graham-gmr Posted June 2, 2009 Report Share Posted June 2, 2009 Hi All I have been reading with interest (and surprise) what is required to be legal whilst driving in France and Spain. Re the headlamp question - I thought as long as the car was legal in the country of registration then it was OK to drive through Europe !!! With the exchange rate at the moment, that could have been a very expensive assumption. Can anyone tell me if the old pressed black number plates are OK or should I get reflective ones. If I have to get reflective plates then I'll get them with the largest Georges Cross instead of the blue Euro badge and stick a GB on the boot lid - that will probably get me a fine. Thought of taking the ferry to Spain, driving over to Nice and getting the overnight train back - any advice? I look forwward to your help. Regards Graham Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Alec Pringle Posted June 2, 2009 Report Share Posted June 2, 2009 Hi Graham, no problem with old-style number plates as long as you have a GB plate on the back. Other than headlamp beam deflectors, if it's UK legal you're OK. But carry all the emergency kit as required. And see the wire wheels in France thread. Cheers, Alec Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ianhoward Posted June 3, 2009 Report Share Posted June 3, 2009 Graham Last year my Good Lady and I went on a tour that ended up near Monaco (superb!!!!)... One of the party came back on the train as you are considering - their experience was 'never again' - uncomfortable and noisy was a polite version... A couple of cars did the 'dash' back home, but we took three nights to explore a bit further - well worth it! Regards Quote Link to post Share on other sites
David B Posted June 3, 2009 Report Share Posted June 3, 2009 Hi Graham, I've done the train a couple of times. It's pretty much as Ian says plus expensive! It also stops running mid September. Having said that, if time is an issue, it does get you there/back quickly for one nights discomfort. If you do use it, remember to take your own food and drink (including water) on board as there are no restaurant, shop or bar facilities. I am using it again one way (Avignon) early September, touring round Provence and the South and back over Alps via Switzerland. I just don't have the time to do the whole round trip. Booking is also a bit of a hassle and I ended up having to send a photo of the car, as the booking agents did not know what a TR4A was! French Railways have changed their policy and will not take cars with a tonneau cover fitted. Have a good trip, David. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ianhoward Posted June 3, 2009 Report Share Posted June 3, 2009 (edited) I forgot to add that one of the company of cars on the tour was an MGB (soft top) - they were planning to return on the 'sleeper' as well. However, when it was discovered the car was a soft top, the authorities would not allow it on - so they drove back... I believe the cost was something around £500!!! Edited June 3, 2009 by ianhoward Quote Link to post Share on other sites
graham-gmr Posted June 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2009 Hi Thanks for all your replies. I was going to travel with the vinyl Surry top - just in case it was warm and sunny! So I take it the train will not allow my car on. Does anyone have experience of the ferries to / from Spain I hope to travel late August / early September. Thanks Graham Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TR4aStu Posted June 3, 2009 Report Share Posted June 3, 2009 Just got back from a 2200mile, 10 countries in 10 days run that included France and Spain along with a run through the Alps via Stelvio to the Italian lakes etc. Had no trouble at all with the 4A or any of the local law inforcement officers and didn't even need to add any water even though the temperature was up at 36deg C. Caught the ferry back from Bilbao into Portsmouth and this 'mini cruise' as it is billed enabled us to watch dolphins and whales up through the Bay of Biscay, which broke up the 27 hours. Plenty to do on the boat anyway. Roads were almost empty and we only used the motorways to cover large distance between the boring bits. Excellent trip well worth doing. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
David B Posted June 3, 2009 Report Share Posted June 3, 2009 Hi Graham, Think French Railways will take the car. I've used it with a 1955 MG TF alongside a number of classic and vintage convertibles and I don't understand why they turned down the MGB. They have confirmed my booking, having sent them a photo of my soft top TR4A. I have now sent an email to them, following this thread, for clarification of what they will and will not take and I will let you have their response. all very confusing........ David. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Oddball Posted June 3, 2009 Report Share Posted June 3, 2009 I forgot to add that one of the company of cars on the tour was an MGB (soft top) - they were planning to return on the 'sleeper' as well. However, when it was discovered the car was a soft top, the authorities would not allow it on - so they drove back...I believe the cost was something around £500!!! We are traveling to Spain in early September, Portsmouth Bilbao then taking a house in France for a week and then slowly (2-3 days) heading north to catch a channel ferry back home, can't wait had the 6 in France last year after Malvern,had a great time. Cameron Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Badfrog Posted June 4, 2009 Report Share Posted June 4, 2009 Hi Graham, Don't listen to paranoid rumors or you'll end up driving thru France with a .303 Bren bolted above the windshield. As long as you have correct lighting, white or yellow, nobody cares about the rest. Black plates are perfectly legal in France: I've been