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]

6/20/10

I visited the American Cemetery at Omaha Beach this morning. I left the hotel in Caen early after programming in the GPS coordinates from their website. I arrived around 8:15am; it didn’t open until 9am. I’d passed a small café on the way in, so I went back looking for coffee. They were still closed when I arrived, but they saw me drive in with the RSA and when I walked up to the door to see if they were open, they met me and asked if I’d like some coffee. After serving me some coffee, we talked, they asked if anyone in my family is buried in the Cemetery. I said no, but my step-dad John Gimble was in the North African Campaign and D-Day.

I finished my coffee and drove the RSA back to the Main Gate, parked and waited. I looked in my rear view mirror and there was about 6-8 cars behind me waiting. They opened the gate about 5 minutes early; maybe they saw the cars stacking up. I drove in and parked the RSA. I got out and just looked around.

Off to my right I could see through the trees to a small village and the coast, so that’s the way I went. I crossed a parking lot, then a grass field. I could see an obelisk and walked in that direction. It was for the 1st Division, also known as the Big Red One. After reading the engravings, I walked toward Omaha Beach. There was a monument to Fifth Engineer Special Brigade; it’s on top of an empty German Shore Battery. You can see the complete beach from this vantage point.

I wanted to go down to Omaha Beach, I found a narrow path overgrown with thistle plants, I think. Anyway, wear long pants, not shorts like I was in. I made it all the way down to Omaha Beach in one piece, the hills are quite steep. I walked out on the sand, picked up some sand, let it trickle through my fingers and turned around an looked at the hills those guys had to climb, all while being under deadly fire from the Germans. If you’ve never been shot at or heard the terrified scream, “incoming”, you won’t be able to imagine what it must have been like. Standing there, imagining, made my tour in Viet Nam pale into insignificance.


After standing there awhile, I started walking up the hill. It was a good climb, now do it while you’re getting shot at and shelled. Damn.

When I reached the top, I walked over to the Visitors Center, went through security, today’s world, security at a Cemetery. I signed the Visitors Log and added ENC USN, Retired. It’s been awhile since I signed anything as a Chief Engineman, kind of felt good. The lower floor is where the majority of the displays and movies are. I went through it slowly. If it weren’t for the sound of the movies, you could hear a pin drop. Even the children were quiet. As I was leaving the Visitors Center, there way a woman’s voice reading the names of the dead buried in the Cemetery. I used to read the names of the service men and women from San Diego who died in Viet Nam on Memorial Day with the Viet Nam Veterans of San Diego. When you’re reading the names, you have to not think of what you’re reading, if you start thinking of what each name represents, you will choke up, you will not be able to continue.

I walked to the gravesites. The grounds are beautifully kept. I rounded a corner and there the crosses were. It almost stuns you when you first see them. As I walked up to the crosses, I discovered something I didn’t know before. All the crosses are made from marble, I always thought they were cast concrete. I like the idea of marble much better, they deserve it.

As I walked among the crosses and the monuments, I thought of what all this meant. This is the price of freedom. Freedom has always been paid for with blood, usually the blood of the young. As I left, I said a prayer for those who gave their blood for my freedom.

This visit was an emotional journey for me, I’m glad I went; it will stay with me as it should.