Hi Symes, you have it completely wrong here - there is no tax or duty on Class A drugs in Ireland, especially if you throw them into the sea in big bales and let them float ashore. The Revenue patrols are only there to make sure that you haven't been buying excessive amounts of dangerous products from Sainsbury's in Newry. You could have too many loaves of toasting bread, you swine !!

Pierre3.

Ah-ha, I thought that there might be some reason why people don't all drive around on cheap LPG !! Lots of people in Ireland used to use "red" diesel in their cars, if they were farmers or road hauliers, but it always caught up with them because diesel cars aren't really designed to run on red diesel, it makes them rather smoky, if I remember.

There was a big problem in the 80's with the IRA washing diesel and selling that through dodgy garages. Again, people got well shafted after using a couple of tanks because the engine in the car would blow up !

Pierre3.

Richard, thanks for your informative post.

These are the current personal entitlements when returning to Ireland from a non-EU country, e.g. the UK:

"You can buy goods from outside the EU up to a value of €22 without incurring any VAT charges. Goods up to a value of €150 may be imported without payment of customs duty. To avoid these packages being stopped by Customs, the value should be clearly marked on the label.1 Mar 2021".

So, unfortunately, in theory I can't stock up on parts without paying either VAT, if the goods are over €22 but under €150, or duty and VAT if the goods are over €150. At the moment the only way to do this is to drive over the north of Ireland, to Scotland and then down to, for example, Rimmer Bros. When returning there would be no border between the North and the South, but there are currently mobile Revenue patrols on the motorway south, checking vehicles at random. So you take your chances.

Pierre3.

Hi, I would just like to clarify my earlier post.

I had no intention of politicizing my remarks about import duties from the Uk, but, instead, my point is that a number of unanticipated consequences have happened due to Brexit, and which I believe that a lot of people in the UK hadn't expected. I will give a couple of examples, which are not in the least political but economic, not just to people, for instance in Ireland, but also in the UK.

Last summer I decided to fit a new kitchen, which I am doing myself. I looked around for a new worktop, granite sink, tapset, and some other extra's for the sink. So I looked around, on the internet, for a week or so, and decided on the sink and ancilliaries from Caple Co Ltd, in the UK, and a worktop from Formica UK. These items were all quite a lot less expensive buying from a N.I. company, who had an office in Dublin, than buying a sink from Franke, or Blanko, or Stock. The parts, and bits and pieces, collected by myself in Dublin came to around €700. If I had bought from a large local dealer I couldn't have bought products from Caple UK because the main dealers here don't sell Caple. I would, therefore, have had to pay at least 30% more for locally sourced items.

That was last December, just before Brexit happened, and if I had waited until January this year I would have had to add taxes and duties to the cost of buying from Caple, thereby making not worth the cost as I could then but Franke or Blanko for less money. Therefore, and this is my point, I wouldn't had bought from a UK company but from a German or Belgian company and so the sale would have been lost, to the detriment of Caple Co and their workers.

Example two- I had to fit all new bushes to the front of the P38, last September, to pass our version of the MOT, so I bought everything, track rod assembly, drag links, anti-roll bar assembly, upper and lower ball joints, the lot. All these parts came from Rimmer Bros, and cost somewhere in the region of £350 [I forget exactly]. Now, after Brexit, if I had to buy all those parts I would probably expect to have to pay closer to £500/£525. At that stage I would have to consider whether I want to put the car through the MOT test, but instead sell it for parts.

Again, my point is that is that, before Brexit, the parts were only different in as much as I would have a currency conversion rate to bother about, so I would therefore buy from Rimmer Bros UK. Now, after Brexit, I have currency conversion and taxes and duties to be concerned about, and how much more expensive it is going to make the parts. Therefore, I may either scrap the vehicle or try to find a supplier in Europe, although he will be buying from the UK himself and adding on the premium, but either way I would not be buying from Rimmer Bros, therefore, as before, the sale would be lost to the detriment of Rimmer Bros and their employees.

Although I am only one person when you multiply up the number of people who did used to buy directly from the UK the figures become very, very large, and if those people are now shopping online from Germany or Spain or Italy then the loss to the UK exchequer will be really noticeable.

This is my point that I don't believe people in the UK realised the unintended consequences of Brexit. A decision made in one country can have profound effects in other countries. After 40 years of no barrier trading this is big issue.

Sorry for the long post, but I am just trying to put into context some of the results of Brexit outside the UK. Nothing political is assumed or intended. I just wanted to point out that, because of the big jump in imports from the UK to Ireland, keeping an oldish P38 may have become to expensive and not worth the hassle.

Pierre3.

Hi Dave3d, I didn't mean to offend anyone who voted for Brexit, I just don't think that people were fully aware of the cosequences. But let it lie. What would you like to know about the headlining ?? 😉

If it's any help my roof lining is still OK after two weeks so I believe that that maybe a good sign !!!

