My TR is heading for the old continent

Well, after 15 years in the US, my wife and I decided to move back to Europe, France to be exact, and the TR is coming along!

I thought about selling it and getting another one there, but I adore this one with its rare color combo, I know it inside out, and know it is in an amazing mechanical and cosmetic condition.

It will be loaded in my container on Friday and I was wondering if any of you had experience with shipping a car oversea. Should I prepare it in any way? I've prepared plenty to cover it properly and will make sure the straps are not put through the wheels. Given that I will most likely have I get out of it through the window once inside, I've prepared something to tape around the window to avoid having ocean sticky air going in.

Anything else I should think of or prepare?

I can't wait to stretch it's legs on the autobahns and in the alps!

 

Glad to have met you and that our TR's got a couple of play dates in
All the best to you and your wife in France.

-- Rick --
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Thanks, Rick! I'm glad our path crossed, what were the odds!?

I'll be coming to SF several times a year for work so I'm sure we'll see each other again at a FOG breakfast!

 

Not wishing to hijack the thread totally but shouldn't Hollande's new taxes in France have had the opposite effect ie dissuaded you from settling there ? (I'm not trying to pry into detail just the vaguest of answers out of interest would be neat)

 

One word: family. It's been 15 years, my family is getting older.

So yes, Hollande will wait for me with a tax bazooka, but so be it. There's nothing more important than family.

 

Thanks - hope it works out = especially the re-registration !

 

hello christophe,

I often shipped cars from LA to germany in a container.

important is: when they put the car into the container would be good that you watch there during loading and fasten the car. good would be both sides of each wheel a wooden wedge, also on all wheels outisde a wood and also the reverse gear in and handbrake fasten.

often something will be damaged and none has this been then, that is why you may watch the loading until they close the container door. I always put then a lock on those doors after the custom has examined the goods in the container. then those container have been braught to a harbor next to me in germany. when the container arrives in rotterdam the custom makes a seal on and this seal will be broken in my harbor here by the german custom. also I opened then my lock what I put in the US on this doors. so meanwhile nobody had the possibility to go into the container.

some of my customers also came back after long time from the US with their cars. but they had nothing to pay for the cars, so no taxes and no custom because they had the cars in the US more than 1 year. and so there are no fees to pay when they move completly from the US back with their complete household. so each person has 1 car for free. so it is in germany. and france is also EU so the same laws.

if you have more than 1 cars per person you may pay then 10 % custom and the france sales tax ( I think 19,7 %, but not sure )

if you might get trouble you may send me a message. may be I could help. I just live at the border to france and switzerland

do you also put all your stuff into this container? makes sense because you have to pay for the container shipping, what is inside is not important for the shipping price. may be you have to drain the fuel? some companies would have this, some not.

 

Family is most important, right you are.

But: we will not loose you here Christophe .... I hope ?

And we would be happy to have you, wife and TR as guest over in Holland one summer ....

 

I remember the biggest problem being that the shipper only wants 1/4 tank of fuel in the car. Most of the time they look and won't load it with more.

 

I am sorry that we never got to put a face with a name while you were in LA last year. My best wishes to you and a safe delivery and trip back. If you are ever in LA, please drop me a line, I will make sure that we conect and yes you can drive my TR...

 

Sorry about the late reply, the movers were in the house for the last two days. Thanks, everyone for the tips! I'm heading out to the loading warehouse in 15 minutes, it's going to feel weird to see it in a box... I guess it will match the 1:18 testarossa I got when I was 10... in 1:1 scale!

I'll take pictures and post them.

 

Hi Mel, I'm not going anywhere as far as Fchat is concern! Thanks for the offer for holland, I'd love to join one of your annual meeting! We'll figure this out

 

Hi Haig, I know, we missed a good opportunity last year. I'll let you know when I swing by LA, but the same is true for you if you happen to be in France!

 

Plan around September 29 in 2013 for the Autumn Drive Christophe ! http://ferrari101.com/forum/showthread.php?t=387062

 

That's it, she's on her way.

Here are a few pics from this morning. One last drive to the loading warehouse, on the scale, and loading it in the container.

Putting it in the container felt very much like when I was 10 and I was putting back my 1:18 toy testarossa in its box...

I hope all goes well.
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Bye bye TR ..... See you again in Europe !!!

Good luck Christophe...

 

I'm amused that you blurred out the plate of a car that's being shipped overseas (as is the owner). Afraid the bad guys were going to follow you to your new home?

;-)

 

Christophe, I just stumbled onto this thread. It is so exciting and I envy people that make these kinds of huge decisions. I wish you all the best overseas.

I love this blue TR! Was this not owned by another US fchatter prior? I remember seeing a blue one on here before (Chiaro_slag?). the blue TR world must be small

 

Thanks, Mel. I'll see you there!

Husker, yeah I know. it's a reflex!

Vasco, thanks for the best wishes. There were three shades of blue for the TR: azurro (sky blue), chiaro (bright blue), and sera (darker blue, which is this one). There are very few of them indeed. I ran across a small Testarossa registry once (about 200 cars), 4 of them were blue (no indication of which blue), so if the proportions of blue for this registry is similar to the rest of the production (definitely some speculation here), that would make a total of about 150 of them. I only know one other, Rick's Sera 512TR. I don't think the two previous owner are Fchat member, at least not the previous one for sure.

 

Anytime!

This is the gentleman I was originally thinking owned your car before

http://ferrarichat.com/forum/member.php?u=79

 

Love the color. Good luck and smooth sailing. Ray

 

No it's not it, mine is a 1990 while he states it's a 1988.5. Plus I assume his name "chiaro" refered to the blu chiaro of his TR, mine is sera. Thanks for the tip though! I'd love to find my car's past on Fchat but I don't think it's in there.

 

Yes, I didnt really think that all through! I get light headed when I see TRs this nice

Again, best of luck in your new chapter!