Shipped my car to America, drove it around, shipped it back
Discussion
I like America, and I like my 993. I live in London with my US Citizen partner have visited the States a fair bit doing a fair bit of driving – which is where this madcap idea started. This year we decided to put the Porsche on a boat and collect it at the other side for the road trip of a lifetime.
Starting and ending in the fabulous State of Tennessee, we travelled east to Charleston, as far north as the Badlands and Mount Rushmore, out west to Palm Springs, and back again through the deserts and along the coast to New Orleans.
I’m convinced we all like a road trip, and being London based the 993 has ventured with us to Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, down to the South of France through the Alpes, and Ireland. All fabulous places. None of them even close to the experience America delivered.
And for those who just want to see a few of the photos here you go…
Starting and ending in the fabulous State of Tennessee, we travelled east to Charleston, as far north as the Badlands and Mount Rushmore, out west to Palm Springs, and back again through the deserts and along the coast to New Orleans.
I’m convinced we all like a road trip, and being London based the 993 has ventured with us to Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, down to the South of France through the Alpes, and Ireland. All fabulous places. None of them even close to the experience America delivered.
And for those who just want to see a few of the photos here you go…
Edited by Aircooled_Bug on Monday 19th August 09:16
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
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
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.
Dog Star said:
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!
Completely agree. There is something very special about it being your own car. Turns it from a 'holiday' into an expedition/adventure. Nice having something so familiar with you in a different part of the world too.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!
The antibac and bags are down to the American I'm afraid. There is no changing her. But luckily I love her all the more for it.
bungle said:
Aircooled_Bug said:
I’m on the verge of doing a book. It is half done, just weighing up if it is worth doing/if there might be enough interest.
I'd buy it. I love reading stuff like that (enjoyed reading the website - think I would have panicked at the fuel leak stage 
), especially with great pictures as well. Do it
rossub said:
It’s amazing how everyone is different. As a huge fan of US road trips, you’ve gone to an awful lot of places that don’t interest me at all
1 day in Colorado? Shocking! Missing out Pikes Peak in your 993?! Although you can’t quite get to the top at the moment anyway due to construction I suppose.
Great story and ‘awesome’ pics though.
It was shocking as there is so much up there and in hindsight adding some more time, even an extra day, would have been better. Pikes Peak was on the list but was sacrificed in order to allow us to track back and see the Badlands that morning. The good thing is we have somewhere to go back to another time – although I think I'll opt for something with higher ground clearance. 1 day in Colorado? Shocking! Missing out Pikes Peak in your 993?! Although you can’t quite get to the top at the moment anyway due to construction I suppose.
Great story and ‘awesome’ pics though.
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Love the photos of the Florida 993 in London and the Moggy in Arizona!!
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Car finally arrived home this week. Much slower process on the return. It came back in a container (outward bound it was 'roll on, roll off' and took just over eight weeks. I will update the shipping and planning secttion of the blog to include this later in the week.
I've been busy with the book too. Thinking of putting all the planning information in it, some of the things learned, an overload of photographs, and route maps.
Already contemplating another go at this in a different car.
rossub said:
Your photo is better than mine! 
mikeiow said:
What an awesome trip!
Book idea is cool - I made a tiny “folder-book” (from a blog we did) for my own purposes, but mine was more a “personal family adventure”, reconnecting with pals across the States whilst there: yours is more likely to sell!
Yes, If I can pull it together within the next month. Book idea is cool - I made a tiny “folder-book” (from a blog we did) for my own purposes, but mine was more a “personal family adventure”, reconnecting with pals across the States whilst there: yours is more likely to sell!
Production costs are a lot more than I expected which is disappointing as it will push it out of the ideal price point, but it might be of interest to some.
Going to do simplified route maps, way points and timings covering the same as I did but modified to allow for improvements learnt from experience, an East coast to West coast version, the most common Smokey Mountain routes, and possibly the more well traveled PCH/Death Valley/Vegas/Grand Canyon/Joshua Tree loop.
Have been working on the maps with one of the designers at work and we are both super excited about them.
It will also have the 'how to' guide from the blog (which is already and will continue to be available for free) along with some other stuff I've discovered by doing the road trip.
Pub2Pub_Ben said:
What an awesome summer you've had, and what great photography you've documented it with - respect! I'm glad it went well and the insurance got sorted in the end, and good work with the book - it looks great, and you definitely should get it out there for the world to see.[/url]
High praise coming from you Ben, thank you. 
