So You Want to Import an E30 Touring, Part I: The Rules

"atk09" (albino09) 10/12/2013 at 14:51 • Filed to: None

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Jungs,

I've been living abroad in Deutschland for sometime now, and my father expressed interest in wanting to own an E30 Touring. I'm sure you're all familiar with the 25 year rule, and at this moment '88s are good to go! Only a few more years until the R32 GT-Rs, but I digress...

In my short time here I've found it is relatively simple to export cars out of Germany. It's very similar to how the DMV operates back in the States, and even a bit easier in some cases.

Easiest: The car is currently registered and insured. Upon purchase of the vehicle, you fill out a 5 page contract that allows you, the new owner to drive the car under the previous owner's insurance back from whence you came for a period of 5 days or so.

Slightly more Difficult: The car is unregistered and uninsured. Buy "Kurzzeitkennzeichen" (temporary plates) insurance from the local ADAC, it's a temporary insurance for up to 2 weeks and currently costs 41 EUR. Bring the number to the local DMV Equivalent and register for the Kurzzeitkennzeichen plates. They are yellow. You can then affix this to the car and drive it similarly to the easier case.

Both of these have the same second step. Bring the car back to the ADAC, and repeat the steps for Kurzzeitkennzeichen, only for Ausfuhrkennzeichen (Export Plates) insurance. They are red. This costs 160 EUR/29 days for up to 6 months. These plates are red. The numbers represent when your insurance period ends. Before it goes, you may drive the vehicle as much as you'd like and eventually meander towards the port where you will ship it from before that date.

Handling shipping is another issue, but I'll keep this short and get to the pictures y'all are likely waiting for.

The car of choice ended up being a 1988 BMW 320i with approximately 130k on it. It's got a great sport cloth interior I've never seen stateside (but don't quote me), and some other minor modifications from the previous owner(s).

The exhaust is aftermarket. The 1-piece Style 5 wheels are in great shape and even have all center caps!

The front lights are projector with angel-eyes, and the turn signals have been converted clear. The 2.0L 6 cylinder pulls nicely with a downshift, and handled sustained 160kph (100mph) on the unrestricted autobahn section like a champ.

As an aside, for all the bitching this blog does trying to discredit the Bahn with "traffic" and "speed limits", it has become clear to me that they've never driven it. I'm not sure about you, but having traveled for 30 min straight at 100mph I'd say I'm pretty satisfied. Having to slow down to 120kph every once in a while is a small price to pay, if you're into bitching for the sake of it that is.

If there's enough interest, I will post up follow-up images when I get my DSLR out to make myself some backgrounds.

The Opponaut formerly known as MattP123 > atk09 10/12/2013 at 18:13

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This spot looks so Photoshopped.

Aaron Brown > atk09 10/12/2013 at 18:23

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Love the car! I don't think I've ever seen one over here either. And also, I do agree, I don't think the autobahn is nearly as bad as people make it out to be, trafficwise or other disruptions.

When I was in Germany, I experienced nearly zero traffic delays. It was when I got to France I had all the traffic.

The autobahn is amazing.

Manuιl Ferrari > atk09 10/12/2013 at 18:57

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I never knew this model existed.

It looks so much better than most of the 3 Series wagons that came after it.

The clean and simple lines of the E30 work really well for a wagon.

Desu-San-Desu > atk09 10/12/2013 at 19:23

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If you are EVER looking to sell this puppy a couple years from now, let me know, lol.

ddavidn > atk09 10/12/2013 at 19:48

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It's beautiful!

Thanks for sharing!

iLikeCarsAndSkiing > atk09 10/12/2013 at 20:42

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If you really import this, you will go down in Jalopnik history as a legend.

cuts_off_prius > atk09 10/13/2013 at 03:15

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Great post. It's amazing how well these hold up (well cars hold up better in Europe), so they're perfect for importing.

atk09 > iLikeCarsAndSkiing 10/13/2013 at 04:25

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As this is an ongoing project for my father and I, I will be sure to update with new Oppo posts as far as how shipping goes and my other assorted travels around Europe.

duurtlang > atk09 10/13/2013 at 04:44

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I wonder how many State side Jalops would like one of these. E30 wagons aren't plentiful anymore, especially not those that are 25 years old, but can be had and I'm sure people like ATK09 and myself could ship them if people want us to. From basket case €500 316i to pristine 325ix. Even diesels can be had, although usually with very high mileage.

