Import possibility now possibly skoda S100

[tonyg85]

To the bottom for Skoda
I hope this is in the right section...
The Story
I'm living in Poland at present but am about to move back to good ol' Blighty

I am thinking of buying a classic piece of EasternBloc engineering to bring back with me and hopefully sell to a loving home
The Car
The lada Riva (as I'm sure you all know) is a badge engineers fiat 125 in poland this was sold as a Polski Fiat 125p (no faith in a Russian car you see)
I can get a fairly good example of a 1.5l model and bring it to the UK. It would be insured 3rd party on an open policy for 6 months or re-registered in Uk for a small price.
It will be LHD .

would this be of interest to anyone? if nothing else it will be a donor car....

Looking at something around the £1000 but could bring back an immaculate one for around £4k

This is a possibility for around £1k without the rims.

[mylittletony]

I think mechanical condition is key tbh. It sounds like a great price if it could pass an MOT

How about other variants, e.g wagon/pick up

[VIP]

It's the Fiat 124 that the Lada is based on, the Fiat 125/FSO Polski 125P is slightly bigger.

[composimmonite]

Seen your identical message on the Lada owners club forum. I'm sure therefore you are already posting there to the right people who might be interested.

To be honest, IMO, you have put an extra 0 on the prices quoted. I doubt many people here would pay £1000 for an average and £4000 for a good Lada when they can buy something far better made by Ford, Nissan, Vauxhall etc for less. The Lada enthusiast who would be willing to pay such amount already realise they can buy the cars a lot cheaper by getting on a flight to Poland and driving back themselves. Poland has bad winters so unless ex showroom then most people will be cynical about buying "sight unseen" as rust / rot was a serous problem on these car when less than 3 years old. The 1500cc 125P isn't the most desirable Lada model either. The Riva 1300 is a far better model based on my experiences of driving them when brand new. We had the Lada 1600 which was same bodyshape as the 125P but not very popular / fell apart before 1st MOT - worse than the 1200cc 124 model ! LHD drops the price / value. Polish insurance isn't transferable to a UK resident. The car would legally be required to be registered over here asap - there is no grace period if the intention is to sell. Somebody coming to UK for a holiday is Ok but as Polish workers now living here are finding out the law is clamping down on people using foreign registered vehicles with prosecutions for no insurance, no MOT, no VED etc if caught. The reason why Lada stopped selling in UK was they don't meet current emissions regulations that dictate VED band from march 2001. Not sure therefore how you'd get around that as doubt recognised by DVLA as having current UK certificate of conformity or whatever so suspect BIVA test will be due. Having foreign registration in another EU country isn't an automatic transfer to UK registration as I found out when I imported a Microcar from France
I'm sure there are plenty of vehicles you could import but, personally, have reservations about getting buyers for 125P Lada at the prices you quote.
I was after a Polish moped the other year so trawled quite a few Polish sale sites. Prices generally are higher for vehicles than a lot of other EU countries and quite a bit more than UK for comparable models. You might therefore be better looking at taking "coals to Newcastle" ie sourcing Lada's in UK and selling them in Poland if they will pay £4000 for one !

Paul h

[tonyg85]

Thanks guys.
It really was just a thought and I think between you all I have been set straight. I guess it'll have to wait until next year before I get behind any retro wheels again.

[composimmonite]

Don't misunderstand me. There is nothing wrong with the basic idea but IMO Lada's aren't the vehicle to do it with. Maybe nice Skoda S110R would fetch decent money. Same with early Octavia (the 1960's model) in that they'd easily sell when you could have a £1000+ Lada sitting around for months and then having to accept little more than scrap value unless UK registered, MOT'd etc as LHD foreign registered put a lot of people off.
Keep your eyes open for a Velorex Oskar, 16/250 or 16/300 as I'd be seriously interested and whilst Czec there were quite a few sold in Poland as well. I think the Polski Fiat 126P would also easily find UK buyer is in sound condition - especially the earlier air cooled versions.


Paul H

[VIP]

Oct 30, 2013 12:59:14 GMT composimmonite said:

Seen your identical message on the Lada owners club forum. I'm sure therefore you are already posting there to the right people who might be interested.

