[E92Fan]

I checked with an insurance broker friend of mine - 19 yr old, US licence, no UK history, 330i, LHD - £3200 fully comp, with a £750 excess ....!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh, and that's one of the cheaper quotes... most expensive was over £6000

[- Paul -]

OP - You could even try a diesel!!!!!

[Budgie]

Originally Posted by E92Fan

I checked with an insurance broker friend of mine - 19 yr old, US licence, no UK history, 330i, LHD - £3200 fully comp, with a £750 excess ....!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh, and that's one of the cheaper quotes... most expensive was over £6000

Jesus...makes my £385 look like a p*ss in the wind lol.

[booforty]

I recommend you move to Essex and live close to Mr Carlos Fandango - he will take great care of you

[madman]

Originally Posted by TommyK

Moving to the UK

Thanks

I have a beautiful house for sale if you're interested

[G33]

Originally Posted by TommyK

Personally im going to be going to school in the city of oxford and im sorry i dont know the culture well enough but i dont know if students usually have cars in the UK. its standard here but this is all new to me. so i might just have to stick to public tansportation. but i will have to say, if i do have to sell my car i will miss the 330i. a wonderful car.

I am at uni. in Oxford. Yes the universities do state u cant bring a car to Oxford during your studies otherwise disciplinary action will be taken etc etc but a good proportion of people do so i wudnt let that bother you if u really cant live without a car. i was caught in this scaremongering tactics at first so i lined a buyer for my car before i came up. i then realised i was the only fool that fell for it.

public transport is not one of the cities best services even tho it is supposedly anti-car. if u want a bus be prepared to wait in the freezing cold for a good while...then 2 turn up at once, quite frequently full of sweaty smelly people. its expensive and its a very touch and go thing around here. best solution is to get a bicycle BUT please DO stick to your lane, look out for cars AND signal accordingly...

permits for cars at uni... Oxford Brookes is a first come first served policy at some campuses. If u live a certain distance away you are guaranteed a spot (IIRC) campus depending. generally u pay for a year BUT youre not guaranteed a space, bit of a con but at least u have some chance of parking.

Oxford Colleges are a no go unless u want to pay to park at the closest car park. Free resident parking permits are available on street if the place u are staying at does not have offstreet parking.

If youre at halls of residents best not advertise that you own a car.

PM me if u need more specific information, as i dont know what uni/college/campus u will be going or might be staying. i might then be able to give you some better information as it were.

Good luck

[dxb335d]

ILL carry some boxes for you.

[booforty]

Told you Carsplosh would help

[TommyK]

just currious, how much are speeding tickets there? i mean i dont plan on getting one, but california's are really expenisve but we dont have speed cameras all over the place like in GB

[Budgie]

Originally Posted by dxb335d

ILL carry some boxes for you.

would you carry some for me too...

Nah f**k offfffff i got the old woman for that lol.

[- Paul -]

Originally Posted by TommyK

just currious, how much are speeding tickets there? i mean i dont plan on getting one, but california's are really expenisve but we dont have speed cameras all over the place like in GB

It's not the tickets you need to worry about - its the points that end up on your licence. Too many and your insurance will be massive!

[kend]

Originally Posted by SoYank

Yes, it's legal to have a left hand drive vehicle here provided it meets the Single Vehicle Acceptance (SVA) test. Since the 330i is already approved for sale in the UK, the major portion of the test isn't a problem. The issue you'll need to get around is the lights. Your headlights must shine towards the left instead of the right as they do in the states. Your turn signals must be amber on all four corners and you must have a functioning rear fog light (you've read about them, you now have the opportunity to live them). You don't specify what year your E90 is, though. As it's an '06 I know you will retain the amber side lights at the front and this may cause problems with the SVA. Some stations don't allow the amber side lights and others seem to. There is no easy way of getting rid of it, either, that I know of.

With a 330i your headlights are adaptive. If you can get by without that feature it will save you quite a bit in the conversion. Otherwise it's about £1500 for all four corners. You only need to replace the outer rear tail light assembly unless your car already has the Blacklines. The inner assembly, on the boot lid, comprises the adaptive brake light AND the rear fog light. The fog light is enabled by a minor switch change on the dashboard. Learn when to use the fog light properly!

You won't have a problem with the smog/MOT unless your vehicle hasn't been maintained properly. If it's less than three years old you aren't required to have the MOT but one will be done during the SVA regardless. Replacement repair parts are readily available if needed and can be obtained within a day or two.

My experience with British insurance companies says insurance is going to eat you alive. Consider what you're paying for insurance in dollars and that's the low end of what you'll pay for it in pounds. So, at the moment you're looking at at least a 50% increase. If you currently have Geico or USAA then you can probably keep them while here as they operate here but you need to make sure. British insurance companies will go to extra length to screw you if you ever make a claim, claiming that because it's left hand drive it isn't worth the amount on which they've been basing their premiums. A left hand drive vehicle with UK plates screams AMERICAN so it's likely to be a target for vandals. You also don't get the benefit of courtesy from a lot of other drivers; I don't think that's totally because of the marque, either.

