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Hey guys, so I will likely be moving to Germany for 3 years. I've been at my present company for 12 years, and I am an engineering group manager. I got offered an interesting position in Germany starting late fall. It's a 3 year expat assignment. Great advancement opportunity, guaranteed position on return, paid relocation, good financial setup, most expenses paid, shortcut to next promotion etc. Good for my career as long as I don't **** up.
Only hang up right now is my dog. My Pitbull is considered dangerous, and I'm still trying to figure out if I can legally bring him. I think the answer is yes, but there are lots of conditions I need to navigate. We've had the dog since before we've had our daughter, so dog stays with us. He's family.
So I will likely be selling my house and cars, including the Mustang. I hear from Germans who work here that importing makes sense for Camaros, Challengers and Corvettes (low supply, high demand), but not for Mustangs. Particularly now that they are sold in Europe. I considered bringing my car over but that costs $4k, then another $2k for modified lights, and I would have to undo some mods to pass inspection upon arrival, plus a 6% import tax.... . And I'd have to do more work to it so it can survive the Ring and finding parts for these cars abroad is hard.
We would live near Stuttgart, so Hockenheimring is less that an hour away. Nurnbergring is about 2. Monza, Spa, as well as few other great tracks are 4-5h drive. Goal will be to hit them up at least once per year.
But what should I drive? Budget would be 35-40k Euro. Right now I'm leaning towards a used V8 M3. I guess I could also buy a Mustang there, but as you all know I'm not a huge fan of the S550 in the first place, and I don't know if PP2(only one worth it in my opinion) is even offered in Europe. Plus the sales tax (VAT) is 19%. 19%!!!
So I'm not happy about selling my car, not happy to leave the community and torn on what to drive as a weekend warrior.
Has anyone shipped a car to Europe? Was it worth it? What else should I consider? I'm looking for your thoughts and suggestions.
HELLO THERE! Don't sell your Mustang, I brought my Mustang(of 2014) from Germany, and I found out it was a salvage car, luckily the car was OK, I'm currently figure out how to install the Morimoto headlights with wrong connectors and no support from nowhere and ANYWAY, barely all USA cars sold in Europe are salvage cars, in Germany there's a hugeee market, I recommend that you take a look 1St here in Germany before selling all your stuff, I saw the sheets of work did in my Mustang and the organization TUV didn't cost more than 500€, they did the tests, changing the lights etc, specifically in Germany it's not expensive, I know that my v6 assurance costs around 90€ per month, I'm currently in France and they obliged to REdo all the tests and guess what? NO MONEY, its about 8k, comparing to Germany +/-250€ TUV, plates etc 60€, assurance 90€, it's heaven in earth! Lol
Anyway, Germany don't allow gringos to register cars there, because I tried! lol Need to settle your work and all the papers and then you can bring your Mustang, if you want, I give you the contact dealer that sold my Mustang, because he brings cars from USA and do all the paperwork, It's up to you.
Anyway if someone could help me with the headlights of Morimoto, I'll appreciate, maybe I need some adapters but I can't find anywhere.
He already sold his Mustang before moving to Germany. And he owns the blue BMW from his profile pic now.
I was born and live in Germany and am trying to sell my Mustang Boss 302.
It's nice. It's fast. It's just to pretty and to costly to race and probably crash it some day. That'S why I am gonna sell it.
Cheers
Greetings, ahh OK, that's too bad, personally I prefer the Mustang, the engine sound is awesome, even a V6, BMW is good to, I own a 330 of 2018.
Germany it's a beautiful place, you're lucky to be there, autobahn mostly all no speed limit, good food, and essentially nice people and respectful and also they drive well, me and my wife would like to move there someday, the main boundary is the language.
