Importing a Dax cobra from the UK

mightyyid · #1 (**permalink**) 11-20-2006, 01:38 AM

Chaps

New to the site so apologies for not saying hello first...

Looking to move to Melbourne next year (lived there before and with an Australian missus, should not be a problem), and will bring my Dax with me. However, having looked into everything, it seems all will be fine other than the requirements of the vehicle standards people. I have heard that certain things that may need to be changed are the wing mirrors (as the glass has to be a certain something) and obviously the speedo.

Therefore, my question, mainly directed towards anyone who may have been through this process, is how strict they are and what it means. Is it a situation where they appreciate the car for what it is and are flexible, or will they insist on you changing the wing mirrors for ugly, non-standard ones that meet their requirements?

Likewise, if I have a speedo that is both mph and kph (regardless as my current one is just mph so will need to change), is this acceptable, or does it have to be kph only, or kph with the bigger letters (if you see what I mean)?

Anything else I need to be aware of? I know the car needs to be clean from top to bottom and it should be OK since I do not take it out in the rain etc, but even so, if I were to take a jet wash to it, the whole car would be soaked in seconds - it's hardly a water tight car!

Anyway, would be interested to hear from anyone, even those who have Dax in Australia. More details of the car can be provided if needed.

My ultimate aim to take the car to our summer house in QLD and leave it there for great summer driving, but as Melbourne will probably be our base, I'll wait and see...

Many thanks to you all.

Andy

PS What's the Melbourne chapter of the club like?

Bryan Wilson · #2 (**permalink**) 11-20-2006, 02:00 AM

Hi Andy,
First and most important question, what is the year of first registration of your Cobra as this will have a bearing as to what adr's (Australian design rules) the car must comply to.
My car is a Southern Roadcraft another pommy import.

The Victorian Cobra car club is a very active club with large numbers attending most meetings.
Cheers,
Bryan

mightyyid · #3 (**permalink**) 11-20-2006, 02:26 AM

Bryan

Cheers for that... Was trying to remember good old ADR's - thanks for that.

Car is registered on the documents as a 1974 model (Jag XJS originally), which I am pretty sure means that I'll be clear of many. Owned the car for just less than a year by the time I come it ship it, so given it's over the 30 year old bracket, I reckon it should be OK.

Any ideas on how this relates to ADR's - and thanks for responding!

Andy

mightyyid · #4 (**permalink**) 11-20-2006, 02:30 AM

Bryan Wilson · #5 (**permalink**) 11-20-2006, 02:58 AM

Andy,
My Cobra is also registered as a 1974 Jaguar so you shouldn't have to much trouble getting it registered here as the 74 adr's weren't all that involved.
It sure gets some funny looks at car shows when people look at the rego label and see it listed as a 74 Jag

As my avatar is my speedo and it's still in MPH

Cheers,
Bryan

mightyyid · #6 (**permalink**) 11-20-2006, 03:14 AM

Cheers Bryan

How long ago did you import it (or was it imported) and how come they let the speedo go in mhp? I would have thought they would have requested that be changed?

Andy

Bryan Wilson · #7 (**permalink**) 11-20-2006, 03:32 AM

Andy, I would have to look through my documentation but from memory it came into Australia in 1992 but it only had to meet 74 adr's. I have a 74 Monaro and the speedo on that is in both MPH and KPH so there must have been a time around then that either was acceptable.
I purchased the car in May 1999 and all I can see in the engineers report to be changed was side intrusion bars in the doors (year like that would help in a Cobra) and a reversing light.
Cheers,
Bryan

LoBelly · #8 (**permalink**) 11-21-2006, 04:18 AM

Hello Andy

we're looking forward to seeing you and your (very sweet) car.
I can see why you wont be leaving it behind

be keen to see how a rover-engined car goes (?!)

LoBelly

mightyyid · #9 (**permalink**) 11-21-2006, 07:04 AM

Cheers LoBelly

Rover engined goes OK but not great - about 200bhp from the lightened engine but I actually thought it was going to be quicker than it is. However, to be honest I have not bought it for speed (and having incurred more speeding fines in Aus when I lived there 2000-2002 than I ever have in the UK), but for for the pose value and because, having built one in the past with a mate that was actually pretty damn terrible) I wanted one that looked good and sounded great.

Would be good to have it on the road there and hoping they will not change it too much. I also bought a 3.5 as having sat in a few with the Ford and Chevy V8's, the amount of room in the cockpit for a 6' 1" chap like me was not good. And given budget (cost me about $40k AUD), and the fact it was set up by an RAF chap on a runway, knew it would be pretty good.

The interior looks great in the pics but is actually not that good, so needs a complete reno. However, funds, moving to Melbourne, and my aim to set up a business may curtail that. However, would be great to meet up with other Cobra boys and spot the difference and all that.

Cheers

Andy

Ralph_C · #10 (**permalink**) 11-22-2006, 03:19 PM

Hi Andy,

I have a DAX but chassis/body were brought in and car built here (1985 - has MPH speedo). Biggest problem was lack of Oz acceptable engineering info from DJ Sportscars. It would depend on the state you register it in, but if they accept it as 1974 (and Bryan's response shows Vic may), you should have minimal problems.