You'll need an International Drivers License before you arrive. You can get a British license but getting that isn't like getting it from a bubblegum machine like the states use. You actually have to know how to drive. What a concept! There is a written test and a practical test, both of which make the stateside tests look like a first grade spelling quiz. To put it into perspective, there are some people here that have failed one or the other more than twenty times. Few pass on their first attempt.

When I first got here there was a cartoon at work: Two guys were talking and one asked the other, "How long did it take you to get used to driving on the left?". The other guy answered, "Three cars".

Driving a left hand drive vehicle, SUV or mini, is going to take quite a bit of adjustment. You aren't going to be able to see around the vehicle in front of you if you drive over here like people drive in the states, i.e., right on the bumper. To get an idea, drive in the fast lane on a divided highway with a van in front of you and see how far ahead you can see in the other lanes. So, you have to hold back and pop in and out of the other lane to see ahead. I don't think there's a single road in Britain other than a motorway that has more than 500 yards of straight roadway with an unobstructed view the whole length. Motorway driving is different as well. You have to flip part of your mind over while keeping the other part set because your instinct will be to drive on the right when, in fact, you have to drive on the left and overtake on the right. Passing on the left (undertaking) is not allowed except under strict conditions. Bear in mind, too, that the 330i is not a narrow car compared to the normal UK car. The secondary roads here aren't really wide enough for even two UK size cars to meet at speed and bends in the road are sharp. It's a whole different experience.

Before you bring that car over here make certain you can bring it into the UK without having to pay the import duty (6%) and VAT (17.5%). There is a scheme HMC&E runs which allows cars in under certain conditions. If you don't qualify for the scheme then you'll need to open the checkbook/chequebook.

Shipping the car is going to cost upwards of $3000 each way. How long are you planning to stay? Is all this worth it for driving a US spec 330i in a foreign country? If you're staying here for a couple of years your best bet would probably be to sell the US 330i there and buy a used UK one, maybe with a smaller engine like a 316i or 318i, over here. I'd wager the overall costs would be considerably cheaper (except the insurance) and it eliminates the left-hand/right-hand problem.

Last thing: When here, consider that, like it or not, you are an ambassador of the United States and anything you do, good and bad, reflects on all other Americans.

Great post
A couple of other things
Stay over 6 months and you must take a UK driving test.
To import a car and not pay taxes on entry, you need to have owned for at least 12 months.

[doughboy]

Originally Posted by TommyK

just currious, how much are speeding tickets there? i mean i dont plan on getting one, but california's are really expenisve but we dont have speed cameras all over the place like in GB

For UK licence holders, for minor speed violations the fine is only £60 + 3 penalty points, but get 4 or more within 4 years (12 points) and you'll be banned from driving for 12 months or so. Also insurance companies ask about any offences for the last 5 years, most won't even quote if you've had more than 2 in 5 years.

More than 20 or 30mph or so (roughly) over any limt and you'll get banned or 6-9 points for the single offence - 2 weeks to 6 months ban.

But if you're on a foreign licence you can get away with murder - our system can't put points on your licence and we don't do on the spot cash fines either.

Show the police a foreign licence and they'll usually send you on your way.

[TommyK]

Originally Posted by doughboy

For UK licence holders, for minor speed violations the fine is only £60 + 3 penalty points, but get 4 or more within 4 years (12 points) and you'll be banned from driving for 12 months or so. Also insurance companies ask about any offences for the last 5 years, most won't even quote if you've had more than 2 in 5 years.

More than 20 or 30mph or so (roughly) over any limt and you'll get banned or 6-9 points for the single offence - 2 weeks to 6 months ban.

But if you're on a foreign licence you can get away with murder - our system can't put points on your licence and we don't do on the spot cash fines either.

Show the police a foreign licence and they'll usually send you on your way.

Thanks, oh that isnt aa bad as i had thought, here in the OC i got one 2 years ago for right arround $400 and had to go to trafic school for 8 hours. but the point thing is a bout the same as here but just a tad different.

so what are the best activities there, i mean if im board here i just go on a little drive , like what are the best outdoor activities, when its not rainin of course.

[Geoffo]

Tommy. When it rains you can make love to the locals..

It rains a lot in the UK..

[ShereKhan]

Tommy
Like everyone else on here I think your E90 wouldn't be worth all the hassle.
I'd get shot of the LHD BMW - I'd get yourself E30 (on classic insurance if poss) that you can trash as a student.

When I was a student I used to drive around in a mk2 Fiat Uno 60S. Which i used to often repair at the roadside! If I had a better car it would have probably got trashed by un mates.

But if you really want to bring your motor over refer to SoYank's notes.
i've also posted the official guidelines for importing and driving - (See below).

Importing your car
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring...cle/DG_4022583

Driving on foriegn licences as a student
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring...nce/DG_4022561

Just before you graduate i'd probably buy myself a new 335 (or whatever is available) in LHD and drive that around then export it back to the US (that's if you are gonna leave to go back).