I had noticed an old Beetle being driven around the town and one day, seeing it being parked outside chez Claude's, I approached the lady driver and told her that I had an old split screen camper and I was wondering which garage she used to maintain her old vehicle. She gave me the name of Dominic Belghali who had a garage repair business specialising in old vehicles such as mine's. Dominic Belghali's garage was in Chauffour about five kilometres away on the road to Ruffec. I took Fergus there at my first opportunity. (I still was not too clever at arranging things over the 'phone - especially technical stuff!). I explained as best I could to the gentleman what the problem was and a date was arranged to fix it.
The day of repair arrived and with Fergus performing worse than ever, I anxiously made the journey once again to Chauffour. I had arranged for a friend, Jane, to pick me up and give me a lift back to Civray while the problem was investigated. Later that afternoon, Jane took me back to M. Belghali who informed me that it was indeed the carburettor and that spare parts would have to be ordered. This was duly arranged and once more the journey back to Civray was anxiously made.
The fact that a carburettor repair was the problem in Portsmouth and repairs had been effected there, made me angry, as the problem had already cost me quite a bit. However, needs must, and I was caught between the devil and the deep, blue sea. This was only the start of a lengthy and complicated process, I was to discover.
My UK insurance only allowed me 90 days in Europe and I had to plead with them for an extension for another final (I was told) 90 days. Time was becoming of the essence.
One final spluttering journey was to made before the carburettor problem was solved with a relatively cheap repair - 40€. Fergus was running smoothly once again.
Next on my list was the fact that the headlights were still RHD. I had been told that it was sufficient to merely change the lenses and duly ordered the same at great delivery expense from the UK. M Belghali investigated the swap only to find that other parts would be required to effect this and after careful consideration, it was decided that recourse to completely new LHD sealed units was the most cost effective and easiest.
Luckily in my trawling of websites for spares and in 'phone calls to various UK companies, I had been pointed the way of a French company called Kombi Series. This proved to be my best bet from now on regarding spares. Their website had an English version and deliver charges were only 6€. However, new LHD sealed units came in at 314€ the pair!!!!!!! The cost of all this was mounting!
Meanwhile, I had continued to explore the procedure of getting my all important Carte Grise (the French registration document for all vehicles). As Fergus was so old, it was not possible to get a Certificate de Conformité required by all imported vehicles. Therefore, another route had to be taken: that of getting Fergus declared a Vehicule de Collection. The FFVE was the organisation which would supply this Certificate for 50€. The process involved providing photographs of the vehicle, photographs of the engine plate, photographs of chassis plate, a copy of the sales invoice and a copy of the UK V5C registration document. And probably more, of which I have forgotten. In addition to all this, I had to fill in the official application form. The translation of which took me ages.
All completed, I had sent this off only for it to be returned four weeks later with items marked for correction. Duly addressing these issues, it was once more forwarded for processing.
Meanwhile, Fergus had been equipped with LHD headlamp units and M Belghali had carried out a pre - Contrôle Technique (French MOT). More money!!!
Finally the Certificate for Vehicle de Collection arrived and I began to see light at the end of the tunnel ....... was it a train coming??
Next stop was the local French Impots where, armed with all my documentation, I sought another necessary bit of paper in the process. That accomplished, the Contrôle Technique was arranged at a local centre which was kindly disposed, I was told, to the older vehicle. And YES, it passed!!! The Contrôle Technique for a Vehicle de Collection lasts for 5 years - knowledge of which, was the first bit of good news in all of this saga.
It only remained to get my Carte Grise from the Prefecture in Poitiers. I could have done this by post but I felt better doing it all face-to-face. Taking my service number from the machine, I sat and waited my turn. I had already downloaded the appropriate form and filled it in as best I had could. On being called forward, I explained this to the lady who kindly undertood and filled in the missing information for me. Taking a fee of 129€ (I think?), she told me it would be in the post. And so it was the next morning! I was nearly there!
But no, a letter the following day indicated an error in the Carte Grise. The detail concerned the fact that the next Contrôle Technique was due in 5 years. My Carte Grise indicated 2 years. I was off to Poitiers again and the whole process had to be gone through again. A few days later and I was almost there.
Next up was the French plates and after a visit to a local garage Franck fitted them to Fergus, handing me the UK ones as a souvenir.
Insurance was the last and final piece of the jigsaw. And with further paperwork and money spent, Fergus was finally ....... legally ........ FRENCH!
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| New Plates |
I wonder ...... what is the French for Fergus?????
