I see you are still with me. Great!
Just keep in mind that you are buying a unique vehicle and any repairs that you have to make later in the USA will be a mess of trouble and hassle! if you will need such things as points, condensors, transmission fluid, etc buy it all there as you will have a nightmarish time finding the correct fluids here and the ignition parts will NOT be available in the USA. Engine oil, lead and spark plugs however are readily available.Buy smart from the start!
Just keep in mind that you are buying a unique vehicle and any repairs that you have to make later in the USA will be a mess of trouble and hassle! if you will need such things as points, condensors, transmission fluid, etc buy it all there as you will have a nightmarish time finding the correct fluids here and the ignition parts will NOT be available in the USA. Engine oil, lead and spark plugs however are readily available.Buy smart from the start!
So I have bought my Trabant. Now how do I get it home?
So long as your Trabant is 25+ years old and you are sure it will be exempted from US Customs, you can ship it yourself with no need to employ a Shipping Broker/Agent. I simply looked-up shipping companies in Bremerhaven, Germany and called around to get the best deal and conditions. Of course I speak German. Anyway, I arranged for the shipping all on my own, did the paperwork by mail and confirmed everything on the phone. At the proper time I simply drove my Trabant from Belzig in East Germany to Bremerhaven in the West, parked it on the lot in its designated numbered slot and handed over the keys. Three weeks later I picked it up in Galveston, Texas. In May of 2000 I paid $640 US for the actual shipping. In Galveston I had to pay an additional $65 Port of Entry fee after having US Customs in Houston, Texas stamp all the forms. I then climbed-in and drove off, first to get something to eat and then for the long, slow drive from Galveston Island to Austin, Texas via the smaller, more quiet State Highways. So, in answer to your question. You can either do it all yourself like I did OR you can pay a Broker to handle it for you but their fees will cost more than the car itself if you are not able or willing to deliver the car to the port of departure yourself. |  |
OK, So I get the car to my home State. Now what?
Tough one to answer once again. Hopefully your State allows cars 25+ years old and older to be registered as Historic or Collectible Vehicles which generally saves a lot of money on taxes, fees and insurance. If not you may just have to register it as a normal vehicle. My Trabant was registered and driven as a normal passenger car for 3 years ( 2 years on original German plates despite Texas State laws...hehehe) and then one year in Arkansas with Arkansas plates before moving to Missouri and getting "Historic Vehicle" plates.
The State of Texas had a long list of hurdles to jump requiring almost $200 in assorted fees and charges to title and register my Trabant (which is why I never did register it in Texas) but The State of Arkansas had no loopholes or snags and allowed me to title and register it there within 30 minutes for just $25 total. The point is, each State is different and I cannot tell you what your State may require.
Tough one to answer once again. Hopefully your State allows cars 25+ years old and older to be registered as Historic or Collectible Vehicles which generally saves a lot of money on taxes, fees and insurance. If not you may just have to register it as a normal vehicle. My Trabant was registered and driven as a normal passenger car for 3 years ( 2 years on original German plates despite Texas State laws...hehehe) and then one year in Arkansas with Arkansas plates before moving to Missouri and getting "Historic Vehicle" plates.
The State of Texas had a long list of hurdles to jump requiring almost $200 in assorted fees and charges to title and register my Trabant (which is why I never did register it in Texas) but The State of Arkansas had no loopholes or snags and allowed me to title and register it there within 30 minutes for just $25 total. The point is, each State is different and I cannot tell you what your State may require.
