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1997 MGF seen in Ketucky

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A 1997 MGF was seen being offloaded from a truck in Lexington, KY last weekend...and believed to be headed towards Minnesota prior to a caravan to MG2006 in Gatlinburg, TN in a couple of weeks....just curious as to whose this may be....anyone know?!?!?!?!

It's a "thousand eyes" out there!
 
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Hmmm, missed that one.
 
OP
rick_ingram
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FYI: Mystery Solved......From the MG Enthusiasts BBS:
********************************************

james madson
Minnesota
USA
fillmore@visi.com

Posted 30 May 2006 at 22:33:23 UK time
i handled many of the details, yes it is in my driveway as i write , and yes it was slightly damaged by an evil jealous land rover in the container but will be completly fixed and driven to mg2006. no scheme or mexican plates, legal import, has customs clearance etc. this is a german car so left hand drive, check it out and talk to the owner mark b at 2006, more to follow, jim
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Nunyas

Yoda
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oooo... legally imported with full customs clearance and everything.... fancyyyy... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 

ecurie_ecosse

Luke Skywalker
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Haven't seen one of these since I was last "down under"
Nice little car. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/savewave.gif

Stuart. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif
 

wkilleffer

Jedi Knight
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So, you can legally buy one of these in Germany and bring it back? Why is that ok and not bringing it back directly from the UK? Not that I'm complaining, any legal way is good, but how does this work?
 

Nunyas

Yoda
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more hurdles to jump through if its RHD, maybe?
 

Dave Richards

Jedi Knight
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I think Tony will be making a trip to Germany… /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/devilgrin.gif
 
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Details? Anyone? I want an RV8 as much as or more than most people here... as well as a Cosworth Escort.
 

Steve_S

Yoda
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RHD is not a problem in the USA. There are no rules or regulations against them. In fact three of my cars are RHD. The only person to say anything was the girl at AAA when I was registering my YB. She suggested RHD might be illegal at which point I realized she was an idiot. She is supposed to be an expert on registration, after all!
 

tony barnhill

Great Pumpkin - R.I.P
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[ QUOTE ]
legally imported with full customs clearance and everything

[/ QUOTE ]

We'll see how 'legal' is is when he goes to insure it...I've figured out how to get one in the country legally; I can even get it registered in Alabama - if I could get insurance for it!...but, the insurance companies I've spoken with won't touch it as there's no "line" for it - whatever that means...what it means (I think) is the car's not "safe" to put on US streets because the federal gov't never did the necessary testing & approved it...so, the insurance companis won't touch it because of potential liability issues if its ever involved in an accident!
 
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I saw a J-spec Nissan Skyline driving through Tuscaloosa couple days ago... had Alabama plates... Was RHD... and probably a mid 90's model. That car should be illegal to own and drive here too. but there it was? I don't get it.
 

Scott_Hower

Luke Skywalker
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[ QUOTE ]
So, you can legally buy one of these in Germany and bring it back? Why is that ok and not bringing it back directly from the UK? Not that I'm complaining, any legal way is good, but how does this work?

[/ QUOTE ]

More than you ever wanted to know about importation: https://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/import/

I came exceedingly close to importing a Caterham a couple years ago when returning from a work stint in the UK. Best to work with a reputable importer to handle the paperwork/documentation, lest you find it impounded at the port.

I'm curious how the MGF got in "legally", unless it is a temporary import, which is far more leniant.
 

tony barnhill

Great Pumpkin - R.I.P
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Scott - I've learned that, with my collection, I can bring one in under a weird little "usuem" clause...seems my daughter, the lawyer, can set up a non-profit entity that includes my collection & I can then display the collection...I can import any other MG's that complete the collection - but they would not be legal to drive other than for demonstration purposes...we've spent some time up at Lane Museum learning how they bring some of their more unusual cars in & the paperwork isn't that complicated.

He better hope he's never involved in an accident with it! I called my insrance agent neighbor last night who said he might be able to get insurance from somebody who thought it was just another MG...but, once it was in an accident & the insurance company found out what it was, they'd cancel the policy, not pay, and probably sue him for what they had in his policy.....so, if anybody sees him, ask him how he's insured it & if his insurance company knows it was a "non import"....if they know its a "non import", also ask him how he got a certificate that it meets all our safety requirements so it can be legally insured.....that's the last piece of the puzzle I need!

Importing's not the problem, I'm learning - making it legal for the road is.
 

swift6

Yoda
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[ QUOTE ]
I saw a J-spec Nissan Skyline driving through Tuscaloosa couple days ago... had Alabama plates... Was RHD... and probably a mid 90's model. That car should be illegal to own and drive here too. but there it was? I don't get it.

[/ QUOTE ]

There was a company in Oregon a few years ago that was importing R34 Skylines. Don't know how but they were.

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif
 

Scott_Hower

Luke Skywalker
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[ QUOTE ]
Scott - I've learned that, with my collection, I can bring one in under a weird little "usuem" clause...seems my daughter, the lawyer, can set up a non-profit entity that includes my collection & I can then display the collection...I can import any other MG's that complete the collection - but they would not be legal to drive other than for demonstration purposes...we've spent some time up at Lane Museum learning how they bring some of their more unusual cars in & the paperwork isn't that complicated.

[/ QUOTE ]

Cool; I'll bet it's handy to have a kid as an attorney. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

[ QUOTE ]
He better hope he's never involved in an accident with it! ... how he got a certificate that it meets all our safety requirements so it can be legally insured.....that's the last piece of the puzzle I need!

Importing's not the problem, I'm learning - making it legal for the road is.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'd imagine it *is* already "legal" for the road - proving it to the federal bureaucrats would be the challenge. The crashworthiness was done in Europe and it meets their standards; lights and glass need to say "DOT", etc.
 

Dave Richards

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How do the "Cobra" kit builders get their cars registered and insured?

Does Hagerty tackle this sort of stuff? Maybe they should there's certainly a market, albeit a small one.
 

Nunyas

Yoda
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Kit cars are a different creature if i'm not mistaken.
 

Roger

Luke Skywalker
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That MG uses the Rover K engine which isn't legal here - that's why Lotus had to put a Toyota in the Elise.

But good luck, anyway!
 

Daimlerdb18

Senior Member
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A year or so ago I was visiting Monterrey, Mexico, and had a chance to drive a new MG TF at the MG dealer there (before it closed with the demise of MG). The sales guy was saying that a doctor from San Antonio had managed to import one into the US. The cost for a new TF was $32K USD, how much would it be to federalize one? The insurance could be handled by a personal bond (at least at one time that was legal to do in TX), but we mere mortals don't have that kind of cash. So looks like I gotta make do with the '56 MGA. Although driving the TF was a BLAST!!!!! even in traffic in Monterrey.
 

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