Shipping my RS America To Europe, Going to Le Mans and a 4 month drive around Europe Options

[DonTraver]

About 6 years ago, went on a trip to Germany, even drove the Ring in a new 997S. Great trip.
While there, I got this weird idea. How great it would be to drive my RSA in Europe and the autobahn.

Well, it’s taken about a year of research and work, but it’s going to happen this year,

I started receiving all the import/export licenses a couple of weeks ago for the RSA. I got all the forms in this week. Shipping has been arranged to ship my RSA in her own private container to the UK with approximate arrival on May 19th.

Found an insurance company that will insure me in 29 countries for about $165 a month.

Joined the Porsche Club Great Britain, got my membership card on 3/31/10. I’m going to Le Mans with them.
They put together a 5 star camping trip to Le Mans every year, they camp in the Porsche Curves at Le Mans, they even put up your tent for you, It runs about $800 for 5 days at Le Mans, Euro Tunnel Pass, tickets, fully catered camp site, private restrooms and showers. How cool is that. I’ll be traveling with the PCGB from the UK to Le Mans, should help me not get lost. I’ll get to watch testing, practice, qualifying, and the race, wow.

I’ve been a member of a 964 Porsche series group for about 7 years. Since I told the group about my plans, I’ve received invitations to all over Europe, Luxemburg, France, Germany, UK, Portugal, Spain, and the Ring. Planning at least a week at the Ring.

After Le Mans heading south, Normandy, Madrid, Lisbon, Valencia, and maybe Monaco. After that head north to Germany, Berlin, Leipzig, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, the Ring. Etc. Want to catch a couple of Formula 1 races, Spa, Ring, etc. At least that’s the tentative schedule so far.

Found this website that lists a lot of the tracks in Europe and if they have open track days, they do. So I might get to drive Silverstone, Brands Hatch, Spa, and a bunch of others. http://www.trackdays.co.uk/tracks/

Just finished a 60k service on the RSA, new rotors, pads, brake fluid, set valves, new tires, new O2 sensor, had a ipod cable put in for tunes, and waxed and detailed her, dyno tested 250hp at rear wheels.

Had a set of PSS10 Coilovers installed, with new alignment and corner balancing last week, sweet.

Oh yeah, since I won’t be in any one country more than 4 months, I get to keep the California plates on her, cool. I wrote a lot of emails to a lot of countries to confirm that, all said fine by email, printed out all those emails, just in case.

The RSA ships in 2 weeks, when I get a confirmed delivery date, I’ll book my plane tickets.

So long story short. I’m going to Le Mans and will be spending over 4 months driving around Europe in my RSA with California plates, a dream is coming true.

Here's a picture of my RS America at the Lake Arrowhead Porsche Timeline last year.

Don

[DonTraver]

Well, I shipped the RS America today, wow; it’s on its way. Keith showed up around 8am and we were on the road shortly thereafter. Both Keith and I had a gps in the car, just in case we got separated. The drive up was nice, only hit 3 slowdowns on the freeway. When we got there, Branko Stanojevic of Rinkens International shipping had everything ready. We were done in less than 30 minutes. The only thing on the pre-shipping inspection form was a few paint chips on the front end, not bad for a 17 year old car that I’ve driven cross country 3 times. I am worn out; woke up at 2:30am, not excited or anything. I’ll get to rest while she heads to the UK. The amount of work to put this together just blows me away, especially since I pushed the GO button last month.

I also took pictures of her before we left for LA this morning, then took more when we got there. Took pictures of everything loaded in her a couple of days ago, boy was that a job, packing everything up, inventorying everything. My bags are also packed for the flight next month; I’m not unpacking them until I get to Felixstowe.

Did a full 60k service, new brake pads, fresh brake fluid flush and filled with Super Gold, new O2 sensor, set valves (2 Day job), Fresh Mobil One 15k oil and filter, New PSS10 coilovers, alignment, corner balanced, scrub the undercarriage and wheel wells for customs, full detail. All since March 22nd, when I got the final approval papers in the mail. Wow, I’m impressed,

Spent the next four days, turning everything on. Confirming and paying for Shipping, auto insurance that’s good in 29 countries, joining the PCGB, and applying for the PCGB 5 star camping trip to Le Mans and getting approved, etc.

How many hours on the computer, researching countries, writing emails about driving my car in their countries. Emails to apply for import licenses for car, medicines, and emission stickers, the PCGB and German emission stickers look nice on her. Down loading a pile of forms, filling them out, sending them out, waiting for approval letters. One government office even required that all forms be converted to PDF, they sent you the form in Word. That alone took the best part of a day figuring out how to do that. The first time I submitted the form, it got rejected, of course.

I am so glad that I didn’t delete all the information that I had collected last year. That saved me from having to reinvent the wheel completely this year. But boy, a lot of things changed from last year. Things got a whole lot more complicated and expensive.

Six years of saving up to pay for this, and saving enough to do it in style. Good hotels, food, taking the time to really see things, no one hour tours, off to the next, rush. I love history, now I’ve got the time and resources to see so much of it, and see it in a Porsche.
Does it get any better?

I love the Autobahn. I’ll also be visiting race tracks all over Europe, and the Ring. I’ll get to drive my RS America on the ring, that’s where the idea for this whole trip happened. My second trip to Germany was with Mark and Tina of Autobahn Adventures. Our first stop was the Dorent Hotel at the Ring. I was driving a new 997S Avis rental and got to take in on the track that evening, they didn’t have spotters at the track yet. While I was driving one of my laps is when I had the idea; I want to drive my RSA on this track, how cool would that be, and it started.

So now, relax take care of the small stuff while I wait for my flights to pick her up in Felixstowe, UK. Then Le Mans.

Later, Don