oglefakes Posted March 21, 2007 Share Posted March 21, 2007 Hi, Has anyone looked into importing a vehicle from the USA?cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave21478 Posted March 21, 2007 Share Posted March 21, 2007 It must be possible, there is MASSIVE old caddillac saloon thing floating about the local village and a few km`s down the road there is a house owned by English folk that have a gorgeous old Trans-Am parked outside on French plates.[:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PossumGirl Posted March 21, 2007 Share Posted March 21, 2007 We imported our Toyota Echo in 2005 when we moved. It cost about 200€ to make the few changes necessary to get it registered here.PG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oglefakes Posted March 21, 2007 Author Share Posted March 21, 2007 Thanks people. PossumGirl, what did you need to get done? I know some modifications are quite strange, for example, GM in Australia exported some cars to Israel a few years ago and the modifications included things like the tape eject buttom needed to be shortened [8-)] and of course a modification for the quirky Israeli thing about brakelights being ON most of the time.Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oglefakes Posted March 21, 2007 Author Share Posted March 21, 2007 [quote user="dave21478"]It must be possible, there is MASSIVE old caddillac saloon thing floating about the local village and a few km`s down the road there is a house owned by English folk that have a gorgeous old Trans-Am parked outside on French plates.[:D][/quote]Dave, apparently many of the American cars in Europe are ones that the service people, US gov. employees etc brought with them and left behind upon returning home. I think that they get a really good deal on shipping and I read somewhere - years ago - that US Embassy staff etc got their cars transported at the US gov's expense.I have a 2004 Dodge Ram 1500 and had been toying with brinining it with me, then selling it at some stage, as I had a look at Yahoo.fr 's auto section and they are selling for 30,000e, even some loaded ones for > 50e whereas I am about to sell mine for $15k, but its not got many extras. The shipping agent told ne the other day that there will be room in the container, but I'm still pondering it.cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave21478 Posted March 21, 2007 Share Posted March 21, 2007 About 20miles from where I was brought up in the UK there was a US airforce base and there were loads of American cars in the area. It was brilliant as a child to see real-life "knight-riders" on the local streets!When the base was closed, the US cars slowly dissappeared Id imagine due to lack of spare parts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori Posted March 22, 2007 Share Posted March 22, 2007 We brought a Toyota over. I've posted on here about the experience. It was a living hell !! I would never do it again. In the end, it took us nearly TWO YEARS to finish the process. Had to change nearly nothing. The problems were due to no one seeming to know what process to take. From Toyota to Garage to Prefecture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PossumGirl Posted March 22, 2007 Share Posted March 22, 2007 [quote user="oglefakes"]PossumGirl, what did you need to get done? [/quote]Let's see... Our parking lights used the same bulb as our turn signals, so we had to have an extra bulb put in so that that wasn't the case (can't have orange parking lights apparently); American brake fluid indicator lights seem to go on when you no longer have brake fluid at all, as opposed to when it's just really, really low, so that had to be finagled; we had to have the VIN engraved on the engine; we needed a rear fog lamp; the reflectors on the back end were not acceptable so we had to have new ones added and the only real complcation was the seat belts. This was actually caused by Toyota being cheap. The driver's side seatbelt had a label that said it conformed to European standards, the other seatbelts did not. The inspector, unfortunately, looked at one of the other seatbelts first! We had to get a letter from Toyota stating that the parts to replace the seatbelts weren't available in Europe. And that was it.PG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PossumGirl Posted March 22, 2007 Share Posted March 22, 2007 [quote user="Lori"]We brought a Toyota over. I've posted on here about the experience. It was a living hell !! I would never do it again. In the end, it took us nearly TWO YEARS to finish the process. Had to change nearly nothing. The problems were due to no one seeming to know what process to take. From Toyota to Garage to Prefecture. [/quote]Geel, Lori! I didn't realize this. It was really simple for us. The guy at the DRIRE in Carcassonne was very helpful and knew exactly what he needed and what we needed to do. Toyota was occasionally a pain, but that's because they weren't very rapid, not because they wouldn't help.PG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PossumGirl Posted March 22, 2007 Share Posted March 22, 2007 We shipped our car over in the container with our household goods. The only cost involved was in getting a larger container. If we'd just sent the car with a shipper, I believe the cost was going to be $800.PG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori Posted March 22, 2007 Share Posted March 22, 2007 Oh yes, we paid 900 U.S. dollars to have the car shipped over (separate from household goods). That was the easiest part of the process.The DRIRE were excellent. They were the ONLY ones who seemed to know what they were doing. Having never gone through the procedure before, I didn't know exactly what to expect. Toyota France was a problem through the entire process. They would take weeks and even months to complete necessary forms and provide data. Calling them