So the Mrs & I have decided that once our paperwork gets sorted, we're moving to Portugal.

Our budget for a car will be 30K euros, and well, the only vehicles in that price range are 10 - 12 years old with 100K+ on the clock.

And it seems the V8 petrol was not very common in PT, so most of them are the TDV6 or SDV6.

Two examples:

https://www.standvirtual.com/anuncio/land-...52d0dc73ed

https://www.standvirtual.com/anuncio/land-...52d0dc73ed


Am I insane to consider such an old vehicle?  --
2010 Defender Puma 90 + BAS remap + Alive IC + Slickshift + Ashcroft ATB rear
2015 Range Rover Sport Supercharged V8 HSE Dynamic



Defender Puma Workshop Manual: https://bit.ly/2zZ1en9
Discovery 4 Workshop Manual: https://bit.ly/2zXrtKO
Range Rover/Sport L320/L322/L494 Workshop Manual: https://bit.ly/2zc58JQ

I'd say you are more insane considering paying the money than considering the car itself

Mind you, I'm completely uneducated as to how much cars cost in Portugal.

Can you buy a LHD from another country and import it at a lower cost maybe?

As for the car, it all comes down to as it has been looked after.

Mine is now 10 years old, I've spent a lot of money on it and it's outstanding compared to some out there of a similar age and mileage. Kev

MY2014 L405 RR Vogue SE 4.4 SDV8 in Corris Grey
MY2010 L320 RRS HSE 3.0 TDV6 in Stornoway Grey

Autotrader uk has a couple 2013, 80k miles, £17000 (19000euros) or 2016, 65k miles £32000 (36000euros)

While vehicles in neighbouring countries are cheaper, bringing one into PT is a major PITA - everything I read and everyone I know who's done it or tried to do it says that it's not worth the hassle.

I can't have a Defender, as I don't think it will fit into the building's garage.

Also, I cannot see myself getting used to manual gearchanges while driving on the wrong side of the road. --
2010 Defender Puma 90 + BAS remap + Alive IC + Slickshift + Ashcroft ATB rear
2015 Range Rover Sport Supercharged V8 HSE Dynamic



Defender Puma Workshop Manual: https://bit.ly/2zZ1en9
Discovery 4 Workshop Manual: https://bit.ly/2zXrtKO
Range Rover/Sport L320/L322/L494 Workshop Manual: https://bit.ly/2zc58JQ

Are you mad?
With all this stupid fairy tale rubbish that the mainstream media is pumping out of tvs the last thing I would be doing is throwing 30k at a vehicle..
Get a cheap old banger in the meantime until things get (if ever..) back to normal.
By then you will only need to spend 10k for the same car. Unless there is house arrest again..

Yeah, I'm just doing some research for now, we won't be in PT for another year at least.

Mind you, for the same kind of money, I can get:

* 3-year old A3 convertible with low kms: https://www.standvirtual.com/anuncio/audi-...OQfL5.html

or

* a 2-year old Alfa Giulietta with low kms: https://www.standvirtual.com/anuncio/alfa-...OQ8by.html

What better way to explore Europe than in a convertible or in a snappy hatch?  --
2010 Defender Puma 90 + BAS remap + Alive IC + Slickshift + Ashcroft ATB rear
2015 Range Rover Sport Supercharged V8 HSE Dynamic



Defender Puma Workshop Manual: https://bit.ly/2zZ1en9
Discovery 4 Workshop Manual: https://bit.ly/2zXrtKO
Range Rover/Sport L320/L322/L494 Workshop Manual: https://bit.ly/2zc58JQ

What about a 15-20 Yr old bmw X5? You could pick up a top notch one for less that £5k and trust me, it will be way more reliable than a RR or an Italian car.
4.4, 4.6 are the ones to go for. In my opinion..

First of all...you will need to be ABSOLUTELY CLEAR AS TO PORTUGUESE VEHICLE IMPORTATION LAWS.

I bought a LHD 2005 RRS in the UK one year before I moved here to Portugal, aware that being the owner of a vehicle for a year prior to becoming resident in Portugal was one of the requirements to import a vehicle.

It is a legal minefield to import a car in Portugal. It can be a 6 month process - which is the maximum time allowed to complete the process once you become resident here. Failure to COMPLETE the process within the specified time can result in the car being confiscated. There are agencies here to help with the process and they charge around 100 euros to do so. If you go ahead with it I can recommend the company that assisted me.

