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RV8 reimporters If the flow of reimported RV8s seen during the last four years continues, we anticipate the stock of reimported RV8s in the UK will soon be twice the stock of UK specification cars. But who are the firms reimporting this flow of RV8s? Well the V8 Register has been compiling a list of the specialist RV8 Reimporters & Traders from reports from RV8 enthusiasts sent to the V8 Register. Further entries are welcome or further comments about specialists already listed! Autocare, Highbridge, Somerset Brown & Gammons, Baldock, Hertfordshire Cleevewood Garage, Downend, Avon Clive Wheatley mgv8parts, Worfield, Bridgnorth, Shropshire Cox & Perry, Norwich, Norfolk HS Imports, Street, Somerset (no longer reimporting RV8s) MG Car Centre, Launceston, Tasmania, Australia MG Imports, Loganholme, Queensland, Australia RV8 Cars Australia, Granville NSW, Australia West End Classics, Somersham, Cambridgeshire For members considering getting an RV8, you need to know the specialist MG magazine MG World has had two excellent articles on the RV8. A very useful article on RV8s from Japan was in the October/November 2002 issue and earlier an eight page comprehensive review of the MG RV8, which included a buying guide was in the February/March 2001 issue. Clive Wheatley - MGBV8 spares Reimports RV8s - call to check out his current stock. He also provides and full spares and servicing facilities for the RV8 model. Provides full servicing, mechanical rebuilds and V8 conversions. Supplies V8 parts for maintaining MGBGTV8s including gearbox laygears for the MGBGTV8 and rocker covers and parts needed for MGBV8 conversions. Clive also services MGBV8s and MG RV8s and is a convenient specialist for members in the West Midlands. Clive has recently moved his operation from Wolverhampton to freshly refurbished workshops in the Shropshire countryside. The new premises are in specially converted outbuildings adjacent to a country house just 7 miles slightly west of Wolverhampton, near the village of Worfield off the A454.
HS Imports - no longer reimporting RV8s HS Imports is one of the leading RV8 reimporters in the UK and one members consistently report "are good people to deal with". HS
Imports HS Imports has been repatriating RV8s from Japan for over eight years now. Chris Watkins runs the firm and previously lived in Japan for many years where he acted as buyer for several private and trade clients in the UK. For the past three years he has been back in the UK importing and selling RV8s and other reimports direct to enthusiasts. He makes it his aim to supply only top grade cars at very fair prices. His sale price is based on the Japanese auction price of each car. Recently Chris has downscaled his operation to deal exclusively in RV8s and he now operates his business from his home in Somerset but offers no less a service - in fact the attention paid to each RV8 and client surpasses the norm. HS Imports' cars are not "dressed up" and buyers always get to see the cars exactly as they arrive from Japan before preparation is started. That preparation always includes any minor cosmetics the buyer might wish to have done - most notably a replacement set of elm bur trims inside the car if the original veneer has started to ripple. This does not affect the price. Most of their sales are made before the cars reach the UK by providing customers with a full description and a digital photograph of each vehicle together with a money-back guarantee where a deposit has been paid. HS Imports bears all the costs of putting the car on the road in the UK without increasing the pre-agreed sale price once the deposit is paid. Therefore if on arrival in the UK the car requires new tyres or mechanical attention, HS Imports provides it all. Recommendation: Many members have spoken well of Chris Watkins including Mark Seagrove (Woodcote Green 1070) from Avon and Keith Rowson (Oxford Blue 1764) from Hertfordshire who report a good service and note Chris is a pleasant person to deal with. Brown & Gammons 18 High Street Baldock Hertfordshire SG7 6AS Tel: 01462 490049 Fax: 01462 896167 sales@ukmgparts.com www.ukmgparts.com Colin Leigh (Oxford Blue 1552) and the late Ian Lloyd (Woodcote Green 0619) are just two of the members of the V8 Register who have acquired their RV8s from B&G. This long established MG specialist has reimported a steady stream of RV8s from Japan and is experienced at preparing them for the UK roads. They have excellent workshops for maintaining RV8s and several years ago took over the RV8 spares operation from MG Rover. The contact there is Malcolm Gammons.
Autocare 1 Old Creamery Huntspill Road Highbridge Somerset TA9 3DF Tel: 01278 789024 Fax: 01278 793533 Autocare have reimported a number of RV8s from Japan and are experienced at carrying out the necessary conversions and preparation for UK roads. Bryan Ditchman (Caribbean Blue 0265) has had contacts with them concerning their radio converter (see RV8 Workshop Note 76 in Volume 3 of the series) which saves the cost of replacing the radio. The contact there is Tony Walters.
Cleevewood Garage Cleevewood Road Downend Bristol Avon BR16 2SF Tel: 0117 956 7144 Tim Hipwell (Oxford Blue 1133) from Devon reports Cleevewood is run by Ray Hardacre and Norman Hughes who specialises in classic cars and good quality reimported RV8s and MGFs. Tim found them "very helpful and willing to put things right with any "reimport" before handing it over to the customer". Another member, Tony Grimes (Woodcote Green 1070) from Avon felt their service was very good and he has been pleased with his RV8. Tony reports Cleevewood had four RV8s in stock including one in Nightfire Red and another in Oxford Blue.
Cox & Perry - classic & sports car specialists Frettenham Road Horstead Norwich Norfolk NR12 7LB Tel: 01603 737195 Further details awaited. West End Classics Keith Evans runs this RV8 specialist which trades in hand picked, first class low mileage RV8s. All RV8s are thoroughly checked over and any work carried out before delivery.
MG Car Centre Gavin Brown runs the MG Car Centre in Tasmania and import RV8s to Australia. All cars are "ADR complied" and can be delivered anywhere in Australia. The "ADR compliance" means the RV8s have a compliance licence confirming modifications have been carried out so the vehicle conforms with the Australia Design Rules. These measures are to regulate the market and protect the Australia car market from "grey" imports. The MG Car Centre provides a full servicing and spare parts service for RV8s and MGBV8s. They have supplied a number of RV8s to customers downunder and can provide customer testimonials if requested. The MG Car Centre
RV8 Cars Australia Pty Limited Bruce Webster (Woodcote Green 0722) in Sydney reports that the owners of RV8 Cars are both ex presidents and ex MGB registrars of the MG Car Club Sydney and really know all about modern MGs. RV8 Cars Australia Pty Limited 26 Cowper Street Granville NSW Australia Tel: 612 9637 6204 Fax: 612 9637 0199 www.rv8cars.com.au
MG Imports Bruce Webster (Woodcote Green 0722) in Sydney comments that whilst he does not know agreat deal about this company, he understands that many of the RV8s imported to Australia are "ADR complied by the company. MG Imports PO Box 3787 Loganholme Queensland 4129 Australia Tel: +61 (0) 418 786214 Fax: +61 (7) 3208 4823 List updated to 23.10.08 |
