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Thread: Opinions on shipping things from Europe To USA.....

  1. #1
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    Opinions on shipping things from Europe To USA.....

    Hey Guys and Girls,

    My GF got me a 17 day trip to Europe for Xmas We will be going to the UK, France, and of course Germany. I want to buy myself some euro parts and was wondering if anyone had any experience shipping larger items. What service to use? How to do it cheaply? I want to be ready in case i come across anything really nice, I'm thinking along the lines of a front bumper, or a euro trunk lid. Things like smilies and trim i will bring back in an empty suitcase

    Any thoughts would be appreciated, i'm hoping sskoda will chime in

  2. #2
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    bmw motorsport door handles if she can find. I hear that it is cheap in Germany.

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by yuceturk1453 View Post
    bmw motorsport door handles if she can find. I hear that it is cheap in Germany.
    Motorsport handles aren't cheap anywhere.

    DHL would be the best bet for shipping.
    I own mostly junk. Except the Porsche, that's kind of cool.
    All the motorcycles are trash which you can read about at
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    I'll update it eventually

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  4. #4
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    Parts for old cars are not just lying around in Germany. The scrap yards cannot hold onto the old models forever due to environmental laws. I've heard you need to go to Poland for a good selection. Try to find people who have already horded the parts you want that you can meet up with. Try messaging some sellers on ebay.de.

  5. #5
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    Germans I run across on ebay.de tend to use DHL. When I ship from UK I use interparcel and then the Fedex option.
    my version of a midlife crisis: 20 year old spray painted, lowered BMW station wagon.

  6. #6
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    You would imagine German junk yards are full of alpinas, Ms, schnitzers etc but in reality there are just tons of 518i's 316's etc etc.. I was going to ship home a set of smilies but it would have cost more than they are worth here. Best bet is to snag things you can carry on the plane home in a separate box.

  7. #7
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    In all honesty, it's probably cheaper to buy smiley's and 'trim' here in the states.

  8. #8
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    i have no illusion that there are piles of rare parts just sitting there. I just wanted to get some ideas in case i came across something. i wasn't planning on spending my time in europe dragging my gf through junkyards.

  9. #9
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    I spent 6 weeks in Germany a couple of years ago and there just aren't a lot of old cars even on the roads. They have more clunker laws than we do. But shipping is crazy.. Its a lot easier to get things out of Germany than into Germany though and I didn't have to pay for the shipping myself, my company did but they bundled my extra suitcase and my golf clubs into a crate and shipped them that way and it was still expensive so I agree with the above. It might just be cheaper to buy some of the bigger stuff here. Small stuff might be ok in your suitcase though. Provided its not too breakable. They dont exactly treat luggage carefully putting it on and off of planes.

  10. #10
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    I would highly recommend DBSchenker or FedEx Int'l economy if possible. since FedEx is sometimes a tad bit easier to deal with than DHL. Congrats on the trip, and enjoy your time there. Stuttgart and Munich are fun cities. Maybe you should check out a Euro forum see if there are any meets or swap meets going on while you are around that could make the parts shopping easier or more organized by lining up some potential deals. Either way, enjoy!
    SOLD: '92 525i/5spd/S52B32

  11. #11
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    Shipping on larger item is what keeps most individuals from snatching up parts. Yes, there are a few methods which can get the parts shipped home cheaper but they can be a pain at times. I'd spend sometime before leaving and get the shipping figured out for the large items, nothings worse than finding the perfect trunk at a steal of a deal then saying wait it's going to be a grand to ship it home.

    For the E34 if you see a perfect set of headlamps those would be a great find as they are getting less available. If you run across an E36 Lightweight which is being parted out and can get the strut bar off it that would be a super fast sell on the forums as they are no longer available.

    If you see a ton of awesome must have parts and can't find them while you're there feel free to blast me a PM! I'd be happy to help find them via our sources. We bring in Euro parts by the container load constantly, I'd be happy to have some uber awesome E34 goodies added into our European order.

    Enjoy your trip!

