Shipped my car to America, drove it around, shipped it back
Discussion
What a lot of love for my little diary! Thank you.
Reading through, I think most of the questions have been answered by others.
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Answers:
It would have been far cheaper renting a car, but a rental wouldn't have been half as much fun.
The 09:11 posting was accidental. Must be an omen!
I hadn't realised just how many rear end shots there are. Clearly an imbalance
Photos were all taken on Leica Q with a fixed 28mm F1.7 Summilux lens. Aerial stuff a little DJI Spark. I'm toying with the idea of publishing a book. May canvas opinion here.
Love the dog analogy. We did almost take the dog with us.
The costs were a little higher than what I wrote at the time as it wasn't finalised. It was over $3k. Insurance was the hardest part to sort out.
Basics of importing it are you are allowed to bring a car in for up to a year. You need to ask permission and explain why you want to bring it in. It doesn't have to leave with you, but you must be the main user, not use it for commercial gain etc.
It does need time, and a bit of money, but a 993 isn't crucial. The Defender mentioned would have been just as much fun, and would have given access to some roads too harsh for the old Porsche. A Caterham, A Mini – they'd be brilliant I'd imagine. I'm already thinking something from Crewe might be good for the next one.
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Thank you for all the nice comments
Reading through, I think most of the questions have been answered by others.
__________________
Answers:
It would have been far cheaper renting a car, but a rental wouldn't have been half as much fun.
The 09:11 posting was accidental. Must be an omen!
I hadn't realised just how many rear end shots there are. Clearly an imbalance
Photos were all taken on Leica Q with a fixed 28mm F1.7 Summilux lens. Aerial stuff a little DJI Spark. I'm toying with the idea of publishing a book. May canvas opinion here.
Love the dog analogy. We did almost take the dog with us.
The costs were a little higher than what I wrote at the time as it wasn't finalised. It was over $3k. Insurance was the hardest part to sort out.
Basics of importing it are you are allowed to bring a car in for up to a year. You need to ask permission and explain why you want to bring it in. It doesn't have to leave with you, but you must be the main user, not use it for commercial gain etc.
It does need time, and a bit of money, but a 993 isn't crucial. The Defender mentioned would have been just as much fun, and would have given access to some roads too harsh for the old Porsche. A Caterham, A Mini – they'd be brilliant I'd imagine. I'm already thinking something from Crewe might be good for the next one.
__________________
Thank you for all the nice comments
bloomen said:
I remember seeing a properly battered F reg Honda Civic in Death Valley. I'd love to know what the story was behind that.
I'd love the novelty of taking an 8th or 9th Gen Civic hatchback to the US; The Civic is so common there but the 8G and 9G (Hatchback) were never released there, I'm sure it'd attract some curious interest.
Edited by Haltamer on Tuesday 20th August 12:58
CABC said:
we shouldn't get too emotional about cars, but is yours definitely a keeper now?
costs seem reasonable tbh. good memories and all that.
Difficult to say if the 993 is a keeper. In three years I’ve spent big on getting it ‘right’, the biggest investment being a Tech 9 3.8 engine build with rally cams. When I did this I assumed it would/will be a ‘keeper’ but you just never know, things change. costs seem reasonable tbh. good memories and all that.
After the trip was done I actually thought it was time, that I’d done everything I could possibly do and nothing would top the adventure we had now finished. However, the emotion is creeping back in now so it is most likely going to stay
What a great adventure and kudos to you in cutting through the red tape to do a temporary import.
I read with interest your first blog about Charleston as I live there. Been there 15 years having emigrated from the UK. I have also imported two cars from the UK into Charleston, so I am familiar with that process. Oh but oh, you went to Hyman's....I am sorry....if only I knew, I could've recommended better places ;-)
Did you have an international drivers licence? I haven't read all the blogs yet, but were you ever pulled over by the police and asked for licence and registration? Just wondering how you were prepared for that. In the South you could have had Officer Bubba screaming at you for said docs and maybe bringing you in for not having papers, regardless of your pleadings. State vs Federal requirements can get muddied perhaps.
This got me thinking, how many PH'ers would actually be interested in doing this themselves, or even flying to the US and renting a suitable drivers car, having a suggested itinerary with insider/local knowledge, and use of a garage/tools/storage etc?
I read the bit about the AC not working too....yes, that is one thing not to underestimate in the USA, especially the South in the summer months. It makes driving almost unbearable, and even a convertible novelty wears off quickly.
