European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 10, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                When its time to turn in by Diana Valdez staff writer Bremerhaven Heinz Wittes seen them All Hes tackled 57 and 85 not once but hundreds of Hes been at it so he i can practically smell the dents on the Wittes one of nine car inspectors at the vehicle process ing Center in Hes worked there 32 25 of those inspecting cars with clipboard in one pen in the scuttling around the he leans in closer and then backs bends Down and stands on Tippy Witte Doest just look at a he examines his Job of finding damages saves the government Hes one of several people customers see when turning in a his message plan because the summer Rush is people wanting their cars available when they arrive in the states should begin planning a few months before they shipping a car is painless if the owner brings the right items to Bremerhaven five copies of the Blue and White registration and a set of defense department civilians and Active duty service members Are entitled to ship cars from family members May ship a car on behalf of the sponsor if they have a Power of in anybody with a Power of attorney from the sponsor can ship the but just because a person has the right to ship a car Doest mean it will be shipped and foreign cars previously registered stateside travel for someone buys a porsche pays to ship it to the states and registers it once registered the government pays to ship the car to Europe and later Back catalytic converters can be installed at Bremerhaven or motorists installing converters at their duty Sta Tion and driving the car to Bremerhaven risk buying a new converter since driving with leaded Gas ruins the Bremerhaven cafes garage installs converters vehicles photo by Dave Didio photo by Terry Baker Heinz Witte inspects the Interior of an american car before it is the amnesty Box awaits prohibited v photo by Dave Didio staff Johnnie Banks fills out paper work to Export his photo by Terry Baker recognizing the Bremerhaven vehicle Center is no monday through saturday from to for to Call 047187347 for an installation takes about an of Post mechanics usually charge about to install a motorists who choose to install their converters stateside have five Days to do it after they Clear customs if they have a converter to show the customs motorists without converters have to find usually for Between and motorists who go through customs without a or those whose converters dont work May have to Post a Bond equal to three times the value of the during Bremerhaven summer the Export Section processes nearly 150 cars a customers can expect Long lines on fridays and weekday afternoons Are Best for avoiding the the first step is to have the car inspected for bruises or other most of the German like Are thorough they have been at their jobs for they comb the outside and inside for damage that might later be claimed they also list important items that come with the car such As spare jumper cables and other next comes there Are some simple Dos and and everything is Fine if the customer follows the after the customer has filled out customs form do we have them read a sign of prohibited said Nadine a shift the in Large Black letters on a White tells customers they cant ship destructive flammable government rationed any pastes or jells that could break open and animal materials a car Battery that been gasoline containers or vehicle beautification items in the no there Are several including an amnesty to get rid of these the customer has 3 to 5 minutes amnesty time before a customs she some people say they dont need that but its so they get it whether they want it or once As Wittey or another customs inspector Steps toward the customers Are asked if they Are that part of the amnesty she we want to give them every customs inspectors look for Many they Check under the Hood for an environmental Protection Agency sticker and in the trunk for the catalytic con Verter if its not already on the they run their fingers under the rim of the cars checking for clumps of dirt that might contain Ger carry ing if they find they clean the car before it boards the free to the we Check the inside of the car looking for contraband and Wittey they Check under the car seats and floor in the Glove Box and in other during the customs a police dog sniffs All cars for that something customers can count if the dog alerts on an that we cant for exam ple an engine or in Back of a car its noted on the customs form and the cars searched in the she the customs office is the next step to Complete the Cus Toms motorists  be alarmed if an inspector draws a Diagonal red line through their it usually Means the converter int but the remarks Block will the car still will be after the customers go into the Export office to Complete the shipping document do 788 and other customers should list All items in their car on the for radio or be count the hand and if list them by if theres a list if anything is missing when the car gets to the states and it want a claim will be Guenter Wittes suggests that customers take expensive items off the car before for if the cassette deck was factory installed its usually but anything that Loose and easy to get out should be taken out and shipped with household dont leave tapes or fur seat covers in the he cars Are shipped to the nearest port according to delivery to Norfolk or Charleston takes no More than 35 its 40 Days to new Orleans and 45 Days to san Pedro and the Center has a Good shipping said Steven chief of the processing nearly 898 cars were shipped to Bayonne in of or made it by the promised delivery from october to december the Center ship Ped cars of or made it on i owe that Good record to three Frazier 1 have a colonel with lots of horsepower to get things we Are keeping More extensive records about the shipping who handling the cars and How and Why there handling and then we Are putting that research to Frazier said customers who Are afraid of damage to their vehicles can buy extra insurance on the but he said extra insurance is More of a liability than a they the claims agents Are going to ask if there was compensation for the damages by the insurance he and As soon As there the government will deduct that amount from the Frazier said the insurance is not the Center is open monday saturday from 8 to 4 it is closed Christmas Day and years closes at noon on Christmas eve and new years to get to the take an autobahn leading to Bre from follow signs to take the  there is a sign say ing this is the Way to All military facilities before the coming into the follow the signs to the vehicle processing on Carl signs direct motorists to the beginning of the Export the stars and stripes May 1985 photo by Terry Baker George Eleftheriadi checks paper work of Ray co 501st aviation in May 1985 the stars and stripes Page i