IforB said:
A great thread this.
I love the idea of doing something similar. I suspect my old Spitfire might not last the trip, but something a bit more modern and with 4 seats to throw the small person in the back would be ideal. As per usual, the answer comes out as 911...!
The 911 was a good car to do it in, however I'm now thinking about doing a shorter version of it and am leaning towards taking a Bentley. Many of the road are arrow straight far into the distance, all are wide, and fuel is cheap. 6.75 litres with a turbo could work well. Spitfire sounds like fun – surely they are reliable enough?I love the idea of doing something similar. I suspect my old Spitfire might not last the trip, but something a bit more modern and with 4 seats to throw the small person in the back would be ideal. As per usual, the answer comes out as 911...!
BFleming said:
Interest registered. That'll be Christmas presents for at least 4 people I know... irrespective which Christmas.
Thanks. One of the designers at work is all over it at the moment and it looks beautiful. I doubt it will be ready in time for Christmas, although it could be. The print is where we might get delayed. Will put some preview shots up of it next week.irocfan said:
quality thread there - I'd love to do similar (take a Euro-spec Camaro back to the US) but for the type of trip I'd like to do it'd likely be a 'wait until retired' jobbie 
The only person on here who I could find had done something like this took his old Corvette back to the USA for his road trip. He posted on this thread a little further back. His original post from years ago helped get me over the decision line.S1KRR said:
Thread delivers!
BricktopST205 said:
5k to drive your own car around the US for three months. Not too bad really. People spend that sitting in a plastic theme park for two weeks and not venturing 1 mile from their hotel room :P.
I guess when you take into account what renting a car would cost it doesn't seem that bad.
I did the whole east coast with my Uncle (he is lives in Canada) all the way down to Florida (Ironically to go to Disney Land with my 6 year old cousin but we did stop off at Cape Canaveral) and you get to see America that you just wouldn't see going to touristy places.
Cheaper than renting a Porsche for sure, but even something ordinary would offset much of the cost. The main issue being the risk of breakdowns or accidents, but if you're someone comfortable with that it adds something very special to a holiday. East coast must have been wonderful to drive.I guess when you take into account what renting a car would cost it doesn't seem that bad.
I did the whole east coast with my Uncle (he is lives in Canada) all the way down to Florida (Ironically to go to Disney Land with my 6 year old cousin but we did stop off at Cape Canaveral) and you get to see America that you just wouldn't see going to touristy places.
Fast Bug said:
Great photos of what looks like an amazing trip! Years ago I had a California Look Beetle I so badly wanted to ship it to the State for a road trip and go to some shows.
Love those old Beetles. I wonder if it is possible to find a reasonable one, buy it sight unseen on Craigslist or eBay, pick it up on arrival, drive it around and ship it home? From the right State there would be zero rust issues!mogman888 said:
Hi I came to this post rather late. I shipped my 1980 Morgan +8 to the US last year with several friends. All cars over 25 years old. V12 E Type, XK120, Bentley MkVI, Alfa 2600..... Southampton to Newark, container both ways. Two to a container £3k each. Drove Eastern seaboard & Appalachians. 4k miles, over 6 weeks and 17 States. Happy to share shipping, insurance details etc.. 
What a trip that must have been with those cars! Especially through the Appalachian Mountains.
Total 911 have got part two of the trip featured this month. Thankfully they wanted to run it over a couple of issues as I really don't think I could have got the word count and photographs to fit four double pages. It was enjoyable to do as it forced me to revisit the whole thing once more.
Edited by Aircooled_Bug on Sunday 17th November 10:42
irocfan said:
CBA to go back on the whole thread but IIRC the costs weren't that much more than a long term hire-car out there (mate of mine goes out for 3 months at a time - his hire costs would be only slightly less than getting this done)
It was never about money, I wanted to do it in my old Porsche and was prepared to pay a premium for that over renting a car. That said, my costs were significantly less than hiring another Porsche 911 out there which would have worked out at $1,800 per week (x6) and upon returning it with an extra 8,000 miles on the odometer I would have been asked to pay another $4,000. There would have been limitations on pick up and drop off locations too, probably meaning flying in and out of LAX which was not ideal for me.Time perhaps the more important factor. Your friend who goes out for three month visits is probably around the length where it makes sense. Two weeks there would look outrageous compared to a rental. Worth remembering it takes a few weeks to get it there, and my experience eight to get it home.
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