Hello to all Z dudes and gals
. I was formerly on this site as onthego- but my account became inactive due to inactivity..
I still have the z and its still in the works but the family thing including a brand new 2008 model has kept me busy, haha :). One day all my cars will be done and she wont know which one to drive.
Now on to my topic.
My Grand dad passed away in Portugal this year.
Hes had his Olds stored in the Garage for over 20 ys now after bringing it over there from US back in the late 70s. Ive had my eye on the car for a long time and now Id hate to see some local try and grab it up to use it as a taxi so I either want to store it there another 40 yrs while I work on it every other year or bring it back to the states. So my questions are related to bringing it back to the states:
1. How much around would it cost to bring car back over to any of our coasts from an area around Lisbon Portugal?
2. Anyone have a recommended shipper?
3.Is it more difficult to bring cars back over to the US that originally came from the US?
4. Does it make a difference if I do not need a tag and just want the car to end up in my garage for resotration?
5. Any general info that could help would be greatly appreciated.

I am in MFEMFEM so I imagine the car would come back over to some North East port. I have no idea where to start looking at what is required. Anyone have a helful hint, link with info, good agency to contact etc?

Thanks in advance...
Peter

1. How much around would it cost to bring car back over to any of our coasts from an area around Lisbon Portugal?

I would recommend calling a shipper - I highly doubt any of us are in the car shipping business between Portugal and the USA.

3.Is it more difficult to bring cars back over to the US that originally came from the US?

No, it will not be any more difficult, it may be easier since it still has its US VIN.


4. Does it make a difference if I do not need a tag and just want the car to end up in my garage for resotration?

Contact your state MVD for this information



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit was august 15, 09:30pm.

A Roll-On Roll-Off service for a running car will run anywhere from $700 to 1100 and if the car is drivable that is clearly the cheapest and easiest way to do it.
You may have to drive the car to a local port more amicable to that service, but the furthest I would think you would have to drive is either into France or at most the Netherlands. Lisbon may have a RORO service to the east coast. Get yourself a TEMPORARY stateside tag if it's not currently registered and simply do the RORO on that tag, get another for when you pick it up at the port.

That is the easiest, and cheapest.

If you get a 20 foot shipping container, it will be about 5X that amount. If going the shipping container route, you may want to consider booking service stateside, instead of in Europe. Curiously with the stuff we shipped to Rotterdam, it was $5000 if booked here in San Pedro, but 5000 EUROS if shiping was booked from Europe! Talk about a boosted price!

Re-Importation of a complying vehicle is not a big deal, as long as your original emissions decals are intact (or buy some from the restoration places like Year one and stick em on there for shipment!) and it was originally offered for sale as a US Spec Vehcile. At most you will have to sign something saying the cat was removed and reinstalled, or operated only on unleaded fuels (if equipped originally with a cat---75 UP GM vehicles basically) If it was pre-cat, your clearance is simple.

For shipment in the container you don't need tags, but you will have to load it, so make provisions for that.

Check online for Roll-On Roll-Off Shipping to the USA from Europe, there are a lot of shippers providing this service, and many are in the UK and continental Europe.

The re-importation is no big deal at all. It just costs money to ship it.

As I will reiterate: RO RO is BY FAR the cheapest option. The cost for shipping the 20 footers from L.A. to Rotterdam is almost identical to a 40 footer! For that much money...you can buy another ticket, and spend the week making it drivable and STILL be money ahead (and have a lot of good times in the process!!!LOL)

Good Luck with the shipment!

I re-imported my vehicle (240Z) and there was no hitch at the port, they gave me the shipping tag and I drove it home to the DMV. If it complied at manufacture, it's golden. Even if it didn't and was a 'non-us' car, chances are when it goes through the port nobody will tag it for anything. Even if they did, nothing you would conceivably need would be unobtainable.

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People Are Idiots, Just look around here and you will see!
Tony D: "Knowledgeable but Caustic"... rationull
You simply can't call someone a F**ktard here, no matter how truthful it is.
[www.ozdat.com]

Thank you Tony D.
The key words I needed were "roll on roll off" shipping and using that I got all kinds of hits on internet search.
The next part of this quest will be to see how hard will it be to get the old car running again and then driving across some part of Europe. I still remember the crowds that thing used to attract, all those little cars over there and yet everyone would come over to see the big "boat" on wheels.
Compare 5000 euros to 5000 dollars? Ouch, it used to work in our favor to travel in Europe, not anymore, now you not only have to deal with the undervalued dollar but also with using it to pay for the overpriced gas over there...

Onthego,
Tourism even in Canada used to work in favor of the US dollar, but tourism's been hit hard as well with the lower dollar, lack of work and such going on. You guys really gotta get rid of Bush.

Is your system like ours where they can just keep on getting re-elected forever or is there a maximum number of terms he can win before you get rid of him?

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I'm concerned with all the rampant sex and nudity on TV but all I can do is sit at home shaking my fist.

There is a maximum number. 4 terms of 4 yrs for president. I do not think we can survive another term of him, but then I never thought he would of been reelected after the first term..

"4 terms of 4 yrs for president."

Errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.....

NO!

It's Two Terms, PERIOD.

FDR was the reason for the term limit for president. What he did with the "New Deal" has permanently changed the course of the USA from independent self-sustaining citizenry, to a welfare state where fewer and fewer workers support a vast non-productive hoard of moochers.

The government has no damn business in private citizen's retirement planning, and I personally resent 30% of my income being stolen to provide for non-productive members of society who think they are entitled to my money.

When it started, the SS system was for widows and orphans...as it should be. And I got no problem with 2-4% of my money going to a government-run widows and orphans fund.

But forcing me to give up that kind of money at MY expense towards MY OWN retirement fund is ridiculous.

After FDR's terms, the Republicans began the amendment to limit presidents to two terms. Sadly, the way things are working, it would probably take four terms to undo the morass FDR started, and which LBJ expanded into the LARGEST SEGMENT OF THE US GOVERNMENTAL EXPENDITURES (remember than when you whine about military spending!)

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People Are Idiots, Just look around here and you will see!
Tony D: "Knowledgeable but Caustic"... rationull
You simply can't call someone a F**ktard here, no matter how truthful it is.
[www.ozdat.com]

Excellent,I stand corrected. I do not mean to inject politics into the auto forum so I will leave on this note.
I saw a nice bumper sticker the other day. It said something to the effect of
"Re-elect Bush,McCain for president!"

I hope NOT!

Is Jeb Bush in the running for McCain's Veep slot?

Last I heard it was possible Leiberman was being considered. Did I miss something?

Especially since a bumepr sticker is out already.

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People Are Idiots, Just look around here and you will see!
Tony D: "Knowledgeable but Caustic"... rationull
You simply can't call someone a F**ktard here, no matter how truthful it is.
[www.ozdat.com]

No, I think it meant if you vote for McCain then its like having Bush for another 4 years..