I read with interest your first blog about Charleston as I live there. Been there 15 years having emigrated from the UK. I have also imported two cars from the UK into Charleston, so I am familiar with that process. Oh but oh, you went to Hyman's....I am sorry....if only I knew, I could've recommended better places ;-)
Did you have an international drivers licence? I haven't read all the blogs yet, but were you ever pulled over by the police and asked for licence and registration? Just wondering how you were prepared for that. In the South you could have had Officer Bubba screaming at you for said docs and maybe bringing you in for not having papers, regardless of your pleadings. State vs Federal requirements can get muddied perhaps.
This got me thinking, how many PH'ers would actually be interested in doing this themselves, or even flying to the US and renting a suitable drivers car, having a suggested itinerary with insider/local knowledge, and use of a garage/tools/storage etc?
I read the bit about the AC not working too....yes, that is one thing not to underestimate in the USA, especially the South in the summer months. It makes driving almost unbearable, and even a convertible novelty wears off quickly.
Great thread and photographs.
I did a trip a few years back with my Corvette C5.
I shipped it out via Southampton to Baltimore and then had it shipped back (both roll on roll off ) from Long Beach California.
I did The Corvette factory tour in Kentucky and then picked up Route 66 in Missouri ,following The Mother Road all the way to Arizona where I headed north to Las Vegas, Death Valley ,Yosemite and San Francisco.
The final leg was down Highway 1 ,passing through Carmel, Monterey, Santa Barbara and finishing up at the end of 66, Santa Monica.
I had a shipping agent who helped with all the paperwork and also gave me a insurance contact in New York, as I had real problems finding any company who would insure a foreign registered car with no address in the US.
I had a few extra expenses that I had nt bargained for. Each time the car passed through a port I was hit for "port fees " which amounted to a couple of hundred pounds in total.
When I arrived in Baltimore to collect the car it took three days to get it released by customs, so extra hotel expenses there.
I was stopped by the police in Oklahoma ,who wanted to know where the strange plates were from.
I had a GB plate, but no one on the trip managed to guess where the car was registered. I even had a couple of people suggesting that I was a George Bush supporter!.
Talking of plates, the shipping agents suggested taking a spare set of number plates as the originals may be removed as souvenirs.
I thought this was unlikely but sure enough I came out of a restaurant in Kansas to find - no plates.
The final hidden expense was when I left the car with the shipping agents at Long Beach. They could nt get the car on a UK bound ship for a couple of weeks so another three hundred pounds storage tax demanded.
All in all an amazing trip which I would repeat tomorrow given the chance.
The car arrived home after six weeks ,filthy dirty but without a scratch.
I did a trip a few years back with my Corvette C5.
I shipped it out via Southampton to Baltimore and then had it shipped back (both roll on roll off ) from Long Beach California.
I did The Corvette factory tour in Kentucky and then picked up Route 66 in Missouri ,following The Mother Road all the way to Arizona where I headed north to Las Vegas, Death Valley ,Yosemite and San Francisco.
The final leg was down Highway 1 ,passing through Carmel, Monterey, Santa Barbara and finishing up at the end of 66, Santa Monica.
I had a shipping agent who helped with all the paperwork and also gave me a insurance contact in New York, as I had real problems finding any company who would insure a foreign registered car with no address in the US.
I had a few extra expenses that I had nt bargained for. Each time the car passed through a port I was hit for "port fees " which amounted to a couple of hundred pounds in total.
When I arrived in Baltimore to collect the car it took three days to get it released by customs, so extra hotel expenses there.
I was stopped by the police in Oklahoma ,who wanted to know where the strange plates were from.
I had a GB plate, but no one on the trip managed to guess where the car was registered. I even had a couple of people suggesting that I was a George Bush supporter!.
Talking of plates, the shipping agents suggested taking a spare set of number plates as the originals may be removed as souvenirs.
I thought this was unlikely but sure enough I came out of a restaurant in Kansas to find - no plates.
The final hidden expense was when I left the car with the shipping agents at Long Beach. They could nt get the car on a UK bound ship for a couple of weeks so another three hundred pounds storage tax demanded.
All in all an amazing trip which I would repeat tomorrow given the chance.
The car arrived home after six weeks ,filthy dirty but without a scratch.
Great read, OP. That's really a dream trip.
Something like that has got to be more memorable if you have done it in your own car - in the future you can see a direct connection with it when you look out the window or when you're driving to work. I think I'd rather do it in my own Citroen C1 (I don't actually own a C1, it's an example) than a rented Mustang.