    James with ECS Tuning

  12. #12
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    Anything I have ever ordered from Germany uses DHL to ship.
    My 1989 332is Touring... this is Betty

    My 1992 M5 (sold)... this is Veronica

    My 1989 325i convertible... this is Nina

    Photo comparison: OEM vs aftermarket windscreen for a convertible

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by frontin540i View Post
    Hey Guys and Girls,

    My GF got me a 17 day trip to Europe for Xmas We will be going to the UK, France, and of course Germany. I want to buy myself some euro parts and was wondering if anyone had any experience shipping larger items. What service to use? How to do it cheaply? I want to be ready in case i come across anything really nice, I'm thinking along the lines of a front bumper, or a euro trunk lid. Things like smilies and trim i will bring back in an empty suitcase

    Any thoughts would be appreciated, i'm hoping sskoda will chime in

    Good.

    I can sneak over and drag Big red away while your gone...

    Just kidding man Have a good trip.

  14. #14
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    I'm the SE Rep for an International Freight Forwarder, if you need a hand, let me know. Can pick up from anywhere and ship to anywhere, Non courier goods of course. Put it on a slow boat, ensure the goods for 110% of true value (insurance is cheap depending on commodity). Best thing you can do for yourself if they're oversized goods (won't fit on a regular 4x4 pallet) is to have the items crated whilst you're there, so that you can look at it get sealed. Keep invoices for the goods, invoice is in the name of the person that will be clearing customs stateside.

    I can tell you more if needed. Just PM me.

    Happy Hunting.

    Drink Beer, call my name> lol.





    Some Places remain unknown because no one has ventured forth. Others remain so because no one has ever come back......

  15. #15
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    Enjoy Munich.. I was there for work like I said.. I only had the weekends mostly free. I plan on a trip back at some point just for vacation. It is a awesome place and my only word of advice is that I learned very quickly that most of the people in Bavaria speak some english. I always said "English?" and if they said "A little" it meant they spoke it pretty well and if they said "No" it meant they spoke a little. If you get a dumb look, move on.. haha.. Oh and enjoy the pay restrooms. Loved those.. lol..

  16. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by ECSTuning View Post
    Shipping on larger item is what keeps most individuals from snatching up parts. Yes, there are a few methods which can get the parts shipped home cheaper but they can be a pain at times. I'd spend sometime before leaving and get the shipping figured out for the large items, nothings worse than finding the perfect trunk at a steal of a deal then saying wait it's going to be a grand to ship it home.

    For the E34 if you see a perfect set of headlamps those would be a great find as they are getting less available. If you run across an E36 Lightweight which is being parted out and can get the strut bar off it that would be a super fast sell on the forums as they are no longer available.

    If you see a ton of awesome must have parts and can't find them while you're there feel free to blast me a PM! I'd be happy to help find them via our sources. We bring in Euro parts by the container load constantly, I'd be happy to have some uber awesome E34 goodies added into our European order.

    Enjoy your trip!

    James with ECS Tuning
    Thanks for info, will definitely contact you if i come across anything.

    Quote Originally Posted by GIANUCCI E30 View Post
    Good.

    I can sneak over and drag Big red away while your gone...

    Just kidding man Have a good trip.
    hahahaha thanks, big red is most likely sold, a buyer is flying in today from Colorado to look at her, if all goes well she's on to a new home.

    Quote Originally Posted by Trasportador View Post
    I'm the SE Rep for an International Freight Forwarder, if you need a hand, let me know. Can pick up from anywhere and ship to anywhere, Non courier goods of course. Put it on a slow boat, ensure the goods for 110% of true value (insurance is cheap depending on commodity). Best thing you can do for yourself if they're oversized goods (won't fit on a regular 4x4 pallet) is to have the items crated whilst you're there, so that you can look at it get sealed. Keep invoices for the goods, invoice is in the name of the person that will be clearing customs stateside.

    I can tell you more if needed. Just PM me.

    Happy Hunting.

    Drink Beer, call my name> lol.
    Thanks! thats great, not sure if i'll have time to palletize stuff lol, the gf has a tight schedule, we are seeing a lot in 15 days lol. i will probably just stick to smaller stuff i can throw in a suitcase.

    Quote Originally Posted by BrentW View Post
    Enjoy Munich.. I was there for work like I said.. I only had the weekends mostly free. I plan on a trip back at some point just for vacation. It is a awesome place and my only word of advice is that I learned very quickly that most of the people in Bavaria speak some english. I always said "English?" and if they said "A little" it meant they spoke it pretty well and if they said "No" it meant they spoke a little. If you get a dumb look, move on.. haha.. Oh and enjoy the pay restrooms. Loved those.. lol..
    yeah, i have family friends that are from Germany, they told me that most people speak english, which is a good thing, in france i'm going to be the rude american lol.

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