I'm France, I can't stand these people , they are rude, a lot of tax to pay, no work security, police doesn't do their job, criminals at loose, bad neighbors even if the cities look good, they're horrible drivers, even on bicycle or foot, they su**!! Lol
It's a Boss 302 of the 60/70s? There's a lack of stock of spare parts for any USA car, even if you find a shop, they will ask a lot, in my opinion, if it's to race, sell your Boss 302 like you said, get a M3, do upgrades, or a V6 or V8 with upgrades, directly from USA, I think if you ship in a container you can add spare parts, in France I know you can drive for 6months than they obliged to change plates etc and steal a lot of money lool but you can just ship again to USA and stay a little in holidays or just go out of Europe, for this last I don't know exactly how it works, but mainly an assurance that covers Europe or any other country to go.
What's up Mustang friends? It's been a bit since I posted anything. Hope to have more track videos later this year, but for now other updates.
I have been here for 10 months, approaching a year. It's been going well overall, but we're definitely experiencing the Ex-Pat curve. Up and down emotionally, missing friends and family, missing comforts of food. I can only eat so much Schnitzel if you know what I mean.
I don't have any car updates at the moment, so I though I'd share other news and post some vacation pictures for now. This year we have been focused on Italy and Switzerland and Austria an Germany of course. Over here 30 days of vacation is standard. Europeans know how to live. People work for vacations/travel, and cars. Those are the 2 main things I think Germans spend their money on.
So we jumped on this bandwagon as well, and have had some good times in Lake Guarda Italy, Tuscany, Switzerland and Austria so far. Northern Italy is ~5h by car, and we have to cross the Alps in either Switzerland or Austria to get there. We have one more week in Italy planned in early October. This time we will fly and visit Rome and Naples (including Pompei and Mt. Vasuvius).
We will be home Stateside for 4 weeks over the Christmas break.Can't wait to get a taste of a home, have a good burger, spicy chicken wings and lots of varieties of beer! Then just 1 year and 7 months of this assignment, but who's counting?
I believe before spending money on travel and cars comes saving for retirement, usually by buying a house which easily costs 500.000 € and more if you live near any of the big cities.
Not before long you will have seen more of Europe than I have although I live here my whole life. Glad you are enjoying your stay!
Thanks Mustang Freak, can't wait for more. Next 2 years we will focus on Spain and Greece. Everything here is so close, we have to take advantage of the time we have.
Oliver! So I hear you're selling your Boss. What will you replace it with? I'm curious what your next track weapon will be. I hope you enjoyed your time in the Boss. It is truly one of the great all-time cars. Not practical in Germany (I get that) but wow, what a car.
And yes, house prices in Germany are more similar to those in California right now, which is outrageous. But at the same time owning a home in Germany is the idea of how you save for retirement because your higher tax rate also guarantees your pension. In the US you have to pay off your home, you kid's education, and then save for your retirement with "social In-security" and a 401K or a Roth IRA you contribute to out of every pay check. So I think it's a lot easier for Germans to retire than Americans to be honest.
But such is life. Can't have it all. Both places have their advantages and disadvantages. But Health care, retirement and kids education is not a concern in Germany. In US that's major major spending.
And in terms of traveling, WOW, Europe has sooo much to offer. US is more vast, and you have a lot of variety all in one country. Featuring some of the worlds best scrivener. But at the same time Europe is full of castles older than the the US by FAR. And that's amazing in it's own right. This place is built on history which US simply does not have. I have a 11th Century Castle 3 miles from my house here. And it has a vinery and a great biergarten too. Respeeeeect.
Last edited by 5.M0NSTER; Sep 10, 2019 at 01:26 PM.
When visiting Spain, make sure to go to the Basque country, Bilbao is a must but I really loved San Sebastian. Famous for it's food and bays.It's also rather expensive, though. Book ahead, there's times when you won't get decent accomodation otherwise. You can easily take the train from Bilbao to San Sebastian if you got the time. Scenic views are included.
