Newcomer from France.

[DamnedFrog]

Hello all.

I'm Chris, 48, charted engineer, living in center of France, near Guéret.

Few days ago I enjoyed my first drive with a weird car, that kind of vehicule widely unknown in France except in places where subjects of Her Royal Majesty are spending their hollydays, perpetuate obscure traditions or simply retire...

This was a red Marlin Roadster with a Rover 6-in-line, not a Berlinetta as I erroneously stated in a former mail to site admin.

Well... I wanted mine at first sight, having learned for decades with italian red-and-fast-and-leaking bikes that an easy pleasure is not a real one.

I'm now looking for a Berlinetta, giving the fact that I'm quite tall (1,88) and not that slim anymore: without offspring onboard, I would be able to push the seats to rear and fit into the carbody without orthopedic surgery.

I'm reading all I can on this enthusiast website since I discovered it few days ago, and I wish I could own my first Marlin at the beginning of next year.

I read a great amount of controversial testimony from people about registering kit-cars in France. I'm not afraid about that because this is theorically possible and I'm a constant guy. But I'm simply not wishing to appoint a lawer to negociate my release on bail after a road control.

Some dutch or german website sell used Marlin cars always with original British papers as they don't want to bother with this, or take EUR 1500 to present the car with continental plates and papers.

I'd rather fly to UK and have a fair deal with a serious owner if possible, drive this car back to France and enjoy it.

Let's wait and trust chance :-)

Best regards,
Chris.

[lil_red_roadster]

Re: Newcomer from France.

Welcome Chris.
2 Berli's on eBay at present.

261639919518
161445314885

[DamnedFrog]

Re: Newcomer from France.

Hello!

Unfortunately I noticed that some adds on ebay were prevented from displaying in France. Probabely the seller flagged something like "domestic buyers only" or so...

There's always this very irritating "for legal reasons in your country..." banner instead of the add, which is a nonsens because ebay isn't skilled enough to state if this item is legal in France or not...

I'll try another way.

Regards,
Chris

[Tony Stott]

Re: Newcomer from France.

logicel expat.com(google it) will give you a proxy address in the uk, I use it to access uk only sites like bbc iplayer etc!!

[DamnedFrog]

Re: Newcomer from France.

Thanks a lot, I'll setup this stuff ASAP.

Regards,
Chris.

[danny_nelson]

Re: Newcomer from France.

With respect to all above the two Berlinettas on ebay at present are not what I would recommend.
Danny.

[laurent78]

Re: Newcomer from France.

Bonjour je suis laurent heureux proprietaire d une marlin sporster avec beaucoup de travaux dessus et j habite le vesinet en region parisienne.

[cameronfurnival]

Re: Newcomer from France.

Salut Laurent et bienvenue au club . Nous ferons de notre mieux pour vous aider et nous espérons en apprendre un peu de français en même temps . Il ya maintenant sept membres dans la belle France

[DamnedFrog]

Re: Newcomer from France.

Bonjour Laurent, bienvenue

Christophe.

[laurent78]

Re: Newcomer from France.

Bonjour c est tres dur d immatriculer une marlin en france. Il vaut mieux trouver une carte grise type original ou la laisser en plaque anglaise. Je viens d en acheter une seconde sporster conduite francaise et bientot je vous envoie les photos. Amitiés.

[DamnedFrog]

Re: Newcomer from France.

Bonjour Laurent.

It is forbidden for a french citizen to own and drive a foreign car in France longer than 3 month after purchase withour re-registering it.

Insurance is also mandatory, and could give to the police information on the date of purchase since your car is insured the day you bought it with your name

At first road control you would be fired since you're French (identity papers), and cannot justify neither the legal property of the car (not your name on V5), neither the French registration (no french papers). And that kind of car is prone to attract cops

Fine are high, prosecution risk too.

Le plus simple, c'est le passage en immatriculation de collection, c'est simple et rapide pouvu que la voiture ait plus de 30 ans

Christophe.

Bonjour c est tres dur d immatriculer une marlin en france. Il vaut mieux trouver une carte grise type original ou la laisser en plaque anglaise. Je viens d en acheter une seconde sporster conduite francaise et bientot je vous envoie les photos. Amitiés.

[b_caswell]

Re: Newcomer from France.

"The simplest, it is the passage in registration of collection, it's simple and fast after that the car has more than 30 years" Bing translate "Nope still don't understand??

[cameronfurnival]

Re: Newcomer from France.

immatriculation de collection is "registration certificate" (the Grey Card). I think Christophe means getting a grey card for vehicles over 30 years is relatively simple. If I'm reading it correctly I would love to hear more as we on this side of la manche have always believed it to be a nightmare.

[DamnedFrog]

Re: Newcomer from France.

Hello Cameron.

The "carte grise de collection" is a registration certificate (Carte Grise, equivalent to your V5) under a special chapter that allows relatively easy registration of exotic and historic vehicules. So British ones

Once the tax part of things is done (i.e you have the paper that testify that you don't have VAT to pay because of foreign origin), things are quite simple, indeed

1) Your vehicule (that can be a 50 feet newyorker firemen truck or a (de)militarized jawohlpanzer) must be at least aged of 30. No way to go further if it doesn't. Really.

2) Once you can reasonably establish that your vehicule is old enough, with an order and/or invoice and/or the former registration papers, you must ensure that there is a serial number on your car, or a manufacturer plate that identifies the vehicule as unique and genuine type presented on papers. If you don't find a plate, MAKE IT, with the same number that appears on your former registration documents. This is not a scam, just a way to identiy uniquely the car.

3) Then go to your local technical inspection center, and apply under the chapter "historical vehicule". They won't explode your engine, they won't burn your brakes, they won't crush your dampers, they won't smell your exaust gas, they would only verify the lights (head, cross, position, turn, stop), the wheels and tyres, the steering, the handbrake, the sound pressure and fluid leaks. If your vehicule is not a road ruin, you should get your certificate.

4) Then fill a request form from "Fédération Française des Véhicules d'Epoque" (FFVE), attach relevant documents testifying the type and age of vehicule, attach the former registration paper, add some nice picts of the vehicule itself and of the manufacturer/serial plate and send all the stuff to FFVE. You would receive in return from FFVE the necessary certificate for origin, characteristics and age of your vehicule, since the manufacturer itself don't provide it.

5) Put in a sleeve: The fiscal certificate, the former registration paper (V5), the technical inspection record OK, the certificate from FFVE, the form request for new registration, your identity card copy, your address testimony and some money (surprise!). You would soon receive by post your new registration certificate, your car is now road legal in France and EU.

6) Unbolt your former GB registration plate and put it on the wall of your workshop as a trophy

This is NOT that difficult. You just need to prepare the technical inspection, i.e perfect lights and brake, the rest is up to the examinator mood...

If your car is a Citroen C2 of 1934 the noise and the greasy engine won't raise questions and the brakes stopping capacity or exhaust emissions belong to history

Regards,
Christophe.

immatriculation de collection is "registration certificate" (the Grey Card). I think Christophe means getting a grey card for vehicles over 30 years is relatively simple. If I'm reading it correctly I would love to hear more as we on this side of la manche have always believed it to be a nightmare.

[cameronfurnival]

Re: Newcomer from France.

Thanks Christophe, that is really useful. As long as you have a V5 which is dated pre-1984 everything should be plain sailing then.