pigiron

I recently saw a Westfield on 22 plates in a car park, understanding that it was impossible to register a kit car in France I hung around untill the owner came back.... ...... he confirmed that it is almost imposible to register one here, however he bought his in Monaco where they are accepted, he then told me that as far as registering cars is concerned Monaco is considered part of France so he had no problem putting her on Cote d'Armor plates.  

Just wondered if any one has succesfully re-registered an American Motorhome in France? (from UK plates)

Hello Dick......... I'm a memenber of the ACO and will be testing my ex Brittish touring car car on the Le Mans Bugatti circuit 20th October.... Sportivement John

French Hillclimb Invitation St Gueno Brittany 26 & 27 August 2006     The organisers of St Gueno hillclimb (Course de Cote) are offering an open invitation to demonstration drivers from the UK to take part in this years event. Set in the charming Breton countryside the 3.2km course winds its way up a wooded valley offering the driver a very exciting and challenging climb with some very high speed bends to get the adrenalin really flowing. The event was resurrected last year after a gap of about fifteen years by Olivier Henri the deputy maire of St Gueno. During the 70’s and 80’s it was considered one the top hills in France and was even a round of the Euopean championship. The meeting is devided up in to two sections, Modern competition cars against the clock as per usual and an Historic regularity run. St Gueno is somewhat unique in that it benefits from having a team of 350 volunteer organizers who will assure you of a fantastic weekend experience. Being a French event there are the obligatory social events including a bash on the Saturday evening in a restored mill next the circuit. The huge paddock is on a level field not far from the Fer a Cheval hairpin which is the favorite spot for the 6000+ spectators. The course benefits from a return road so after crossing the line you drive straight back to the paddock. The entry fee is just 90 Euros (about £64) for both days paid in cash at signing on. Camping is permitted in the paddock, there is also plenty of accommodation available in the area. Entrants must hold a valid UK drivers license and MSA competition license. Cars should have an MSA log book . St Gueno is only about one and a half hours drive from both Rosscoff and St Malo ferry ports.   Website http://coursedecote-saintgoueno.fr/page-11.html     For more information contact ; John Lloyd Tel: 0033 296 299 206                                      Email: [email protected]          

Yes go to the FFSA site and clic on Comités Régionaux in the left hand menu , it's all there. John     FFSA link .......... http://ffsa.turbo.m6.fr/index.php

I own a French hgv racing car transporter which has only one mirror on each door and nothing has ever been said at the control each year.

I drive a French registered HGV racing car transporter for my own private use and can confirm that as long as you are rolling not for profit or reward the law is the same as the UK ie you dont need to have a disc in the tacho. I should add that not all Gendarmes / police are not aware of this and I have had to educate them on several occasions ( very diplomaticly).

My experience is in last year sucsesfully re registering a  Ford GB reg HGV racing car transporter as a camping car with garage space. There seems to be conflicting reports on the door issue. However I can confirm that the DRIRE in Cote d'Armor 22 insist that a UK near side entry door on a camping car is forbiden, it is in black and white on the guidence notes. They also required a certificate to prove that the gas and ventilation complies with 'current' european regulations also a cirtificate of comfomity from the French importer of the origional chassis (Ford France). Also as the vehicle was classified as 'non spec' it required a cirtificate for the body work, this would only be required for non factory conversions. The best advice is to go to the DRIRE have a chat and get the information from the horses mouth, they are very helpfull.