24 year old 325ix with 134k km for sale not too far from me. Pristine. I'd guess >€5k:

24 year old 324tds manual with 227k km. He asks for €5k

23 year old 318i manual for €525

AZRCD > The Opponaut formerly known as MattP123 10/18/2013 at 12:12

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I don't care if that's what the car looks like or that's what he wants it to look like, I'm going to masturbate to it all day long. Yes, while at work.

GTFOUT > atk09 10/18/2013 at 12:15

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WAAAAAAAGONS!
the last three brands on earth that i'd fanboy are Honda, BMW and Porsche
but shit, WAGONS!

I hoon, therefore I am > atk09 10/18/2013 at 13:04

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Wanna find me an E24? :D

CrapcanPilot > duurtlang 10/18/2013 at 14:51

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I can see a side business for you here.....If the 525 euro car was 25 years old today I would have had a check in the mail haha.

duurtlang > CrapcanPilot 10/18/2013 at 15:05

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Well, it is a possibility. Many Americans act like these EU market cars are unicorns they can never have. I'm willing to bet there are multiple Europeans on this site would would actually enjoy hunting after and buying one of these cars and driving/shipping it to the docks. I know I do.

I'm not familiar with US laws, but what happens when you import a 24 year old car, trailer it from the docks to your garage and don't let it out of your garage under its own power until it finally is 25 years old?

atk09 > I hoon, therefore I am 10/18/2013 at 15:20

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Ebay Kleinanzeigen is your friend ;) (It's eBay's craigslist). That's where I found this little beaut.

atk09 > duurtlang 10/18/2013 at 15:22

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I would agree with you. Heck, if I was more permanently based here, I would certainly offer the service myself.

Unfortunately I don't know the answer to that <25 year question. I've considered it for the GT-R R32, but since it's blacklisted it's probably better to wait out the quarter-century.

atk09 > Desu-San-Desu 10/18/2013 at 15:22

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Don't bet on it, if my father decides he's done with it I am next in line ;)

David Brown > atk09 10/18/2013 at 16:02

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I love the M3 treatment of this E30. I live in the UK so getting hold of one of these for pocket change is a daily thing. You have reignited my love for this old model. I'm off to check Autotrader and Ebay noe.

CrapcanPilot > duurtlang 10/18/2013 at 17:13

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I imagine it would be impounded if it was found. Unless I got some sort of "show" permit for it until it was 25.

Eric James Dougherty > duurtlang 10/18/2013 at 21:56

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I am in California and would absolutely LOVE to import one of these babies. I daily drive a rottting 1991 e30 with the m42 and a 5 speed. I will most likely be the last owner of this car as it has not been taken care of before I owned it and I am trying to keep it on the road and bring it back to life. If one of you amazing people will help me get an e30 wagon here then lets talk price!! I will look for shipping companies.

SkarTisu > atk09 10/19/2013 at 03:15

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Cool article! Thanks for sharing! I didn't realize it was as easy as it is to get a car out of Germany. Figured there would be a lot more red tape.

That said, I'm very interested in the process of getting that car INTO the U.S. Hopefully we can read about your father's travails once the car shows up on our shores.

SkarTisu > Aaron Brown 10/19/2013 at 03:17

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I finally had a chance to drive on the Autobahn this summer and also thought it was amazingly well behaved for the amount of traffic we saw on it. We did hit a stretch of construction, but everybody around us performed a zipper merge as though it was second nature.

I heart The Autobahn

SkarTisu > atk09 10/19/2013 at 03:29

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611 E39 Diesel Wagons (2000-2004) on that site tonight.

Six. Hundred. Eleven.

duurtlang > Eric James Dougherty 10/19/2013 at 04:50

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If you're serious about this I'd advise you to do some research first, like how much the shipping would cost and how it would work. I personally live within a few hours of both the Rotterdam (the Netherlands) and Hamburg (Germany) ports. I also wonder if you want a nice shell with a poor (but running) four cylinder drive train for <€1000 to use as a blank canvas, or if you want an already nice car you don't have to do much to? You could look at some European car sites to what's available. Skip the UK ones as they're RHD. www.autoscout24.de www.mobile.de and possibly www.ebay.de for Germany. For the Netherlands this site (looking for <1990 BMW wagons) or like this (looking for BMW Touring <1990) combines the results for multiple site, like Marktplaats , www.autoscout24.nl and autotrader .

