Moved to Germany, brought the S197

[d5oh]

Ofc it was stupid to bring but I don't care. US spec 2012 Mustang GT.

I'd appreciate any anecdotal input on the timeline I have to get it homologated and registered. Going to be running on US plates while I get it mostly back to stock, with prepaid road tax.

I have also tried to do some research regarding ABE/Teilegutachten/Festigkeitsgutachten for wheels but was left confused, so if anyone has information regarding individual inspection process and cost for an aftermarket wheels and springs combo I'd appreciate it!

Best source I found for finding multiple wheel models with different certifications was here - https://jr-wheels.com/tuv-certificates - but of course my 2012 Mustang isn't listed anywhere.

Pic is fresh off the truck, just a little dusty.

Thank you!

 

[stkjock]

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[JC SSP]

Welcome from Florida USA.

We have a few members from Germany so you will have a lot to talk about.

 

[1 Alibi 2]

Welcome to the s197 forum..

 

[GriffX]

Welcome from Germany, I hope it is only a time limited contract. If I had the opportunity to move to Florida, I would leave tomorrow. You do not join the Titanic in the middle of the Atlantic

I think you do not need to rebuild your suspension, it can be certified "as is". You need to change the lights, blinker, brake lights, fog light and so on. Not every TUV station can do this, ask somebody there is the best starting point.

 

[AndiObb]

Hi and welcome to Germany! May I ask in which area you moved? And no worries - it´s not so bad here (at least in a couple of areas ). Marcus documented his journey in getting everything done for his S197 here: https://www.s197forum.com/threads/the-mustang-shenanigans-of-a-bavarian.153223/ Might be of use for you - especially to see some of the traps you might face. But getting in touch with an expert of a TUEV station is certainly one of the best things to start with. You could also bring your car to a specialized garage to do everything for you. But this would be more expensive (and you can not be sure that they did everything properly).

 

[Pingar]

Welcome!

 

[MADGT]

Welcome to the forums...this is interesting. I was stationed in Germany twice, and twice I was allowed to bring in a US spec vehicle. I assume that's not the same if you are not in the US military?

 

[AndiObb]

Correct, the rules are different if you´re not in the US military - local rules apply fully then.

 

[86GT351]

Welcome

 

[DE_Marcus]

Ofc it was stupid to bring but I don't care. US spec 2012 Mustang GT.

It would have been stupid not to do it.
It's a delight to see anything other than the crap that's sold here.

I'd appreciate any anecdotal input on the timeline I have to get it homologated and registered. Going to be running on US plates while I get it mostly back to stock, with prepaid road tax.

I have also tried to do some research regarding ABE/Teilegutachten/Festigkeitsgutachten for wheels but was left confused, so if anyone has information regarding individual inspection process and cost for an aftermarket wheels and springs combo I'd appreciate it!

You MIGHT be able to get stuff approved if you can show proof that it's been operated like that in the US for a long time now, but only if you find someone cool enough to go through the trouble which most won't.
But if not Ford Wheels or ones with any paperwork you can throw them away unless you wanna get a few more sets of them and have them destoryed in testing for a certificate and since the Mustang wasn't sold in Europe before 2015 theres only basic ugly shit here that's certified for yours.

But like it was already mentioned theres some stuff that will need to be done and prepare to not have any fun or it be easy at all unless you don't care at all about your car.

Welcome to Germany

Best start is still to talk to someone at TÜV/Dekra/GTÜ/KÜS about what needs to be done and how you can do it.
This will help: https://www.tuvsud.com/de-de/branch...mport-und-zulassung/importfahrzeug-richtlinie
Certificates for Lighting and Emmissions you can get here: https://abgasdatenbank.com/

Your year might be easier to get stuff for tho.....

If you need any help HMU!

 

[Expat]

Best of luck. I thought about moving to Germany and bringing my 2012 Mustang GT but I realized that it would never pass TUV

 

[Alatalo]

The more I read about this TÜV-scheiße, the happier I am that we don’t have any of that…yet…

 

[GriffX]

The more I read about this TÜV-scheiße, the happier I am that we don’t have any of that…yet…

A try to defend some rules: We can drive on some roads as fast you can go, so some basic testing and approval is necessary. Like in your country a moose can be on the road and a car suspension should handle a fast turn.
A decade ago the super light Lamborghini wheels could brake under high speed and a lot of accidents happened on the German Autobahn. Or the Audi TT disaster where on high speed curves the rear axle could lose traction just by releasing the gas pedal.
But with any Government institution, their rules get crazier from year to year, an endless power grab.