After spending the last two years traveing France whilst competing in the Championat de France de la Montagne I have met a surprising number of fellow expat petrol heads who have expressed an interest in getting involved in French motor sport. It has occoured to me that there could be enough of us to form some sort of motor club or just an informal group of like minded people with a view to sharing information and even the occasional get together or track day etc?? If you are intersted in competing, marshaling or are simply curious then get in touch.   Sportivement John LLOYD ............ Cote d'Armor 22 02 96 29 92 06    

Hello Andy, I can help you out here...... my name is John Lloyd and I have been compeeting in French national and regional hillclimbs for a couple of years now. There is a very active hillclimb scene here known as course de cote, sprints do exist but are a bit mikey mouse and are usually held on hyper market car parks. Things are done slighty differently compared with what you are used to in the UK, for example your comp license is issued by an association and not as you would expect ie the governing body the FFSA. As you are a UK citizen you will have to get in touch with the MSA and ask them to contact the FFSA license department to inform them that you no longer hold one for the UK ( you cant hold one in more than one country), unfortunatley this is not free an costs about £24 , they will require to see a copy of proof that you are resident in France eg a utillity bill and you will need to do this every year! Then you will have to send your application form to you regional association with the following: a copy of your passport a cheque for club membership and your license (in 2005 a national was 315 €, dearer then the MSA but it includes accident insurance. A recognised sports doctor will have to sign your form after giving you a medical, this is for insurance purposes, the fee is a very reasonable 30€ or so which surprisingly you can claim back on your carte vitlal, on cosecutive years your familly doctor can conduct the examination. You will need to get the FFSA equivalent of of the MSA log book called a paseport technique, this is done by visiting your local scuteneer after obtaing a blank copy form your association. This will probably require a bit of work on the car as classes are very different here, assuming your car is not FIA group A or N you will have to run it in Groupe F2000 which is subdiveded int to classes acording to engine size. Basicaly it is a clubmans class that caters for cars which have either run out of FIA homologation or do not comply. The main points are that the car must have an engine that was origionally offered by the manufacturer but mods are free, maximum wheel diameter of 18", FIA cage extinguisher etc are obligatory. Gear box is free, body work must remain standard unless is has a kit as offered my the factory eg kit car and maxi. You will see many 205's with the 16 valve motor which is totaly legal as it was sold in Germany of a short period, they tend to be very well pepared with sequential boxes and hoge brakes etc! Fortunatley the FFSA has a wonderfull web site with all the info you need, you can down load your application form as well all the tech regs etc in PDF format see link below. I compete in the national hillclimb championship better know as the Championat de France de la Montagne, unfortunatley I had an enormous off last August which destroyed a brand new carbon chassied single seater and put me in hospital of seven weeks with a broken hip. But I will be back out again this season with a new car, lots of people say I'm mad.... they are probably right.... but there is nothing like blatting up a French mountain road at 250 kph for up to 10 k's......... you either get it or you dont!! If you dont hold an FFSA lisence or you car does not comply most clubs will welcome you as a demonstration runner. 'The' motor magazine is Echappement monthly available in all news agents. I hope all this of use, please call me for a chat on 02 96 29 92 06. Sportivement John    (Cote de Armor 22) National championship .........    http://www.chevallier-competition.com/php/index.htm My profile...............http://www.chevallier-competition.com/php/fichepilote.php?id=75 FFSA ............http://ffsa.turbo.m6.fr/index.php

