Kirkhams in Australia

[Towmaster]

Originally Posted by damage

Sorry have to disagree with a lot of what's been said here. Even though I'm not an expert I'll add my 2 cents.

You can buy a foreign car and bring it in to the country PROVIDED you get Federal approval.

There is a fairly lengthy approval process to go through if the car isn't on an approved import list. Such as proving the car is a volume manufactured item which is just supply specs and marketing brochure etc etc.

There is one or two approved Cobra manufacturers on this Federal approved list.

I bought in an F150 Raptor in 2012 Ford F150's were already on the approved car list so importation stipulations were car had to be brand new. (Converted it compliance etc once here)

I bought my Kirkham as a complete vehicle WITH the cammer. I had already started going down the import route when I was introduced to AP (by Kirkham)

AP suggested I break the car into parts Kirkham built the car and fitted everything to it and then disassembled to send it to Australia ( no charge by Kirkham for disassembly)

If I had to do this again I would go the full construction imported into Australia because if the car is manufactured with the engine in it the compliance is a lot easier the as an ICV. (So I am told more recently by other people that have more experience then me)

The requirement to have owned the car driven lived there etc is for personal imports that's a totally different situation that I don't know a great deal about.

The Ford Raptor is a mass produced production vehicle and as such has approved airbags, crash pads, collapsible steering column etc etc etc. Also there have been hundreds of Raptors imported and converted and registered legally here.

The Kirkham is not a production vehicle and as such does not have airbags etc. All new production vehicles registered in Australia must be fitted with a driver airbag minimum.

The exception to this (new vehicle registration) is ICV's and hot rods. They do not require airbags or a lot of other things that production cars require for registration.