Red Dwarf

[quote user="woolybanana"] ........ it accelerated far too quickly, so......... [/quote] You're joking, right? It seems to me that there are far too many variables; how the owner treats his vehicle, where it is based, where the MOT is performed, even how well the owner knows the tester!   It certainly would never be a stat I’d use in consideration of a new car!

This sounds like “sales talk”.   I’d always prefer to have the same brand all round, but I didn’t manage it on our Astra and that has passed two CTs with Michelins on the front and Continentals on the rear.  Yes, all should be the same size/construction and I’d definitely want the same brand on an axle.   Time to try another tyre dealer I suspect.

Heaven preserve us form whingers and….  quiet race cars!     Petition signed.  Thanks for the info Cooperlola.  Can you believe we have still yet to get over there!    

Trainman We brought our 1978 Corvette with us when we moved here in 2004.  The process of "importing" was a breeze, despite the horror stories we had heard!   Yes, you will need to go through the FFVE as the car will need to be classified as a Vehicule de Collection.  The rules for VdC were due to be amended this year, taking the cut-off to vehicles over 30 years old.  But, it seems that this has been delayed and the cut-off remains at 25 years until June.   A form is available from FFVE to complete, and needs the various numbers from the car, VIN, Engine etc, plus model types etc.  I have all this in my GM Restoration Package, but should be available from NCRS etc if you don't have them.  (You can drop me a PM if you need any info on that).  The form is returned to FFVE and they will send you a fancy "illuminated" certificate stating that you car qualifies as a VdC.  You'll need to obtain the usual form to say that VAT has been paid (from the Hotel des Impots) and in our case that was simple... we completed the detail on the form ourselves!  But, it'll help if you have the your receipt for the car etc (Being something of an "anorak", I have every piece of paper ever associated with the car!)  You will also need to have the car CT'd.  This wasn't a problem for us, it may have been an old-car-friendly tester, but all was OK (make sure your handbrake is correctly adjusted and that you can show how many "clics" it must come up, which is way different from the usual of course!)  We also had put the original US lamps back in, so the dip the correct way.  Once you have the CT, and your VAT form you take the other usual stuff to the Prefecture, V5, receipt, driving license, etc and your credit card.  The possession of the VdC certificate means that over half of the boxes on the Prefecture forms are ignored by their staff, making the process very quick.  We were in and out in 10 minutes, having been relieved of about 200 Euros, and armed with a new Carte Grise de Collection.   You last task will be to find someone to make up number plates of the right size, and for that i went back to England, but there are plenty of places advertising in magazines such as Nitro that will do "US size" plates. There were some geographic restriction to using a VdC, free anywhere in your own (the registering) department and all immediate neighbouring departments.  The FFVE site is still showing that these restrictions were lifted at the beginning of the year (see here: http://www.ffve.org/content/view/81/2/ )  but I confess to now being a little confused as to whether this has happened yet.  In practice, it's hardly a big deal to fill in the forms if you do need to go beyond that range, which in our case was plenty big enough for normal fun trips.  The other advantage is CTs only being needed every 5 years, in stead of 2.  This is actually more strict, as until this year you only needed the initial CT to register the car!   Personally, I'm happy to have someone check my maintenance! Finally, how long have you owned the car, where did you buy it, was it one of Tom Falconer's conversions, and where are you based in France?   And, are you a member of the Corvette Club France? If you need any more detail, get in touch.  

I don't like these "definitions" of historic or collectors vehicles.  But I do know where FIVA is coming from, particularly in the UK, where they are up against a strong anti-car culture, not to mention the GREen & ENvy brigade! Here the FFVE has a similar definition though, recently amended to cars needing to be over 30 years old as at 1.1.2008 to be classified as "collection" vehicles.   Based on some of their statements, I'm hopeful that FFVE think the matter is "clsoed" as far as France is concerned, and the standards are now firmly in place. Just to clear a common misconception re "collection" vehicles here,  there will be no restrictions to use as from 1.1.2009, and what little restriction that existed before simply required a completion of a couple of forms if travelling beyond the department of registration OR any if it's neighbours.  

Hi Debs   Just back form the US, and June found just the thing for you……   [img]http://pagesperso-orange.fr/stephen.irons//Freightliner.jpg[/img]   But, having spent three weeks with this, you could do a lot worse!   [img]http://pagesperso-orange.fr/stephen.irons/ZHZ1.jpg[/img]

We brought two cars over form the UK when we moved here, our RHD Vauxhall Astra and our LHD Corvette.  I had no problems with the Vette being LHD in the UK and have none now with the Astra being RHD drive here.   The only safety issue is generally the nut holding the steering wheel….. you just make allowances.    That said, when it comes to a replacement for the Astra it’ll be a new car, bought in France.  As has been said, used cars in France hold their values very well, making a new car a better deal.   It also, just may make buying spares “down the line” a little harder if you have a UK version…. Don’t ask how I know that!   No guesses that I run all GM….  (if you drive the “flagship” Corvette, of any year, you have to really!), but was a longer term BMC and ran a Suzuki for 20 years in the UK as well and still rate them highly.  But I’d have no hesitation in buying a Zafira if I needed a car of that ilk.  You can find individual horror stories for every make, the “overall story” is what you need to base your buying on, and Zafira seems to have a good “rep”…..