Just an aside, a second hand grab handle arrived today to fit in place of the square plugs above the driver's seat. The holes are all there to accept a grab handle to be fitted, which I think will be better than the two square plugs which were originally fitted.

Pierre3.

Lpgc, there were a few stories about people in Donegal, who tend to live a little "off-grid" shall we call it, refilling their converted cars from their Calorgas home heating tanks. I had heard it said that owners were getting Calorgas at a fairly low price, because it was for central heating and gas cookers, so it made a lot of sense to also use it in the car.

As I say, just hearsay, but I wouldn't put it past people living in Donegal !!!

Pierre3.

Thanks, Richard, I will look at the plans for Edinburgh.

I'm not sure of the situation vis-a-vis, [do you like that - "vis-a-vis", very educated, amn't I ], the Irish police passing on fines from the DVLA. i must ask a couple of people that I know who are connected to the Irish police.

There was a huge bone of contention, some years ago, because drivers from N.I. were being caught on radar checks speeding but the fines couldn't be enforced outside the State. I think, though, that after years of consultations the laws were changed in the two jurisdictions to allow fines and penalty points to be charged.

However, as you mention, after Brexit that could have changed.

Pierre3.

I thought that it would be instructive to members who live outside the UK, and more specifically, in the EU, to find out what happens now the UK is out of the EU.

I bought a replacement switchpack [ which I know that I could have got from Marty Cox, and perhaps should have done - sorry Marty] from Rimmer Bros, which has an exchange surcharge on it, and cost £244 [ €283] with the surcharge being returned, £50 or so.
The exact breakdown was, in Euro's:
Switchpack - €209.10
Surcharge - €57.96
Sub-total - €267.06
Shipping - €16.16
Total - €283.22

All very well, I know it is pretty expensive but I was looking at the idea that because it has come from Rimmer Bros then it may have been repaired by Landrover, but again perhaps not. It was a cost I was prepared to accept to make sure that my windows go back up when I put them down !! I have just fitted a spare switchpack that I got from Marty early last year and I had kept as an emergency back-up. Now I have used it.

So the "new" switchpack was delivered by UPS this morning, and with a bit of a shock. The driver said that there was €80 due to be paid, care of Irish Revenue. I had an idea that there would be something due, but €80 ???? A bit steep.

The new import rules now, after Brexit, is that anything coming into Ireland with a value of over €150 gets [a] charged 12% import duty, [b] 23% VAT, and the VAT is charged on the sub-total of the cost of the item, the 12% duty, the shipping cost, and then, on top of that, 10% handling fee by the import delivery company.

So my switchpack ended up costing €363.22 !!

That is the cost of Brexit to people outside the UK. Anything that comes into Ireland, and probably applies to the rest of the EU, is subject, over certain limits, to 12% duty and whatever VAT rate is current in the importing country, currently 23% in Ireland. It effectively means that if I want to import spares for the P38 from a tax-compliant shipper and the total purchase cost is over €150 then I need to add around 33/34% to the initial purchase price. It doesn't matter if you buy 151 items at €1 each because the total is €151 and therefore subject to duties.

I can see that, if I have to replace something expensive which has to come from the UK, then the poor old P38 will have to be got rid off as it will be too expensive to repair. And, being a P38, I suspect that day may be sooner rather than later.

Pierre3.

On this topic, which is really informative, does anyone know what the situation is for foreign-registered vehicles, for example Irish registered cars ?

Also, what is the intention for Scotland ? I have to take the P38 to Edinburgh in July.

Pierre3.

Hi Richard, I have sent you a PM, if you get a chance to have a look I would be most grateful.

Pierre3.

Richard, I was fortunate in that my pillar trims cleaned up well with a bit of warm water and "Dodo Juice" Purple car shampoo ! I didn't scrub them too hard but rather wiped them firmly with a wet cloth. I had considered putting the roof material on them but when I trial wrapped the back door seat belt trim I felt that it was too thick and would almost certainly wear quickly, and then look awful.

Pierre3.

The headlining panel does, as Richard rightly says and I followed his advice, come out the tailgate. I had to remove all the boot area trim down to the wheelwell panel, and then gently bending the panel pulled it out.

Again, as Harv says, it is two thin sheets of fibreglass with foam sandwiched in between. I am sure that it is repairable using a car fibreglass kit. If you have experience of the old way of car repairing using fibreglass and Isopon then it should be easy enough.

What I would say is to take a lot of care if, and when, you repair the panel, and make sure that the downside-facing surface is absolutely smooth before you glue the material back on otherwise you will definitely see the edges afterwards. I have a small edge line showing beside one of the pull handles because, for some reason, the panel had a crack in it. The fibreglass wasn't actually broken but if you ran your fingers over the surface you could feel a slight difference.

I thought that this wouldn't be noticeable, as there wasn't a visible crack or split but you can see it if you look carefully.