The second step would be to post on oppo http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/ If you don't have author privileges there reply back to me and I'll repost your message there, after which they'll grant you author rights. You could outline what you want to do, what you've researched and what you're unsure about. If there's a specific car you want checked out you could ask if anyone lives near there.

I imagine there should be a way in which both you and the European guy would feel comfortable they won't get duped by the other, since paying cash is prevented by that large puddle of water between us. Price is another issue. I think it all depends on the amount of time required really. There's a big difference between you pointing me (or someone else) to buy a specific decently running car close to home and giving instructions to a date and place in the docks and having me (or someone else) check out lots of cars located relatively far away and source some wagon specific or EU specific parts. The former I'd do for cost, rounded up. Cost in my former example would be purchase cost, fuel, tax+insurance (negligible if the car owned by me for only a few days) and export costs (title, plates) I'm not yet familiar with but which is below €50 as far as I know. The latter example would cost a lot more time, so I'd have to think about that one some more.

Eric James Dougherty > duurtlang 10/20/2013 at 15:47

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Thank you so much, I am doing research. I would like a rust free shell with a nice interior and all the unique touring parts intact, it would be a bonus if it had a god running motor and must be manual trans. I would like to find a good one for around €2000. This way I can afford to pay the travel fees for the Jalop whose helping me and shipping. I am going to figure this shipping process out next.

atk09 > Eric James Dougherty 10/20/2013 at 19:16

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In my recent searches before purchasing the 320i, you're looking at either a really great condition 318i without too much fancy options, or a on-the-back-end six cyl. I ended up paying less than 2000 Euros when it was listed for 2200 on ebay kleinanzeigen. I would advise a good motor as a requirement because towing the car to a shipping yard would only add to the total expense. Also look out for the models that have an approved TUV, which is the German's inspection system. It's good for 3 years at a time and it'll make everyone's jobs a lot easier if it is still inspected. Tomorrow I'll try to get my part 2 posted up with my first week's experiences with the car.

Eric James Dougherty > atk09 10/21/2013 at 09:06

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I really love the m42 in my e30 so I am pretty open minded when it comes to engines. I also do like the fancy options but they would just be a bonus. I will keep in mind to find one that has a good motor and approved TUV. Thank you so much for this article. I really am sick of looking at only two e30 tourings in CA for $20k.

atk09 > Eric James Dougherty 10/21/2013 at 09:20

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Here is the page I was constantly refreshing to find what I was after. You find more by searching "E30 Tourings", as surprising as that sounds. When pressed for 3er Kombi going by search filters, you find a much smaller sample size.

Another thing to watch out for is the regulations on Diesels. You'll see most cars have a green sticker in the passenger-lower corner of the windsheild, it looks like this:

My '88 gasser E30 has one, but for diesels it's a bit trickier. The car can still be driven without one, however it is forbidden from driving into major city centers. Just another little nuance that I've learned about in my time here.

Eric James Dougherty > atk09 10/21/2013 at 17:51

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I will watch out for those diesel stickers. The newest one I could get away with is going to be 1989 maybe 1990. I wouldn't be able to register it until it is 25 years old.

Eric James Dougherty > duurtlang 10/22/2013 at 00:00

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So far these 2 sound pretty good to me. I have been using google translate to read the descriptions.

http://kleinanzeigen.ebay.de/anzeigen/s-anz…

http://kleinanzeigen.ebay.de/anzeigen/s-anz…

The price on the red one is a little high. Can we negotiate with these guys? I am still looking for a shipping solution so there is no rush what so ever.

Eric James Dougherty > atk09 10/22/2013 at 00:49

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Heh sorry mixing up who I am replying to. You knew that you wrote the damn article. Anyway, I really like the sport cloth seats you got in your 320i. I would love to get the same. Do you know what year the Daytona Violet came out?

duurtlang > Eric James Dougherty 10/22/2013 at 02:46

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I'm at work at the moment, so don't have too much time to reply. I've read on multiple ads that the rear hatch on these tend to be rusty. Is this something you could repair or is there a real need for a rust free hatch? Maybe there are some other wagon-specific risks I'm not aware off, but I'm sure a (UK, for language) forum could help out there. I've got a friend a car parts store, so maybe (just a guess) you could buy these hatches from the shelve.

