Insurance 101. Questions and Answers.

[lowmiata]

I have no doubt that the above stated also make a difference

The above mentioned statement
This was explained to me along time ago from a insurance assesor it may or may not be true

but the above mentioned are nothing different than any car that they normally would insure when they take these things into account

[mr_rotary]

Mr Rotary,
It was once explained to me that If you bought an import it has not gone through crash testing, or any of that stuff

For example

You could buy a N14 pulsar in 1992 Fully imported car from japan
it has been crash tested and adr approved on the basis of passing all the adr approvals

you can buy a 1992 pulsar GTiR in 1998 personally imported from japan
it has not been crash tested it has not passed on the basis of pasing the adr checks

As stated, the import vehicles I bought where all sold locally and where from a range of era's. The cars in qustion are 1979 Mazda RX-1 S1, 1989 Nissan Skyline GT-R and 1990 Mazda MX-5. All available locally and would of gone through crash testing to be sold here. I also bought these vehicles on the basis that all parts are available locally, rather than going for something like a Nissan GTi-R which is not available locally.

I can understand not insuring something that was not sold here as parts would be hard to find. I am quering as to why insurance companies will not insure imports that are sold locally.

Along time ago rules were put into place between car manufactures and insurance companies etc
too not support imported cars as they are detrimental to our ecconomy

I would not be suprised in the least about that comment. First question the Mazda dealers here when you go to buy parts is 'is it an import'? If you answer yes, they will not help you. Having a car in the build with all parts being replaced new and servicing the others, I know for a fact all Aussie parts fit the imported models.

[lowmiata]

another point to the explination was about how grey imports were exempt of some tax? I don't know what tax though

as for crash testing

Mazda or who ever else will not support data from crash testing for grey imports because they never sold the car/or stand to make any money from it

yet we all know a roadster is a mx5
and a surf is a 4 runner!
for peace of mind you would only ever want to own an import that has a same floor pan as an australian delivered counter part.

I might google it tonight to find out what the tax was but I was pretty sure it was a tax imposed by the government on new cars maybe and grey imports didn't have this tax making them cheaper

they have closed the gap considerably though on importing cars

FWIW every normal car yard here there is probably 3 shady import car yards! they pop up for 12 months and then they are gone!

I love imports don't get me wrong but they ruin the local ecconomy.
and they have changed the face of insurance forever!
just as much as the ET and exa turbo did in the 80's the imports have affected insurance in the late 90's

Now most of the imports are not avalible to P platers it might plateu for a while
only time will tell

[mr_rotary]

another point to the explination was about how grey imports were exempt of some tax? I don't know what tax though

You pay the same tax as locally sold cars incl. luxury car tax. The higher cost we pay for new cars is the same excuse for all things sold here - 'Shipping fees'

Now most of the imports are not avalible to P platers it might plateu for a while
only time will tell

Not the same in all states.

Anyway, my question original question still requires an answer