The edges are a bit tricky, just try your very best to avoid the two fibreglass surfaces from seperating around the edge when cleaning off the old material. It comes apart very easily, and, unfortunately, the new material won't really pull it back together. The edges also need to be quite firm as they hold the roof panel in place by sitting in the door seals inner track.

My advice for the holes, for the grab handles, roof lights, and other bits is to cut an "X" in the material from the back surface, and make sure not to go too close to the edge of the hole, just to let the material pull through to be glued down on the back of the panel. I tried to be more "creative" with one such hole but it meant that the very corners didn't pull right through the hole onto the back. Fortunately, there is a reasonable edge around the fittings which will cover any small issues.

I found that the easiest way to get the rear reading lights back was to use one screw which was about twice the length of the original screw and let it pull the light fitting up to the plastic plugs in the roof. I think that the light fitting could break if you try pushing it too hard to get the original, short screws in place.

Also, the grab handles can take a fair bit of shoving to get them back in place. They have small lugs that push into a hole in the roof, but I found that I had the stick the screws onto a screwdriver and then, pulling the spring-loaded handle down, drive the screw into place. A bit a a pain but not too difficult.

The sunvisors are a bit of guesswork, but if you have cut a small hole for the mirror light cable then you should easily find one screwhole. Get one screw in, and you should be able to feel the hole through the roof panel by running your fingers across the material, and then push a screw through the material until you feel the screw hole in the roof.

I found that I had to bend the newly upholstered panel a little bit to get it back into the vehicle. But if one is gentle and wiggle it about a bit it goes in pretty easily. I think the best method of getting it into position without doing damage, especially if you like me have a sunroof, is to get the panel to sit in the rear passenger door seal track first. This will take the strain off the panel and give you time to get the front door seals done.

After that, refit all the pillar trim pieces. It should be easy enough to get a couple of replacement seat belt adjuster covers. I just made sure to wash [clean] the pillar trim pieces before refitting.

Exactly, Richard, and the numbskull who wrote the article mentioned is completely ignoring that fact. So cars become bigger, to be safer but car park designers mark out spaces to be smaller to get more people in. So nobody wins because people start to park by encroaching into a second space. Thereby defeating the original architects idea of more customers, and also jerking everybody's chain when they can't park because of all the "bad" parking.

I also notice, of recent, a lot of the big supermarkets have reduced the number of mother-and-baby spaces, or at least they have in Edinburgh. The last time I visited my daughter there I found it very difficult in a lot of places to find mother-and-baby spaces. A real pain when you have two children [ or grandchildren] of 3 and 4 years of age, and you need to put one in each side of the back of the car. I have to admit to taking two spaces if really necessary, or else I just give up and walk from the back of the carpark with one small childer in each hand !!!

Bring back horses and donkeys, I say !!

Pierre3.

Having read part of that "publication" and one thing that annoys me is the comment about "150,000 cars were sold which are too big to fit into a standard parking space". Well, I believe that a lot of carparks, for the last 5 years or so, are marking their spaces smaller, so that they can get more cars, and therefore more people, into the car park.

I find it almost impossible to get out of my Lexus IS in many carparks. It is easier to get out of the P38 in most places because I climb down whereas in the Lexus I have to open the door and pull myself up, and that is a problem in a small space.

That article obviously want everybody to buy crappy things like this:

God, I hate these to**ers. They bleat on about how we, in the UK and Ireland, should stop driving cars, stop flying, turn off our central heating, but are quite happy to let China keep burning up millions of tons of coal, let Brazil cut down thousands of acres of forest, let India's population keep exploding into billions of people and do almost nothing to stop any of that because these countries are untameable. So we have to stop polluting the world.

Well, I don't think so. People like that Swedish prat can hoof off. When controls have been put on Russia, the USA, China, India, Brazil, and Indonesia then I will look at reducing my emissions footprint.

Pierre3.

Hi Richard, good call on this thread, I found Jon's service excellent. The fob worked first time when I got it back.

Pierre3.

My point is - I would like to keep my P38 even if it meant going electric. The problem is that nobody, nobody at all, will do an electric conversion for a sensible cost, say £10,000. Reading quite a number of US sites about EV conversions they often come in quite a bit under £10K. I appreciate that one would have to pay for some-ones labour to do the work, but charging over £100,000 is just ridiculous.

Pierre3.

I took a selfie after spending to much time outside, at night, in the back garden, during lockdown:

I look a bit older these days.

Pierre3.

Wow, a three month old turkey must have tasted a bit rank !!!!

Pierre3.

Richard - "Yes, they do that although it's usually a crunch rather than a boing." I think the "boing" was caused by me hitting my head on the door frame.

Pierre3.

Well, well, well, fascinating stuff, thanks Richard. Just as well he is in America. I'll bet he voted for Trump.

Pierre3.