Hi all, me and my partner are looking at moving to France and are wondering what are chances of importing our 1978 Mgb gt which has had several modifications including a 3.5l v8, different gearbox, brakes, suspension and a few exterior mods?
The car is very much a member of the family and we both stand on the fact that we won’t move there unless we can bring it with us, so wondering what our chances are?
Welcome to SF @Taylor246 !
I don’t know if you have found the search function here (the magnifying glass in the toolbar) but it would be worth a go as there have been a number of threads on the topic of importing vehicles (both modified and unmodified) into France, and the associated bureaucratic pitfalls!
Otherwise some of our resident petrolheads will no doubt be along shortly…
You’ll probably need help to achieve it,
Contact a man called Mark Rimmer who is pretty expert on this and will give you honest view of whether it’s possible
I’d also recommend Mark Rimmer, who dealt with the registration of our (unmodified) VW for a modest fee. He’s something of an expert and an enthusiast, as you’ll find out if you speak to him.
He’s no relation to the Rimmer from “Red Dwarf”, as far as I am aware. 
Welcome.
Golden rule here: Do not use the word ‘modified’ combined with ‘importation’…
1978, two years after the V8 production finished. Pity. OK, is it listed as a V8 at DVLA without any mention of when the change took place? Also, what are the 'exterior mods you mention?
Simply put: To register a car in France, you need a conformity certificate. The MGB does not have one, so to import it, you need an organisation called FFVE to give you a certificate that will suffice the demands of importation. BUT - huge but - they need to verify that the car is genuine and un-modified. They will ask you for all paperwork and photos of various parts of the car and have these verified by experts… They will more than likely ask Abingdon where they should be on the ball and say that 1976 was the V8 cut off. End of story.
If you are determined, then you can ask for a single car importation, take the car to another outfit DREAL who will examine the car head to toe and give it, or not permision to enter France. This route can be very very costly and not at all guaranteed.
Do you still have the original 1.8 engine for the car? If you do, then there is another option but best dealt with via email.
Sorry. I feel for you having lived and breathed MGBs and Lotus for half a lifetime, I had to take my epitome Automatic EFI 5L V8 GT out of France that I have always regretted as it was a powerhouse in hill climbs!
There is of course the admin side of importation, but I think you need to iron out a technical path first.
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There are at least a couple of MG clubs local to me in the limousin who regularly go past my front door with classics, a good mix of local and imported, and a good mix of French and brits, from what I understand the one time I actually managed to speak to a member who is pretty local to me, so it’s certainly possible and I’d suggest when you know where you might want to be having hunt around the internet for a local club. Im sure they will have a ton of practical advice.
These are the guys I see occasionally http://www.charentemgowners.com/
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