Uaz, Gaz, Vaz, Moskvich water testing...

[tigran]

I have seen quite a few of the jeeps and the campers around russia and am starting to ask about getting a relative of mine to hire a 12-car transporter to bring back a load of russian stuff back in december/january this year (this stuff takes a lot of organising in russia so am starting early). Does anyone actually reckon there is any interest in old soviet tat? Or is the 'it's rare for a reason' line ring true?

Some pics





These 4x4 beasties:



Like a go-anywhere 4x4 bay window



I am also trying to sort out a couple of these chaikas, one just like this one



and one like this:



They were and still are used as presidential/party secretary cars in russia and soviet union and are (quite literally) bombproof, however were officially meant to have been destroyed each time they were de-comissioned. The 80's versions are 5.5 V8 power and weigh about 2700kg's!

[arthurbrown]

I'll have a UAZ van if they're coming!

[topghia]

love the 4x4 van wish i had some cash

[garethj]

Russian stuff sells for almost nothing over here, so any ideas of profit margin will be pretty small. You're also trying to sell to a fairly small group of potential buyers so you might end up hanging onto them for a while.

Personally I love the UAZ van, Charlie and Ewan have one in their convoy in 'The Long Way Round'. Based on the UAZ Jeep I'm fairly certain.

Try contacting the USSR (Unloved Soviet Socialist Register or something like that!) and pick their brains.

As a rule, these cars are about as difficult to get rid of as a dose of the pox

[akku]

A chap on the NSRA was trying to sell a Volga M21 in decent sold nick for ages for very little money and IIRC it got bangered in the end.

Have a word with people like the USSR car club, can't remember what it stands for, Unloved Socialist and then I foget the rest. Anyway, they will know all about values and resale. There used to be a guy selling imported UAZ vans, even got them type approved. I bet he lost a packet as you never see any on the roads...

I love the style of the Volgas, and I always had a thing for a Moskvich 412 but I'm not sure I could live with the parts supply. I'm also concerned that they may well drive like poo. I only know one person who's driven a Volga (an early or mid 80s one which was 5 or 6 years old at the time) and he described it as officially the worst car he'd ever driven ever ever ever. So that kinda concerns me.

Those Chaikas go for good money my spys tell me. What about a big old Zil?

Something tells me the UAZ may be the best commercial prospect.

[garethj]

alistairk was obviously looking over my shoulder typing that ;D

The Chaikas might seem expensive, but how many want to buy one? Those that do have probably already got one, and for unique stuff like this, there can be a bit of bulls**t about talking up the value

[stealthstylz]

Apparantley from what I have read/heard a lot of the cars might be "roadworthy" over there but get them in for an MOT here and they'll need a nigh on full restoration to make them pass.

Matt

[akku]

Meh, you get that with a lot of imports though (except Germany really) so you have to expect to do a fair bit of this and that to get MOT/SVA whatever is required.

In fact that goes for pretty much any old car you buy off eBay as well...

[stealthstylz]

Oh yeh definetley but if you're trying to turn a profit it won't work out well.

Matt

[xbo11ox]

What sort of financial outlay is involved in buying and transporting 12 old russian cars back to the UK then? Thats quite an ambitious project.

[xbo11ox]

Might be worth it if you can find enough AE86's and Mk2 Escorts to fill a truck!!!

[akku]

fill the truck with illegal imegrants. That'll pay for getting the cars on the road when you get here. I could do with a maid actually.

[pictonroad]

As said, did the "Long Way home" trip with Ewan McGregor raise the profile of the 4x4 van thing?

[akku]

probably not since I have no idea what you're talking about

[garethj]

I don't think they're exactly popular, the last one I heard of being sold ended up at a vehicle hire place here: www.blazegas.com/boiledcabbage/uaz1.html

I think they're lovely, but I suspect what they'd cost compared to what punters here are prepared to pay would be depressing.

[tigran]

Hmmm will start stashing up these things in moscow anyway and probably start looking for people to have em in the meantime. One of my uncle's driver's will be doing the driving so I'll just pay for the diesel (about 30p a gallon in russia) and some vodka tokens to the guy who's truck it be. Need to look into getting them UK registered i s'pose and so one. Deffo more investi-ma-gation needed.

[Deleted]

I would be interested, would you be able to get a pre 1973 GAZ 24 so it would be tax exempt? Any idea of how much they could cost?

Once you have done some investigation if you could post up a library pic of each model you could obtain and an idea of a landed, UK registered and hopefully MOT'D price that would be great

Oh and if they are black and ex KGB that would be even better ;D

[akku]

I remember a while ago reading an article about soe guys wbo bought a black Volga from Russia or one of the Baltic states. Prior to shipping they were advised to have it repainted a bright colour so it was not mistaken for KGB/Stazi/whatever as it would be torched if left unattended... Come to think of it that might have been Romania. Not sure if theres still much if any "feeling" or "animosity" out there....

tigran - import process will be the same as the US of A as its a non-EU nation. So thats 10% import duty, 17.5% VAT and a customs clearance sheet to show the DVLA... then as its over 10 years old it just needs MOT (on the chassis number) and insurance and you can TAX it and get a V5C issued. They like to see "proper paperwork" from the country of origin but you can argue the toss without. You'll need "proper paperwork" to get out of the country with them anyway I'd have thought. One car being driven is one thing but a transporter load is a definite tug at the border...

[tigran]

Yeah I guessed about the documents on the russian side, i can get that sorted out anyway. What i was pondering is how they do the import duty and vat? It's not like glass' guide do a bit for GAZ and VAZ' and stuff, and getting a receipt to say it was sold for a hundred bucks wouldn't be too difficult.

[akku]

they will look at your reciept. If they think the valueis "wrong" they can make their own value up.

They will also charge VAT on the cost of shipping.