75's or ZT's availability in France?
 

If we decide after our trial peroid of renting a place that we like France and decide to buy a property to live in we will of course require a French registered LHD car. So have been doing some web surfing and it seems that finding a Rover 75 or MG ZT is not going to be that easy. It is noticable that the few ZT's found for sale are generally in drab colours Grey or Black and I much prefer brighter colours. British Racing Green is a good colour and despite being darker better than Silver IMHO.

How would it be best to go about finding a suitable vehicle in France especially as out French is very limited ....................... something which we need to address and have tried but there seems to be no availability of learnign French locally here and the computer programme bought is frankly not the best :o.

We could of course re-register the Copperleaf Red Classic CDT but it would remain RHD of course but that is for next year to worry about as we understand it takes a while to purchase property in France and there is the trial period to go through before we make that decision.

It could be worth keeping an eye on this website
:smilie_re: https://www.autoscout24.com/results?...ipr=200&zipc=F

:}

Proposal: Have a look in Belgium, but then you need to import. In theory should not be an issue with the 'modern' EU documentation.
In Belgium: not many ZTs available these days, but come up from time to time, but in your not preferred colours!
75s should not be an issue as they were popular when new a quite a few were sold here, especially diesel, just to find the right one which is standard for a secondhand buy.

The 75/ZT on the continent is not cheap, as they were and are considered up market and quality cars. Often people comment to me that I drive a nice Jaguar..... If they are lower priced, they were not maintained and the clutch , MOT not passed or something needs to be done. The only disadvantage is to find a place that wants to work on it and knows there stuff. Do everything myself so that is not an issue for me ;)

France: these models always have been expensive so not many around and still expensive to buy secondhand. French enthusiasts therefore in the past often had a look in Belgium for that reason!
Think there are two places in France that are 75/ZT specialists and know there stuff (don't have their details), perhaps worth to give them a shout that you are looking for a decent one and perhaps they can be of help.

Rob

Lhd
 

In your post you say you will NEED a LHD car WHY ?

I have been coming to my house in France for the last 12 years and lived permenantly here for the last 5 and have been driving my RHD Rover 75 Tourer all of the time with out a problem.


You do of course have to be more careful when overtaking and emerging from side roads.

Registering the Rover is a simple procedure,CT(MOT) every two years and NO road Tax.

Parts are not that much of a problem but access to a T4 is virtually impossible.certainly in the area I live.

Where are you thinking of trying (area)?

Thank you all for you helpfull comments will keep an eye on that site thank you.


Now in answer to this question:-

As Mother will be in the font passenger seat a lot of the time she wold be happier and feel safer in a LHD car. Her eyesight is such that some days she sees better than others and sometimes is surprised by other vehicles even here when travellng the in the passenger seat. So imagine how much worse than could be for her sitting in what should be the drivers position?

As for area initially we are looking at Normandy/Brittany possibly Pays-de-la-Loire and are looking for a 2 bedroomed (min) property with a garden with a seperate shower as Mother cannot climb into the bath now and with no stairs and a parking place for the twin axle trailer which will be used to move once we find the place to buy. Then from this base we can explore more areas until we find the place we wish to settle in and then look for a property to purchase.

OK I can understand that,The other solution would be to sit her in the back maybe.


We live in Brittany on the borders of Morbihan and Cotes D'Armor.

When we were looking for a house we did look at Normandy but found the weather to be a lot colder than Brittany which is always a few degrees warmer than the UK,But it still gets cold.

The house market here is very slow at the moment and there are a lot of properties available,But depends on what price range you have.

There would not be a problem with a shower as a lot of the older properties have both and are normally located downstairs as is the toilet (Its a French thing).

If you want any help let me know and I will see what I can do for you.


