moving to Spain from the US can I bring my cars


eo2am

eo2am

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Jan 15, 2011
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Ok so the military is moving me and the family to Spain and I was wondering if I would have any issues with modded cars in Spain.

Right now I have a 00 Hatch with a JDM b18c (ek9 wantbe) and a FD.
 
Have you talked with TMO yet? There were no rules regulating vehicles brought to the UK for Military as long as the vehicle passes MOT (Its a vehicle safety inspection) when it got there. They should have a packet with contact numbers/e-mails for you.
 
I was station in Greece for a year and TMO there told me that I might have a issue getting my car back to the US. Just worndering if there would issus, and do i need to add city lights and side marker.
 
come to Belgium there are few us military there with nice cars :D

For Belgium you just need to have good suspensions brakes and lighting (and a foglight)
 
Vandal:

Well what I'm looking at is that the car is a USDM car so I know it can come back, but the engine is a JDM and has no vin stamp like USDM engine have. So will the car comeback complete. Also I'm also running the JDM ECU so the OBD port is not readable.

I will be there for a few years so I plan to see the whole region. Oh and I have all that, good brakes, lights and suspensions.
 
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I don't see any of that being a problem. Since the vehicle originated in US and has US Vin. I don't think they care about engine serial etc.. otherwise how would you be able to insure or pass any emissions tests right now. I've heard rumors about OBD being a issue, but those are just rumors. In my experience, the shipping companies only care about any damage done to the vehicle so they don't have to pay. I would contact the shipping company (TMO should have the contact) and ask them about your concerns. If TMO doesn't/can't help you, I'll dig a little in some old papers and see if I can't find the California contact. I think you'll be fine because its still a US vehicle.
 
well the car is registered in a nonsmog state, but im more worried about customs.
So Monday I'll have to look for the DSN for TMO.
 
I live in Spain and have transferred UK cars to Spanish registration. Its not the simplest thing and Spain does charge a tax which is related to the age and valuation of the vehicle. The older and less valuable it is, the less you pay.. Buts its not incredibly cheap or quick!
 
Hello eo2am

I am from Spain, and of course, I live there.
In Spain there is a periodical inspection of vehicles, similar to the MOT, but not annual. Well, only annual for very old cars, like my CRX.

As people above has told you, there will be no problems if the car is US registered and then when it comes to Spain, it is registered again here. It would be different if the car comes directly from Japan. Then it would be a bit harder.

With US VIN, US registration, etc. they will ask here for a new inspection. You have not to worry about the engine, as in the engine is written "HONDA". They don't look for the code of the engine.

But, about suspensions (coilovers), rollcages, semislick or slick tires and wide body kits (including wheel spacers) they will look for it. If they find it, they will ask you about spanish homologations, that you won't have.

A heavily modified car can run in spanish roads, but you have to homologate all the stuff. And this is not cheap...

So, my recommendation: bring with you and the cars, stock parts like OEM suspensions and OEM ehxaust. You can get these changed here just to pass inspections. Once inspection of every car is passed, install these again.

If you don't have these parts, don't worry. Once you are here, get these from UK, as it is near us (cheap shipping rates) and they have all these parts available :))



Don't homologate anything, is a steal. Every time you pass a periodical inspection here, just take out all the "agressive" stuff installed on the car (coilovers, rollcages, wide kits, track tires...).
As for the engine, just make sure it is "silenced": OEM or nearly OEM exhaust. Or just homologate the exhaust, it is cheap if it is only this piece.

Don't worry if engine is not a B16B and if this has internals upgraded. They won't check it. They will check sound of the engine (Db; Decibels), and the level of CO2 in the smoke of the exhaust. So, if you has a "stand alone" ECU, or any other type of "mappeable" ECU (Hondata S300, for example), get soft maps every time you go for inspection. :D

If you come near Barcelona (north Spain), you can come to my workshop. If you bring with you the parts you want to be changed for the inspection, I will do it for you without problem. :blinx:
We have here all the necessary tools and knowledge.




One question, is this an FD2 R?

Cheers ^^
 
Thanks Waff, I'll look into the homologate for spain, I still need to call TMO so that will my first question.

So your saying I will be taxed on my coilover, and exahust. Even though Im running Magnaflow exhaust and a highflow cat the exhaust tone is mild, for the US, so what is the max DB for my exhaust?

So I won't have any issues with having a B18c in the car as long as it says honda on the valve cover?
 
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Exact. They won't notice the difference. And as I commented you, they don't look for engine codes.

It would be different if it is an EK chassis and it has for example a Volkswagen engine (with VW brand name written!)...

They have a list of Db for every brand and model of car. It depends, but you can imagine that if you go there with a loud exhaust... the inspection will not be passed.
More important is the level of CO2 of the exhaust. Even if the engine is stock, with a highflow cat (or also a decat), these levels will be high. So it won't pass inspection. You need an stock exhaust (or at least a more restrictive cat).
But you can try to pass it. If it is not approved, they give you 15 days to return without paying any "plus".

When you say "taxed" for exhaust and coilovers, you mean while you are in the inspection?
No, no. You need that these parts get changed before going to the inspection (only for the day of the inspection), less if you homologate these before the inspection, once you are in Spain.


In other words, the engine can be different. No problem. It is an Honda and they won't notice the difference.
But as for the other "race" parts like the exhaust or the coilovers you need to:
a)Change these for stock ones while you try to pass the inspection. and fit these again after.
b)Homologate the exhaust, coilovers, etc. before passing the inspection, once you are in Spain. With homologation you can go to inspection with aftermarket parts.

Hope it helps. ^^

What part of Spain would be your destination? If you don't mind to telling it. I will understand if you don't.
 
Were getting stationed in Rota.

Ok so I think I'm understanding you, so if I pay the homologation fee, I won't need to change any thing? I think it would be cheaper for me to pay the fee for the two parts that I have since I no longer have the stock parts.
 
Well I just found out that the navy will not allow me to ship a second car so I have to leave the civic. So is there any web site that I can look at for local cars forsale in rota area?
 
hei! :woot:

Sorry for the delay. I didn't watch this post...

Oh, Rota. This is located in Andalucia. Well I don't know any site that offers cars for sale in the area. Anyway, once you are there, it is not very hard to find places where to buy. Or getting web sites of second hand cars there.

So, you want to bring with you the EK, and buy a second car once there.

Yes, you understood it. You can homologate the parts there, and then go to Inspection without problems.


What parts do you have installed? The B18c doesn't count as they will not notice it.

I can try to locate a site to homologate parts there, give you the link and/or contact details, and you can ask them directly if it is possible homologation and how much it would be.
 
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