UK based 1972 VW T2 Devon camper...anyone know the post-Brexit import ramifications these days?

martco

this particular type wasn't what I was hunting for at all but someone on my grapevine knows the owner, it has a solid reliable backstory, it's in vgc and the price is also very good (to me) though still represents a major outlay. I'm usually an 80's/90's guy but this has my definite attention and I know I could care for it and keep forever.

private sale

barstool advice has ranged from no problem €200 flat to yikes it's 21%VAT

anyone know the story? if its the latter, there's just no way in hell and my heart would be a little broken too :)

drunkmonkey

I think it's 10% Duty and 21% Vat, be very careful buying one can be a lot of hidden rust, seen some terrible buckets dressed up.

Join the T2 Irish group on Facebook there's some for sale there that people might be hesitant to put on done deal, really get it checked over properly though can't stress that enough.

w124man

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120332452#Comment_120332452

Good advice. The T2 is a notorious rust bucket and camper conversions are a moisture magnet.

kadman

there is a lot of **** T2's here as well. Bring an expert with you. Check the numbers against the book too.

Lots of pigs wearing lipstick if you are not careful

drunkmonkey

There's also VRT and Nox charge in addition to the charges in my post.

If the van was built in the UK the 10% duty doesn't apply, as the Devon's were built in the UK you might have an angle to dodge it but they all started life as German vans...it's worth questioning. Who owns the egg the chicken or the farmer....

I'm a good few quid into a ground up t2 Devon restoration. It would have been easier spend the money on really good one and I'd have had use if it straight away, depends what you want to do with it, 10k on a butter box that will get you to the odd festival but for something that's going to last another 40yrs + you'll pay top dollar.

A new steel shell from the states is about 35k delivered.

I'd be inclined to say buy an Irish one unless what your looking at is really special.

If it's NI registered it's a different ball game.

martco

thanks everyone

can confirm UK route is utterly unaffordable

in fact I’ve almost abandoned (sadly) the plan to run a van, maybe ever…I’ve spent last 6 months hunting now…here and across the EU….all I’ve encountered are massively greedy overpriced tat, lies and bull**…you name it. T3 and many T4 you’d swear they been treated like a piece of investment art..

nonsense :(

maybe when this recession really bites and there’s some distressed selling I’ll have my shot who knows

w124man

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120372306#Comment_120372306

Can I be cheeky and ask what sort of budget you had in mind?

I'm considering another T3 Syncro and believe me I am under no illusions about the price range I need to look at. There is little point in looking at anything under €30k to get a genuine vehicle that hasn't been messed about with.

martco

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120373401#Comment_120373401

depending...the spend range stretch I was trying for was between 15-30k

Syncro? well I'd 100% given up on that dream a while back. apex difficulty to keep alive and well, sure you spoke of them before on/offline, no? in fact (and not just the current cost to land one) you yourself well convinced me to steer clear of them with your knowledge of difficulty in obtaining parts etc. and I appreciate that advice because I've owned and cared for 3x Mk1 Golf's in my time to date with various tribulations along with the enjoyment of the project work and ownership.....but no, I'm not even talking Syncro here just straight 2wd T3 Multivan or T3 Westy etc...

ah lookit this is a 1st world problem...it's a sellers market at present and if the owner of a sorted T3 Syncro wants to ask €50k and thinks it's the sistine chapel that's his prerogative. I set out with the idea to have something classic, reliable and functional to go on euro escapades with mrs + 2 kids....I guess the difficulty is in my desire to combine classic car ownership with the desire to traipse around France and Spain for 3 weeks in summer occasionally lol. I worked on a few different approaches...

first off some already tidy, rebuilt, or with tired mechanicals that I can fettle only for part time camping only duties, vehicles like:

T3 Multivan (plus oldshool tents/clever awnings/camperbox)

T3 Westy pop roof

LT and T4 per above

a few Merc T1/T2 and Vario

I also considered modern era commercial vans with a view to self build (I have good diy skills)

I also looked into consolidating both family cars + add some money into a recent era one vehicle fits all daily driver e.g. Caravelle+oldshool tents/clever awnings/camperbox (recent one there in Wicklow on for astonishing money inflated 10-12k over what equivalent would have been couple years ago

from the above selection and depending on what exactly, the spend range stretch I was trying for was between 15-30k but I'm always always 10K ish short. ok that's life. accepted I'm priced out. but I do know prices are inflated in all the corners I've looked. across the board and there's certainly ***k a** vans available on this island at present for sensible money

recently we discussed offline already a certain VW van that triggered my bs detector? (and I'm gonna be careful to leave it at that as it's still available there..lol I wonder why..) a girl in Madrid tried to sell me her T3 Magnum, looked great in advert, wanted €15k I'm thinking I'm in the zone here, start looking at ryanair, but when I start to get closer and ask her to 110% confirm there's no rust..well it goes from clean and no rust to a couple of spots but you'd barely notice them..to eventually photos of holes but like it took 3-4 emails to get the truth out of her lol. etc. etc. etc.

ah I'm just tired of trying to achieve something that is unachievable I guess.....well not in the way I'd planned it anyway. I'll still achieve going camping with my family but it will be with tents, little bit of gear and the existing family motor. and meantime I'll wait in the long grass and see if any value comes back into vans ;)

w124man

Quote: my desire to combine classic car ownership with the desire to traipse around France and Spain for 3 weeks in summer.

Buy a decent classic car and either hotel it or tow a caravan. I head off every year and do a mix of hotels and gites all over France and Spain (mainly) but nip into Italy and others.

Quote: with tired mechanicals that I can fettle only for part time camping only duties.

This, in my experience, is the most expensive way to do it. Yes I did mention T3 Syncros before but if you can stretch to this one - Volkswagen T3 Multivan Syncro 112PS DJ SHZ STHZG Diff. as Van/Minibus in Zehdenick (mobile.de) - then go for it. Even at that money its good value. Don't modify it, just enjoy it - if you can afford the 18mpg!!

martco

ah it's a cracker alright, exactly the kind of scenario I was batting for, solid with history etc. but it's also an illustration of one of the problems I've experienced...across the different options I'd considered were always priced just that bit away from me (syncro possibly a bad example here we know hens teeth) but I suspect a large slice of this gap is the inflation that seems to be tacked into everything being sold since 2019..

anyway, thanks for the good advice there....my route ahead will be similar! looking like a spin to Cornwall in August is on the cards for this year as I'll only have about 8 days to play with then I want to have a try at Bilbao/across Pyrenees there for '24....one of my lads who is wanting badly to take the little yellow train:

https://www.pyrenees-cerdagne.com/en/le-train-jaune-english

(the thoughts alone bring the smiles on so that will be a valid excuse to go)

drunkmonkey

Did you see this T3, if it is actually Rust free would it fit the bill https://www.donedeal.ie/vintagecars-for-sale/87-lhd-vwt3-multivan-cvrt-to-1-2024/32018967

martco

thanks drunkmonkey

yeah I did about 6 weeks ago now, paid it a visit and I spent 2 hours looking around it

w124man

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120381098#Comment_120381098

And?? It looks as though it needs a load of work?

Neilw

There’s no nox charge on classics, plus potentially no 10% duty either.

martco

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120389159#Comment_120389159

well....it had a lot of what I was looking for, might have made a good basis for the future, a bit dear but I'd have gone that money for the right van and yes it had a bit of work to do

BUT (and without getting into too much detail here)

my reason for dropping interest in it lay more in the way it was being sold...whole story just felt off to me...my detector has served me well over the years so I trusted it again...perhaps my loss who knows