The process seems easier to do in southern Portugal simply because it happens more there. In the north where I am it really was a nightmare. We also found there was no consistency with what documentation is needed for Customs & Excise in Lisbon compared to what the Porto authorities wanted from me.

The importation fee (arguably called a 'Tax') is based on the age of the car and the emissions. I paid 12000GBP for my lovely 2005 2.7 RRS in 2017. The total amount to import it had I not been able to fulfill all of the requirements would have been 37000 (yes, 37 THOUSAND) euros. Failure was not an option for me, but I had done my homework.

And by the way, if you are successful in importing the car you are not allowed to sell it for 5 years.

This process of importing a vehicle here in Portugal has been deemed unlawful by the EU. Each year a multi-thousand euro fine is imposed on the Government here for totally ignoring the EU Directive, but Portugal makes more money by blatantly ignoring this area of EU Law than it would by abiding by it. It amounts to double-taxing which is why you'll see it referred to as an importation 'fee' here. On the subject of tax, mine costs 1000 euros a year.

I would strongly advise AGAINST importing a car in to Portugal.

If I can help any further drop me a PM.

Best wishes, Barrie.
2017-Jan 2024: 2005 RRS 2.7TDV6. Best car I ever had - until now!
Current: 2018 Ford Ranger Wildtrak 3.2

Well there is an advert to not move to Portugal..

@Themoog: I've no regrets about moving to Portugal - only that I didn't do it sooner. It's truly beautiful where we are and we have a great life here; and I certainly don't regret bringing the RRS. We're up in the hills and she handles the terrain wonderfully. I've found a brilliant 4x4 garage for servicing and parts, generally cheaper than the UK.

I'm only advising against importing a vehicle in to the country. That said, if one researches well and is prepared to endure the process itself there will be no financial cost other than basic administration. Barrie.
2017-Jan 2024: 2005 RRS 2.7TDV6. Best car I ever had - until now!
Current: 2018 Ford Ranger Wildtrak 3.2

Thanks for the advice, BJH1959 - this is pretty much what everyone else told me as well.

The issue for us is that I don't have the option of buying an LHD vehicle here because they are illegal in ZA, hence I will fall foul of the rule that I need to have owned the car for at least a year.

We will also be in Porto, a magnificent area

Themoog wrote:

Well there is an advert to not move to Portugal..

that's a bit rich, seeing that the UK is rapidly devolving into a tin-pot democracy  --
2010 Defender Puma 90 + BAS remap + Alive IC + Slickshift + Ashcroft ATB rear
2015 Range Rover Sport Supercharged V8 HSE Dynamic



Defender Puma Workshop Manual: https://bit.ly/2zZ1en9
Discovery 4 Workshop Manual: https://bit.ly/2zXrtKO
Range Rover/Sport L320/L322/L494 Workshop Manual: https://bit.ly/2zc58JQ

Get a friendly forum owner to put their name on an RRS for the requisite time before importing to PT?

move to Oz naks, for 30K euros or should i say 50K Aussie, you could get a 2014 L494. It will feel like SA mate,
there are thousands of Sarfas as well as us poms plenty of places and spaces to overland Another Pommie Bar Steward down under

MY20 Defender 110 SE P400 Eiger/Ebony
MY10 3.0 RRS TDv6 Fuji/Ebony/Anigre

The problem with Oz is that it's full of Aussies


After doing a bit of research, I think a landy is out of he question and we'll have to do with a sporty hatch - currently looking at an Alfa Romeo Giulietta.  --
2010 Defender Puma 90 + BAS remap + Alive IC + Slickshift + Ashcroft ATB rear
2015 Range Rover Sport Supercharged V8 HSE Dynamic



Defender Puma Workshop Manual: https://bit.ly/2zZ1en9
Discovery 4 Workshop Manual: https://bit.ly/2zXrtKO
Range Rover/Sport L320/L322/L494 Workshop Manual: https://bit.ly/2zc58JQ

Quote:

The problem with Oz is that it's full of Aussies

you would not think so in Sydney Naks, you Sarfa's and us Poms have diluted the mix quite a bit  Another Pommie Bar Steward down under

MY20 Defender 110 SE P400 Eiger/Ebony
MY10 3.0 RRS TDv6 Fuji/Ebony/Anigre