Considering the jump....

[Benji1975]

Just thought I'd introduce myself as going through the site trying to glean information. A job has come up for that my partner is considering in SG so we are considering taking the plunge and relocating.
She has done a 8 month stint working for Coutts before out there and we both loved it (I went out for 5-6 weeks over the 8 months) and always said we'd consider living there. I've heeded the advice on here about 'partner in tow' and we'll do all our sums on assumption I won't get a job! Luckily its a director level position for her so we no work for me, financially at least, wouldn't cause a prob.
The biggest issues for me are the small problem that I love two of things that are very expensive in SG...cars and wine! For comedy value anyone got a rough idea how it would cost to import a 12 year old Porsche 911?
I am willing though to give up my cars and would rent a supercar or track day in kualA lumpur every few months to get my fix!
Many many other things to research and this site has given me some great info so far...thanks!
Our circumstances have changed since last time as we now have 2.5 year old twins but that's 1/2 of the appeal... Clean/safe environment and very good International Schools.
Ok, and being able to jump on tiger airlines and fly off to Thailand/Indonesia etc for a long weekend.....that's a massive appeal!

Regards
Ben

[Strong Eagle]

You cannot import a 12 year old car. Must be 3 years old or less and have right hand drive.

[Benji1975]

That kinda rules all of our cars out then! Until our classic hits 35 years in about 13 years time I guess no option even if we really wanted. So if you can't import over 3 years but you can bring a classic in over 35 years, does that mean, for example, the 1989 ferrari I saw would have been one that was purchased in SG or imported in the first three years of it's life?

Ben

[Strong Eagle]

You _could_ import a classic car but the rules for driving limit you to special occasions... you could not use the car as a regular means of transportation.

[Benji1975]

Yup, I did read that...something like 45 days a year maximum.
I guess we'd just look at not having one, seeing how we coped and then maybe just rent one for weekends away etc.
And then just head to malaysia for a track day or something every few months...

Ben

[JR8]

I enjoy classic cars too and so feel the pain of having to leave one behind.
What I'd say though is that the cost and hassle of getting one here would be ... well, huge. It'd have to be something really special to justify it IMHO, given the restrictions on it's subsequent use.
I never saw virtue in hiring a car in SG, or from JB for w/e's away from SG. The main road up from SG to KL is unruly at best. IME there's nothing worth the trouble of driving to from SG that public transport won't do faster, cheaper, better. The exception being hiring a 'Jeep' or similar when you're out on the holiday islands (Phuket, Penang etc etc), where there are little or no taxis, and the chance to go and explore off-piste can be quite a bonus.

[Benji1975]

JR8, that's good to know, thanks. Do you have young kids? At the moment for us, taxi's are a faff as they are in proper child seats but it won't be long before they are in boosters which, i think, we can just take with us.
I did totally enjoy the whole experience last time I was out there where I just walked out of our apartment with MRT card, cash card and room card just tucked into back of phone.No keys, where to park car etc etc. The whole system was just so much better than here that I really didn't miss a car (apart from the pleasure bit).
I suppose there is also the bonus that it will save the tax/mot/insurance/running costs of 4 cars. But then, we have these because UK is so cheap for these things and I can source parts and work on cars myself....automotive engineer. It's one reason to stay...I can have a 911, mx5, megane 225 RS track car and Golf GTI that totals value of <30k and costs maybe 5k a year to run. Clearly I have to give this up (ok, we are talking about the mx5 in storage or maybe even the 911 as well) but I am willing to for the lifestyle we might get..
Tricky one as worked in automotive research all my life, spend my days on test tracks evaluating prototypes and in dyno cells 'playing' with engines. Am surrounded by petrol heads and performance cars so giving up my passion AND my preferred work will be tough.
But, for the potential lifestyle out there via my partners job....I am very tempted to roll the dice...I'm 40 next week and time maybe I took myself well out of my comfort zone!
Ben

[bgd]

But, for the potential lifestyle out there via my partners job....I am very tempted to roll the dice...I'm 40 next week and time maybe I took myself well out of my comfort zone!
Ben

That would be enough reason for me. Asia can be an adventure. You can pick up your current lifestyle on your return.

