Shipping & Importing your Porsche 356

Before You Ship
The Australian Government requires you to get permission to import a vehicle and they warn you not to import without having that permission.
Given that shipping can take 10 weeks or more, you probbaly have time to get the permission before the vehicle would arrive in Australia.
You will find further details, the form and cost via this link. You can submit the form electronically which makes it quicker. NB The cost to lodge the form is $50 - I put two vehicles on the one form and it was still $50.
The sellers of both vehicles and the shipping company were fine with waiting about 2 weeks each so I had permission granted prior to shipping.

Shipping
European Collectibles suggested two shipping Companies that purchasers had used in the past:

1. Schumacher Cargo Logistics link
   
2. CFR Line link
   

Scumacher quoted:
US$2150 LA to SA excluding destination charges. US$150 to transport from car dealer to wharf.
CFR Line quoted:
US$1400 LA to SA excluding destination charges. US$135 to transport from car dealer to wharf.

Insurance was quoted at $438.00 for US$24000.

Depending on the departure dates, shipping can take from 8 to 12 weeks.

Customs Agents and Destination Costs
I had no idea what to do about customs and quarrentine or how it would all unfold.
About a week before the cars were due to arrive at the port, the Australian representative for CFR LIne contacted me and asked if I had a Customs Agent. I didn't so they suggested one.
A few days leter, a Customs Agent from CarGo Traders (link) contacted me, told me about the process and costs and then did it all for me. I forwarded some paperwork to them and they notified me a day or two before they thought the cars would be cleared.
One was released earlier than the other due to Quarrentine wanting to have the second car pressure cleaned underneath. So, another tip would be to ask the seller to make sure they thoroughly clean under the car before it ships. Check what they might charge and compare it to what Quarrentine might charge.

Costs at destination (for one car):
The biggest shock with all the costs was the Port Charges at this end as I didn't realise that there would be any. (I knew that there would be a GST on the cars, so while that was hefty, I had factored it into my estimates.)

• Port charges: $1486.65
• Terminal handling charges: $297.33
• Sea Cargo automation fee: $25.00
• CMR Fee: $25.00
• Delivery order (to CarGo Traders wharehouse): $40.00
• Security fee (at CarGo): $15.50
• Custome clearance: $200.00
• Destination Quarantine Inspection: $189.00
• Destination Quarrentine Entry: $45.00
• Attendance at Quarrentine Exam: $65.00
• Cleaning of car: $100.00
• GST $2700.00

TOTAL COST
As a guide, lets say the purchase price was around US$25,000.
Total cost once it was in my driveway was AUD$32,000.

Buying a Porsche 356 from the USA

There are numerous 356s for sale in the USA and possibly the bext way to get an idea of the cost:condition of them is to search Ebay Motors (USA).
I spent two years looking to get an idea of how much they sold for and in what condition.
Some car dealers (mainly from Los Angeles) who deal in sports or exotic cars occasionally use eBay to sell a vehicle and of course there are a number that are sold by individuals.
It is worthwhile following links to the dealer's web site to see if they have any other vehicles to sell and to get an idea of the extent of their operations.

In the end I bought two 356C cars (any posts to follow will be about just one of them). One was a black 1965 356C that I purchased through eBay Motors from a small dealer and the other was a red 1965 356C that I purchased from a large dealer that I found on eBay, but via their web site.

Buying from eBay was probably more reassuring as there are measures put in place to protect you from fraud. I was a little worried about depositing a large sum of money in a bank account a long, long, long way away. In the end, I found the large dealer to be reliable, honest, quick in communicating and helpful and would reccommend them highly to others looking to purchase a car from the USA.

It is really worthwhile going to the European Collectibles website and not only looking at the cars they have for sale, but also at the cars that they have sold in the past.
They suggested and put me in contact with two shipping companies and also had the underside of the car pressure cleaned before being shipped.

Things to keep in mind:
(1) Make sure the seller has lots of good quality photos to view - ask them for additional photos if there are specific parts you want to see
(2) Ask questions about the condition of the car - relate them to the photo or the description given by the seller
(3) Get the VIN and Engine numbers of the car and use the Porsche 356 Serial Number website to see if the numbers match
(4) Ask if they will ship overseas - many will but often just list the USA
(5) If your funds are limited, and you aren't able to afford one in good to excellent condition, you are better off to look for one with minimal or no body/chasis work needed than one that is mechanically perfect. It is easier and cheaper to fix an engine than to fix rust and dents.
(6) Keep in mind that shipping, wharf fees and quarentine could be around $5000. You also pay customs duty of 10% on purchase price + shipping cost + insurance.