Importing my Focus ST, Needs European Parts

[ARPP3]

Hi all,

So great news. I have the aftermarket headlights from OSRAM installed (different version, meant for the Mk3.5), and they have the E1 certification. So that's finished! I am changing the fog-lights today to be not LED, and installing a tow-hook point on the rear bumper. Thanks to you all, they dropped this requirement that I have a "hole" to "screw" in the tow point, I will just be bolting a solid eye-bolt to the chassis.

I also peeled off the window tint. Did my best to avoid the adhesive, but it's a bit messy.

This means the only thing left to do are, fabricate the part for the front tow-hook, get the VIN punched into the engine bay, and have the rear fog light installed.

I am still waiting for the switch to arrive from eBay. Then I will figure the rest out after I have the switch,

 

[ARPP3]

Hi,

So the front tow hook and rear tow point which I installed were both approved today! I am waiting for the correct fuse to finish wiring the fog light.
Tomorrow I have scheduled a body-shop to punch the VIN into the engine bay.

I believe it will all be finished on Friday

 

[Oposum]

Hey @ARPP3 any updates since 7th of June? Finally street legal? =)

 

[ARPP3]

Hey! Thanks for asking, I wish it was!

Everything is finished. It needed the VIN (FIN) punched in, and so I had a shop pick it up. Then the same day it was brought to the shop, the senior worker there had COVID. And so he was off for a week and a half. He returned, but had a lot of catching up to do. I just phoned this morning, and turns out he finished it Friday. But I phoned yesterday and his colleagues had no clue if he'd done the work or not.

So it's been at the shop for 3 weeks, for a 15 minute job. I am going to try to get it delivered back to TUEV in the morning so I can finally get the paperwork. But that was the final requirement. After this, it should be smooth sailing. I am a bit bummed because I am moving in 3 days to a new apartment and was hoping I'd have the car. Anyway, I will post here when it's on the road with some pictures!

David,

 

[Invincible]

What a hassle. German bureaucracy ain't no joke. Still wish you all the best to get your car road legal asap.

 

[ARPP3]

@Oposum
To give you an update as promised! Today is the day when I can finally drive it! There was a lot of back and forth with the zulassungsstelle. Very stupid stuff . But I received the plates last Wednesday! However, when I went back to ADAC, they had to validate my driving history from Canada before they could give me an insurance policy. And this process took a long time!! I had to go back to my old insurance companies and get them to add more information to the letter, to match the standards of the letters european insurance companies provide. It's hard for Germany to accept that, documents in different countries won't match their own

After the revisions were made, it took a few days but, I finally have been approved for SF10, to bring the 10 years history I had in Canada, and I've chosen and set up a policy! Today is the first day, since it was imported, that I can drive it! Don't mind how dirty it is in the photo below! Obviously after several months, it will need a cleaning!!

Thanks for all of the help everyone! And to anyone reading this who is considering importing this car, just make sure to add tow-hooks, get the VIN punched, add in a rear fog-light, and make sure the headlights have an 'E' marking. Then it should be TUEV approved without issue. Also you should be able to begin the process of getting an insurance company to recognize your Ausland history, before having the car. I didn't do this before so it was just another thing preventing me from driving on day 1.

I also recommend finding "Kfz-Zulassungsdienst", Someone who can handle the registration/import paperwork for you. I did this, it cost €40. They had appointments the next day, for me to book the appointment on the website I would have had to wait 2-3 weeks!!

Finally, meet your TUEV people before if possible. I was lucky they were so friendly, but I am sure that if you don't speak with them before they might be grumpy, and you don't want to deal with people like this..

Good luck!

 

[Invincible]

Congratulations. It all too way longer than it should have, but at last, you can finally enjoy your car here.

Just me being nosy here, how are the insurance rates compared to Canada?

 

[ARPP3]

So much better! in Canada was about $115CAD/month. Here I was able to get Vollkasko + ADAC membership for €619/jaehrlich. If I went with just Teilkasko it would have been €464. These prices might not be the best available, but ADAC was nice because I could just walk in without an appointment and figure things out. Which is great, my German is decent but speaking on the phone is much more difficult than talking in person!

 

[ARPP3]

In Canada they consider your age, gender, car, and location. Those are the most significant factors. Then I believe with less importance, comes your driving record + car usage. In Germany, it seems like you're rewarded for your driving record much more than in Canada. As well as base prices being lower. The Schadenfreiheitsklasse is a great system, I am very happy to have received all of my experience from Canada. Although it was a complicated process and I had to make several international phonecalls to get them to rewrite the documents with more information

If you drive a slow car and have 50 years experience in Canada, you can get a good price.

 

[Invincible]

age, gender, car, and location.

Those factor in here too. As well as how much you drive per year.
But yeah, you're rewarded for damage free driving (or at least without claims towards your insurance).
That being said, 619 € a year is pretty good already, especially when the ADAC membership is included.
I am 36, drive 15000 km a year and I am in SF15 in both Haftpflicht and Vollkasko, I have to fork over 134 € quarterly (so 536 € a year)

 

[wald]

Congratulations on having your car finally registered and ready to go.
Im just wondering, is this the final position of your front number plate? Because the intercooler will be having problems cooling the charged air.

 

[[email protected]]

Congratulations,

I would be interested to know how the rear fog light issue was resolved.