Anyway, about these cars. One thing I pay attention to is yearly (or in Germany: once every two years) safety/emissions check. Not that relevant to you, but if it's expired it means I can't drive it on public roads and would need a trailer. I personally don't have a trailer, a trailer license or a towing vehicle. The check is expired on the black car but not on the red one.

Maybe it's easier if I tell you where I live, as I hope you'll understand I'd rather drive 1 hour than 20 hours. It's Groningen, the Netherlands. So I'm Dutch, which means buying and exporting a car from the Netherlands is way easier for me than from Germany. Not that Germany is an impossible hurdle for me, but it is a hurdle. I've got friends who've exported before (Germany -> the Netherlands), with an E30 even, and it isn't too difficult, but a German might be more helpful there.

duurtlang > Eric James Dougherty 10/22/2013 at 04:32

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How do these years work in the US? When looking for cars in Europe you get the date of first registration, that's what people advertise with. With a VIN (not as commonly used as in the US) you might get a manufacturing date. Let's say there's a car first registered November 4th 1989. When are you able to register that in the US? January 1st 2014, November 4th 2014 or does it depend on the date it left the factory?

atk09 > duurtlang 10/22/2013 at 04:54

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I'm fairly certain it is based on Build Year. Also, VIN # are absolutely required in the US. You may not register a domestic market car without one. Ours are just listed in a different format and can be found on the dashboard between the windshield and gauge cluster (typically). I am not sure how the Imported car will work exactly, but I do hold the German Title papers and I have to assume the German VIN is what will be registered.

duurtlang > Eric James Dougherty 10/22/2013 at 13:23

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I've been doing some searching myself, and found some results I somewhat liked. I've looked from my own perspective though, so cars I personally like and which aren't located absurdly far from me:

This one was my favorite, because of the honest ad, the unmolested condition and the maintenance that's been done to it. Added bonus is that it's close to Bremen (Germany) which has a huge port, so it can be driven from the seller to the port in under an hour. So on the same day. This would be a bonus for someone like me as I wouldn't need to import it into the Netherlands. Downside is it being a 318i, but you could swap that if you'd like. Another downside is the date of first registration is January 1990. I think it's safe to assume it was manufactured in 1989 though. http://www.autoscout24.de/Details.aspx?i…

There were 3 more I thought had some potential:
http://www.autowereld.nl/bmw/3-serie-to… (Dutch)
http://www.autoscout24.de/Details.aspx?i… (German, very close to the Bremen port as well)
http://www.autowereld.nl/bmw/3-serie-to… (Dutch)

I hate to say it, but I like the German ones much better.

Eric James Dougherty > duurtlang 10/22/2013 at 21:56

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I am going to say the date of manufacter is what they go by here. I would also say if it was manufactured in any month of that year it could very well be registered here January 1st.

Also if you are really going to help me out with this then I will look for German ones only. However would this be easier to ship? http://www.autoscout24.de/Details.aspx?i…

duurtlang > Eric James Dougherty 10/23/2013 at 16:18

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German ones only because of me? Do you mean Dutch? Anyway, I live in the Netherlands but do live close to the German border. For a non-German like me it's just a lot of extra hassle to buy something in Germany. I prefer to avoid it, but only if the Netherlands is a feasible alternative. The supply of decent E30 Tourings does seem to be greater in Germany.

In the Netherlands I've found the following car : http://www.autoscout24.nl/Details.aspx?i…

Seems like a decent enough car, and I always like detailed ads as it tells you something about the owner. Detailed ad = intelligent and/or meticulous owner, in my experience. The owner of this car, someone who studied car mechanics, has owned it for slightly over 2 years. I checked the plates . First registered January 4th 1990, so it's safe to assume it was built in '89. Downside, again: 318i not a 325i.

Eric James Dougherty > duurtlang 10/23/2013 at 22:17

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Sorry I keep responding to the wrong guy here lol. I feel the same way about detailed ads. I really like this one very much so. The interior is the sport cloth and its pretty clean. The price is just right. It should have the m42 correct? I love my 318i and it should be a perfect car to swap in something more powerful.