One thing - remotes in plastic bags? Antibacterial wipe down of car interior because a donkey has licked it? You'll end up more ill because you'll have no immune system if you carry on like that!
Something like that has got to be more memorable if you have done it in your own car - in the future you can see a direct connection with it when you look out the window or when you're driving to work. I think I'd rather do it in my own Citroen C1 (I don't actually own a C1, it's an example) than a rented Mustang.
One thing - remotes in plastic bags? Antibacterial wipe down of car interior because a donkey has licked it? You'll end up more ill because you'll have no immune system if you carry on like that!
geeman237 said:
1. What a great adventure and kudos to you in cutting through the red tape to do a temporary import.
I read with interest your first blog about Charleston as I live there. Been there 15 years having emigrated from the UK. I have also imported two cars from the UK into Charleston, so I am familiar with that process. Oh but oh, you went to Hyman's....I am sorry....if only I knew, I could've recommended better places ;-)
2. Did you have an international drivers licence? I haven't read all the blogs yet, but were you ever pulled over by the police and asked for licence and registration? Just wondering how you were prepared for that. In the South you could have had Officer Bubba screaming at you for said docs and maybe bringing you in for not having papers, regardless of your pleadings. State vs Federal requirements can get muddied perhaps.
3. This got me thinking, how many PH'ers would actually be interested in doing this themselves, or even flying to the US and renting a suitable drivers car, having a suggested itinerary with insider/local knowledge, and use of a garage/tools/storage etc?
4. I read the bit about the AC not working too....yes, that is one thing not to underestimate in the USA, especially the South in the summer months. It makes driving almost unbearable, and even a convertible novelty wears off quickly.
1. Let me have the restaurant recommendations as I will be back. Although, I've no complaints from Hyman's – deep fried fish, fried green tomatoes, hush puppies... I'd have that today if I could I read with interest your first blog about Charleston as I live there. Been there 15 years having emigrated from the UK. I have also imported two cars from the UK into Charleston, so I am familiar with that process. Oh but oh, you went to Hyman's....I am sorry....if only I knew, I could've recommended better places ;-)
2. Did you have an international drivers licence? I haven't read all the blogs yet, but were you ever pulled over by the police and asked for licence and registration? Just wondering how you were prepared for that. In the South you could have had Officer Bubba screaming at you for said docs and maybe bringing you in for not having papers, regardless of your pleadings. State vs Federal requirements can get muddied perhaps.
3. This got me thinking, how many PH'ers would actually be interested in doing this themselves, or even flying to the US and renting a suitable drivers car, having a suggested itinerary with insider/local knowledge, and use of a garage/tools/storage etc?
4. I read the bit about the AC not working too....yes, that is one thing not to underestimate in the USA, especially the South in the summer months. It makes driving almost unbearable, and even a convertible novelty wears off quickly.
2. I used my British driving licence. Absolutely no issue with the police, we were stopped once for being over the limit and told almost immediately we wouldn't be given anything more than a warning. A few thumbs ups, nods, smiles and waves from the Highway Patrols and State Troopers. Someone on 911uk highlighted some YouTube videos posted by a man from Dubai who takes his Lamborghini to the US occasionally, and had some footage of being stopped and because of this I traveled well versed on the Federal Law applying to temporary imports with all the documentation at hand. From my one time being stopped (for speeding) all I had to hand over was my licence and Insurance ID Card. I would bet money that the YouTubers out there getting stopped are editing the whole story, especially those in 'supercars'. Revving the tits off one with an aftermarket exhaust would probably put them just the wrong side of a curious law enforcement officer.
Coming through Mississippi we were followed by what looked like a very old patrol car and it did feel sinister. It was coming through hamlet/small town. Because it was off the beaten track and the car looked straight out of a 90s B movie our imaginations ran wild – but we were not stopped.
3. You could be onto something as although I have done this relatively easily, my partner is an American and we used her parents address for some of the documentation. Having a 'local' contact right by the port would be a very useful offer and one I'd have considered should I have not had a US address. Storage also useful as the ships often arrive late meaning you need to get the car to the US well ahead of landing.
4.AC was a disaster in Charleston with the humidity and heatwave reaching well over 100º. Not as bad in the desert areas, great in Palm Springs while it worked, hotter than either of us have been in our lives at Salvation Mountain – and that includes everything I experienced in three years based in the Middle East. However, by the second half of the trip we'd gotten used to it. It was also half working by then which took the edge off it.
pidsy said:
Isn’t schmee doing this at the moment - I saw a video where he was getting grief off the police because they didn’t understand the plates.
