Shipping my RS America To Europe, Going to Le Mans and a 4 month drive around Europe Options

[DonTraver]

About 6 years ago, went on a trip to Germany, even drove the Ring in a new 997S. Great trip.
While there, I got this weird idea. How great it would be to drive my RSA in Europe and the autobahn.

Well, it’s taken about a year of research and work, but it’s going to happen this year,

I started receiving all the import/export licenses a couple of weeks ago for the RSA. I got all the forms in this week. Shipping has been arranged to ship my RSA in her own private container to the UK with approximate arrival on May 19th.

Found an insurance company that will insure me in 29 countries for about $165 a month.

Joined the Porsche Club Great Britain, got my membership card on 3/31/10. I’m going to Le Mans with them.
They put together a 5 star camping trip to Le Mans every year, they camp in the Porsche Curves at Le Mans, they even put up your tent for you, It runs about $800 for 5 days at Le Mans, Euro Tunnel Pass, tickets, fully catered camp site, private restrooms and showers. How cool is that. I’ll be traveling with the PCGB from the UK to Le Mans, should help me not get lost. I’ll get to watch testing, practice, qualifying, and the race, wow.

I’ve been a member of a 964 Porsche series group for about 7 years. Since I told the group about my plans, I’ve received invitations to all over Europe, Luxemburg, France, Germany, UK, Portugal, Spain, and the Ring. Planning at least a week at the Ring.

After Le Mans heading south, Normandy, Madrid, Lisbon, Valencia, and maybe Monaco. After that head north to Germany, Berlin, Leipzig, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, the Ring. Etc. Want to catch a couple of Formula 1 races, Spa, Ring, etc. At least that’s the tentative schedule so far.

Found this website that lists a lot of the tracks in Europe and if they have open track days, they do. So I might get to drive Silverstone, Brands Hatch, Spa, and a bunch of others. http://www.trackdays.co.uk/tracks/

Just finished a 60k service on the RSA, new rotors, pads, brake fluid, set valves, new tires, new O2 sensor, had a ipod cable put in for tunes, and waxed and detailed her, dyno tested 250hp at rear wheels.

Had a set of PSS10 Coilovers installed, with new alignment and corner balancing last week, sweet.

Oh yeah, since I won’t be in any one country more than 4 months, I get to keep the California plates on her, cool. I wrote a lot of emails to a lot of countries to confirm that, all said fine by email, printed out all those emails, just in case.

The RSA ships in 2 weeks, when I get a confirmed delivery date, I’ll book my plane tickets.

So long story short. I’m going to Le Mans and will be spending over 4 months driving around Europe in my RSA with California plates, a dream is coming true.

Here's a picture of my RS America at the Lake Arrowhead Porsche Timeline last year.

Don

[DonTraver]

