Hi
Regarding ordering parts from the UK...
One thing to keep in mind are potential US customs duties that the Post
Office will demand in order to deliver. I have never completely figured
out the algorithm used but it can be significant (10%) on expensive orders.
Out of the many shipments I've done, I have only had to pay on two orders,
so there is some random sampling going on. Since higher declared values
are of more interest, I would suggest sending the order in several boxes
rather than one large/expensive one.
UK prices are not always cheaper. Large-ish mechanicals are not usually
worth it unless you can hand carry it back (funny how SU's look just like
bombs on airport xray). Rubber and electrical stuff is often much cheaper
and light to ship. Oversized freight is brutally expensive, even if not
heavy. A fiberglass ST MGB air dam was going to cost 4x purchase price
to ship this way.
OH. when looking at UK price lists, note if prices include VAT or not.
Stuff shipped out of the country is not subject to the ~15% VAT. With hand
carried stuff, you can get a VAT refund at the airport upon departure. Most of
the lists I've seen lately don't include VAT but they used to. Also, ask
the vendor if there are club discounts available. If you are in an
affiliated US club, its worth asking.
John Sanders
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