NC London Cab

More BBS Updates

I’ve made more Sir Finley maintenance/changes updates in the BBS system Here

Tags: Changes, London Cab

Rust Repair

As I said, I found a bunch of rust under the front windscreen. I had to pull the entire dash and repair it. Thanks to Basil from the LVTA for advice on what to do. Details in the BBS "Rust" forum (link on the right). Sir Finley sat for over 3 weeks while I yank off parts, cleaned, researched, and put him all back together. I’m amazed most everything still works. The only thing that does not is the right-hand headlight (I think there is a loose wire on the steering column). So he is back on the road (and appears to be leak-free)!

Pictures Here: Rust Repair Pictures

London Cab update

I have not entered a post here for some time because I got busy at work and fiddling with Sir Finley. I changed web hosts and I’ve add a bulletin board system to track my repairs and let others enter repair and maintenance tips. The BBS is in a link on the right.

So here is my summary since my last post. My wonderfully old vehicle is awesome because it is so unique and fun to drive. I did not expect to inherit so many problems, but Sir Finley has some serious issues. The largest of these appears to be a rusted-out cowl below the windshield. I’ll be documenting this fix and others as I continue. Stay tuned her for updates. Whenever I add to the BBS, I’ll note the update here.

Importing a Cab (part 2)

I forgot to discuss the communication and cost details involved with importing my London cab.

Communication:
As far as communication with the seller, I handled it entirely through email. I counted 38 emails from him during the entire process. My initial email was 3/17/2008 and I got my car on 6/2/2008. They were very patient with all my questions and the ordering process. Remember that London is 6 hours ahead of East-coast time (they observe daylight savings also). So their work day is like 2AM to 11AM my time. That gave me a couple hour window of overlap to communicate. If I sent an email after 11AM, I did not expect (and did not get) a response that day. They usually responded the next morning.

I counted 23 emails from my customs broker. I also called her allot because she did not respond quickly through email.

Costs:
The cost to get the cab from the seller included a base price plus a certain amount for each option. The cost included shipping to my nearest U.S. port.

The cost to clear customs involved the following:

1. Duty: 2.766% of the sales amount.
2. U.S Customs entry services: $190 (customs broker fee)
3. Single entry bond premium and services: $100
4. Bond placement charge $50
5. Fumigation: $263 (only if your car has foreign soil on it)
6. Warehouse storage charges: $30 per day past the 10-day free storage.

All these cost were paid to the customs broker in one payment (cash, money order, or cashiers check) when customs released the vehicle.

How to import a car

Now that I have my London cab, I would like to explain the details of getting into the U.S. Let me say ahead of time that it is a bit harrowing just because you have to wait for it so long. My taxi sat in Charleston waiting for almost two weeks while the paperwork went back and forth. So here are the steps:

1. I ordered the cab from a company in England. They required a deposit and then a paid balance before shipping.
2. The seller completed the cab and drove it to the port of Southampton, England. They paid for the cost to ship it across the pond. The Shipper was K-line. The seller has a freight forwarder that handles the paperwork.
3. After I found my customs broker (which you need to handle all the paperwork for you), I told the seller the name, address, and phone number. They pass that on to the freight forwarder and shipper. The customs broker is listed as the "Notify Party" for the shipment.
4. After the vessel sailed, the seller sent the following documents to the customs broker:
   1. Final invoice (bill of sale)
   2. UK registration
   3. Arrival notice (Sent from K-line)
   4. Bill of lading (Original required unless K-line sends telex (which they did)
5. The customs broker sent me forms to complete and return. I sent them the following:
   1. Copy of my drivers license
   2. Customs power of attorney
   3. US DOT Importation Declaration
   4. US EPA Importation Declaration
6. Once the paperwork is processed by the customs broker they call and say come get it.
7. I went to the customs broker’s office, filled out some more paperwork and took it to the pier.
8. I gave the pier security guard a claim sheet, he called someone who took me to an office. I gave them another sheet and they gave me the keys and more paperwork to keep.
9. The pier driver took me to the cab and I drove it home.

This does not include all the pitfalls I experienced. My customs broker said my customs paperwork makes the car street-legal for 30 days, so I have not yet explained the title and registration steps.

Here are the lessons learned:

1. Get the seller and the customs broker communicating directly as early as possible. Since I was the middle man too long and the invoice was not acceptable to the customs broker, several days were wasted get them an updated invoice.
2. Don’t count on customs clearing the car quickly. Be patient and wait if possible before going to get it.
3. Take a working, powerful jump-starter with you. The battery will be dead as a doornail.
4. If possible learn the controls before you get there. I couldn’t even find where to put the key and had no idea what all the buttons did.
5. Nobody cares about you. The customs broker and people at the pier all act like they could care a less. To them you’re just a number. Just be prepared for the old "Take a number and get in line" mentality. My broker even forgot the details of my transaction after we had talked face-to-face the day before.
6. I had spare parts shipped with the car. This included spares belts, hoses, bulbs, and a shop manual. These caused a huge headache for customs. I would order the spares and ship them separately from the car.

