Hello all from stateside

[kakustoms]

Hey all,

Yes I'm a Yank. I envy all of you and your access to thess little wonderful cars. Does anyone know if any have been successfully exported to the states? I would love to get the TDI - I need better fuel milage. If I can't get a whole car over here I'd love to find out about getting the drivetrain, harnesses, and computer sent over. Do these show up in salvage yards after crackups very often? Any info you might have would be appreciated. Oh yeah, in case you're wondering I drive a '93 Festiva w/ a 1.8 DOHC swap since most of the cool hot hatches don't make it over from Europe and Japan.

Thanks again,

Kyle

[Babs]

why do you need a diesel?!

it's not like petrol is expensive over there style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="wink.gif" />

and welcome!

[LoopyLing]

When I was in CO a couple of weeks ago the most expensive petrol I saw was roughly 33p a Litre!

[kakustoms]

OK, OK...

I know we don't pay nearly as much as you do for gas - um, petrol style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":rolleyes:" border="0" alt="rolleyes.gif" /> but... I have this crazy idea that if I have a really high milage diesel, using homemade biodiesel - you know cause so many of my countymen insist on stuffing deep fried things down their throats - then I could save on fuel costs and do my part to help the environment a bit. Besides, if I pay $2.42 / gallon for gas - which I did today - then .42 cents goes to taxes. I would love to stop paying fuel taxes.

Ultimately what I save in fuel and tax costs I could put toward making my turbo neon faster style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin.gif" />

Thanks for the welcomes.

[Philplop]

Hello.

Do you not have to pay tax on bio-fuel over there? We're still taxed on it, even if it's home made.

Never heard of a Ford Festiva.

How much would it cost for you to export one yourself? I think it only cost my Dad £500 to get his Dodge Ram pickup shipped over in a container.

Would you have to put it through a test once it's over there?

[canonman]

Bio fuel is the way to go style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin.gif" />

[BridLupo]

OK, OK...

I know we don't pay nearly as much as you do for gas - um, petrol style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":rolleyes:" border="0" alt="rolleyes.gif" /> but... I have this crazy idea that if I have a really high milage diesel, using homemade biodiesel - you know cause so many of my countymen insist on stuffing deep fried things down their throats - then I could save on fuel costs and do my part to help the environment a bit. Besides, if I pay $2.42 / gallon for gas - which I did today - then .42 cents goes to taxes. I would love to stop paying fuel taxes.

Ultimately what I save in fuel and tax costs I could put toward making my turbo neon faster style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin.gif" />

Thanks for the welcomes.

42 cents in tax. Jesus here the $2 would be taxed and the 42 cents would be for the fuel. Which woudn't buy a gallon but just over a litre

[kakustoms]

We only have to pay fuel tax at the pump. If I don't ever go to the pump because I make it myself then I never pay the tax.

I have no idea what it would cost to import a complete Lupo and I haven't done much in the way of finding out because of the crash test, emissions test, windows, headlights, etc...... I was thinking my way around that would be to title it as an older VW - most likely no one would know the difference. As for the body style I could tell them it was a kit car or body kit. Like I said I am as much interested in getting the drivetrain, computer, and harness shipped over as much as anything else, I just haven't had any luck with any of the engine import companies, they all specialize in Japanese parts.

My inspiration for this whole thing is this motorcycle:

http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2005/02/...l-by-star-twin/

check it out. I don't know whether I would use a sportbike, chopper, or a festiva - or possibly even a tube chassis car like the Ariel Atom.

Thanks again for info you guys come up with. Do they have salvage yards that an individual can pick around in there? Any wrecked Lupos?

[Jen]

hey

dont have any answers to your import/export questions but welcome anyway and good luck!

Jen x

[kakustoms]

Thanks for the welcome Jen! My wife is a Jennifer style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" /> . Besides the import/export thing, can anyone tell me if there are salvage yards where I or a contact of mine could look around and find a wrecked Lupo over there? We have 5-10 in every decent size town with every kind of car you could imagine here. I am waiting to here back from a fellow who imports Land Rovers and refurbishes them for resale here. I thought if I could locate an engine and drivetrain perhaps we could import it in the back of his next Rover.

