European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 18, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                April 1985 the stars and stripes Page 13 car Corner All Worth but its certainly not for everyone adventures of car conversion7 in detail much has been written about Gray Market cars during the past three this term evolving from european specification cars entering the United states after the necessary work has been performed to bring them into line with safety and emissions we wont go into except to in that a 5yearold foreign be taken to the states and driven there once it is certified As conforming to safety a less than 5yearold car must meet both safety and Epa engine emission Regula in the following letter from air Force Mark Flake now at a duty station in we have what we really need the experience of one who has had the work then has gone Onward to get the car certified in the United As Flake said in his letter to this the one thing i Felt was missing in the eur spec car conversion pieces that were done in the stars and stripes while i was in Europe was feedback on the actual experience after the military person took his car to the what Ive provided is just my experience and i cant even Tell for certain if its two acquaintances also brought cars one using the same converting firm that i used Gordon conversion service of Germany with equally Good the other Friend used a stateside firm which Cost but with no problems in so if youre thinking about buying a european specification car and taking it read As you will its not heres flakes during my tour in like Many other military i bought a Nice european specification car that i wanted to bring Back to the even though i researched the various conversion Compa Nies that offer their services to the Ameri can military the question remained on which company was successful in process and would follow through once i was at my next duty i can give you one persons experience in a process that took about eight the car i bought was a 1973 Bow Sci a car i enjoy is in Good and has an excellent resale if i Ever decide to sell i began the process in late 1983 with a series of letters to the department of trans environmental Protection Bow of North and the Bow car they provided some valuable information but not a great Deal of they did convince that i want capable of doing either the conversion work or paperwork next step i decided instead to rely on a company in Germany primarily because it would be less expensive than a stateside company and the Good ones would be on top of rapidly or vague Federal regulatory require finding the right converting company was the next i either visited or called at least eight businesses that Are commonly found in american military oriented Commer Cial shopping i found Many of these firms lacking in either knowledge or i selected the Best in my judgment based on my limited research and turned the along with about for Over to the company Gordon conversion service of Mannheim on july two Days before i left the company said the car would be completed and sent to the states during the second or third week in during the second week of i was notified at my new duty station in Omaha that the car was on its a week i was notified that the car had arrived with instructions to pick it up within a week at Wilming the Bow Cal Coupe in flying form photo by Randy Barnett the Bow shown Here airborne on the old won the european touring car championship in 1973 and then went on to win Many More or the port authority would Start charging rent for the parking i hopped a plane on the thursday before labor Day weekend to pick up the the first minor problem arrived my instructions did not state the converter port agent was not at the the agent is located in Philadelphia and a Stop there was required before i could pick up the after a Quick change of i get to Phila take a cab downtown and then take a bus to the port at Wilmington arriving too late to get the car because the customs office was i spent the night in one of the few Good hotels in downtown Wil Mington the hotel within walking Dis Tance of the bus the next morning i arrive at the customs office and am promptly presented with four Complex forms and Little advice from an under staffed another problem even though i had my Usa eur the Ger Man title and Bill of Sale in customs didst think they were exactly what they wanted for that neither did my state when i registered the after much customs said it was and off i went by cab to the terminal five Miles vow was the shipper and they seemed or at their you again go through the customs agents and they also doubted i had the proper proof of ownership and More discussion As an Obser they tried to be helpful but Are saddled with enforcing the rapidly changing Laws with limited staff and they finally cleared and my car appeared instantly after a port handling i checked it out and everything seemed in i signed the and headed the next problem about a mile outside the a strange noise after Stop Ping at a Gas station and looking and around the still no clue As to what is on i hoping to get to Pittsburgh that the noise grows worse Over the driving the legendary car is the German Ace Hans who competes thursday for the factory porsche team in the endur Ance world championship one of next and so does my concern not Only with what is wrong with the but who in this part of Southeast Pennsylvania can repair an somewhat rare i lucked because 1 found a Bow Deal ottos of West when met by the service dressed in a suit and carry ing a i began to fear bankruptcy As Well As delayed travel but i am pleas Antly surprised with the instant service and reasonable Cost for fixing the exhaust pipe which somewhere in process was Bent into a rear on i go to the Pennsylvania Turnpike and another Small when the converting firm replaced the headlights with sealed they didst adjust the so with one beam illuminating the tree tops and the other shining into the eyes of oncoming drive i head arriving in Omaha on Sun Day with no further problems for 30 Days there is silence and i am becoming concerned and Call my German based converting firms stateside Contact in my opinion an absolutely necessary they said not to worry both Dot and Epa Are should hear something then another 30 Days and still nothing and i Call this time they panic because Nei ther has received the appropriate forms from customs at the Wilmington Dot informs me that my time is running out and that the cars paperwork for official approval must be completed and sent to them by since it is now Early november and the converter cant finish Oft the paperwork until Dot sends me the required registration we reach a workaround agreement where i make copies of my copies and pay for the overnight Speed letter service to i get the appropriate papers Back within 10 Days and Forward them to the converting firms representative in expedites their process and gets the papers to Dot by the second week to Epa approval of the Over 5yearsold waiver arrives on 8 and on 1 get Dot approval with no the regular production car coupes in bows famous is series of the 1970s was the Bow the Sci is the subject of today car conversion additional questions or any other work required on the the converters did their Job Well and 1 have my car federalized at last now for a few observations about the pro Cess of getting a european specification car and bringing it 1 approach it be careful in re searching requirements and selecting the converting try to talk to people who have used the if in there Are convert ing firms in the states but they Cost More and for older May have delays caused by Lack of appropriate 2 there Are costs involved in picking up your car that must be considered As Well As the potential for repairs while youre taking the car Back 3 if your converting firm Doest do a Good Job there is the additional Cost and anxiety of finishing the Job 4 bring Back a car that you make certain it is in excellent condition to begin and that it has a Good stateside value Well above what youre going to 5 get As much paper As you can to prove have the Usa eur Bill of German title and if a real title issued by a government in i think it was All Worth but its certainly not for everyone and there Are risks both to your pocketbook and mental Well the end result of having the car i wanted Here seems to make the Cost and con Cerns but there were times when i doubted that the trouble was Worth from a financial 1 estimate that the Bow Cost me around to to convert and ship and about in additional which int bad for a car i would estimate one could sell you cant until after one year for Between and in closing today we would like to thank Flake for writing and letting us in on the adventures of car Randy Barnett