Of interest to owners of Race car transporters ... Horseboxes ... Home built motorhomes ... Trucks ... Other non standard bodied vehicles.  Way back last December I posted a request for advice about how to go about re-registering my Iveco Cargo 7.5 tonne racecar transporter, unfortunatley I only recived two very pesamistic replies basicaly saying DONT BOTHER. However I am pleased to report that after eight months of persistance I now have my carte gris, the truck is now officialy recognised as a Camping car + remise (shed?) voiture, which is great as camping car insurance is much cheaper than regular trucks. I cant prommise that the following information will be totaly relevant for all senarios and there will undoutoubly be diferences in opinion of the interpretation of the regulations by different Drire technicians but it will certainly point you in the right direction. I dealt with the DRIRE near St Brieuc 22 Brittany, although only available on Monday aftrenoons for advice the lady chief technican was extreemly helpfull and realy new her job. Vehicles over 3.5 tonne PTAC (fully loaded) are considered Poids Lourds, mine was 7.7 tonne but the regulations regarding lighter motorhomes and vans are basicaly the same. In France a vehicle fitted with a sink, cooker, table and benches/beds is considered to be a Camping car and MUST therefore go through a Reception a titre isolé at the DRIRE, DIY conversions without this are actualy ileagal.  Before you do anything make a visit to you DRIRE office and speak to the person who deals with vehicle conformity inspection (do not cofuse this with the vehicle control techniqe MOT) who will let you know if the project is worth going for. I was give a list of documents I had to aquire before the DRIRE would even consider giving me  the all important 'PROCES-VERBAL DE RECEPTION A TITRE ISOLE'. Ducuments required....... Attestation de Coformité and Notice descriptive .....from the manufacturer in France to say that the chassis was available on the French market. If you have an Iveco Ford dont bother with Iveco France as they deal only with Fiat engined ones get in touch with Ford France, this mistake cost me a five weeks wait. Tickets de Pesée ... I had the truck weighed at my local farmers COOP for free. Certificat de Carrossage...... You can do this yourself but dont bother it too complicated, it is a form which describes the body work on trucks etc and contains information relating to dimensions axle wieghts, centre pf gravity etc. Do as I did and go to your local friendly lorry body builder, I went to one who makes bulk feed lorries, he simply measured the truck fed the data in to a PC and left all the tricky calculations the his software and hey presto I had the forms in my hand. The boss of the firm did it himself after the factory had closed and would not accept a penny, it took around one and a half hours ! A drawing of the vehicle showing postion of gas bottles, water tanks etc. A list of modifications and work done to the vehicle. Certificat NFS 56-200 .... this covers such things as gas and ventilation regulations and is isued by two organisations, Association Qualigaz or Bureau Veritas. For a fee they will inspect to see if the accomodation complies with 'current' European rules. I had to fit a separate shut of valve for each of the five apliences and fit a 30mbar regulator. A Quittance des Impots ... from the Hotel d'Impots to say there is not tax due on the vehicle. Copy of the UK V5 When you have this lot the DRIRE will inspect the vehicle, in my case this was an absolute dodle and I was quite surprised how uninvolved this was, she was more interested in the basics such as confirming the chassis number and tyre sizes. She did look to see that the the furnitures edges and corners had the correct radus and that the cupboards and fridge had anti burst catches. Also the size of the escape window oppostae the entry door was checked. Once you have the Procees verbal de reception de titre isolé its of to the prefecture and its just the same a registering a standard car. I can confirm that without doubt the acces door for the accomodation has to be on the right hand side ie doors on the UK neat side is forbidden.... I have it in black and white! This was my bigest issue as it meant repositioing the the kitchen. Non automatic entry steps should have an alarm to say they are still protracted when driving. Windows should be of current EU spec caravan type but were not checked in my case. Escape window must be 0.25 M2 with one minimum dimension of 45CM and has to fitted on the opposite side to the entry door. Rear entry doors or hatches are considered ok as an escape. A one kg extigisher has to be fitted in the accomodation and a two kg one in the cab if over 3.5 tonne. The entry door hinges must be towards the front of the vehicle and the door must have a minnimum opening of 0.65M2 and height of 114cm. There is an alternative to all this and is the most common solution used my many fellow race drivers and tht is to register the truck as a Camoin Atellier but you are still not suposed to have full sleeping faciliteis etc it really just gives you the right to use it on Sundays etc. By persisting and registering as a fully legal motor home with garage I have quadrupled the value of the truck in France as they are like hens teeth but there no Im going through that lot again so dont ask if its for sale, its going to last the rest of my racing life. In total the project cost about £1500, fees and materials with around 40 hours labour on top, not an inconsiderable sum but worth every penny and moment of frustration.    