number 6

I've just returned (yesterday in fact!) from a return trip to our place in the Languedoc (2,500 faultless miles in my Rover 75 - the best motorway cruiser I have ever driven!). Whilst I don't mind driving one of my right hand drive cars in France, and often do (I drive far more in France than in the U.K.) I much prefer using a LHD car. They are unquestionably safer, and for that reason cheaper to insure (french car insurance is expensive enough - twice the English cost). I have bought my previous LHD cars in the uk, already french-registered; there are several dealers in the U.K. who specialise in this kind of thing. One can find them easily enough on the Internet. Whilst in theory it ought be easy enough to re-register an English-registered car in France, in practice it's a nightmare involving lots of forms, documents and visits to the prefecture. French bureaucracy is unbelievable at times. This process can easily take months, during which time the car is unusable. It's much easier to buy a french car with french plates, and crucially an up-to-date Control Technique, and just register it in your name and french address. And although the recent exchange rate movements might have affected matters I have also found used cars to be appreciably cheaper in England than in France, for various reasons that have been explained to me. Also, buying a used car in France can be a depressing experience - they seem to go from shiny and new to battered smelly old banger in about three years, although this is of course a generalisisation! But finding a well looked-after car in France does seem to be more of a struggle. Ironically my last french car - a 20 year-old Ford Focus which provided me with ten years and 100,000 faultless kms - has just failed its last Control Technique and I'm back in the market for a replacement. I do see Rovers quite often in the south of France but they are usually 200s and 400s, often obviously well-used but well-loved by their owners. 600s and 800s are never seen (they're not that common in the U.K. now!) and R75s very rarely. My P6s draw crowds...

I love my 75 but I wouldn't keep one in France, at least not for long, unless I either knew a garagist who understood the car, or I was prepared to fully maintain it myself. I don't subscribe to any stereotypical notions about french mechanics; I find them to be equally good and bad both sides of the channel, you just have to find a good one, but my local garage seems far more comfortable with Citroen/Renault/Ford/Peugeot, etc, particularly if the car is a more elderly model. Dealerships for newer cars just want to plug in a laptop and replace whatever part it instructs them to replace - or sell you another one.

Bon Courage!

A

Thanks once again or the helpful insite it is appreciated. Meanwhile back at the ranch the solicitor is becoming a joke. Paint dries quicker than she moves :mad: At this rate it will be 2017 before we can move.

The nephew has also thrown a spanner in the works suggesting a move further south into Spain :eek: which mother in now thinking about :duh: soo all the reseach we have done so far might prove to have been wasted time :shrug:.

We put the MGF 7th into store on Monday so that is one less one to worry about until next spring.

Hi there.

My wife and I have been coming to France off and on for 26 years now.

We have been living here permanently for 14 years.

My car is a RHD Rover 75. My wife's car is a Citroen C4 RHD.

Neither of us have problems with the steering wheel on the right.

If you need any odd bits of info them please put a post on this thread.

There are thousands of Brits living in France and it is very easy to get help with learning the French language.

There are also a number of free magazines run by English folk that will give you a wealth of information on just about anything you would like to know.



Good luck with your search.---:D


Colvert.

Further to my above post.

I just read one post that said obtaining a French plate is a nightmare.

My family and I have done this 4 times with no problems.

Also you can run around for six months on your British plate while getting things sorted out.

Buying cars in France is quite a lot more expensive than buying the same model in the GB.

If you pay cash for French property the negotiations can be very quick !!!

It just depends on the Notaire you choose.

As for the MOT for your car. ( called CT---Controle Technique. )

This only occurs ever TWO years. You can run about in your Brit registered car while you get this sorted out. NO RUSH.--:D

More info at your request.---:}

I have registered two GB cars onto French plates, and it was a nightmare on both occasions. The first time took six months of toing and froing, and the second (by which time I foolishly thought I knew the game) it took a mere four months between telling the DVLA the car had been exported, and getting my French plates. It is an utter nightmare.

Whilst technically you do have six months to run around in your British car whilst you do this, in reality you don't. Once you tell the DVLA the car is exported - which you need to do before you begin the french registration process - the car is well-nigh uninsurable. And few insurance companies - except specialist ones who charge accordingly - only allow you to keep a British insured car abroad for a maximum of three months.

I speak from bitter experience. These comments confirm my experience

http://www.frenchpropertylinks.com/e...ar-france.html
http://normandy.frenchestateagents.c...car-in-france/

I mean, it might be easy for French people to do this. The message from the faces behind the glass screen at my local Sous Prefecture is that I might as well have been trying to import cocaine.


A

It is easy to get French car insurance on a car with a British plate. Family members have done this several times during the change over.

I gave my registration document to the French authorities who notified the British the car had been exported and was under French registration now.

Do you, Andrew, speak French or did you at the time of change over ???

It is possible, but rare, to meet somebody in these government offices that doesn't like to deal with the English but who has an immediate sea change if you attempt to speak to them in their own language !!!

