gday morinistylr....welcome to the club and AUSTRALIA!! -answer to the first question do you need insurance when purchasing...the answer is no...however you do need at least 3rd party ..here in NSW its called CTP Green Slip (different names in diff states) and it is compulsory..it protects vehicle owners and drivers who are legally liable for personal injury to any other party in the event of a personal injury claim made against them by other road users. However i also advise you take out insurance for property damage as well..i mean you dont want to be forking out 100,000 when you accidently rear end an aston martin. -answer to your 2nd question about the car needing an MOT...well here they dont call it a MOT, but its exactly the same system...the vehicle must pass all its tests..including braking, tyres and emission....here in NSW its called a Pink Slip (however i am told if the car is not older than 5yrs then you dont need it...someone correct me if am wrong)... -number plates dont cost too much (provided you dont get a personalised one)..however i dont really think you would need to get one...because with most of the cars are that are for sale already have plates and most probably should have rego (or just ran out of rego)...my tip is if you see a car that doesnt have a number plate or any documents, stating it was registered in the previous year, i would walk away...coz chances are you gonna have a load of problems when trying to get the car back on the road (most of these cars have been deemed "Write-Offs")..when buying a car i recc. you looking at getting a REVs report...this report outlines the cars history...a very good document to obtain when you think you have found your new ride...they go thru the vehicle with a fine tooth comb from head to toe, and give you a detail report for a nominal fee...also assures you that you wont have any problems registering it. -imports tend to be harder to insure..like what the other guys above have said..."some imports my have there odometers wound back"...here in australia there are a ton of non-import celicas around..so you should have no problem finding one that suits your budget and need... hope that helps a lil...and good luck with it.....let us know how it all goes!