NSW Blue Slip for Imported Cars

[grahamthompson]

Although not strictly relating to dedicated rally cars my recent experience in getting my latest indulgence (a privately imported 1990 Mitsu GTO AWD) through NSW rego may be useful to others. This car was bought through a registered ACT dealer thus guaranteeing title. It carried current Qld registration and a yellow compliance plate stamped with the original import approval number and dated September 1993 was attached to the bulkhead. The VIN on this plate was the car's 11 digit chassis number and not a 17 digit VIN as is generally now required.

Since the car's rego expired on 27 December I made enquiries in November with the same inspector who has "pink slipped" my other cars (apart from my rally VR4) for many years, and he saw no problems; a simple interstate transfer. A week before expiry I booked the car in for inspection and then the problems started. The boss took over and said the car could not be registered as it did not have a 17 digit VIN, or a compliance plate carrying such VIN and I had to have copies of the import papers, so please go away. He was clearly unhelpful so I went elsewhere (and will in future)

I called Qld Transport and they confirmed I could continue to register the car there if I had a Qld postal address and drove the car up to arrange the transfer. Thus I had a option, albeit an inconvenient one. I then called the import approvals section in the NSW RTA and a helpful lady who had been there for yonks confirmed the validity of the car's original import. I enquired why the car had not been issued with a 17 digit VIN on import and she said it had not been compulsory in 1993, but was now mandatory for more recent imports. She said the 11 digit VIN should continue to be acceptable.

Next day I finally found a AUVIS inspector locally who would "do" the blue slip at 1.30pm, but we fell again at the same hurdle; no 17 digit VIN. I explained my conversation with RTA and he said the current tough rules did not allow him to accept the original VIN. He said the car had to be regarded as unregistered and without a compliance plate. He called RTA for guidance and they told him not to do the blue slip but to refer the car to the police! He was suspicious of my bona fides as the RTA warned him I had already been to another AUVIS inspector the day before. After satisfying his concerns he said if I confident that the car was legally registerable and wished to proceed with NSW rego it would cost $110 for the blue slip process and a further $21 for referral to NSW police for a Vehicle Identification Check. I said OK so after a technical check he did a blue slip failing the car on lack of 17 digit VIN, and prepared the VIC.

The inspector warned the police could take weeks to schedule the VIC but I was lucky and a nice lady cop at Queanbeyan did it straight away. After peering at the bulkhead (looking for evidence of tampering?) and spending some time on her computer she ticked the box on the form which says "New VIN to be allocated".

Back to the inspector who beamed at this critical leap forward and called RTA again for guidance on the next step. He dug out the appropriate form from the RTA manual which requested the issue of a new VIN and faxed it off with a copy of the VIC. It was now 4pm and 45 minutes later, the new VIN came back by fax. It was now necessary to properly stamp this new number on an aluminium strip and pop rivet it to the car's bulkhead adjacent to the original chassis number. The yellow compliance plate did NOT have to be amended as the inspector originally believed.

I returned with the car next morning with said plate; had its form and accuracy checked by the inspector who then did another "blue slip" this time passing the car. He gloomily predicted this was only the start of the process as I now had to get this all past the Queanbeyan RTA. I filled in the requisite RTA application and presented all the required other papers and the QLD number plates to the local RTA. All went smoothly until the RTA clerk spotted the word "import" and things briefly ground to a halt. The new VIN seemed to be a hurdle so I presented my copy of the VIC which apparently moved the responsibility to the cops and consequently gave the RTA the green light to proceed. The clerk rather snootily suggested I was intentionally holding back critical paperwork but I pointed out it was not a required attachment according to their own guidelines. New number plates suddenly emerged and the clerk faxed the new VIN form into the ether with this plate number now locked to the VIN. Ten minutes later "VIN Central" faxed back confirmation that all was well, and I walked out with NSW registration. I reported back to my inspector who was delighted that our joint efforts had satisfied RTA. I think he learned something also.

Lessons are
a) Most AUVIS inspectors don't want to do these as any small stuff up attracts RTA anger which falls on them. Also they get conflicting interpretations of the ever-changing rules from RTA central.
b) If you want normal road rego get a copy (preferably before you buy) of the original import papers showing no restriction to the vehicles use eg "rally use only" or "spares only".
c) Get a VIC as it seems critical to ease RTA processes.
d) Don't be in a hurry and be very polite to your AUVIS inspector who will easily get short tempered in this tedious exercise.

[Spac]

Definitely a worthwhile post, which accurately high-lights how screwed the whole system is... FORS, and the NSW RTA in particular, both need a big kick in the mazda.

Edit:Fro, why do you think they should be kicked where the intelligence, good looks and xes appeal live? Much better to kick 'em in the mazda.

[Matt Dyne]

Graham...is the GTO the twin turbo, or naturally aspirated version? How does it go?

I've always fancied these cars, but price and bulk have detracted me. Even the grey imports were still wanting around $15k-$20k for them.

M

[Tweety]

@ fro

[grahamthompson]

Matt

I too have always fancied one. The Australian delivered model (from 1993) was the 3000GT with twin turbo (210kw) but you could hardly get your hand under the bonnet for the piping. This GTO is virtually identical but much simpler being naturally aspirated (probably 160k). It shares much of its running gear with the VR4 but has heavy goodies such as 5 stud hubs, 4 spot calipers, heavier driveshafts and a torque splitter in the transmission. It weighs a whopping 1610 kg but rides and goes sooo nicely. It only has 118,000 km on the clock and had been well maintained with receipts. I took it for a drive and bought it on the spot ($17k). There goes 2006 rally budget but it sure rings my bell.