The longest registration process I've had over here was attempting to get a plate for a 1962 moped.
From 1962 up to 2011 no plate was necessary. From 2011 it was required.
The Carte Grise was free and took 10 weeks to get.

All other English to French changes have been quick and easy.

I've changed cars and motorbikes. ( plus a caravan. ) You must have a very difficult Prefecture where you are.

All you do is obtain a list of the documents you require from your local Mairie and off you go.

Here below is a copy from that first link you gave.

It does not correspond to what you have been saying. Please have another read through it.


A personal experiencs

The time scale we were told when we first came to France of one year is quite different from what we are now being told, although there are still many different responses given from agents asked to insure British vehicles, even now. And in practice, we have had a UK registered van insured here for six years, having had no problems with insurance cover or when checked by gendarmes etc.
How to re-register a car in France with French plates

Doing anything in France is an exercise in paperwork, so the first thing you need to know is exactly what paperwork you have to assemble with regard to registering a car. You can obtain a list from the local offices of DRIRE (Direction Régionale de l'Industrie, de la Recherche et de l'Environnement), or perhaps as we did, from our insurers. Others have once more found the Mairie to be extremely helpful as regards this too, but it is of course, dependant on the individuals concerned. The steps described below are subject to regional and temporal differences, but provide a description of a likely sequence of events in the registering of a car in France! (See also the feedback in our "Your Comments" section below, where many give their personal experiences.)
1. Registering a car in France - the English bit!

This is the easy bit, as you can do this in English. We were told to notify the DVLA that we were permanently exporting our vehicle to France, and obtained from them a certificate of export, or V561. However, it seems that now all you need do is, before handing over the V5C at the Prefecture, tear off the export section from the V5C and send it off to DVLA. Even this is not strictly necessary though as the French authorities are legally obliged to inform DVLA that a vehicle has been registered in their territory within two months of the event which will prompt DVLA to officially record the vehicle as exported. Note that this is the only notification which will, as neither an export certificate nor the tear off from the V5C are proof of anything

Have to agree with Colvert on this,
I have registered three cars here and the longest one took was 4 weeks start to finish.
Get ALL the paper work in order and copy every thing and there is not a problem.


Regarding the insurance I cant understand how many English people insist on driving English plated cars over here when they are permanently living here.

I would like to see how there Insurance French or English stands up in the event of an accident.

When I was doing my transfers I was regulary asked by my French Insurance Company how the transfer was going, And to let them know asap when it was completed.

I've also previously had no problems registering my uk cars (took a couple of weeks). However I'm now going through the process with my 75 and have hit an obstacle as they have asked for a CoC. Can anyone tell me where I can obtain this document? Usually I contact the manufacturer and pay a fee for it, but clearly this is not an option with Rover. Any advice gratefully received.

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

The number they require is already on your registration document.

I paid for a CoC on my first plate change but found out later it wasn't necessary. I already had the number on my existing documents.--:duh:

I explained this to the folk at the Prefecture as they didn't know this themselves.---:eek:



PS. It is an option with the Rover BUT it is not necessary. There is a company in Britain that will give you the correct CoC for lots of money.--:eek:

Avoid them like the plague----------:D:D:D

John.

My wife keeps bumping into things with her Brit reg car but has been paid out every time.-----------:laughing2::laughing2::laughing2:

Brilliant. Thanks very much. My sous prefecture are also unaware of this, but they're very helpful, so I'm sure they'll accept it once it's been pointed out. Thanks again

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk

I dont think I will comment on that;)

Rhd / lhd
 

We drive all the time with a RHD car in Germany, without any problems. Just get a suction rear-view mirror and place it slightly left, but still below the other mirror, to cover the blind spot, on your left. Driving on to motorways can be a problem for some, but we don't have any problems. Occasionally, I use the remote to move the mirror out, when using a slip-road.

The person who wanted all this information is----Plezier------However, no matter how hard I try he just never seems to read my posts to him--:eek:

As I'm not a paid up member I can't PM him.

If you could give it a try that would be most helpful.--:bowdown:

Plezier posts a lot on other parts of the forum and I've put replies in his posts BUT he never seems to read them. Once he has posted something he flies off elsewhere. He is like the pimpernel.----:D:D:D

Perhaps he's got you on his 'ignore list' for some reason or other?;)

There is no reason for that.--:shrug:

He wants to live in France so I've posted lots of information to help him...