To be honest, IMO, you have put an extra 0 on the prices quoted. I doubt many people here would pay £1000 for an average and £4000 for a good Lada when they can buy something far better made by Ford, Nissan, Vauxhall etc for less. The Lada enthusiast who would be willing to pay such amount already realise they can buy the cars a lot cheaper by getting on a flight to Poland and driving back themselves. Poland has bad winters so unless ex showroom then most people will be cynical about buying "sight unseen" as rust / rot was a serous problem on these car when less than 3 years old. The 1500cc 125P isn't the most desirable Lada model either. The Riva 1300 is a far better model based on my experiences of driving them when brand new. We had the Lada 1600 which was same bodyshape as the 125P but not very popular / fell apart before 1st MOT - worse than the 1200cc 124 model ! LHD drops the price / value. Polish insurance isn't transferable to a UK resident. The car would legally be required to be registered over here asap - there is no grace period if the intention is to sell. Somebody coming to UK for a holiday is Ok but as Polish workers now living here are finding out the law is clamping down on people using foreign registered vehicles with prosecutions for no insurance, no MOT, no VED etc if caught. The reason why Lada stopped selling in UK was they don't meet current emissions regulations that dictate VED band from march 2001. Not sure therefore how you'd get around that as doubt recognised by DVLA as having current UK certificate of conformity or whatever so suspect BIVA test will be due. Having foreign registration in another EU country isn't an automatic transfer to UK registration as I found out when I imported a Microcar from France
I'm sure there are plenty of vehicles you could import but, personally, have reservations about getting buyers for 125P Lada at the prices you quote.
I was after a Polish moped the other year so trawled quite a few Polish sale sites. Prices generally are higher for vehicles than a lot of other EU countries and quite a bit more than UK for comparable models. You might therefore be better looking at taking "coals to Newcastle" ie sourcing Lada's in UK and selling them in Poland if they will pay £4000 for one !

Paul h

He's looking at importing an FSO 125P, not a Lada. They are different cars, as I stated above, and I've seen nice condition 125Ps go for up to £2000 in the UK.

Also, imported vehicles over 10 years old are not subject to BIVA, it's a simple MOT then apply for Registration process.

[composimmonite]

The FSO 125 wasn't such a bad car (I had 2). First cost £60 (decent MOT / bit of tax) and second £115 (£100 + 15% vat from car Transplants at Nantwich when 3 years old). Took first for MOT (passed) then came back home and swopped bit like exhaust, lights wheels & tyres steering column (no ignition switch on the Transplants one) and then took that for an MOT the same day ! I preferred it to the Polonez that we bought to replace it. Only 18 months old but total heap - ended up selling to friend for £50 after I got full MOT (they paid costs). Think I still got a genuine FSO workshop manual for the 125 in the loft !

Paul H

[composimmonite]

Also, imported vehicles over 10 years old are not subject to BIVA, it's a simple MOT then apply for Registration process.

True but how are post March 2001 vehicles that are over 10 years old treated for VED by DVLA ?
I know FSO weren't made then so not applicable to this situation but just wondering.

Paul h

[VIP]

I had an '85 125P in hearing aid beige. The front of the wings were rotting (its a dirt trap from crud thrown up from the front wheels), and it used to cook start motors on a regular basis. Also, mine had an annoying habit of getting curse word in the floatbowl, which would block the jets up, and would only drive at a stifled what. No changing of fuel filter would cure it for some strange reason, I I became adept and pulling over, whipping the top of the carb off and purging it with card cleaner.

[composimmonite]

I had a faulty FSO servo that slowly applied pressure to the master cylinder until the brakes almost stopped the car moving. Until I could source (plenty in scrap yards at the time) another servo I used to keep a gallon of water in the boot to pour over the discs as they got so hot. I've still got a spare fuel filter housing somewhere - nice cast alloy with glass bowl item. Also, not FSO but Lada, I've got several underbonnet lights that have the plunger switch built in. Not sure about FSO but the Lada tool kit was amazing. I've still got a set that I bought from car boot for something like £1 and excellent quality to keep in any car for emergencies.
When I sold the Polonez to the friend she hadn't much money as her husband had walked out and took their car (brand new Polonez !)with him so I repaired as cheap as possible. The exhaust failed on a mounting rubber so rather than buy one I simply used a flattened piece of heater hose. That didn't hold it in the right position so I slipped a length of steel inside the hose and had to drill mounting holes. Unfortunatley the drill bit caught in the rubber and I found myself with the bit embedded thought my left thumb nail. Even today, 25 years later, I have a split thumb nail as it permanently damaged the nail bed !
In my spares box is a FSO intermittent wiper controller - the back box with huge thumbwheel. I'm planning on using it on my Mahindra MM540
Good old days when no money but enough energy to hunt around scrap yards for parts to keep out old cars running. Rolled a FSO over at one scrap yards to remove the clutch plate. Took ages but time was free whereas the money to buy a new plate simply wasn't available.
The Polonez had a big end bolt come loose and made a mess of bottom end so off to F W McGuinness at Longport for another engine. Turned out the 4 and 5 speed engines were somehow different and as luck had it a Polonez came into the yard just as we were about to leave as nothing suitable. Scrappy gave £50 for the whole car then charged us something like £75 for the engine a few seconds later ! Changed it in the road outside the house using brute force as no crane or hoist - fencing post with 2 people on either end works just as well.