I think I am going to get me something much cheaper. Especially cheaper when I crash. I got so much to learn and I am afraid if I want to make progress I need to worry about crashing less. I am thinking some BMW E36 like a 325 or 328. There's loads of spare parts but also loads of mods.
My brother got a very cheap Mercedes C-Class 230K four cylinder supercharged, about 230 hp. I came with bucket seats, rollcage and everything. We paid 2.900 EUR, there were some tuning parts included we still have to install. We will be tracking it coming Saturday. It is a fun car at a good price I suppose but there's nearly no mods available and I will be unhappy when I cannot mod the car.
The track day is on a tiny fun track and rather cheap but it is in the north of Germany, in Meppen. Too far from where you are at I guess.
I will report back saturday evening after my first track event in a Mercedes...
Love all those pictures 5.Monster - brings back a lot of great memories from the trip to southern Germany my wife and I took two years ago. Neuschwanstein/Hohenschwangau Castles are both so amazing. I wish we could get the chance to live in Europe for a couple years and keep our careers going at the same time. It sounds like you're getting homesick bu I bet you'll look back on this time fondly when it's over.
Beautiful pics, I love the castle. Did you tour it?
Originally Posted by kylerohde
Love all those pictures 5.Monster - brings back a lot of great memories from the trip to southern Germany my wife and I took two years ago. Neuschwanstein/Hohenschwangau Castles are both so amazing. I wish we could get the chance to live in Europe for a couple years and keep our careers going at the same time. It sounds like you're getting homesick bu I bet you'll look back on this time fondly when it's over.
Yup, toured the castle. And Kyle can spell the names better than I can!
Yeah, we have been home sick but we also realize this is a great opportunity and we are determined to make the most of it. It has been a privilege and I am definitely thankfull for the opportunity and the guaranteed spot at work back home too.
Originally Posted by Tomcat0815
When visiting Spain, make sure to go to the Basque country, Bilbao is a must but I really loved San Sebastian. Famous for it's food and bays.It's also rather expensive, though. Book ahead, there's times when you won't get decent accomodation otherwise. You can easily take the train from Bilbao to San Sebastian if you got the time. Scenic views are included.
I think I am going to get me something much cheaper. Especially cheaper when I crash. I got so much to learn and I am afraid if I want to make progress I need to worry about crashing less. I am thinking some BMW E36 like a 325 or 328. There's loads of spare parts but also loads of mods.
My brother got a very cheap Mercedes C-Class 230K four cylinder supercharged, about 230 hp. I came with bucket seats, rollcage and everything. We paid 2.900 EUR, there were some tuning parts included we still have to install. We will be tracking it coming Saturday. It is a fun car at a good price I suppose but there's nearly no mods available and I will be unhappy when I cannot mod the car.
The track day is on a tiny fun track and rather cheap but it is in the north of Germany, in Meppen. Too far from where you are at I guess.
I will report back saturday evening after my first track event in a Mercedes...
Have a good time!
Oliver, thanks for the tip about Basque. It has not been on my radar so far.
I hear you about something affordable. Nordschleife eats more cars per year than any other track in the world by a large margin. It is a tough track. And upkeep of a Boss in Germany is huge given the CO2 tax, displacement tax and parts. So I can totally understand. My wife's Golf 7 has a 1.4L turbo and costs about 150Euro a year to register. My M2 has a 3L turbo and costs about 700. I considered a C63 AMG and the 6.3L V8 would have cost over 1500 Euro a year to register. In the US displacement is practically free.You pay a one time gas-guzzler tax and you move on with your life, but not in Europe.
I'm looking forward to your feedback about the track day in the Benz, I backed away from the C63 after reading/watching a lot of reviews and seeing that you can not get wider tires for it. BMW is supposed to be the ultimate driving machine and I have to say my M2 (mostly) does not disappoint in that regard. I wonder how you feel about the Merc after driving a Boss. Have fun, stay safe and good luck!
Last edited by 5.M0NSTER; Sep 13, 2019 at 03:13 PM.