 

[Alatalo]

I have got nothing against rules and regulations that improve safety. But when rules and regulations turn into mahooosive administration just for the sake of it…then something is seriously wrong…

Just read about the struggles one of your countrymen had when he was trying to import his Mustang from US to Germany. Ridiculous with exactly no gain in safety would be the best description…

My little country has been the European paradise for building and registering your own hot rod as well as importing old american cars. All based on a system used for decades with no dramas at all. That entire system is now under threat because my little country unfortunately joined the European Union. This means our national politicians are no longer allowed to decide our own rules and regulations. Instead, they just have to obey whatever some jackass in Brussels decides. And now somebody in Brussels no longer wants old american cars on the swedish streets…so all kind of ideas with an extended TÜV, mandatory inspections and forced destruction are discussed…

 

[GriffX]

unfortunately joined the European Union. This means our national politicians are no longer allowed to decide our own rules and regulations. Instead, they just have to obey whatever some jackass in Brussels decides. And now somebody in Brussels no longer wants old american cars on the swedish streets…so all kind of ideas with an extended TÜV, mandatory inspections and forced destruction are discussed…

It is even worse than that. They put the UN sustainable development Goals into law, which says that Germany should reduce the number of cars to 1 out of 10 citizens. Now it is 4, so 3 out of 4 must disappear. That alone explains a lot of their politics. If you try to discuss this, you are a right wing extremist. Ceterum censeo Europam esse delendam

 

[Alatalo]

I hope Europe has finally reached the point where this idiocrazy start to go opposite direction…

As late as today EU has decided to ditch the ”combustion engine ban” they were planning for 2035…! People as well as politicians are finally starting to wake up. They finally understand that the environmental idiocrazy can not be implemented in a way that sacrifices everything else. My little country has now got at least three political parties openly against the ”combustion engine ban”…!

 

[DE_Marcus]

I wanna add to what GriffX already mentioned.
I'm not against regulations or rules that actually make sense. I'm all for vehicle inspections knowing how people don't take care of their cars from experience. (Seeing the cars in Ohio confirmed that)

But there's a limit that has been reached a long time ago.
If you have a good TÜV Inspector with some common sense, like I was luckily recomended, its not as bad.

But the stuff the other ones told me I had to do so it's compliant was the most idiotic bullshit ever.
"No you can't use the side marker with a clear housing as the parking lights, which everyone who would look at it would instantly interpret as the parking lights, because they illuminate to far off the sides. Instead drill into your CERTIFIED OEM headlight housing (which would atually void the certification on any other car here) to put in a extra bulb for that."
The chill one looked at it and was like "looks like parking light, so we're good"
OEMs can basically do whatever the fuck they want and the normal everyday man just is denied everything mostly because of those rules and/or the cost to get around those rules.
And then they have the audacity to say "You can definetly do *insert something like making your own exhaust* you ONLY have to pay thousands of euros to this test and another test and another test and this thing and get this paerwork made and then you can apply for this but we're not sure if it passes but you still have to pay"
And there seems to be exemptions for all kind of bullshit apart from where it's needed.

And don't get me started on the DMV......

Actual Car Enthusiasts get targeted more than actual criminals and your car can just be seized because some cop doesn't like you and just says they believe your car isn't road worth with 0 evidence and then it's YOUR problem to prove them otherwise to get it back with 0 repercussions for the cop.


Yes we have the Autobahn with no speed limit but it's 70% unlimited with most of that having "temporary" limits and it being full of road work.
That doesn't offset all the bullshit you have to deal with. Also I don't care about speed limits anyways because most of the time they don't make any sense anyways.
Yes I speed but only when I'm sure nothing can happen and no one is around to endanger or I know that road.


And I just hate that no one wants to put in the work to do something different. Everyone just wants easy. So I encourage especially you d5oh to not just go the easy route here. Try to find every route possible to you to keep the car like it was in the US. You still have the blank slate, while all the other cars imported by companys just do whats easiest/cheapest/fastest




Man why do I always end up writing huge paragraphs when I don't even want to.....

 

[GriffX]

As late as today EU has decided to ditch the ”combustion engine ban” they were planning for 2035…!

I'm not so optimistic there either. They will say, "yea you can buy a combustion engine, but your carbon credits doesn't allow to buy fuel and meat at the same time, sorry...." These people are evil to the core and with digital ID + digital money there is no escape. Sorry for my bad vibes.....

 

[Alatalo]

End of the day, the power vested in any politician comes from the people. When the people has had enough of the idiocrazy, the politician have to listen to the people. Otherwise his career is over.

I am much more optimistic now than I was in 2023, when EU decided this complete BS about a ”combustion engine ban” from 2035.

Most Swedes including myself voted to join EU because we were keen on travelling without passports and bringing cheap wine back from Spain…Not because we wanted some fat clown from Belgium or bitch from Germany to overrule our local politicians regarding our own regulations for classic cars…or decide that combustion engines are no longer allowed…

No. I am optimistic. Enough people are starting to wake up and realize the idiocrazy. We have now got three different political parties openly against the above mentioned ban, compared to only one back in 2023.