Paul H

[AB car pix]

How much pessimism by Composimmonite?!

A grand seems a steal for something that rare and clean. And anyone in the market for a lump of soviet steel knows the script when it comes to the quality of the cars.
Considering the rising popularity of retro eastern block cars I fully expect to see a trickle of them coming over here in the future. Maybe not in the same scale as the Russian exporting of the 90s, but I can see the appeal myself!

[composimmonite]

Oct 30, 2013 16:33:05 GMT AB car pix said:

How much pessimism by Composimmonite?!

A grand seems a steal for something that rare and clean. And anyone in the market for a lump of soviet steel knows the script when it comes to the quality of the cars.
Considering the rising popularity of retro eastern block cars I fully expect to see a trickle of them coming over here in the future. Maybe not in the same scale as the Russian exporting of the 90s, but I can see the appeal myself!

My pessimism is based on "putting my money where my mouth is" in the past with older generation Eastern European cars.
Yes I admit to being cynical but lets be honest whilst it's easy to say something is worth x number of pounds you still have to find a buyer who is willing to pay that amount. So somebody who has money to spend needs to be an enthusiast of such cars as most non enthusiast would choose a modern car in most cases than a Lada or FSO for the same money. Don't forget the OP was talking about average condition @ £1000 and good at @ £4000. That opens up a lot of other cars to interest most people within the same price range. Weight up either an good FSO against, say, a desirable car like a Impreza for £4000 and I reckon most petrol head would opt for the Subaru.
It's easy to twist thing around in threads such as these and it's my own opinion and I don't expected others to always agree. In fact it'd be a very boring world if we all liked the same things. No offence is intended to anybody - just friendly debate.
You consider Eastern European cars to be desirable and predict we will see more of the classic types being imported in the future which differs to my opinion. We are both entitled to out own predictions and that is part of the fun with older vehicles. Personally I've cut up and scrapped MKI & MKII Escorts, numerous MKIII Cortinas, Marina pick-up's, Lancia HPE, VW Beetle 1500, Reliants, and many, many more over the years as at the time there were simply old cars with nil value yet today are sort after. Same MAY apply to Lada, FSO, and such.

BTW I own a Jawa 210 Babetta ! It has never been registered and has only done something like 5 km from new. The concord has snapped - a common problem as the tooling was old and quality substandard.

Paul h

[tonyg85]

Wow guys I really wasn't expecting such strong opinions. I can completely see Paul's point these cars are not the best built or most predictable sellers.
Unfortunately Paul the market has changed here since you bought your polish wonders and 125s are now very much collectible with perfect example selling for near the £4k Mark. I'm not looking for a profit just to cover costs for so eretro fun. As I have a polish address I can buy the cars a little easier.
Thanks for the help and the support all of you it is very appreciated

[fender]

The good money would be fetched for a Pick up or Early Polonez. Any of those on offer to you?.

[tonyg85]

I can meet you halfway.... These are just utterly useless though...

[VIP]

Oct 30, 2013 15:26:54 GMT composimmonite said:

Also, imported vehicles over 10 years old are not subject to BIVA, it's a simple MOT then apply for Registration process.

True but how are post March 2001 vehicles that are over 10 years old treated for VED by DVLA ?
I know FSO weren't made then so not applicable to this situation but just wondering.

Paul h

Imports, regardless of age, are all subject to CO2 based VED banding, but only in the case where the manufacturer has provided CO2 emission figures.

So if no CO2 data was provided by FSO when the 125P was produced, then it would default to the pre-2001 VED banding for </>1549cc vehicles.

[tonyg85]

I have been offered a "near perfect" Skoda s100

-Bemused polish gentleman not included-
The catch is that they are not cheap for a decent model and I would be looking for around £1500 for it after the cost of a few repairs (gearbox/clutch)
I'm not looking for a buyer now just testing the water for interest. Is this too high a price?

I will be doing a lot of motorway miles once home so need a bigger engine than 1l otherwise I wouldn't care and would just keep it for myself.

[VIP]

Well, as a guideline, a chap on here sold his mildly modified (lowered and rims) but otherwise stock and good condition S100 on here last year for around £600.

(I *think* it was Keiran?)

£1500 is strong money, but not outside the realms of what a classic buff might pay.

[dodgerover]

I think you will be struggling to find anything that you are going to bring over and make money on, especially if its LHD, there is a reason loads of vehicles get exported from Britain to Eastern Europe and I'm sure they aren't doing it to lose money.....