Love the pics 5.Monster, I have never been to Europe but I have a bunch of Family that has gone back and forth for years. My Aunt's parents are from Spain and my uncle did a lot of sales of his Citrus Fertilizer over there in Spain.
Awesome pictures. Thanks for the update and sharing you beautiful photos! Can't imagine being away as long as you will be. Was on a trip out of the country for three weeks and was craving a good pepperoni pizza. It was killer, but nothing like 2 1/2 years. Hang in there. Enjoy the ride.
Few more pictures from our last trip to Rome, Naples and Pompeii. It was cool to see the historical sites in Rome, Naples was pretty but very touristy and crowded.
There is something about sunsets in Italy in the Fall. The purple really comes through. We noticed it first in 2017 when we first visited Milan and Monaco, and it still holds true in 2019.
You can see Mt. Vasuvious in the background. And Pompeii was breath taking. It got buried under 30ft of volcanic ash when Mt Vesuvius blew in 85AD, killing all residents with sulfur gas, and immediately burying it in ash. And it stayed that way till 1730 when a Spanish king started building a castle. Only to discover a city under the ground. They have been excavating since and are still not done. Amazing. A town frozen in time.
Vasuvius Pompeii Pompeii Pompeii Pompeii
Last edited by 5.M0NSTER; Oct 14, 2019 at 01:18 PM.
Hey all, so today is a year anniversary of moving to Germany for work. I thought I'd hare some thoughts. One year in and 2 or less (let's hope less) left. My wife and daughter will be back in Michigan in 2021 so my little one can start first grade, and I will be looking to cut my 3 years short by 3 months or so so I can be there with them.
It's been a great experience so far for me. Great professionally, and we've been able to visit some amazing places during vacations. The down side is my wife suffers from Migraines, and Doctors here don't take that **** seriously. And it can be serious with a lot of ****ty north Atlantic weather making things miserable.Overall no regrets about doing this so far though, but there have certainly been down sides too.
Now I have to say I have been thinking a lot about what I will drive when I come home. My M2 has been a champ, and I still have 1.5 years of Nurburgring lap attack time left. And I plan to attack it hard. I feel adjusted to the car, and next spring is GO time for 7:55 BTG lap time. I'm currently siiting at 8:38. I can make it.
But regardless exact Nordschleife time, I will be leaving the M2 here. So what will I drive back home?? I've grown accustomed to BMW creature comforts like the i-drive which is the best nav/infotainment system I have ever used so far. I love being able to draw letters on the touch pad, the real life traffic and route upgrades, and carbon fiber and real leather surfaces. I also love the handling dynamics of the M2, It will be hard to get into something heavier which does not have the 48F/52R weight balance...
But I miss a magical V8. And I want a Naturally Aspirated experience again. So my 2 top choices as of 30 Nov 2019 are GT350, or the C8. I can not for the life of me think of anything else in the $60k which would suit my needs better at the moment. Soooo, anual update complete, and we shall see ...
Last edited by 5.M0NSTER; Nov 30, 2019 at 01:41 PM.
legacy Tms Member MEMORIAL Rest In Peace 10/06/2021
Joined: September 16, 2009
Posts: 3,381
Likes: 125
From: Clinton Tennessee
Thanks for the pictures. It's strange, the places your visiting in Germany look the same as when I visited them in 1973-1975 . I guess things so old don't seem to age anymore.
Thanks for the pictures. It's strange, the places your visiting in Germany look the same as when I visited them in 1973-1975 . I guess things so old don't seem to age anymore.
I think you've nailed it, when something is 1000 or more years old what's another 40 to 50 years?
. And I'd have to do more work to it so it can survive the Ring and finding parts for these cars abroad is hard.
lol Need to settle your work and all the papers and then you can bring your Mustang, if you want, I give you the contact dealer that sold my Mustang, because he brings cars from USA and do all the paperwork, It's up to you.
