Importing 2008 Mk5 GTI from South Africa to UK

[mousemeat]

Hello VW people,

My father passed away 2 years ago and I am considering whether to ship back his 2008 mk5 Golf GTI from South Africa (not a citigolf), as I have a part-load of a shipping container worth of other stuff to ship back.

The car is immaculate as it was always garaged, my dad washed it every week and it's only done 55,000 km (or is that 55Mm, silly metric system). As it was inherited, there is no import duty or VAT. I've never had a car that was remotely 'fun' and i figure this is my chance.

I understand it needs a rear fog light and a new speedo dial, I was wondering if there is anything else that needs to be done and if those are things a competent person can do themselves? Are there any other hiccups i'm likely to encounter?  Has anyone else done this?



Thanks for reading.

[terrier]

100% import it. Low miles and no rust from a dry country
 

[Stupots]

Oh yes, wish I'd kept some of the old family cars. I agree with @terrier 100%

Also, we love a pic or two here :)

[pudding]

Sorry for your loss.  I would 100% import it for sentimental value if nothing else, especially as it's RHD.

It will be in way better condition than anything in Europe!  Possibly worth preserving it underneath with some treatment when it lands here though, to protect it from the salty winters.

Do SA speedos not have MPH in the inner dial?  Fog light is a simple wiring job.

It might have a different engine map tuned to the climate/fuel quality, so you might want a UK map when you arrive.

[LC5F]

Do it - but get a specialist lined up to sort:
Clocks - you may as well upgrade to MPH Highline clocks, not a hard job - make sure you get the mileage changed 55k kilometers is only 36k miles.
Fog light - This thread talks about adding rear fog lights to a US Mk5 https://www.myfastgti.com/volkswagen/threads/rear-fog-lights.1243/ - new light fitting, new light switch, cable to to CEC - some coding.
Full service and check over - if its been sat for 2 years the fuel may have gone bad, injector clean, brake fluid, timing belt probably also out of date, replace thermostat probably a good idea too.

Rust proofing - Agree with Pudding, sadly Mk5's like to rust, look for a specialist in your area and ask about what products they use - Dinitrol is meant to be really good

Remember you can pack the car with stuff, it will take up a lot less space in the container - If you have any booze pack it at the furthest most awkward end of the container

[mousemeat]

Thank you all for replying.  It's been driven by my dad's best mate who has been helping me sort stuff out remotely.  He's only put 5k km on it over 2 years, but he drives it regularly so it's in good working order (i'll still give it a service thought).  He is as sentimental about it as I am and I would be inclined to let him keep it, but he is moving to California in all probability.

If I brought it over here it wouldn't be a daily driver as I have a diesel hyundai plodder for my 95 mile daily motorway commute, so it doesn't need to see any salty roads.  I could even keep garaging it.  My dad spent most south african winters in the uk, so it hasn't even seen many mild winters.  It's a bit of a time capsule.

Yes, It would be prudent to get a new map to match the climate.  Definitely not for performance.  Ha Ha.

I don't know about ZA speedo's having an inner mph dial.  That would make it even easier, at least in the short term.

Thanks again everyone,  I'll definitely post some pics here if I manage to get it over here.

[Juliand]

My Brother in law imported a 1957 Dodge Fargo Pickup from SA. I did the DVLA liaison / paperwork for him - it was very straightforward. He hasn't bothered changing the speedo, and if its only weekend use, do you need to bother? I am always worry about creaks and squeaks taking  things apart, but I'm a bit OCD that way, ha ha.

[fakie1977]

Changing the clocks is really easy, you just pull them out - no need to dismantle anything in the dash.

If you’re doing that you might as well upgrade to highline if it doesn’t have that or indeed even update to newer white or colour clocks from scirocco.

It’s a popular retrofit/upgrade but you will need someone to code.


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[RyanPaterson]

If this road is that big, you obviously need help with china package tracking. This tool always bails me out if I need to get my package.
I am more than sure that you will find it helpful because when you are shipping something, it is essential to have access to the location of your package, so you don't lose your valuables and make sure it gets there on time.
I really like this type of tracking my packages because it is convenient, exciting and hassle-free, so I have never lost one of my boxes yet

[LC5F]

My friend tried it, he told me that it is not profitable

It's his late fathers car... I dont think its profit motivated.

[Lewo]

My friend tried it, he told me that it is not profitable

How is it not profitable for the OP ....not that what he's doing it for.
Sorry for your loss OP but defo get it here. Future classic so can garage it if you don't need to use it.