He's not answered to other peoples helpful posts either.

Please, if you would be so kind. to PM him and tell him there are folks trying to help him with lots of info.--:bowdown:


You would be helping Plezier, not me.---Thank you.

[QUOTE=COLVERT;2407723][COLOR=blue]
[COLOR=#I wouldn't ask Flyer cos he is no good to anyone. ( ask his neighbours.--;)Quack Quack...:D:D

Have you two kissed & made up:bowdown: sincerely hope so;)

Sorry if people have been thinking that I am ignoring them ............................. that is not the case. The nephew it seems suggested we look at Spain so a little time was spent checking things out and she is now looking at France again.

Due to issues with the solicitor not doing as instructed it looks like it will be mid January before anything happens now on this relocation. Once we get a firm date a flying trip over to view a few places to rent will have to be made the plan then is to rent for atleast 6 months whilst we look around and get a feel of the area before looking for somwhere to buy.

This in itself throws up the first insurance issue as we will no longer have a UK addriess which is required by our UK insurance although we will still own a couple of acres there is no building on it. So we shall need to sort out insurance in France sooner rather than later.

My CDT being 2002 registered has the CoC printed in the handbook so that should sort out one issue. Our French being very poor we will need to find someonw to help us through this but I am sure that this is possible. Registering a car in France it seems is far easier that doing so in Spain.

In the mean time we have been getting rid of stuff that we no longer need and trying to work out what I am can do in France to earn a crust long term. We will enough money to li on for a few years but I will have to earn some money somehow but we have time to work this out. One thing I am considering is an online shop as we have loads of engineering tools so have stock of those add a few smaller MGF parts and some sport optics. I might also see if there is a call for the servo brace I made for my 75th Anniversary MGF that retains the original heater intake box rather than replacing it with the later TF snorkle.

BTW I have sourced a pair of LHD headlights for the CDT which will be shipped to us once we are in France add those to the KMH intrument set I got from Rimmers that should make the French test easier and alos help avoid any speeding fines. I have driven in France many times in the past and also in Spain when working there back in the 90's however if we relocate permanantly then we will get a LHD drive at some point. Checked that my driving licence does not expire for a few more years as well.

Until we get settled there is only so much we can do.

Out of interest where does one find this CoC number on the V5C after looking I did not notice it :o.

The CoC printed in the Hand Book I think you will find only relates to the Radio :shrug::shrug:

The CoC on the V5 is half way down section K and begins If I remember with Eu and then a load of numbers

Hmmmm on the CDT's V5C it has a type approval number beginning with e11 but the brand new V5C for the 2.5 Connie does not have it at all. Talk about confusicating :shrug: .

-------------------------------------:driving:

Try and ignore the two people trying to disrupt this important thread with unrelated posts.--:driving:

"Harassment".

Only one now as one of them has been permanently banned.

I tried, Honest.---:driving:

That's odd, not having that important number on the V5C---:shrug:

The type approval number is the one you need.

An English address.
I used my eldest son's address in in Britain while we were sorting ourselves out. No problems. We actually stopped there for a while during the move.

Reply deleted ..lol.

I find nothing odd when dealing with the Government and DVLA, like the Police they make up the rules as they go along and move the goal posts as they see fit.

They have revamped the V5C yet again when I tried to put TGB's B666 JPL registration on retention it would not reconise the V5C number due to this revamp even though her V5C was only 4 years old! So had to get a new replacement and now of course with the retention certificate that is useless and the registration number has changed. No doubt this is saving money somehow according to whom ever dreamt this all up!

The important thing I suppose is that the CDT's V5C has the number on it!

Will have to ask friends or the neighbour if we can use their address I guess.

Well Mother signed the contract today so now it's down to the other side and the solicitors but hopefully we should have a date fairly soon.

Hi there,

I've just came back on the forum after a long time and see someone who is going to live in France. If you need help with something, even places you could have you Rover taken care of (and also mechanics to avoid!), just let me know.

