Talk Quesada forum

Babu wrote:ITV is MOT and don't forget you'll need to buy new LHD headlamps too if UK car to pass ITV . . . there are firms mentioned on here that do the necessary for you . ..

yeah mate i kinda no that has the headlights point the wrong way being a HGV Driver Class 1 but thanks

You may also need the rear fog lights re-wiring to comply with Spanish regulations.

Presumably, as an HGV driver you’re familiar with driving a RHD vehicle in Europe?
The problem is that once you’ve done the re-registration of a UK car, along with the necessary lights conversion and paid the import taxes, you’ll end-up with a car that’s not very desireable on the resale market. That means that you need to run it into the ground before replacing it to get your moneies worth. As it gets older then getting replacement parts may be difficult, especially if there RHD specific such as steering components. If you are going to do this then choose a vehicle that’s popular in Spain, so scrap cars will be easier to come by. Remember that it’s illegal for a UK resident to drive a foreign registered vehicle in the UK, so taking the car back to the UK for a major repai will mean getting it ferried both ways on a transporter (maybe no time an issue if you have friends in the transport game).

Personally, I prefer to drive a LHD vehicle in Spain, and I like my vehicle to be fairly reliable so that when I arrive back in Spain I can be fairly confident that it will start and run well. For that reason, running an old RHD Car into the ground isn’t the way I chose to go.

If you want an estimate of cost for re-registration then contact Graham Shelton at:
http://www.spanish-number-plates.com

The FAQs on his website will also help you to understand more about the process and potential pitfalls.

Pete.

PeteKnight wrote:You may also need the rear fog lights re-wiring to comply with Spanish regulations.

Presumably, as an HGV driver you’re familiar with driving a RHD vehicle in Europe?
The problem is that once you’ve done the re-registration of a UK car, along with the necessary lights conversion and paid the import taxes, you’ll end-up with a car that’s not very desireable on the resale market. That means that you need to run it into the ground before replacing it to get your moneies worth. As it gets older then getting replacement parts may be difficult, especially if there RHD specific such as steering components. If you are going to do this then choose a vehicle that’s popular in Spain, so scrap cars will be easier to come by. Remember that it’s illegal for a UK resident to drive a foreign registered vehicle in the UK, so taking the car back to the UK for a major repai will mean getting it ferried both ways on a transporter (maybe no time an issue if you have friends in the transport game).

Personally, I prefer to drive a LHD vehicle in Spain, and I like my vehicle to be fairly reliable so that when I arrive back in Spain I can be fairly confident that it will start and run well. For that reason, running an old RHD Car into the ground isn’t the way I chose to go.

If you want an estimate of cost for re-registration then contact Graham Shelton at:
http://www.spanish-number-plates.com

The FAQs on his website will also help you to understand more about the process and potential pitfalls.

Pete.

Thanks pete

i did think of getting a LHD from the uk driving it across mate how would this fair mate am i just better buying a car from spain and saving me driving it across and all the bother ?

If you buy a LHD in the U.K. then there can be issues with outstanding finance, fines etc in the original country. You’d still need to re-register it in Spain, and pay import tax.
If you buy a Spanish registered car in the U.K. then be very careful, as it can be impossible to transfer it into your name if the paperwork from the previous owner isn’t in order.

Personally, I’d just buy a car in Spain.

Pete.

PeteKnight wrote:If you buy a LHD in the U.K. then there can be issues with outstanding finance, fines etc in the original country. You’d still need to re-register it in Spain, and pay import tax.
If you buy a Spanish registered car in the U.K. then be very careful, as it can be impossible to transfer it into your name if the paperwork from the previous owner isn’t in order.

Personally, I’d just buy a car in Spain.

Pete.

thanks mate i buy a car in spain would love a old Mercedes with leather trim lol:text-goodpost:

We bought a car in Spain because the hire charges were ridiculous. We came over about 7 times last year and could have bought a car with what we spent on hire cars , we leave ours at eco park near the airport €250 for the year,they pick us up take us to the washed car, and on our return they take us back to airport.its a no brainer

Nikon wrote:thanks mate i buy a car in spain would love a old Mercedes with leather trim lol:text-goodpost:

When we bought our house, the previous owner was selling-up and moving back to the UK after 15 years of living in Spain. He had a Merc 220 that he wanted to get rid of, so we made him an offer for the house including the furniture and the car (although we excluded the furniture and car values from the purchase price so we didn’t pay property purchase tax and estate agent fees on them).
We ran the Merc for 18 months then traded it in for a people carrier as we needed a bit more space, but I quite liked it. They’re quite popular in Spain, so parts are easy to get hold of and there’s are lots of mechanics who know their way around them.

Pete.

MargaretNKen wrote:We bought a car in Spain because the hire charges were ridiculous. We came over about 7 times last year and could have bought a car with what we spent on hire cars , we leave ours at eco park near the airport €250 for the year,they pick us up take us to the washed car, and on our return they take us back to airport.its a no brainer

Yeah that was my point and like you say leave it near the airport and they collect you and you just leave it what a great idea. Well I do some looking someone will be selling a old merc or bmw so I just keep my eye out

MargaretNKen wrote:We bought a car in Spain because the hire charges were ridiculous. We came over about 7 times last year and could have bought a car with what we spent on hire cars , we leave ours at eco park near the airport €250 for the year,they pick us up take us to the washed car, and on our return they take us back to airport.its a no brainer

I've often wondered, if the car is parked at one of the airport car parks,what would happen if you didn't get over to Spain for say 5 months or more for any unexpected reason and the battery was flat.Does the Eco park company help you get it going?

Also what if the ITV date falls at a time when it's impossible to get to Spain for any reason? I know if you have a car in Spain you would know when the ITV is due and try to get it done in advance of leaving the car but there may be a time when unexpected things happen.

As we get older we have to factor in the unexpected.

Hi Nikon, try renting from Lara cars, they will meet you at the airport. After many years of being messed about by the other rental firms, I finally used Lara cars on my last visit. They quote you a price for the time you are out there, and that is all you pay, no swiping of credit cards. The car I was given was in good condition, comfortable, and I think they included child seats at no extra cost. look them up on the tinter web.