Thanks again, Kyle

[lunalupi]

Hello there style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />

There are lots of scrapyards, but not alot of Lupos.

On the subject of the import/export issue - I looked into exporting my Arosa to Canada (future emigration plans), I don't know how similar it is to the rules in the USA but it seems unless a car was manufactured to be sold in Canada it can't be imported. The only exception is if it is over 15 years old, I think then it can be taken over as a classic car? Anyway, 6 years to wait and mine can go style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />

[riles]

hello and welcome to club lupo,heres a website that should be able to give you a rough idea of the cost of importing a whole lupo style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin.gif" />

hope this helps

http://www.shipping-worldwide.com/car-exports.html

[nfbr]

How about importing the whole club. Cars, Club Members, Members houses etc... I'm sure we'd all much apreciate you getting us out of this rainy country lol.

[noddy]

if i remember rightly you have to buy 4 cars they are crashtested then emisonons and then you could still be told no its not safe thats why there are no tvr's over there lol

try partfinder. uk and try for a audi a2 tdi as well its the same engine style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="wink.gif" />

keep us udated with your build sounds like it could be fun style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="B)" border="0" alt="cool.gif" />

o and wecome lol

[IanW]

would the engine run on diesel from over there? I thought new diesel engines were very sensitive. I remember reading an American auto journal about a new micra diesel and all the fuel had to be imported because it wouldn't run on the American stuff.

[AndyW]

Welcome to the forum, I'm not 100% sure but I reacon you might be our first US member.

Good luck on the mission, although personally I'd give up and enjoy the benefits of being able to pick up a Mk5 Golf GTI for roughly half the price we pay here. style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />

[kakustoms]

Thanks for all the welcomes! Oh and the heads up on the Audi A2 engine - I didn't know that. I have a friend that imported a Nissan Skyline that he purchased when he was stationed in Japan - but he was able to complete the process by using the company MotoRex. They had already done the emissions and crash testing and therefore had the license to modify and import Skylines. I'm waiting to hear back from him on what his importing difficulties were.

I'll use the import calculator link Riles, thank you, I have a feeling once I get to the part about documents I'll have some trouble though. style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":confused:" border="0" alt="confused.gif" />

This is all good fun, I appreciate all the interest. If anyone has a web address or email address for any of the local salvage yards I'd be interested in sending some inquiries over for front clips or complete drivetrains.

As for the quality of the diesel fuel, I'm hoping it will run ok on Biodiesel - and smell like chicken and chips too! style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":lol:" border="0" alt="laugh.gif" />

Thanks again,

Kyle

BTW - Importing the whole club might be a bit expensive, besides other than the Golf GTI - there are lots of cars y'all get that we don't. The AWD Turbo Focus...

[Babs]

AWD Turbo Focus? where!?

[Adam]

I think he means the Focus ST. I would rather have a mk5 golf gti or even a GT. Can you get the Mk5 Golf GT, with the 1.4 TSFI engine over in the US? That would be a good small engined car to work with, plus it has 170bhp style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="wink.gif" />

[ID modds]

would the engine run on diesel from over there? I thought new diesel engines were very sensitive. I remember reading an American auto journal about a new micra diesel and all the fuel had to be imported because it wouldn't run on the American stuff.

Never mind running on american diesel, does anyone know if Volkswagen PD engines like what are in the lupo will run on bio diesel? Cos I don't think they will.

[kakustoms]

That's a really good question. Does anyone know? I guess I should get a contact at VW to find out if it will run on US diesel or Biodiesel.

[kakustoms]

I'm going to be paying attention to the post by HybridLUPO. I will contact him to find out where they sourced their engine. It sounds like that is the one I am looking for. The 3L which I gathered from his post you didn't get in the UK. That is really the one I am looking for.

Kyle