As I'm french, if I could help you, just let me know ;)

I have lived in France for the last 11 years and driven RHD rovers 75s and ZTs throughout. I don't find any difficulty in having the steering wheel on the wrong side but would suggest buying a motorway badge so you can go through the tolls without the effort of stepping out each time to get your ticket or pay. On a good day I can do a limbo and reach passenger side ticket machines from the drivers side, but its not for all.
The bureaucracy of importing a car can be frustrating and without French I think it would be difficult but I'm sure you will find friends and helpers who could guide you through the process. My wife is on her third visit to the prefecture after her application was rejected because the car's invoice didn't have an original stamp. No doubt they will discover some other tiny impediment on her next visit.
Second hand cars seem to very expensive here, I guess the locals don't change their cars every three years as in the UK and by the time they do there is ready demand in north Africa for their left hookers.
French motorways are beautiful and empty by UK standards so a pleasure to drive. On the other hand, I think French parking spaces are smaller than their cousins north of the channel. I never thought of myself driving a big car when in the UK, but here car parks give my arms a lot of excersise as I execute 5 point turns getting in and out of skinny little super market parking spaces.
I haven't found a good garagiste in all my time here, I suppose the rarity of the cars makes them a difficult proposition. If anybody does know a 'MG Rover specialist' in France I would love to hear back. I'm thinking to take my ZT-T back to the UK this spring for a new exhaust pipe and then fill up on pork pies, cheese and onion crisps and marmite to keep me going in the food desert that is France. Bon courage et bonne chance.

Quite a few of the original Rover dealers here in France still have the equipment to service Rover cars.

There is one near me in CHOLET.

I moved to France a couple of weeks ago. The ZTT performed impeccably during the 1000 mile journey from Scotland............ but it obviously does not like being in France :eek:

The last time I was here (18 months ago) the water pump packed up on the return journey to Scotland. This time the power steering pump has leaked onto the alternator :duh::duh::duh:

If anyone has seen a 75/ZT diesel in a scrapyard near Fougeres - I'd be grateful for a heads up.

You'd best have one shipped out from the GB as R75s are as rare as hens teeth over here in the breakers.---:shrug:

I've been here 14 plus years and have never seen one yet.--:eek:

Funny that,I went to a Breakers some months ago looking for a part for my 75 and there was one in there,which I had a few parts off.

And then again last week went to the local breaker to me and there was a T reg in there which I had the Walnut wheel off along with some other bits and pieces IE Cruise Control,Chrome Door Mirrors, a few relays, Instrument panel Interior dimming mirror And the icing on the cake a Walnut Gear knob along with a new hand brake gaiter.All for the Grand total of.........€15.

This car car had a mint Cream Leather Interior will full electric seats which had it been a Tourer I would have had .The guy said If i took it out I could have it for €25 the lot.

As they say Happy days:}

Ye Gods.

Must be careful drivers around where I live.----:D

We ship most items abroad within reason.
If you need parts not available abroad, we can either supply or source for you in the UK
and ship abroad at cost.
We can supply both quality used or new.
Prices should be quite competitive at the moment due to the low value of the pound against the euro/dollar so it is a good time to buy
You can either view items in my ebay shop http://stores.ebay.co.uk/SouthDevons...cialist?_rdc=1 or PM me direct.

Millions of bloomin tole booths springs to mind lol.

Not really. I live here and maybe go through a toll booth once every two or three years.

I can drive from half way down France up to the channel on motorways all the way without seeing even one toll both.

There are LOTS of toll free motorways.----------:cool:

Or if you do go through lots of toll booths, get one of the transponder gizmos that just charge the toll your account. ;)

Nope the French didn't want us it seems! Tried to rent a place but the British State Pension is not enough to meet teh law and it's requirements on rents so we said "up yours Froggies" and are moving to Bulgaria instead. Rented a house in Ruse no problems just trying to sort out car shipping to get them here.

Due to the high cost of buying decent cars here shipping the Rover 75 CDT and the MGF over makes sense even though they are RHD.

if it doesn't work out in Bulgaria, give france another try.

Presumably you attempted to rent via an estate agent. Try the expat sites (anglo info, United in Brittany, united in Normandy, Facebook etc). There are loads of Brits willing to let their properties out on a more informal basis - particularly during the winter when their gites are sitting empty.

Indeed it was through agents. Our other issue is the dogs and being told they could not live inside the house but may ......................................... may be allowed in the garage. When pushed further for information about said garage turns out it was a ruddy car port!

We are starting the house hunt here in Bulgaria this coming week and are going to be viewing a few later in the week.

The French know a thing or two about cars, the motorist isn't ripped off unlike some place I could mention.

sorry Mario I might have to disagree with you on that..;)

:iagree::wot:-----------------:D