Eric James Dougherty > duurtlang 10/29/2013 at 00:33

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I just did my first autocross ever with my 318i and I am addicted. I really want a touring now and the one you found is PERFECT. I will be back Sat the 23 I am going on a trip. We need to talk for real if you are serious and I still need to figure out the whole shipping thing.

duurtlang > Eric James Dougherty 10/29/2013 at 15:46

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I'm certainly serious, I even contacted a few shipping companies. Besides shipping we should also figure out a way to do the financial transaction while minimizing financial risks for both of us.

About the shipping:
http://www.sclnl.nl/en.html
RoRo Amsterdam-Baltimore including delivery in terminal, doing the export documents, customs formalities (Dutch custums I presume), "THC, AES Filing, BAF, WARFAGE, War risk" (no idea what this is), and the actual shipping to the Baltimore port. It's excluding Baltimore harbor costs. Cost: €870

Container Rotterdam-New York LCL: Cost €995

Other company:
http://marlog-car-handling.com/
Container Rotterdam-New York: Cost €1090

Container Rotterdam-Los Angeles: Cost €1390

These two companies are the only two I've contacted, and the latter one is the only one I asked for shipping to California, which is more expensive being on the East coast and all. Both said their prices exclude US specific import and customs costs. They also exclude insurance.

If you want to contact me you can reply here or use my mail address rXbgXrdijn at XutlXXk.cXm. Replace each X with an o, as I'm a bit paranoid about my privacy as this will be traceable by a simple Google search. Paranoid not because of you but potential future employers/girlfriends/whatever.

Eric James Dougherty > duurtlang 10/30/2013 at 01:41

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I am going to take this whole conversation to email. thank you so much

vida1012 > atk09 01/15/2015 at 05:22

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Hey guys, I am new to this discussion and it's been a while since there has been active conversation.

I am a new "expat" living in Austria. Originally from MN, then I lived in Colorado for 5 years. I, as well as my family, have a love affair with the E30 (especially the M3's, but who doesn't?), and most recently our heads are on a swivel for the touring's.

I like the interest I'm seeing on this post, however I have to shed some light into the forum. Since arriving 6 months ago, I've been looking for the right deals on the E30 touring's. There are certainly more here, as we all know, and I still haven't pulled the trigger on one. We have to remember, that European's are not dumb and in addition to how small the world has become with social media, most people here are aware of what they have. In short, the European market tends to keep up with the US market in terms of value.

With that said, the deals and prices I hear most people discussing on here are not realistic to what you're expecting to get for quality. €2,000 will get you a running vehicle with rust (in 2015). OR, you may pay €5,000 for a rust free body and chassis that is no longer original and has high kilometers. As mentioned by Eric, it is best to search for a car that has been subject to mandatory service and maintenance. This alleviates a lot of the hidden maintenance nightmares you would otherwise find with no regulation.

Finally, comes the options. What's important to you and what's your long term goal? Are you racing it, are you showing it, are you restoring it, are you investing in it as a garage queen for a nice margin in the future, are you taking it to the beach, etc, etc... Now, when I refer to "better", I mean it's more coveted and valuable towards the appraisal of the vehicle.

The manual transmission is better than Auto.

The 325iX is the coveted touring. It is most rare and most expensive. The larger engine is better than the smaller (325, 320, 318, 316...) and so on

Consider options like electric windows vs manual

Consider the hype of a diesel vs petrol engine in the US

What about originality. Has the car been modified and beat up on the track, or has it been taken care of and left in it's original state?

Another HUGE ticket item to mention is the klima system! If you find a touring with Air Conditioning, you have struck gold.

Now match the important criteria together and get out your check book, but then also consider the shipping from shore to shore.

The beautiful part as we all realize is that the US market isn't flooded with the E30 touring, yet. In Canada, they have a 15 year import rule which means most of what we see in the US has come from the North, where winters are longer and salt is used more frequently on the roads. Most likely, you'll already find a touring that is cheap enough to buy because of rust or mechanical issues.

So, ask yourself what you want to import. If you're going to go through the hassle, as there is one, be mindful of the investment. You can most likely find the "project car" across the friendly Canadian border.

I appreciate that everyone here is catching the wave of importing before it crashes on the shore, but do it correctly and don't spend the time and money on something you'll be disappointed with.

Now, if anyone cares to share additional experiences or wants help locating their next love affair, I'd be happy to assist in one way or another. I'll be honest and fair and make it worth everyone's time, while trying to get the "right" E30 touring's into the US market.

Happy hunting;) nkirvida@gmail.com