hi mate nice sprint you have there are some alfa garages over there not as many as here but there are some and there are a few sprints and suds about too.
here is a link to another site look under the boxer section and there are a couple of aussies on there so you can ask them some questions hope this helps
http://www.alfabb.com/bb/forums/index.php
good luck with the move at least you should have nice weather but more creepy crawlies .

 

If you dont you'll do nothing but wish you had

 

No - I think you should sell it. I hear Alfa parts cost a fortune in Aussie - that's if you can even find them.

It just so happens I am looking for another sprint too.

 

Don't listen to ignorant people who know nothing about Australia.
Here are a few FACTS:
I live in Hobart Tasmania with a Sprint and a 33 and I buy my parts from Turin Imports in Adelaide http://www.turinimports.com.au/ who deliver overnight. Prices are very reasonable eg just bought new thermostat $60AUD, timing belts $55AUD and got a price on a new clutch master cylinder $100AUD. There are many other places that have Alfa parts-they are not difficult to find and prices are reasonable. I am sure there will be several places in Perth that can look after your Sprint. There is at least one Alfa specialist in Hobart that I have found (and probably more) although I do most of my own. I previously lived in Brisbane and there were many Alfa specialists there (parts and service).
Here in Hobart I have seen at least 6 other Sprints and there are also quite a few 33's including 16V's around. Same in Brisbane.
Have a look at http://www.alfaclub.org.au/supplier.htm just to satisfy yourself.
I can't believe the bum steer above!!

Cheers
tassie tony

 

Don't listen to ignorant people who know nothing about Australia.

I can't believe the bum steer above!!

Bit harsh! We often have Australians posting here, complaining about the costs of part in Oz.

So, alfaguy, whilst not fully aware of the situation was only trying to help.

wrinx

 

Take it you know you oughta.

 

IMO you might be better to sell it and buy another once you are settled in OZ.

You should be able to find plenty of Alfas in Australia since the weather is better on them than the UK. When I was on holiday in Perth I saw a few but not as many as in Melbourne.

The weather in Perth is very hot during the summer but I dont know if Sprints there came with uprated cooling or maybe AC.

It is never easy to sell up a great Alfa that you own and I wish I'd never had to sell my Sprint but could never have used it here.

Anyway, good luck with the move. Having moved from Scotland to here I know how much work is involved

 

I would only consider bringing it is it was a prime example of it's type .
I am not sure what you would need to do to register it. Aussie Alfa Romeos were sold with different design requiremants to the UK.
As far as buying one here.....
Alfa used to sell less than 2000 cars a year so you can magine how may Sprints were actually sold.......and they are not necessarily worth much here as well.

 

Aussie Alfa Romeos were sold with different design requirements to the UK.

Any idea what they were ?
Are we talking structural differences or just different lights etc ?

Will my car need to be modified to comply with these different regs if I export her to Oz?

 

i live in perth and own a sprint (my fifth one i think). parts aren't that difficult to get, nor are they overly expensive. sure, they may be a bit dearer than in the UK where there are more cars available, but it's definitely not hard or overly budget-draining to get them.

there are also several alfa specialists including auto italia, autodelta, and ciliberti (expensive). licencing isn't that big an issue either. in WA we don't have annual licensing checks or MOTs or that type of thing. essentially you have you car licensed and just pay your rego every six to 12 months and that's it - no checks.

the local alfa club isn't any great chops and seems more focussed on organising barbecues than events that actually get you out and driving your alfa the way it's meant to be driven.

in terms of whether to bring your sprint over - i can't really help other than to say that sprints are getting a bit rarer over here, but when the pop up you can still grab them for anywhere from AUD$1,000 to AUD$5,000 - so not overly pricey either. there was recently a sud that was selling for AUD$500.

any idea where you'll be settling?

 

These are some web sites to look at to see cars for sale on the net:
http://www.carpoint.com.au/used-cars/
http://www.drive.com.au/buy/
http://carsguide.news.com.au/

cheers
tassie tony

 

but when the pop up you can still grab them for anywhere from AUD$1,000 to AUD$5,000

That's something which might be a factor - cars in Australia seem to be more expensive than in the UK. If you can find some way under Aussie law that allows you to import an old car like a Sprint, then importing it could save it from dying of rust (sooner, in the UK.. as opposed to dying of rust later in Australia...).
And you might have your non-sun-damaged Sprint for hopefully no more than it'd cost you to buy an Australian example, assuming a good one came up for sale.

 

I think it was a post with some light humour

 

ben nz - Re: the $1,000-$5,000.

don't forget the conversion rate. UK pound is worth roughly twice as much as an aussie dollar. AUD$1,000 is about 400 pound.

the strong sun does tend to trash the dashboards though.

 

Tough one. Gonna be a hell of a drive if you do though! :lol:

 

Hi
I live in Perth W.A i moved here 7 years ago from Scotland and i have a 33 which i bought here a couple of years ago, i dont have any problems getting ahold of parts. I recently got the braking system overhauled and had no probs with the parts. When you convert the cost of parts etc to uk pounds its not expensive.