Woke up at around 5am, I’m going to Le Mans today. I arrived at the Euro Tunnel about 45 minutes early. Saw a PCGB Porsche with the Le Mans car entry ticket installed, never did find the owner. At around ut
The track was open from 4pm to 12 am for testing and practice that evening. They were coming into the Porsche Curves so hot, lighting up the brakes, it was great. The berm in the Porsche Curves where we’re camped is about 20-25 feet about the track, excellent vantage point. I’ve tried taking pictures as they go by, but my camera just can’t handle the speed they’re going. So when I do upload the pictures and you see an empty track, I just couldn’t click fast enough. I watched them until midnight. The loudest cars were the Corvette’s with the GT 40’s a close second. We’re close enough to the track that the Corvettes exhaust bass notes just pounds your ears, so cool.
The next day woke up around 4am to rain, it finally stopped around 10am, sun came out, it was nice. Around 4pm, more rain, heavy rain until 10pm. Practice and Qualifying still continued despite the rain, slower but still fun to watch.
I’d ridden my bike into Arnage that morning, by the time I got back I was soaked, mud up to my knees, the roads, just mud, mud, and more mud. But hey, I’m at Le Mans with my RS America, what’s a little rain and mud.
The next day was dry, so I caught a ride to the Pits and shops at the track. It was really cool, took some pictures. Didn’t buy anything, just don’t have room.
OK, its official, I brought too much stuff, over packed, don’t have any room left. When I get to Bernards’s after Le Man, I’ll either mail some stuff home, or just toss it.
I’ve been invited to the Le Mans Classic in July, that really sounds like fun. Schedule is empty, think that’s going to happen.
Today’s race day and we woke up to rain, it finally stopped around 9am, yes. I was offered a ride into central Le Mans this morning, so I said yes. There’s a picture of the suspects and me somewhere downtown.
The track was open for practice this morning and they were doing warm up laps just prior to the start. The track was completely dry for the start. I’ve just come down from watching to try to catch up. There’s just so much going on, it’s hard to keep up, but I’m trying.
The PCGB campsite is very well done. The food tent has great meals and snacks and has let anyone who wants to too run a tab in pounds or euros for meals and drinks. Makes it so much easier than paying each time and having to run to the ATM for more cash. They also have two plasma screen TV’s, so you can not only watch the cars streaking through the Porsche Curves, but get updates and see what’s happening on the rest of the track. Saturday night was BBQ night, it was very good, love those ribs.
Now for you younger guys, if you like to PARTY, Le Mans is for you. It was one non-stop party, fireworks, really bad karaoke, and distorted music, all with the sound of the race in the background. Some of them were so ripped, they were prime candidates for the Darwin Awards. Thursday night a group of Danes camped on the other side of the fence, fencing in the PCGB paddock, they’d brought their home stereo with them, have you ever seen a +300 pound shirtless drunk man trying to do a pole dance while singing Karaoke at 1:30am. I assure you, you don’t want too either, it hurts both your eyes, ears, and brain. I should have taken a picture.
Yesterday, after getting back to the camp from the Pits, I had a few hours before the track opened, so I sat down and wrote an article for the Porsche Post. I started the article from the beginning of the dream 6 years ago. I let a few of the members proof it. They liked it, so I’ll send it off when I get internet access again. You can read it after this update.
I’ve been listening to the old hands who have been to Le Mans numerous times, taking their hints, places to go, giving me rides to track events and the towns. I think I’ve been adopted. How cool it that. I’m having the time of a lifetime, enjoying every minute, wet, dry or muddy.
I had stayed up all night watching the race, both on the Porsche Curves and on the TV. Finally crashed and burned around 9am, I got up in time to catch the last hour of the race. Last night after Audi won 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and Porsche won GT2 everyone was quite happy with the results, then at 5pm Formula One came on. I missed that, I went back to bed.
Later that night, I got called up to the front during announcements, Stephen the organizer for the PCGB said some really nice things about me and they gave me a really nice PCGB alarm clock.
Left Le Mans this morning, it had rained again this morning, so the roads were muddy. There is a DIY carwash right outside the gate from the track. I washed the RS America before heading out. Once again the rain dance worked, the drive to Caudan was about 4 hours, most of it in the rain.
I’m in Caudan, France visiting Bernard and Magali. Bernard had a RS America, but sold it last year. He now has a 1964 Lotus 7, he took me for a short ride in it, it’s a really neat car. Getting in and out is an experience. First you open the window and hold it up, then you stick your leg in as far as you can, then bend in half and get your upper body and head in, fall into the seat, and bring your other leg up as high as you can, and get it in. To get out, you unclip the window and hold it out, pull yourself into a squat on the seat, pull one leg up until your knee is touching your forehead and get that leg out, bend in half again and get your head and upper body out, put your weight on the leg that’s already out, and pull your other leg out. All without falling on your butt.
Tomorrow we’re going to the Manoir De L’Automobile Museum. Should be fun. We’re going out to dinner later tonight.
I’ve probably forgot all sorts of stuff, there was just so much happening day and night. I’ve also got over 120 pictures to edit before I upload them. Maybe over the next couple of days.
So that’s the report from Le Mans.