Picking up my Taxi

Even though the taxi, Sir Finley,  arrived at the port on May 21st, May 27th rolled around and the paperwork was not square yet. My customs broker was still waiting on the Agriculture hold (due to nefarious foreign soil on the tyres) and a subsequent customs hold. The broker said it will probably clear customs on Monday, June 2nd.

So I took a leap of faith, packed up the family and drove the 5 hours to Charleston, SC on Sunday June 1st. We visited the USS Yorktown, a WWII aircraft carrier that has awesome planes on it like a F18, F14 (Top Gun), and F4J Phantom. We also climbed around on a submarine and a Destroyer.

Then we took a harbor cruise and sailed right by a huge vehicle ship just like the one Sir Finley come in on. We saw Fort Sumter, the site where the Civil War started. We visited the Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon in downtown Charleston and the Straw Market on Market Street. All of our touristing was fun, but hot (95 degrees).

On Monday morning, Sir Finley had not cleared customs yet, so Mrs. Fin left me and my son in Charleston to wait. We had no place to stay, no transportation, and no clear idea when the taxi would be released. She dropped us off at the custom’s broker’s office. This was the leap of faith. The broker said "No release today. Call me tomorrow". I called Enterprise car rental. They picked us up and I rented an economy car. I drove it 2 blocks to a hotel and waited until Tuesday.

The next day, while waiting at a nearby gas station, we got the call at 11 AM. The paperwork was ready and I could go get my car! Oh, but the pier is closed from 12 to 1 for lunch. So we returned the rental car and hiked about a mile to the pier. We got there at 12:45 PM and the guard made us wait outside the gate. While we were waiting, my son said "Dad, that looks like a London cab". He was pointing at my car about 20 feet away just inside the gate.

 
Sir Finley sat at Union Pier in Charleston for 13 days.

While we waited, all the dock workers came back from lunch. Some longshoreman started wrestling near the taxi and actually began bumping into the side of it with their rather large and sweaty bodies. Sir Finley was rocking. I jumped up and yelled to the security guard "That’s my car their messing with!". He chased them off and it turns out there was no damage.

So a guy in a pickup truck came to the gate and picked me up. I went in an office and got the keys and some paperwork and he took me back to the taxi. When I first looked inside the driver area, I couldn’t even find where to put the key to start it. It is very different. There are a ton of switches and buttons. The jump starter I brought (in my backpack) didn’t start the cab, so the pier mechanic came and helped me start it. About 1:45 PM, I drove Sir Finley away from Union Pier.

We were headed out of town and as I drove through the low-rent part of town, I noticed the gas gauge was about on empty. I wanted to get to a safe gas station so I drove 6 miles and exited the highway. Driving a right-hand drive car was very strange. I put gas in it and then it wouldn’t start. That’s when I realized I had stopped in the hood. Many people offered to "help" us. Most were downright scary. A couple of very nice AT&T employees tried to jump-start the car, but to no avail. I eventually called roadside assistance. After 3 harrowing hours in the 95 degree heat, they got it started by connecting a jump-starter and jumper cables. The battery was just completely drained. We took off home and left the car running at each stop.

The ride home was really hot. I realized afterwards that the heater was stuck on full blast, so that added to my pain. I also found a button that lowers the left-hand front window…after I got home. Sir Finley ran great the entire 5 hours at 65MPH.

We made it home! It only took 8 hours from when we drove away from the pier.

Were we wiped out? YES!

The Taxi arrives in America

My London cab arrived at the port of Charleston, SC on May 21st, 2008 at 9:55 PM. The vessel carried only vehicles and left the port on May 22nd at 4:30 PM.

My customs broker notified me that some paperwork was missing. Also, customs inspectors found "Foreign soil" on the tyres and insisted that the vehicle be pressure washed. My customs broker took care of that. It cost me $262 plus several days delay. The shipper said this is the first time this has happened importing into the U.S.

Due to these delays and the Memorial Day holiday the following weekend, the car was destined to wait until the following week before I could pick it up.

The Taxi Ships

My Cab left the port of Southampton in England on May 12th, 2008. It will go to Baltimore, then to Charleston, SC. Here is what the route looked like:

It shipped on a vessel named the Sierra Nevada Highway owned by a carrier named K-line.
Here is the schedule:

Initial Port Contact

I started calling ports today to see what it will take to get my car into the country. The first step was to browse to the state port web site and find the directory for customs brokers. I just started randomly calling and asking "Do you import vehicles for individuals?". They all said no, but several referred me to ones that do. So I called a few of them. I’ll explain the details later once the arrangements are solid, but in general, you pay a customs broker money and they clear your car for you. One interesting note: It takes up to 3 weeks for the ship to cross the Atlantic Ocean from England. That includes several stops before my port. Still, that is amazingly slow.

 
Typical car-carrying Atlantic-crossing vessel

First Look at My Cab

My London Cab is at the port of Southampton and ready to ship! Here is the first picture of my cab. Needless to say, I am very excited to finally see it. I’m think about naming him "Sir Finley". Once he arrives, I’ll document the details of how he arrived at his new home. Anyone wanting to know how to import a London Cab will be able to look here to find exactly how.