Quote:
Originally Posted by vutall
So from what it sounds like, I should sell the mini to a private party, pay off the rest of the auto loan with the funding from the house selling, and then pay off as soon as possible the two signature loans. Don't bother shipping a car to Europe, and instead just buy a cheap "beater" car there?
|
I'm not sure why it has to be a beater. There are more than just "nice cars" and "beaters" in the world. You could pick up reasonably nice transportation and sell it when you were ready to leave.
As for nice cars, someone mentioned the Megane. It wouldn't be practical to import that back to the States, but you could enjoy that while you were there and sell it when you left, and you would be able to say that you got to drive something 99% of the US market has never even seen.
Someone mentioned getting an older car. Once a car is 25 years old, it no longer has the stupid EPA and DOT restrictions that make import so difficult. There are a lot of really neat cars that were sold in Europe and not in the US. If you're handy with a wrench (since older cars do require work), you could pick up something rather special that you could bring back with you.
Or you could just do a purchase or lease on something practical. Or you could start with something practical and keep an eye out for something special while you're there, since a lot can change over a period of years.
If you shipped over a US spec BRZ, would you be able to sell it over there if you decided you wanted or needed to get rid of it? Is that offer to ship the car only when you first move, or could you buy a US spec car on a visit home to the States later and have it shipped over if you can't find a local solution that works for you?
To me, shipping a car over and back just seems like a lot of hassle that might limit your choices later. If it were me, I think I'd just sell the Mini, pay off my debts and keep my options open.