[Primrose Hill]

After the dreadful driving on E1/2 up to KL for CNY this year, no way. No more driving up to Malaysia. Like JR8, in the past, we fly and would rent in Penang or Langkawi etc. Now, we are going back to this.
Just an observation - when we lived in London, the 911 got tons of parking tickets, anything from not the sides not properly in the box to the back of the wheel touching another box. It was crazy. We also had to have the Cobra tracker alarm system - that cost an arm and the insurance cost the leg; over GBP2k pa. Porsche West London have to be one of the worst in customer service in terms of servicing. Found out later, that they billed us for parts and service that were never done. And of course each service averages about GBP1500. There were so many tickets from Camden, that I should just open a direct debit payment system with them.
The CRV never have so many tickets from Camden, any to be fair. Gotten towed from outside Langan's but never a ticket. Fully comprehensive insurance on that was dirt cheap. Servicing by Honda Ruslip was superb.

[Benji1975]

Sounds like we would do the same then...if enough people (ok...2 on here) are saying that the main road north to Malaysia and the border crossing are a pig, sounds like we could do without this! When my partner was living there she was pretty much on tigerair or the like every weekend to explore.
I've never lived in london so I can actually state that I've never ever had a parking ticket in my life! And because I'm relatively in the styx compared to london, my insurance for all 4 cars a is bargain £820!
I quite like the reaction difference I get depending on who is in the car. If on my own with roof down then I am looked at like scum 1/2 the time. However, if my two cue blonde 2 year old twins are in the back in their car seats then everyone goes 'aaaah'....
Porsche dealers....wouldn't touch them with a barge pole! For basic stuff like brakes I'll just do them myself and then I go to a trusted specialist who charges a reasonable £65 an hour and doesn't make stuff up. I've got all the service history for mine and it was serviced by various OPC's and it amusing to look at the bills when it was in warranty and after. It's clear they just made jobs up to claim on warranty. They even removed the engine to search for a supposed oil leak (£2200) that mysteriously went away on it's own....
Back to SG, it appears my fave little bar 'my Turkish corner' on corner of Beach Road has shut and turned into a kebab stall. I used to love stopping in there for a pint and a shisha on way back to the Park Royal where missus's apartment was. Disappointed....

Ben

[JR8]

Maybe your turkish place became the lousy Swedish place Fika? Never mind, if that hasn't gone already it will soon, they all seem to come and go in the blink of an eye...

[Benji1975]

Ah, that Fika place was opposite on Sultan st, remember it but never went in there.
I think I did try pretty much every other restaurant in the vicinity though.
Maybe if we move I'll finally
Figure out how satay St works as that's just chaos. Some dude sells you the meat, another the veg and then another bloke appears from nowhere to serve beer....and then you just pay one bloke.
Ben

[Benji1975]

I tell a lie...Fika is on Arab st and is still there (daydreaming on Google St view.....)

[ts77fox]

Went with a few colleagues to KL. We were all in a relatively modest Camry. As they are all locals, we stopped along the way at their familiar eateries. Quite an enjoyable trip, minus the heat. Somewhat wondering whether it is generally safe for foreigners to be driving in Malaysia?

[JR8]

Went with a few colleagues to KL. We were all in a relatively modest Camry. As they are all locals, we stopped along the way at their familiar eateries. Quite an enjoyable trip, minus the heat. Somewhat wondering whether it is generally safe for foreigners to be driving in Malaysia?

The N/S highway is reputed for truck and bus drivers who are doing loooong shifts and hence tired. Also, SGn hot-rodding kids giving their cars the work-out they'd never get at home. Plus local traffic cops who [apparently] might pull you over for an alleged infraction, and give you the choice of settling it there for RM500 cash, or going down to the police station to file a formal report which might take hours.

I've seen the hot-rodding kids and that is pretty frightening, IMHO. I've also known hot-rodding SGns who'd leave SG late after work on Friday and go flat out (averaging 100+mph on the highway) to get the earliest ferries out of Mersing the next morning. The rest is general hearsay...
Either way, the N/S highways are not routes I'd choose for anything like an pleasurable road-trip.