So cool! Luckily where I live (Seattle & San Francisco) there are great mechanics and we are able to source parts around here, or bring them over from the UK quickly. But certainly there are parts of the country where it's not quite as easy. Really want to bring the car back to Europe at some point to drive it there, on roads more fitting to it!

Hey! So sorry for late reply. Yes, let's absolutely do it! Ill message you

Just realizing I am unable to message directly. Feel free to reach out on instagram if that works @benbom

@@benbomcars @javiermercado1973

Hey there! You will need to reach out to a customs agent to be sure, but I think it generally would be OK (but please research more, I am not an expert here). The concern I learned about was more around having an engine or body that is newer than regulations allow.

Totally depends on the car as well as where you are importing it. For me, shipping cost about $3k (cheaper from norther port cities though, such as Rotterdam, or Southampton in the UK, or Bremerhaven in Germany). Then you add customs feed ($250-500 or so), taxes (mine was 8% of the car price), and other registration fees.

Glad it was helpful!

That sounds like a super fun car to import! Lots of cool late 90s stuff becoming available now.

True

@@RobinTheMini Of course!

Yep, fully agreed here! Mistake on my end in the video, but yes, its a Mini (originally 848cc but now has a 998)

@@benbomcars No probs and great stuff!

Yes, it's been very simple! There is a great network of enthusiasts and companies that sell parts. I have found Minispares.com to be the best - they ship from the UK but they're affordable and have everything.

You would need to talk to a customs broker to confirm, but I imagine it wouldn't be an issue! Generally they check that the VIN matches on the car and in all docs, and at times will check the engine number too. I haven't heard to them checking the transmission, but would talk to a broker to be sure. I imagine it would be ok though!

Left them out intentionally slightly! Things changed quick with Covid. Look at other comments for more detail, or feel free to ask questions here and I can answer with exact costs from my experience!

You would need to ask a customs official about that! Using the method I did (25 year rule, etc), it was just for cars and not busses.

I used to Porsche roof transport system! With some regular Thule racks on top

Appreciate the note, but this turned out to be more affordable at the time for a car in this condition! Plus, it was a fun process. Helped me gain confidence for future imports

@@benbomcars They have started importing more and more of them on BaT as the popularity has risen. Btw how difficult is it on those cars to convert them from RHD to LHD?

Good call! I initially was going to buy a 997 but after driving a 996 I was sold! Unfortunately they are selling like hot cakes and I could not secure a deal so I bought a 05 997! I love it but still plan on getting a 996 down the road!

I think the 996.2 looks better than the 997.

Since I never had it registered in Spain, I was able to purchase it and have the previous owner remove registration, and bring to the ship for me! Since a residence and other Spanish documentation is required only when registering a car in your name there, I didn't have to deal with that difficulty!

Glad I could help - that will be a great car to bring in! I have been eyeing those as well for a while, along with the Puch Gs. Such great cars!

For now, a Prius! 55 mpg, and I don't have to think about maintenance at all, and feel more motivated to drive my Mini. In the next couple years I plan on getting a Cayman or something similar though (Elise, 4c, M2, etc).

I sold mine to someone in Sammamish, so it very well may be! I have seen a similar '99 in silver with amber lights around too, but with a black interior (this one was blue), so there are at least two around!

Hey there - unfortunately, due to the age of the B4, it won't be easy at all to import it. It will need to be 25+ years old to bring it into the country. Sadly there isn't really a workaround there

Yay! I miss mine a ton, will certainly get another Porsche at some point soon!

Yep, definitely Mercer Island! And tons of cyclists were passed, but I like seeing them out as a cyclist myself. I bought the car through a private party, who I found selling it online during the pandemic. The seller was incredibly communicative and had a shop he worked with that had recently done work on the car, so I was able to call the shop and ask them about the condition of it. The car arrived exactly as I had expected, but it was certainly a risk. The alternate would be working with a larger dealership (something like Hofman Leek in NL, or ISSIMI for high end cars, or something similar) that can help shed light on the condition of the car and arrange shipping. I just got lucky with a great seller. As for funds, we had written up a contract and I worked with a lawyer in Spain to ensure it was written correctly. Again, it was risky, but I used my judgement with the seller and he ended up being a great person and getting the car to the port right when it needed to be there to get on the ship. Agents certainly are helpful, and with a car any more valuable than this, I would definitely recommend that. Or flying over yourself and making a little vacation out of it. Let me know if you have any other questions, or you may be able to find me at some of the upcoming E@RTC events each Saturday in Redmond!

I would have been able to bring it directly to WA! The Tacoma port often receives RoRo shipments. I just happened to be living in CA when I shipped the car, and moved while it was in transit, so it still ended up in CA.

@@benbomcars that makes sense thank you!

Hey there - It probably varies by state, so you would need to check. I am not sure if inheritance laws are different from registering otherwise. I would imagine, however, that they will want a valuation (maybe a Hagerty value) at the DMV to determine the base you pay taxes on.

Completely agree there! This road was not the right spot to demonstrate what I love about this car, but felt like a good place to show the car driving while speaking about other driving experiences I have had. Appreciate the feedback!

Thank you for the kind words! I had imported it as a private buyer. The main benefits I can think of to importing as a business is easy access to dealer plates and insurance (so it can be picked up and driven from the port without prior registration or needing to tow), and I imagine some tax benefits as well that I am just guessing. Getting a dealers license is difficult however, in WA (and I imagine other states?) you need a physical office and lot, along with regular opening hours, so I didn’t look into that much at all. I’m no expert on the dealership side of things though so take my words above with a big grain of salt! I had no problem importing on my own though.