My son of 22 has decided to join us and live permanently in France. As my wife and I have fortunatley not needed to find work here we are a bit in the dark as what to do, we are registered for health but thats as far as our experience goes. To avoid any embarrassment at a later date he wants to do things by the book so any advice on the subject would be most welcome.   Before looking for a job should he register with social security / Job Centre equivalent? I have heard that for job seekers there are language courses paid for by the state, is this true? Would he be entitled to any state benefits / training courses etc whilst looking for work?

It's in group D/E 18 Fomule Libre Single seaters up to 1300cc. I had it built new last year by Force Racing Cars in the UK. It is all carbon with he latest hillclimb wings etc. I chose the 1300cc class as in France the majority of 1300cc cars are still running 8 valve car engines with around 140 bhp, I have a 230 bhp Mistral superbike Hayabusa unit... not too hard see why!

For Immediate Release     French Hillclimb Opportunity     The organisers of the Pommeraye hillclimb are inviting UK drivers to take part in this years event on 14/15 May. Situated 40 km west of Angers it is the closest round of the national championship to the UK.   Licences are not an issue as the UK competitors will be classed as a demonstration however runs will be timed but not classified in the official results.   Pommeraye sits in the picturesque Loire wine region and weaves its way up the hillside of a vineyard. Spectators have an excellent view of the 2.5 km Armco lined public road course. The tarmac is smooth and wide and is guaranteed to get the adrenalin flowing, as speeds in the region of 240 kph are common.   French classes are loosely similar to the UK but there is a big difference in sports racers and single seater, unlike the UK there are minimum weights and there is an upper capacity limit of 2lt for a single seater except for FIA F3000 which is the quickest group. The organisers are very interested to see how a lightweight 650 bhp Gould or Pilbeam would compare (no question!). However these groups will not apply to the Brit contingent.   Travelling distances from cross channel ports are as follows… Roscoff:381km, Cherbourg:380km, St Malo:244km, Calais:533km.   Patrick Morisseau and his team will no doubt offer a warm welcome and a good weekend is guaranteed.   This will be a wonderful experience and could even be combined with a family holiday.   Obviously an idea of numbers is required as early as possible, if you are interested and want more information contact Jon Lloyd in France.   0033 296 299 206   To whet your appetite you should visit the excellent official site of La Championat de France de la Montagne, in the 'multimedia' area you will find lots of images and video including La Pommeryae 2003 (2004 didn't run). http://www.chevallier-competition.com/php/news.php    [email protected]   IP Logged

For Immediate Release     French Hillclimb Opportunity     The organisers of the Pommeraye hillclimb are inviting UK drivers to take part in this years event on 14/15 May. Situated 40 km west of Angers it is the closest round of the national championship to the UK.   Licences are not an issue as the UK competitors will be classed as a demonstration however runs will be timed but not classified in the official results.   Pommeraye sits in the picturesque Loire wine region and weaves its way up the hillside of a vineyard. Spectators have an excellent view of the 2.5 km Armco lined public road course. The tarmac is smooth and wide and is guaranteed to get the adrenalin flowing, as speeds in the region of 240 kph are common.   French classes are loosely similar to the UK but there is a big difference in sports racers and single seater, unlike the UK there are minimum weights and there is an upper capacity limit of 2lt for a single seater except for FIA F3000 which is the quickest group. The organisers are very interested to see how a lightweight 650 bhp Gould or Pilbeam would compare (no question!). However these groups will not apply to the Brit contingent.   Travelling distances from cross channel ports are as follows… Roscoff:381km, Cherbourg:380km, St Malo:244km, Calais:533km.   Patrick Morisseau and his team will no doubt offer a warm welcome and a good weekend is guaranteed.   This will be a wonderful experience and could even be combined with a family holiday.   Obviously an idea of numbers is required as early as possible, if you are interested and want more information contact Jon Lloyd in France.   0033 296 299 206   To whet your appetite you should visit the excellent official site of La Championat de France de la Montagne, in the 'multimedia' area you will find lots of images and video including La Pommeryae 2003 (2004 didn't run). http://www.chevallier-competition.com/php/news.php    [email protected]