So I'm rounding up an order of odds and ends that seem to be available for cheap via the overseas supply houses.

I'm in USA so I'm curious about the VAT discount. Does this simply get added back on when it hits our shores?

And shipping issues, is there a best way to get this stuff over here?

I'm going to be needing seals, weatherstripping, seat covers, door panels, and various little doo-hickeys as I move to the "making it worth stealing" phase.

Seems that the lightweight stuff may be worth ordering from Europe or UK.

Any advantage to doing a group order? I'm sure there must be others in the Portland area that might want to split shipping. Besides, old Volvo drivers seem to be on the up and up. Not like I'm working with the "slammed rice rocket" crowd.

Any input from someone with experience with overseas orders would be much appreciated.

PS -George, don't you know someone that could load a box onto a military transport? ;-)

-Mario E.
Portland, OR

I've ordered from Scandcar and gotten good service with shipping not too bad.

The only way I know to get help from the military is if you know someone
who is able to pick the items up and bring them home to you or send them
through the APO as a "bona fide gift". That way you get US postage rates.

I brought a lot of stuff home from Panama but it was within my household
goods weight allowance and "Packed by Owner". Most of the stuff had been
previously shipped there from the US or Sweden and almost all of it was used.
--
George Downs Bartlesville, Oklahoma

I've ordered a bunch of stuff from both Swedish and Dutch vendors in the last year or so. The VAT is deleted, and I've found that generally shipping costs add up to less than the VAT was.
I've gotten stuff from Europe faster and cheaper in some cases than from US vendors. They genenerally ship either parcel post or UPS.
Email me if you want specifics on some of the vendors.
Bob

I found the same as Bob, VAT is deducted and priority parcel freight is not too bad, shipments usually take about 7 to 10 days to the east coast US. Scandcars service is good.

Me three. VAT is taken off. I've even ordered some fairly heavy items (front springs and Bilsteins for a PV) and the shipping was not bad at all. I think once UPS gets a package in the air it really isn't much more to ship it across the Atlantic than it is across the US.

They have lots of parts over there that simply aren't available over here. And due perhaps to the exchange rates being what they are the prices are quite nice.

Check out www.KgTrimning.com - their English website is exceedingly thin, but get one of their catalogs and learn to decipher Swedish - they have the best selection I've ever seen of B18/B20 performance parts as well as OHC stuff too.