Making a European 996 US legal

[georgios]

Hi,

I live in Athens, Greece and have a 2003 C4S 6 speed, purchased in Germany. I plan to move back to the US. What modifications do I need to make, if any, and what approximate cost would I be looking at? I want to see if its worth making the mods here in Athens. I noticed that the rear bumper is different......that's about it.

Thanks

[JFP in PA]

Hi,I live in Athens, Greece and have a 2003 C4S 6 speed, purchased in Germany. I plan to move back to the US. What modifications do I need to make, if any, and what approximate cost would I be looking at? I want to see if its worth making the mods here in Athens. I noticed that the rear bumper is different......that's about it.Thanks

This can be a bit more thorny than just a bumper; a lot of Euro spec cars need to have both their crash speed ratings (bumpers, etc.) switched over, as well as their emissions systems to meet US standards, after which the car has to be certified to meet US specs. There are also differences in the lighting systems (head lights, DRL, etc.) that need to be addressed as well. You need to do some serious research on this, there are firms that do it, but the cost often exceeds the values of doing it and many just sell their cars and buy a US spec version when they get here.

[apex944]

It may depend on where you plan to move. The easiest changes will be those related to emissions. Every state has different requirements that need to be met. In fact, here in PA even different counties have different requirements. I'm no expert but other than emissions, I think that by 2003 Porsche was building the cars all about the same. So things like safety glass, bumpers, etc. should all be the same.

[JFP in PA]

It may depend on where you plan to move. The easiest changes will be those related to emissions. Every state has different requirements that need to be met. In fact, here in PA even different counties have different requirements. I'm no expert but other than emissions, I think that by 2003 Porsche was building the cars all about the same. So things like safety glass, bumpers, etc. should all be the same.

The car will have to meet US Federal standards at a minimum, and have certification documentation to prove it. Ask Bill Gates, he imported two 959's only to have them impounded on arrival here because they did not have US Federal certifications. States can set their own standards for emissions (higher standards only, such as CA), but they cannot alter the Fed safety requirements. In 2003, most Euro spec Porsches had only one set of O2 sensors and a different DME program (know in the PIWIS as RoW - Europe). Having spent time in Europe, the first thing you notice is the different bumpers on some models, and the head lights. Euro spec cars also have to meet very stringent noise level requirements (mostly for Switzerland), which is why all Porsche's with factory PSE systems (US or Euro spec) automatically close the bypass valves at certain speeds.

[Silver_TT]

Just one view here but my opinion is it's going to be a lot cheaper to sell your ROW car and buy a US one here. The cost is going to be way too high (not to mention the potential headaches) to ship + do the modifications to your ROW. Safety and emissions in most states in the USA is pretty rigid. The cost of buying a 2003 C4S is very reasonable here and there should be quite a few to choose from. You should be able to pick one up for ~ $20-30K USD depending on the condition, mileage, etc.

Edited August 23, 2013 by Silver_TT

[georgios]

Thanks for all the input so far. I most likely will take the car to PA. Would I contact a Porsche dealer locally,the DMV, or is there another source I should be looking at?

[Loren]

This should cover the legal requirements...

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/trade/basic_trade/importing_car.xml

[georgios]

Thanks Loren. Thanks again for all the input everyone.

[987_RDC]

Don't move to CA