limey610

Has anyone had any experience of importing a classic car from the USA into Spain. I am looking to bring over a 1969 Corvette Stingray. Any previous experience or advice would be greatly received

Owls

I too am looking into importing not a classic car but a newish Mustang, but can't do it till I can get back over to the States probably early next year. Will be interested to view any responses. I think the biggest cost is import tax but may vary as yours is a real classic and awesome car!!

missile

You might find this useful? >>> https://www.justlanded.com/english/S...as%20purchased

You can DIY but you might find it easier to contact one of the companies who advertise to do it for you.

missile

There are many classic car clubs who can offer you advice, e.g. https://carclubtorrevieja.com/

shacho

I know of someone who found it easier to import into Germany and then into Spain once registered there. It was a 1989 Porsche 911

Pulaski

In that specific case it may have been because it was a car manufactured in Germany.

While it is extremely difficult to import a car that is less than 25 years (300months) into the US, there is an exception for cars manufactured in the US, so the "returning home" exception is not unique.

Dxf

Hola
I have helped a couple of people import their cars from the USA but not classic cars. The american specification for tyres is not acceptable here and you will have to change them. The indicators are also illegal (blinking brake lights for example) and will have to be changed.
The road tax is specially low from memory but i would budget around 2,000€ to get it legally rematriculated at a very rough guess

Davexf

Owls

Thanks for the updates, I wasn't aware that the tyres would need to be changed. For info I've been quoted $1450 for a 20ft container from Miami to Cadiz.

Pulaski

I don't know what's different about tyres in the US, but I never got more than 30,000 miles on a set of Michellins in the UK.

The least I have ever managed in the US is 60,000 miles on one set of Michellins on our Accord and 50,000 on Goodyears on our Mustang, but we have taken two sets on our Accord all the way to 100,000 miles, or more (102,000), and another set to 80,000 miles, and these are Michellins, which are ostensibly the same as those sold in the UK and Europe.

Owls

like you never understand it, in the states they even guarantee them for min 40k, I’ve just changed some Pirelli’s on a Merc in the U.K. this week after 20k, I’m retired and certainly don’t ‘race it like I stole it’ !!!

Fred James

Could it be the lower speed limits and straight roads?

Pulaski

"Lower speed limits"

I used to wonder about that myself, but most traffic in the US on the interstate/ motorway is doing around 80mph, not withstanding the nominal speed limit, and most of the roads around here, where i live, and on the east coast in general, are far from straight, and in fact cloverleaf on-off ramps (180º or 270º turn, as opposed to a ramp that gradually diverges from the main highway) are common too, which adds to the lateral wear on tyres. Then there is the fact that many interstates are concete, which is much more abrasive than asphalt. Then there is the general observation that people drive like lead-footed apes here in the US - stand on the gas, then stand on the brake ...... though such drivers won't be getting the same life on their tyres that I am.

But from my perspective, I think my driving is what proves that the difference is in the tyres - my driving style is broadly similar to what it was in the UK - 70-80mph on motorways, and "enthusiatic" on bends, turns, and windy roads. But I am getting around three times the mileage from my tyres as I did when I lived in the UK!

Fred James

I can’t think of an answer to that, but when you look how Pirelli can play around with the compounds for F1 cars so they can last for as little or as long as they want, you have to assume that they can do that for road tyres and the US spec gives longer life. However, it may be that the regulations in Europe require safer, but shorter life tyres. That could explain why you have to change them.

Pulaski

I have no doubt that you are correct, but I don't feel like I am skating around on super-hard tyres.

I suspect that, building on what you said above, that US tyres are harder because for most of the country, most of the year, the temperatures are higher than in Europe, so you can get good grip from a fairly hard compound.

This would also explain why across much of the US drivers will often switch between summer and winter tyres. There are two reasons for this, either [1] you want a high performance tyre for your high performance car in the summer. Summer tyres are unsafe below about 5ºC, literally like driving on ice - a colleague bought a brand new Dodge about 3-4 ears ago and selected the summer tyre option, and so had to switch tyres twice a year so he could drive during November- March.

Or [2] you live in an area where there is significant risk of ice and snow during the winter, and so are required by state regulation, or common sense to fit a snow tire in the winter. And you don't need to be living in Alaska of Minnesota for this to apply. There are only a handful of states, all of them in the in The South (i.e. South Carolina to Lousiana), plus Hawaii, where the local winter weather, allowing for mountains, doesn't mean there isn't at least part of the state, where winter tyres might be a sensilble choice.

There are also "all season" tyres, which are what we use and they are perfectly fine in areas where winters are mild, and/or you don't want racing car amounts of roadholding in the turns in the summer.

limey610

Interesting sideline topic here. I lived 18 years in Chicago where the temps varied from -40 to +40 and I always got at least 30,000 miles out of my tires. Then i moved to Florida where the humidity and sun year round still gave me more than 30k. I always changed my cars without going over 30k except with my classic cars!

I think the Vette has only had 2 sets of tires in it's life - only 50k though!

Thanks for the very useful posts received here.