There is another Qld registered GTO in Canberra, also very nice, but auto with similar mileage, which the owner says he will be selling in the near future. I have his mobile if neeeded.

[Bogan]

Originally Posted by Tweety

@ fro

Que? Did he get moderated?

T.

[Tweety]

Originally Posted by Bogan

Que? Did he get moderated?

T.

fro edited Spac's post, and then Spac edited it again so fro's handiwork isn't quite as obvious now.

[brm]

Hi Graham and co
As a NSW RTA Blue slip inspector I can simpathise with your inspector a little.
We have a real hard time keeping up with rule changes and differing interpretations from RTA departments.
You refer to a VIC? I am not familiar with this form or code for form?
In your neck of the woods you would be referred to the police for VIN checks where as here we send customers to the RTA VIIU which confirms and deals with all ID issues and issues VINs.
In your case once I had complteded my inspection, you would have been in the RTA hands for inspections of ID and issue of VINs, and I would not have any requirement to see you again.
For anyone who is interested in registering an imported, rally or unusual vehicle, my advice is to gather as much paper work as you can before contacting a blue slip station and be prepared to work with the inspector as they work through the issues that come up.
We get hammered by the RTA for the smallest mistake.
If anyone needs advice just call me and I will do my best to help with your needs.
Rally rego can be just as hard sometimes, but it all usually gets solved after some running around.
Ben.

[Trendact]

The other way with imports is to simply get the dealer to do the blue slip for you even if he wants more money to do it, he wants to sell the car so make him work for it for a change. Some of these imports cost a heap of money, some are worth it some are not but when spending this sort of money on a car the dealer should work for you and not you for them. If is was me I would have gone back to the dealer with the problem and said fix it as it is illegal for them to sell an unroad worthy car or a car that can not be registered (unless sold as such) and must have garanteed clear tittle etc... and the dealer will have to sort it out.

Dealers get them registered in QLD becouse it is easy for them to get them registered there and must arrive on the QLD docks as well. I know a guy that got a Skyline GTO from a Melbourne importer that registered the car in Vic before selling it to him. Once back in Canberra he had a similar run around with ACT Motor registery to get the rego transfered.

But yes this is a great post and good for all to know that maybe looking at buying an imported car.

[Ric Cary]

Originally Posted by Trendact

it is illegal for them to sell an unroad worthy car or a car that can not be registered (unless sold as such) and must have garanteed clear tittle etc... and the dealer will have to sort it out.

That depends on the Dealers licence, Clear title yes, the rest maybe there are various types of dealers licences in NSW

Originally Posted by Trendact

Dealers get them registered in QLD becouse it is easy for them to get them registered there and must arrive on the QLD docks as well. I know a guy that got a Skyline GTO from a Melbourne importer that registered the car in Vic before selling it to him. Once back in Canberra he had a similar run around with ACT Motor registery to get the rego transfered.

Dealers get them registered in Qld because they are in Qld,
they get them registered in VIC because they are in VIC
And the rules in each state are different, for instance in VIC you could "rebuild" a car with just a chassis number I believe this little loophole is now closed, which meant a lot of written off 4cyl FWD lancers magically became Evo's with the help of a jap import and a chassis number. The reason for the "Run around" is that NSW and ACT both require proof that the vehicle is a complying import and previous registration in any other state does not constitute proof in their eyes as explained above. So going back and whingeing to the interstate dealer would probably result in a lesson in sex and travel

[Trendact]

I understand each state can be different and there are different types of dealer licence, but the car in the post was purchased in the ACT from a ACT motor vehicle dealer (ACT has very tuff conditions for motor vehicle dealers and unless they are sold as a wreck or as a unregistered car they must be road worthy & register able) and taken to Queanbeyan right next to the ACT. So going back to the dealer is easy and most ACT dealers can arrange a NSW blue slip and a NSW motor vehicle dealer must sell a car that is registered with a pink slip or some form of paper work that states the car is roadworthy so the rego can be transfered (NSW dealer to the new NSW owner).

Basically the post is about a lesson learnt and to make us aware of possible problems if we buy an import.

From my experiance with manufacturing trailers and sending them all over Oz, NSW RTA is about the hardest to deal with and QLD is a dream just need to fill in the forms and its done they don't even check the trailer, so my QLD customers have told me as some seem to register them before the trailer is picked up for transport from me.

[grahamthompson]

The VIC (my abbreviation) referred to is a form headed "Vehicle Identification Check", subheaded "Authorised Inspection Station Scheme". It is prepared by the AUVIS inspector and addressed to the applicant (me) stating the identity of the vehicle presented cannot be confirmed and it must go to the police for examination.

I did ask the dealer to assist with rego transfer: he was happy to do so for the ACT but not for NSW. I did not press the point.

[HoonBoy]

I had issues registering a brand new trailer in NSW, all because the receipt didn't have the VIN on it, even though it was listed on the blue slip equivalent thingy. Aparently if I had lost the receipt, I could fill out a stat dec and all would be fine, but it took half an hour to convince them that I could do the same thing for a receipt with a VIN. Logic was lost when I tried to get them to accept the identity check that I had to get done with the VIN on it.

Then I had to wait ten minutes whilst they found car trailer on the computer...

I always look forward to my visit's to the RTA.

[Trendact]

That is the fault of the people you got the trailer from as they have to have the Vin on the receipt for any state and the receipt should be signed by the seller as well. They would have had a call followed by a letter from the RTA reminding them of the requirements, but yes the RTA is fun to deal with all other states are a dream compared to them.

[HoonBoy]

Yep, the guy made a mistake, but he was a three hour round trip away and the RTA wouldn't except a faxed copy... I was more annoyed that I still had the identity check with the VIN on it, but they wouldn't accept it...