If its immaculate i would bring it. Good examples are worth more over here.

 

Thanks for all the replies - I've never felt so popular !

The Sprint's in pretty good condition for her age. Gary at Bianco's called her a survivor and said it's getting rare to get one in better condition which chuffed me to bits ! (there's a couple of photos in the Sprint gallery if you're interested)
She's a 1987 Green Cloverleaf, 55,000 miles or so, 2 previous owners from new. She's had work done but I'm guessing it's becoming harder to find one that hasn't.
I'd like to take her as we've 'bonded' well and truly. I know she has problems lined up for me in the future as any good Alfa does but I reckon better the devil you know and all that....

I'm all prepared to do work on the car mechanically but bodywork is beyond me so any specialists would be invaluable.

My sister lives in Palmyra in South Perth/Fremantle so we'd aim for that area to start with.

Got to dash - kids need bathing. Back later....

 

No differences that i know of, lights are exactly the same. I owned a couple of 33's and a couple of 146's before i came to Perth. Everything is exactly the same as the UK models.

If you have any other questions i am happy to assist.

Franco.

 

Thank you for the offer !

No doubt I'll be asking quite a few questions over the next few weeks and months

 

Dear Stuart,

I did exactly this back in 1995. The bill for moving (I was already in Perth) was $3500 AuD. Make sure you have all the necessary paperwork (ownership, bill of sale etc) You get extra bills once it has arrived. I got a $200 bill for quarantine steam clean that didnt happen. This is very annoying. You may need to modify the vehicle so that it meets the Australian design rules of that year. Wing mirrors need to be plane not convex. (Aussie drivers need to see images at the correct size) You may need to fit rear seat belts. I had to fit baby seat bolts in the boot and you will need to change the speedo so that it shows KPH. There is no problem getting Alfa spares in Perth. Fremantle is loaded with Greeks and Italians and so there is a huge interest in Alfa. Only the MG car club is bigger. It is extremely difficult finding anybody who can do a good wheel alignment. John Apathy at Woodsies windscreens is an Alfa silver smith and does absolutely the best work. I can even remember his phone number in Perth 9272 8999.John did a load of stuff on my Greencloverleaf and it basically hasn't gone wrong since. That was back in 2001 and I now live in Queensland. Far fewer Alfas on the Sunshine Coast. Contact me if you have any further questions. Howard www.eastmarinedrive.com

 

Aye! Take it..!

Aussie rules (?) say you can register any car as long as it passes the "pits" (kind of MOT). You need a km/h speedo.. that's all.

There's a whole cottage industry of places that supply, build, repair and fabricate... more than in the UK. For example, the speedo can be professionally modified so that it reads in Km/h (they replace the markings, so the odo' is still in miles... but who cares?) and if your dashboard splits from too much UV, almost anywhere can repair it, so it looks like new.

Once registered, your car keeps it's plate as long as you keep the rego' active (like road tax). No MOT or annual inspection required, which means there are some horrors out there.. but generally people are sensible and you don't see too many mobile wrecks.

So take your motor.. it's cheap and easy!

Ralf S.

 

Thanks guys,

I'm in the process of getting some quotes for shipping her over.

I'll let you know how we get on...

 

Just had the first quote in from PSS

£1,600 just to ship it over to Perth !

Then I've got import duty and GST (VAT) to pay on top.

Looking like it's going to be over £2,000 in total.

Gutted !

Anybody else know any shipping agents ?

Stuart

 

Was just looking back at the post - time is flying by.

Our house sold (subject to contract) in 5 days !
The woman who's buying wants to move in asap so it looks like we might be on our way in under 10 weeks. OMG !

Have just had a quote back from RJJ freight for £725 for shipping the Sprint on a RO-RO car transport from Southampton to Fremantle.
Journey takes 5-6 weeks.
Price is much cheaper than any other quote. Not sure why. Anybody else heard of RJJ Freight? They seem to be a fairly legit car transportation company.

Also can anybody help with sourcing a set of clocks in KMH ?
(ideally from a 1700 sprint as that is what is fitted to mine)

Are there any parts I should try and pick up before we move out that are hard to come by in Oz, or Perth in particular ?

Cheers,
Stuart

 

http://www.alfaclub.org.au/

Don't know if you've been to this site, but AROCA is probably one of Australia's most prominent car clubs. It's worth getting in contact with some people to find out whether its worth bringing your car.

If it's feasible, I'd love to have it in my country

 

Welcome to Australia... when u get here... with or with out your existing car... I have a 105 2000GTV and a couple of sad sprints that we are breathing life to. Not many people here value Sprints and Suds... but those that do... do love them. Parts are avail... not easy but ok.

 

I looked into exports for a couple of friends last year - basically, if you have owned the vehicle for at least a year, there's not much hassle with importing it. If it's under a year (irrespective of the age of the vehicle) then good luck - you'll need Aussie type approval.

This is to deter people from buying a new motor the day before they emigrate - i.e. only personal imports are acceptable (to avoid paying loads of import taxes).