[quote user="Bugbear"] The future of motoring in general looks pretty bl**dy boring............................[/quote] Too much power is never enough![6] I hope Bugbear is wrong, but way too many actually do believe that cars are an "eco problem"... and they are NOT.   They are an easy target for the GREed  and ENvy brigade, and every so called Green initiative is instigated by eitherof those motives., be it governments, manufactures, cities, or those who haven't got a 4x4, Mercedes, etc etc....[:(] 

Sorry, can’t agree with Toby Buckland’s detractors! [:(]  Yes, we liked Monty, but it’s great to have a real gardener back again… not a “chequebook gardener”.   Toby’s a student of Geoff Hamilton, the greatest TV gardener of course, and has Geoff’s philosophy of trying to do things properly, and not spending a fortune doing it.  And, he shows people what to do.. not everyone watching has been doing so for years remember.    As for the others… don’t like Joe Swift, never have, and don’t like his style… particularly don’t like his allotment series, with him talking to some un-identified off camera voice![:@]  And having had dealings with Carol Klein back in the 80’s I know enough to not like her I’m afraid![+o(]   Rachel de Thame?  Well, her last « border » show was just a demonstration of how much she could spend… we didn’t even see the finished result for more than two minutes…..   As I say, “chequebook gardening”.

Just come across this thread.   Top of my long established list would be a Packard 1937 ish, 8 not 12, two door convertible. But until we win the lottery our "old girl" will do nicely! [img]http://pagesperso-orange.fr/stephen.irons/2470LMC.jpg[/img]

Ian I've dropped you a PM. Stephen  (Red Corvette)    

Good job we don't have to pay for film now isn't it![:D] Love the "Shark".... the Lifesaver car at the Classic. Did you  manage Sebring this year?

[quote user="Sunday Driver"] Persons leaving their vehicle in the event of breakdown - from 1 July 2008, it will be obligatory for all vehicles to carry a warning triangle and reflective waistcoat for this purpose.[/quote] Does this refer to ALL roads, or only on Autoroutes, as is the case in some countries at the moment?

"..........The Only Sportscar That Matters" [img]http://www.divshare.com/img/4134316-ad5.jpg[/img]

The A85 is a possibilty, but when it stops the road is a bit "fiddly" into Tours to pick up the A28....   But it'd work!

For ease, and possibly speed, (journey time!) if not necessarily the shortest mileage, take A71 to Orleans, and then go West on the N157 to Le Mans, joining the A28 just East of Le Mans.  Follow the A28 all the way, around Rouen and on to Abbeville, where it “becomes” the A16.  That goes right into Calais.  As a guide, Le Mans to Calais is an easy 4.5 hours.  

This may be a little late…. Apologies, but the server issues on this forum kept me from replying sooner alas! I have had my Corvette insured for a few years with ICC Assurances  http://www.iccassurances.fr/icc_collection.html.   They will insure a classic vehicle with or without an agreed value.  However, the value should the car be a total loss is fairly small, and that affects the amount they might pay in an accident. But they will arrange the valuation to allow and “agreed value” insurance.  This is done via a form and photographs…  It’s nothing too difficult, photos from all angles, plus engine and interior and the completion of a reasonably details questionnaire about the condition of the car.  It costs about 30 Euros I think.  The cost of the insurance goes up (needless to say) but you have the piece of mind that you’ll get what the car is worth if the worst happens. Incidentally, the valuation for the Corvette was more than it was in the UK, which is usual with Corvettes here, but not sure about other makes. Mascotte  http://www.mascotte-assurances.com/   also offer both types of insurance, with the same limitations.   They will also arrange valuation via Auto Expertise  http://www.mascotte-assurances.com/ Again, this is by form and photographs, and is nothing that should be too difficult to any classic car owner.   There is no need to take the car anywhere, unless you want a photogenic location!  Incidentally, neither company appears to restrict “classic” insurance to Vehicles du Collection, which may be helpful.  In my case our Vette is on a VC Carte Gris, for reasons I won’t bore you with!   For those interested though, it’s a whole lot easier to register a car as a VC, provided it’s old enough.