was another joke. I would get a different answer to the same question every time I called. The guy at the DRIRE would shake his head in amazement every time I told him the responses I was getting. Toyota never could seem to find an equivalent "type" for our car and, in the end, the DRIRE just plonked one in. Then, the insurance company had a hard time writing up a policy for a vehicle that was "unknown" to France. It was all really silly. In the end, everything worked out, but we had to buy a French car in order to legally drive here. Perhaps we just had very very bad luck. But, I can honestly say, I would never do it again and I would not recommend it to other folks. There is always the chance that things will go perfectly smoothly, but there is also the chance that you will have the same experience we had and if you do, you will curse the day you chose to bring your car over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iceni Posted March 22, 2007 Share Posted March 22, 2007 [quote user="oglefakes"]......... as I had a look at Yahoo.fr 's auto section and they are selling for 30,000e, even some loaded ones for > 50e whereas I am about to sell mine for $15k, but its not got many extras. [/quote]If it were mine I would first try selling it in US. If you cannot get a sensible offer then you have nothing to lose by shipping it over. Johnnot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oglefakes Posted March 22, 2007 Author Share Posted March 22, 2007 Our stuff is actually going to the UK first, so it may be a slightly easier process, given the number of 'grey' imports etc that the UK gets.Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oglefakes Posted March 22, 2007 Author Share Posted March 22, 2007 Lori/PossumGirl, I know this is off topic, but as you have both walked this path already (whoops, I sound like my next door neighbour) are there any items that you really really wish you had brought more of with you? Or for that matter, anything that you regret leaving behind and would have brought with you? i.e. we are bringing a whole load of 300+ count cotton sheets as they are ridiculously cheap here.pointers appreciated.[:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PossumGirl Posted March 22, 2007 Share Posted March 22, 2007 [quote user="oglefakes"]Lori/PossumGirl, I know this is off topic, but as you have both walked this path already (whoops, I sound like my next door neighbour) are there any items that you really really wish you had brought more of with you? pointers appreciated.[:)][/quote]Ogle, except for a few books that I sold and now wish I hadn't (not the first time we've done that!), I actually wish I'd brought LESS stuff! I have a big armoire in my garage, filled with kitchen stuff that I will probably never use, but which Mr. P insisted that I keep. We also bought our photocopier (along with a transformer) and it never worked right, the transformer was super-expensive, and we still wound up trashing the photocopier and getting a new one (less good) here.I have wound up buying some items for my dogs online, and I do get vitamins in the U.S., because it's easier to find what I want and still winds up cheaper to buy them that way.PG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori Posted March 22, 2007 Share Posted March 22, 2007 We actually got rid of a huge amount of "stuff" before moving to France. Certain things I would DEFINITELY bring would be nice bedding. The bedding (not so much the bed itself) - comforters, sheets, pillow cases, etc. are SO much more expensive here. The quality here is an issue too. I am so very glad I brought over our king sized comforter and sheets set as the same thing here would probably cost me in the vicinity of 600 euros. It cost just under 300 in the U.S. Also, towels are cheaper in the U.S. for like quality. I now buy my towels from Alinea and they are okay, but still not as good as what I could get for less money in the U.S. French furniture is quite different than what you see in the U.S. At least it is here in Provence. I don't like most of it, but that could just be me. There is much more choice in the U.S. as to styles. It is also very expensive here.I didn't bring any kitchen gadgets as I knew I would want the correct wattage/volts, so bought here. Bought all electronics here; wanted the guarantee here too. I would say that, overall, things like TV's, DVD's, computers, etc. are much cheaper in the U.S., but you need the correct wattage/voltage and we just bit the bullet and bought them here.I can't really think of anything else. I'm sure there must be other things, but I have long since forgotten them. Learned to like what is here (except for the furniture). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oglefakes Posted March 22, 2007 Author Share Posted March 22, 2007 Lori, Yes, I couldn't agree more about the bedding. It's one thing that Americans are very fussy about and I have to say that I agree [:)]We will be bringing our Kingsize bed and sheets/comforters etc as the quality of the stuff available is great. On the weekend we got a sheetset of 100% Egyptian cotton, 300+ threadcount for a kingsize $39 and a Duvet cover & shams for $29, again 100% cotton. We have gone to town and bought quite a few sets as we know they will be hard to get/expensive in years to come.The other thing I am getting is lots of non-electrical tools as they are sooooooo cheap compared to European prices.I'm not much of a fan of French furniture either. Have you thought of getting it fromthe UK. This is where our sofas are from and they have a great range www.dfsonline.co.ukOh, back to cars, was there any import tax? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oglefakes Posted March 22, 2007 Author Share Posted March 22, 2007 What about vehicle accessories like bumper stickers?I was thinking about a few pallet loads of these to sell at the local French markets for French cars. Support MagnetsOr this newer one, The president... note the order of the wording to blur the boundariesI couldn't resist putting these in...I'm not sure which side thinks this is funnyThis may not impress the neighbours Neither will this oneThis one is just stupid, well, sort of.sorry, I've gone off on one again, but they are for vehicles [:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori Posted March 23, 2007 Share Posted March 23, 2007 When we imported our car, we were allowed one tax free shipment into France. Since our household goods were arriving later and separately from our car, we had to bring an itemized list of all the household goods that would be coming later and that list was stamped and attached to the car entry paperwork (by Customs at Le Havre - entry point of car). This way, the household goods were counted with the car as our one shipment. No taxes or fees. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PossumGirl Posted March 23, 2007 Share Posted March 23, 2007 [quote user="Lori"]When we imported our car, we were allowed one tax free shipment into France. Since our household goods were arriving later and separately from our car, we had to bring an itemized list of all the household goods that would be coming later and that list was stamped and attached to the car entry paperwork (by Customs at Le Havre - entry point of car). This way, the household goods were counted with the car as our one shipment. No taxes or fees. [/quote]Our situation was a bit different, as we were considered "repatriated" when we moved and therefore didn't have to pay any taxes on personal goods, no matter how many shipments they would have been. We did have a caveat that we wouldn't be allowed to sell our car until it was here for a year, but that wasn't an issue since we have no desire to sell it.PG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oglefakes Posted March 23, 2007 Author Share Posted March 23, 2007 [quote user="PossumGirl"]We imported our Toyota Echo in 2005 when we moved. It cost about 200€ to make the few changes necessary to get it registered here.PG[/quote]PG, Based on the fact that the Echo isn't listed on the Toyota France website, are toyota able to supply spare parts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PossumGirl Posted March 23, 2007 Share Posted March 23, 2007 [quote user="oglefakes"]PG, Based on the fact that the Echo isn't listed on the Toyota France website, are toyota able to supply spare parts?[/quote]Good question, Ogle! Luckily, because it's a Toyota, we haven't needed any yet. It's a 2003 and it still only has 26,000 miles on it! (Can you tell we don't drive a lot?) We've been told that it is very similar to a Yaris, so I'm hoping that we will be able to get brakes, etc., when the time comes. If we can't find parts here, then we'll just order what we need from the States and hope for the best.We were incredibly lucky that our village mechanic used to be a Toyota mechanic! He loved working on the car. Unfortunately, because he had some back surgery recently and for some other reasons that have nothing to do with him, he was forced to close his garage. We'll have to go to Toyota in Pamiers for service from now on, so I do hope they'll be able to help. They actually ADORED our Echo when we went in for assistance with the paperwork, etc. They had never seen one before and everyone kept coming out to stare at it. Quite funny.PG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted March 23, 2007 Share Posted March 23, 2007 Isn't it all part of the fun not knowing what respose you'll get from one department to the next [;-)] To mis-quote Forest Gump:"France is like a box o charcolets, ya never know what yer gorna git" .....[:D]Wandering off topic now, I'm sorry but I couldn't resist.[quote user="PossumGirl"]...except for a few books that I sold and now wish I hadn't (not the first time we've done that!), [/quote]Books, don't talk to me about books. We're about to come over with our second trailer load of household stuff and I swear in both bulk and weight 50% of it is books, I'm talking hundreds here, fiction/non fiction/biographys/autobiographys/travel books/decorating/interior design etc. etc. etc. got enough to start a library, I think 3 of them are mine, glad we've got a 300sq/m barn, we're going to need it ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oglefakes Posted March 23, 2007 Author Share Posted March 23, 2007 [quote user="PossumGirl"] If we can't find parts here, then we'll just order what we need from the States and hope for the best.[/quote]Speaking from (expensive) personal experience, it might be an idea to investigate the brakes prior them needing replaced [:P] although as you way, may cars share various components.Yep, mechanics, of whom I've known many, love anything out of the ordinary. I suppose a change is as good as a rest, as they say.When I set up shop as an Artisan, I'll need a van like a Transit, Boxer, Ducato etc. and on the web they seem to be around the 11,000e mark. I was just looking at Chrysler PT Cruisers, of which I'm not really a great fan, but they seem popular in France. I can get 2002 models for about 4500e and sell/trade it in for about 10,000e when I arrive after UK duty of 10 % etc I should still be able to make a few dollars on it. I'm now giving people a chance to say "Oh no you won't..." and maybe educate me a bit [:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori Posted March 24, 2007 Share Posted March 24, 2007 We had to get new brake pads for our 2000 Toyota Corolla. The pads don't match the Corolla sold in Europe. So, the mechanic made a few calls and ordered them from overseas (don't know where). Took 3 weeks for them to arrive, but they are on the car now and work fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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