EnderX2

Hey guys,
I'm an Airman moving to Mildenhall in a few months. I'm happy to see that you guys have such a robust subie following there as well^_^! I've got a USDM 2008 Wrx hatch with an invidia catless TBE. I was wondering if anyone else who shipped from the Us could give me pointers on any conversions, inspections, or otherwise that I'll have to go through to get my baby across the pond.

My major questions are...
Are the police strict about things like noise?
Can you guys run catless over there?
What octane do your pumps have?
I've heard I need a headlight mod?
Do the toilets really flush backwards? (kidding)

Any help is greatly appreciated and I'm looking forward to meeting you guys

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Right, now I know nothing of the paperwork side of things in terms of getting the car registered with the DVLA on UK number plates, maybe someone else knows that bit. Plenty of people have imported cars from Japan, so the process should be the same.

Noise? Varies on the mood of the policeman and if he caught you doing something stupid at the time. Track days do have noise limits, so that need to be kept in mind if you want to use the car on a track day event.

Cats. I'm afraid you'll have to have one to pass the emissions test. Which is part of the MOT test. Which is done yearly on cars older than 3 years old. Many people fit a cat for the test, then remove it afterwards - or bribe the tester

Fuel at the pumps is rated in RON (different to the rating used at the pumps in the US). Normal unleaded is 95 RON. Super unleaded is 97 to 98 RON. However Shell and Tesco do 99 RON super. We like Shell and Tesco. Also maybe worth pointing all UK fuel is now ethanol blended (5 to 10% ) nobody seems to have noticed any difference though.

Headlights need to have a beam aim suitable for driving on the right side of the road. As the beam "kicks up" towards the curb, if left hand drive lights are fitted without any adapation it will blind oncoming drivers (pet hate of mine with foreign plated cars from other parts of Europe). The car will also fail a MOT with a incorrect beam aim.

Toilets on the first floor flush clockwise
Toilets on the ground floor flush anti clockwise
Toilets in the basement overflow.
Always leave the lid up when finished.

chopperman

I think depending on how long the vehicle is in the uk you could still drive it on yank plates. I saw a car a while ago with Arrab plates. After that period i think it would need a vosa test to be able to get British registered. the noise limit would have to be under 101 db. I believe this vosa test is £400, then the cost of registering the car. Probably cheaper and easier just to buy a car over here.

CREWJ

I was all set to answer most of your questions but it seems Ali-B knows all that I would have contributed

dunx

iTrader: (3)

http://www.dft.gov.uk/dvla/onlineser...der_forms.aspx

Cars are much cheaper across the pond, if the OP brought it here he (may) make a profit selling it !

IMHO

dunx

P.S. You have a six months to register a personally imported car in this country onto GB plates AFAIK.

DM1

Expect to pay ALLOT more for your mods to.

Cpt Jack Sparrow

iTrader: (14)

This is very useful information

Paul

ilogikal1

And petrol.

Cpt Jack Sparrow

iTrader: (14)

Yes indeed, I was in Florida last month and was paying at least half the price it was here....

Paul

CREWJ

Last time I was in the US they were complaining about hitting $4 a US gallon. That equates to £2.64 or £5.11 here.

JJTurbo

iTrader: (1)

A word of warning about the Police, you will have two forces to deal with. The Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) who will be in and around your base, and the local Police who look after the surrounding area. The MDP sometimes have Purge of all illegal vehicles and Mods on the bases if their stats are low. But this will more likely land you in trouble with your Command rather than our Courts. Welcome to sunny England.

EnderX2

Thanks so much guys for the information. I'd hate to sell my wagon but if the price was right.... I might make due with a banger till I get back

I suppose I'll hold on to my stock dp as well as my tune for my stock setup. I wondering now if it's even mandatory for me to get UK plates and what not, or if I have to get the test done if that's not the case. I don't think my car will be too loud because I haven't removed the resonators and it's not a strait pipe.

The reason I ask these questions is because here in Alaska, because of the snow, Subaru and their all wheel platforms are common. Wrx's and Stirs are kind of profiled. Just to give an example, I've got tinted windows and a sport grille, partially tinted tail lights. I've been pulled over twice, once because I was speeding to an appointment, fair enough, cop was gracious, warning and warning about tints. Second time, I was completely legit and he pulled me over because I had a light tint cover over my plates. Received a ticket and warning about tints.

I waited a few months and reapplied my plate tint for one day.. That very day I started getting mean looks again from cops. So I promptly took it off. I guess the moral is that such a tiny addition is the hair that broke the camels back for my car. You get heat for sticking out to much here and the cops are chomping at said bit to pull you for something. Since I'm unfamiliar with the UK and their tuning scene I was trying to gauge if it'd be better or worse.

Back on topic, why are parts More expensive out there? Are you guys allowed to have tinted windows? Does anyone know a American dude from base that can chime in? Thanks again for your time

JJTurbo

iTrader: (1)

A few years ago I knew an USAF Medic at RAF Menwith Hill, he had a modified Forester STi. His name on here was 4WaLLs, but not sure he is still an active member.
Window and light tints will draw attention to you from a keen copper, so keep that in mind. Your not the only Septic posted to the UK with a Modified car, so visit the other US bases and seek out others. Good luck buddy.

douglasb

The rules for tinted windows are that the front windscreen must transmit 75% of the available light. The driver's and front passenger door windows must transmit at least 70% of available light. Behind that you can go as dark as you want.

Darker tints at the front will attract attention.

EOEUMC

iTrader: (5)

Have you asked your superior officer about your concerns with shipping the scoob over here? Surely someone will know what's what as Mildenhall is full of US service people and American plated vehicles. Been on there once delivering to their school, a long time ago now though

LuckyWelshchap

I lived near there some years ago, and played in the Anglo-US Bowling League they used to have, to foster good relations with the locals (which I wasn't).
The base is (was) US soil/under US sovereignty apparently and the whole place was like being in the US, including driving on the right.

US personnel and their vehicles were exempt from MoT testing, due to being regarded as foreign visitors (but of course rules such as headlight realignment etc were in force).

As already said, I would have thought that someone in HR would be able to advise on all aspects of being sent on holiday to Mildenhall.

There are a few non car-related pieces of advice though:

1) Don't fall into the trap of bartering your massive duty-free allowances
with local Landlords and bartenders.
Almost every month the paper would be reporting another US airman getting caught with a boot (trunk) load of whisky, cigars and the like unloading outside a country pub.
2) The rate of exchange for taxis from Thetford (nightlife just up the road) used to be parity ie. $1 to the £. Richest taxi drivers in East Anglia, the fellas around there.
At today's rates that's probably more like 60c.

DrDiesel

Your subie (nay, scooby) would appreciate the superior UK fuel & reward you.

EnderX2

Nice. Where do you guys look to for barter? A Craigslist search yielded like 6 engines in London and nothing anywhere else... Engines not even my year :-/