I quote 'its alright love, we know what we are doing, we do this all the time!' but their enthusiasm could have potentially caused me serious injury and secondly irreversible damage to my car. I suggest you take a friend and a pair of jump leads, that way the onus is on you to get teh car started.
INSURANCE
The car cannot be registered until its in the UK, which makes it tricky collecting said vehicle from the port. So you have to find an insurance company that will insure your vehicle on the chassis/VIN number and there are not many. I used Lancaster Insurance which were good and competitively priced. I certainly put them to the test when after having the car in my hands for only half an hour I had to call on their services to come and collect me from the side of the road with my melted wires! They were prompt, professional and very chatty! very nice...
So along the way I have been introduced to some lovely people who have made what is a tricky, risky business buying a car off the internet from a guy I have never met, a car I have never seen, and never test driven, a worthwhile and exciting experience - I thank you all, you know who you are and Douglas, I thank you for your total honesty - you and all the others have restored my faith in humanity.
I hope this has been helpful... oh by the way Im trying to upload some snaps and it wont allow! any ideas?
Nix
