Just found this site today, new member Options

[mel reckling]

I had no idea there was a great place like this. Here's my story:

In 1982 I imported a couple of grey market cars from Europe, one was a yellow 1972 914-6 vin 9142430107. At the time I was in the middle of a 16 year career in the car biz and in 1985 was one of the top 50 Toyota salesmen in the U.S. and actually sold a Mazda Cosmo once. I always loved cars and had accumulated 9 of them, mostly imports and included:

A 1979 BMW 635CSI(grey market)

A 1972 914-4

A 1976 MGB

A 1976 VW SCIROCCO

A 1975 914-4

A 1977 Datsun 280z

A 1959 BMW R69 m/c

A 1974 Honda 550 m/c

A 1973 BMW Bavaria

It was a pretty cool 'stable' of toys. Besides that I got a demo from work to drive.

As the years went by I started getting tired of throwing money constantly at the BMWs and trying to keep the cars dry in the moist climate of the Great Lakes. I learned if any of them got wet they would dissolve like sugar. Not having the proper dry storage facilities to house more than a couple of them I started to off the most of them. I sold the 635 in 1989 when it was no longer economically feasible to do what it needed. The rest were gone by the mid 90s except for the Datsun and the 914-6.

Time passes so quickly that suddenly it's the late 2000s and I realize that 25 years had gone by since the Porsche had even been on the road. So there it has sat in a very dry garage alongside it's (also yellow stablemate) Datsun. The cars have not deteriorated a bit and 7 years ago I got the Z back on the road for 2 days until it developed a dry rot gas line leak that has not been repaired so it has sat again.

I don't know if I did much harm by sitting it so long, but by it being 'on ice' for 25 years has that added a bit of history to the car? I believe it could be one of the only 72s in the U.S. It's never had a bit of rust to this day.

I am glad this site is dedicated to a car that I've considered one of my 'children'. I look forward to all this site has to offer.

[SGB]

Beautiful cars, Mel.
I went through the one-time exemption, gray-market process in 85 with an e21 BMW. I REALLY wanted a 3.0 CS but they were all dust and bondo and when I left Germany I had this 320 with a straight 6 engine that just sang on the autobahn, so I brought it home. As I recall, it was pretty complicated....
My Mom had a Z-car of about that vintage as well
Anyway, it is time to

start
that
car.


and
WELCOME TO THE 914WORLD!!

[mel reckling]

Beautiful cars, Mel.
I went through the one-time exemption, gray-market process in 85 with an e21 BMW. I REALLY wanted a 3.0 CS but they were all dust and bondo and when I left Germany I had this 320 with a straight 6 engine that just sang on the autobahn, so I brought it home. As I recall, it was pretty complicated....
My Mom had a Z-car of about that vintage as well
Anyway, it is time to

start
that
car.


and
WELCOME TO THE 914WORLD!!

Yes, the complications start from the very beginning. The ship sets sail and stops all over the place before it even starts across the ocean. When it gets near it starts hopping down the east coast from Canada. You do get to choose where you want it dropped with undesirable choices from Boston, NYC, Newark and the like. I opted for Baltimore and am glad that was a choice just for getting in and out of.

When you get to the first office you have to go to you are given the distinct impression these people have never done this before and are totally clueless. From there you bring everything they gave you only to find when you reach the port, the pink piece of paper should have been a blue piece of paper. Round and round, all over the port you go, quite comical dodging the activities of a busy port.

Then, everything is in the original language so noone has any idea what things you need. You wind up having to hire a certified translator and spend money on every single word finding out half of the stuff you didn't need.

Luckily, the 1972 didn't require any modifications to pass. They only wanted side marker lights, which we stuck on, took pics of then took off. The list was short and painless. I'd never do it again on something like the 79 BMW.