Imported Rust Buckets

[sailaway2000]

A friend of mine sent this to me. Just wondering what the thoughts of the good members here are.

"We lease space here at Custom to a freight forwarder, and man, he sure ships some bizarre stuff overseas – a lot of it to Thailand in fact. He receives these old American cars – lots of 40’s 50’s and 60’s classics, albeit rust buckets most the time – but they are more times than not, cut in half or more pieces to avoid high tariffs. He tells me that if he ships a whole car, the Thai government taxes it at 500%! If it is cut in half, or shipped in parts, that rate drops dramatically.

Really, the shocking thing to me is who in the hell would want one of these cars, welded back together? Not safe at all. And surely could not be sold as the real, untouched deal, as anyone could see by looking a bit that these things are restored as wrecks – previously cut up! Do you know what the deal is on these things? Have you heard of this market over there? I can sure understand people wanting to cruise around in an old classic over there, but at what cost? These things, if hit would just fall apart I would think. Are these “Expats” putting these things back together over there? Are they sold as is with nothing being a secret?

You may or may not know anything about it, but there are a lot of these things going over there. Just wondering if you know about this raquet – at least it seems nutty to me. I really doubt that anyone is painstakingly restoring them fully to their former glory."

Your thoughts?

Thanks

[David48]

I think that you tink too mut ...

.

[thaicbr]

A friend of mine sent this to me. Just wondering what the thoughts of the good members here are.

"We lease space here at Custom to a freight forwarder, and man, he sure ships some bizarre stuff overseas – a lot of it to Thailand in fact. He receives these old American cars – lots of 40’s 50’s and 60’s classics, albeit rust buckets most the time – but they are more times than not, cut in half or more pieces to avoid high tariffs. He tells me that if he ships a whole car, the Thai government taxes it at 500%! If it is cut in half, or shipped in parts, that rate drops dramatically.

Really, the shocking thing to me is who in the hell would want one of these cars, welded back together? Not safe at all. And surely could not be sold as the real, untouched deal, as anyone could see by looking a bit that these things are restored as wrecks – previously cut up! Do you know what the deal is on these things? Have you heard of this market over there? I can sure understand people wanting to cruise around in an old classic over there, but at what cost? These things, if hit would just fall apart I would think. Are these “Expats” putting these things back together over there? Are they sold as is with nothing being a secret?

You may or may not know anything about it, but there are a lot of these things going over there. Just wondering if you know about this raquet – at least it seems nutty to me. I really doubt that anyone is painstakingly restoring them fully to their former glory."

Your thoughts?

Thanks

Question to ask your self. How many classic cars do you see driving around in Thailand????

sent from my Q6

[jbrain]

A friend of mine sent this to me. Just wondering what the thoughts of the good members here are.

"We lease space here at Custom to a freight forwarder, and man, he sure ships some bizarre stuff overseas a lot of it to Thailand in fact. He receives these old American cars lots of 40's 50's and 60's classics, albeit rust buckets most the time but they are more times than not, cut in half or more pieces to avoid high tariffs. He tells me that if he ships a whole car, the Thai government taxes it at 500%! If it is cut in half, or shipped in parts, that rate drops dramatically.

Really, the shocking thing to me is who in the hell would want one of these cars, welded back together? Not safe at all. And surely could not be sold as the real, untouched deal, as anyone could see by looking a bit that these things are restored as wrecks previously cut up! Do you know what the deal is on these things? Have you heard of this market over there? I can sure understand people wanting to cruise around in an old classic over there, but at what cost? These things, if hit would just fall apart I would think. Are these "Expats" putting these things back together over there? Are they sold as is with nothing being a secret?

You may or may not know anything about it, but there are a lot of these things going over there. Just wondering if you know about this raquet at least it seems nutty to me. I really doubt that anyone is painstakingly restoring them fully to their former glory."

Your thoughts?

Thanks

Question to ask your self. How many classic cars do you see driving around in Thailand????

sent from my Q6

You would be surprised how many there are around here, I have a friend who owns 46 of them, all in pristine condition

I recall there is even a classis car show held in Bangkok anually, and there are sevaral body shops around Pattaya that specialise in classic cars.

Now that I read the OP I also understand how those Thai hippies all get to drive around in those 60's Dodges and Chevy's

[BlackArtemis]

I thought/heard some people brought them in on a temporary import license or whatever, much like drift/race cars that show up for a few races and then leave. The cars are restored and then shipped back out due to the insanely low cost of labor.

I always wondered how this could be true as the shipping has to be murder, but then again if there are 100-300 man hours spent on body work then I can see how the $60-100/hr rate of the US could make it a viable investment.

[arthurwait]

There's certainly quite a few in the car ad magazines and sitting in the side of the road restoreres yards when there weren't any or many advertised a few years back when far fewer people were interested in classic cars.

Maybe they are all barn finds or............

[VocalNeal]

but they are more times than not, cut in half or more pieces to avoid high tariffs. He tells me that if he ships a whole car, the Thai government taxes it at 500%! If it is cut in half, or shipped in parts, that rate drops dramatically.

Really, the shocking thing to me is who in the hell would want one of these cars, welded back together? Not safe at all. And surely could not be sold as the real, untouched deal, as anyone could see by looking a bit that these things are restored as wrecks – previously cut up!

On your drives around Thailand have you not noticed how may half, or bits of contemporary cars there are at breakers yards.

It is not the classics I would be concerned about.

[jbrain]

but they are more times than not, cut in half or more pieces to avoid high tariffs. He tells me that if he ships a whole car, the Thai government taxes it at 500%! If it is cut in half, or shipped in parts, that rate drops dramatically.

Really, the shocking thing to me is who in the hell would want one of these cars, welded back together? Not safe at all. And surely could not be sold as the real, untouched deal, as anyone could see by looking a bit that these things are restored as wrecks – previously cut up!

On your drives around Thailand have you not noticed how may half, or bits of contemporary cars there are at breakers yards.

It is not the classics I would be concerned about.

Those half cars at scrap yards are not full grown cars yet

[BSJ]

A competent welder can weld back together almost any vehicle and it will be stronger than it was originally.