Any trouble with the law whilst you were out there OP?
Cracking trip btw. Fantastic thing to do.
We were absolutely flying on some of those empty roads and had no issues whatsoever other than one warning for speed in a remote part of West Texas. Lots of smiles from the police, thumbs ups, nods etc. I think you can 'invite' being stopped as mentioned above. Somewhere like LA I'd expect the police are used to UK plates so perhaps the chap you mention was just unlucky, or wanted some interesting youtube footage.Any trouble with the law whilst you were out there OP?
Cracking trip btw. Fantastic thing to do.
scs1 said:
Great thread and photographs.
I did a trip a few years back with my Corvette C5.
I shipped it out via Southampton to Baltimore and then had it shipped back (both roll on roll off ) from Long Beach California.
I did The Corvette factory tour in Kentucky and then picked up Route 66 in Missouri ,following The Mother Road all the way to Arizona where I headed north to Las Vegas, Death Valley ,Yosemite and San Francisco.
The final leg was down Highway 1 ,passing through Carmel, Monterey, Santa Barbara and finishing up at the end of 66, Santa Monica.
I had a shipping agent who helped with all the paperwork and also gave me a insurance contact in New York, as I had real problems finding any company who would insure a foreign registered car with no address in the US.
I had a few extra expenses that I had nt bargained for. Each time the car passed through a port I was hit for "port fees " which amounted to a couple of hundred pounds in total.
When I arrived in Baltimore to collect the car it took three days to get it released by customs, so extra hotel expenses there.
I was stopped by the police in Oklahoma ,who wanted to know where the strange plates were from.
I had a GB plate, but no one on the trip managed to guess where the car was registered. I even had a couple of people suggesting that I was a George Bush supporter!.
Talking of plates, the shipping agents suggested taking a spare set of number plates as the originals may be removed as souvenirs.
I thought this was unlikely but sure enough I came out of a restaurant in Kansas to find - no plates.
The final hidden expense was when I left the car with the shipping agents at Long Beach. They could nt get the car on a UK bound ship for a couple of weeks so another three hundred pounds storage tax demanded.
All in all an amazing trip which I would repeat tomorrow given the chance.
The car arrived home after six weeks ,filthy dirty but without a scratch.
scs1, I found an old thread you commented on when someone asked about doing this years ago on Pistonheads. The person asking/OP was being shut down by people not 'getting' it. "Hire a car, its cheaper" etc. You commented with your experience and shut the whole thing down with your story, and that you said it was hard, expensive, but you'd do it all again in a heartbeat. You played a small part in encouraging me to do it.I did a trip a few years back with my Corvette C5.
I shipped it out via Southampton to Baltimore and then had it shipped back (both roll on roll off ) from Long Beach California.
I did The Corvette factory tour in Kentucky and then picked up Route 66 in Missouri ,following The Mother Road all the way to Arizona where I headed north to Las Vegas, Death Valley ,Yosemite and San Francisco.
The final leg was down Highway 1 ,passing through Carmel, Monterey, Santa Barbara and finishing up at the end of 66, Santa Monica.
I had a shipping agent who helped with all the paperwork and also gave me a insurance contact in New York, as I had real problems finding any company who would insure a foreign registered car with no address in the US.
I had a few extra expenses that I had nt bargained for. Each time the car passed through a port I was hit for "port fees " which amounted to a couple of hundred pounds in total.
When I arrived in Baltimore to collect the car it took three days to get it released by customs, so extra hotel expenses there.
I was stopped by the police in Oklahoma ,who wanted to know where the strange plates were from.
I had a GB plate, but no one on the trip managed to guess where the car was registered. I even had a couple of people suggesting that I was a George Bush supporter!.
Talking of plates, the shipping agents suggested taking a spare set of number plates as the originals may be removed as souvenirs.
I thought this was unlikely but sure enough I came out of a restaurant in Kansas to find - no plates.
The final hidden expense was when I left the car with the shipping agents at Long Beach. They could nt get the car on a UK bound ship for a couple of weeks so another three hundred pounds storage tax demanded.
All in all an amazing trip which I would repeat tomorrow given the chance.
The car arrived home after six weeks ,filthy dirty but without a scratch.
And I did follow your advice and took a spare set of registration plates. Luckily not needed but all the same, just shows the power of PH'er knowledge. Thanks for your contribution, it was very helpful to me.
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