Bit of background: I sold my vehicle in the Netherlands in 2007 when I moved to Indonesia. The person who bought it recently contacted me to ask me if I wanted to buy it back since he no longer wants to use it (it’s an American car, which means heavy, and not too fuel efficient, so road tax is killing him). I considered it, but it turns out I’ll need to get a reception a titre isolee from the DREAL since the car’s from 1993, and while it has a Dutch type approval, it doesn’t apply in France, apparently.
I’ve tried calling them but haven’t been able to get a clear answer, so wondered if anyone’s gone through the process and can give me a hint as to what the cost could be (since it factors in to whether or not I’ll go ahead with the purchase).
The cost at DREAL is the deciding factor yes, he’s offering it back for 2k euro (which is half of what he paid me at the time for buying it), so if the DREAL charges add up to the same amount (or more) it’s no deal because, well, it’d be a weekend car. I already have one of those so, I’m being cheap
At the prefecture I’ll be paying for 14 CV (the car itself comes out as 28 but due to being a 1993 vintage I get half price) which, where I live, means registration costs to the tune of 600-odd euros. So yeah, DREAL fees at more than 2k euro would be a no-go.
Car wise itself it’s a 1993 Ford Thunderbird, with 5 liter V8 petrol engine. Runs on SP98 only, so it most definitely is not a daily driver
Same thing I use my current “weekender” for - long trips, mostly. Either up to the mother country to stock up on them Dutch things, and during summer regular trips to Germany to indulge myself on the Nurburgring.
It’s not a classic yet - but will be For me it’s more about the enjoyment of driving it every now and then, not for daily driving. I already own two vehicles, we have a very practical and economical Renault Clio diesel, that will be my gf’s car once she actually gets her license (fingers crossed, test in February), and my current “hobby/weekend” car is a BMW 730d from 2000 that only gets used for trips over 200km because it’s not exactly fuel efficient either.
CT testing is welcome, it’ll pass - it has the Dutch equivalent of a CT and the Dutch one is, as far as I can tell, stricter than the current French one. Emissions wise it’s Euro 2 norm which is still acceptable. Means I can’t go into Paris, but who on earth would want to take their car into Paris anyway
The Dutch roadworthyness test might be more strict than the French one when it come to EU spec cars but I don’t think that it will be when it comes to US imports. They will be looking to check that every lamp and every bit of glass has the correct EU compliant markings. If it’s an imported car that was also sold new in France you may manage to find all the replacement parts that you need although it would be very expensive, if it is a model that was never sold in France you have two choices, forget it or wait until it’s 30 years old. France is very difficult to register non conforming cars in. The UK is much more straightforward but there are many people who have discovered that having a UK registered US or Far Eastern grey import is no short cut to being able to register that same car in France. The archives of most on line forums contain the tales of those who’ve tried and failed or those who’ve gone to great trouble and or great expense to do so. At thirty years old all that changes. I actually own an American built car that is much older than 30 years old and was straightforward to register through FFVE, if it had been less it would have been impossible.
The fun thing about these cars is that it’s not a US import - the Netherlands at some point in time, had an official dealer who sold these cars, and they received a Dutch type approval - which also means they got specced out for Dutch standards (e.g. no side lights, amber blinkers, etc.) so that (I imagine) shouldn’t pose too many problems.
If the '93 is going to be such a hassle I may tell the guy to go exchange it with another Dutch guy for an '89 and I’ll buy that off him instead, that should put it in the classic range - at least, if they only look at the year of registration and not the month.
I’m hoping to get it in before then, but I guess I’ll have a think about it - I have to admit I’m quite pleased with my BMW, runs great, just a pain in the yingyang to keep running at times.
I am currently using a Jaguar S Type 3 litre V6 as an every day car - not exactly the most economical beast to drive but way above most other cars in the comfort stakes! Dont know how easy it would be to import into France when the time comes though…
Yes, Carl… but Ben is already talking about costs… costs of getting the car tested/passed by DREAL… so I am looking at the possibility of getting a “fun” car (not a staid/stodgy one… but one that he can afford to use as often as he likes…
Because why not? It’s my hobby, I can afford to pay for the gas every now and then To put it in perspective, a 5.0L V8 in that particular car will get you about 12 to 14 liters/100km in gas mileage as long as you stick to the autoroute - that’s only marginally worse than most large sedans these days.
Indeed! that Jag sounds like a nice ride as well - also a reason I like the BMW, it’s insanely comfortable to drive. The Clio is doable for my daily commute but any more than an hour and your ass starts hurting and you end up coming out of it like an 80 year old… rather have a comfortable ride if I’ll be driving for more than an hour.
(Yes I’ll start putting multiple replies in one after this :P)
The reason I was asking about cost was more to get a ballpark figure, because I already have more than enough motorised entertainment, and if I were to do it, it would be more for the sake of helping out my friend who wants to get rid of it than for me to have it. They’re great cars, don’t get me wrong, but if it requires an absolute ton of money and months of back-and-forth with the various agencies, it’s not very appealing in the long run.
It’d also mean I’d have to find a home for my 730, which nobody in their right mind would buy on account of it having 450.000+ km on it. It’s a completely impractical car in a city setting (although I’ve taken it into Lyon often enough) and my girlfriend has refused to even consider driving it with the whole conduire supervisee thing - thus, Clio
I’m not the “whatever it takes” type, this whole thing was more a case of blatant opportunism to potentially get my old car back, for not too much hassle. But I’ve got a sneaking suspicion there’ll be hassle and large expenses, and that’s just not going to fly; if I have to spend that money I’d rather spend it on some home improvements
Yes the 93 tbird is a very good car. I had two when I lived in the US. One was the V6 3.8 liter daily driver and theo other was the super charged super coupe. Yours has the 5 liter V8. I imported the Super coupe to UK when I returned from the US. No real problem getting UK registered - lots of companies do the conversion and most DVLA inspections are OK. all at very reasonable cost. Problem with France is they insist on a certificate of compliance. If your Dutch car was officially imported to Holland then you might be in luck. Contact Ford- Holland to see if they can give you a certificate of compliance. If not there is an expensive option - not tried by me. You have to take it to somewhere in Paris for a €1500 inspection. (Not your local DREAL). Other costs will add up to a total of €4000. If it is in good shape then the best option is to sell it in England. Very active American car scene - lots of clubs and Classic American magazine.
For me it’s more about the enjoyment of driving it every now and then, not for daily driving. I already own two vehicles, we have a very practical and economical Renault Clio diesel, that will be my gf’s car once she actually gets her license (fingers crossed, test in February), and my current “hobby/weekend” car is a BMW 730d from 2000 that only gets used for trips over 200km because it’s not exactly fuel efficient either.
