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RE: your opinion



> Though an inconvenience, you may want to ship the car in parts to bypass
> import
> restrictions.  Ship the entire body without the engine (carefully wrap
> drained
> tranny and store in passenger compartment) then later ship the engine by
> itself.
>  Just a thought if you really want to get it to the states without changing
> the
> specs.

There is no US limitation on shipping in cars.  You can do anything 
you want to.  The problem comes, appropriately, when you try to 
register/title your car with your state so you can drive it legally 
once it is here.  Your state agency will then need proof that your 
car meets the necessary specs, which, as was stated before, vary with 
the year.  Don't bother thinking that you can pull the wool over 
their eyes.

It is quite legal to ship in a non-titleable car for a museum or to 
have it upgraded to US specs.  You will just find that you can't 
title or legally drive it on the road until the car meets our specs.

You might actually get some help by calling your home state's DMV 
and asking polite questions, however when I tried this, I was 
basically told that if it was a "Grey Market" car I would need a 
certificate (read big bucks) from a conversion company certifying 
that the car now met the required specs.  The conversion company is 
supposed to know what the specs are, the DMV people don't.  (The 
specs are US specs, but don't affect customs.)

The only ploy that I have heard about that might have a CHANCE of 
working was to get a VIN plate from an older car (old enough that the 
specs allowed anything to be brought in) and replace your car's VIN 
plate with the older plate.  The down side of that is that your car 
then forever becomes the older year.  You should also understand that 
this is quite illegal.

There is also the likelyhood that your DMV inspector will be smart 
enough to know that there is a number stamped on the frame tunnel and 
the jig will be quickly up.

Removing the engine is lots of extra work and will accomplish exactly 
nothing.  Plus, the easy way to ship cars here from europe requires 
that they drive the car on and off the ship.

Jim

> >-----Original Message-----
> >... shipping cars back to the states. has
> >anyone dealt with this??? i am going to ship about three to four cars
> >home 49 split,68 ghis vert, 77 doublecab, and 61 notch if i ever find
> >it.
> >what about converting it over so it will pass customs...
> 
> 
-
*******************************
Jim Adney, jadney@vwtype3.org
Madison, Wisconsin, USA
*******************************


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