having these on lady Ann for decades. You can carry a GB sign, cops won't mind. The main reason for cop intervention is that having a look at the engine bay of your car will make their day. Re- the train, SNCF insurance laws are kind of fuzzy about carrying convertibles on a car-carrier. Basically, it all depends whether you're dealing with someone who wants to help or with some dumb badass sticking to what he believes to be regulations. Best thing to do: inquire before. Once you have your ticket, they can't reject you. About train travel, most progress is devoted to TGVs. Trains with car-carrying flat wheelers are older trains. In that case, you need to get a "wagon-lits" that's a two persons sleeping cabin. This will guarantee a good night. "Couchettes" are four to six, good when you're 20, and trying to score that german "au-pair" no matter what. In case of trouble, you may also call the local TCF group. They may help. So, visit the TCF website and forum, grab some phone numbers and the world is your mollusc. If you drive back, a word to the wise: mind the gypsies on the A6 and A9 rest areas. And be aware it's worse in Spain. Cheers, Badfrog Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Alec Pringle Posted June 4, 2009 Report Share Posted June 4, 2009 Hi Badfrog, and just what's wrong with a TR mounting a Bren ? Or can you think of a more effective method of deterring gypsies, tramps and thieves ? And flics, come to that ! As a teenager I toured Italy with my old man, a model of tact and diplomacy. He couldn't resist observing on a regular basis, in passable Italian, that it didn't feel right driving round without a mounted Bren - not an observation that always endeared us to the locals . . . . Sometime after Anzio in 1944 he'd commandeered a vast open Lancia DiLambda, his blokes equipping it with Bren and PIAT, one of each to the front and to the rear. Evidently an effective and speedy 'hit'n'run' machine, until it met its end in a close encounter with a Tiger, a pyrrhic victory which nevertheless succeeded in closing a significant road. A Tiger with its tracks blown off being a hard bit of kit to shift. Post-WW2 he became an Inspector of Taxes, which must prove something !! Cheers, Alec Quote Link to post Share on other sites
David B Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 I now have the definitive answer from the French. They will NOT take convertible TRs, MGs etc on Motor Rail to the South of France. I am very grateful for Graham and Ians posts, which compelled me to pursue this. I had sent a photo of the car to Motor Rail in the UK and they advised it was no problem and sent my booking confirmation. Had I turned up in Calais, I would have been refused travel and the small print means that I would not have got a refund either (or at least without a huge scrap). Have a feeling that I would have been just a little upset!! Oh well, it looks like a quick flog down the Autoroute after all and back over the Alps. Thinking about a boot rack for TR4.....any ideas which is best? This Forum is really great! David. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BrianC Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 Oh well, it looks like a quick flog down the Autoroute after all and back over the Alps. Thinking about a boot rack for TR4.....any ideas which is best? TRs were meant to be driven, not trained. Check out the various postings on 'Bootbag' on this Forum for an excellent alternative to a boot-rack. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ianhoward Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 TRs were meant to be driven, not trained. I have attempted to train mine, but it still keeps peeing oil on the garage floor! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tom Fremont Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 Thinking about a boot rack for TR4.....any ideas which is best? Since you ask - http://i400.photobucket.com/albums/pp84/im...NTVALLEY262.jpg http://i400.photobucket.com/albums/pp84/im...15L9-6-8007.jpg These are AMCO, probably the best of the repros of the factory item ( and possibly superior thereto ). Available in repro-repro from Moss, etc. for equivalent functionality ( if not appearance ) and they don't require additional holes ( at least in the U.S. - they match the number plate hole spacing ). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Badfrog Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 Hi Badfrog,As a teenager I toured Italy with my old man, a model of tact and diplomacy. He couldn't resist observing on a regular basis, in passable Italian, that it didn't feel right driving round without a mounted Bren - not an observation that always endeared us to the locals . . . . Sometime after Anzio in 1944 he'd commandeered a vast open Lancia DiLambda, his blokes equipping it with Bren and PIAT, one of each to the front and to the rear. Evidently an effective and speedy 'hit'n'run' machine, until it met its end in a close encounter with a Tiger, a pyrrhic victory which nevertheless succeeded in closing a significant road. A Tiger with its tracks blown off being a hard bit of kit to shift. Post-WW2 he became an Inspector of Taxes, which must prove something !! Cheers, Alec Hi Alec, Nice story. Matter of fact there is quite a number of heavy calibers that would look good on a TR, provided they'd belong to the recoilless persuasion or that shooting while cornering would be avoided. The Lambda vs Tiger encounter would make a great movie scene. Very inspirational. Concerning your Dad's post-war job, it is rather uncanny that he went from "hit and run" to "stand and deliver". Just shows life is full of surprises. Please attribute this nasty comment to the fact that I just paid my "IRS second share" last week and that ISF is coming down next week. I'm not really pro-taxes lately. Will have a stiff one tonite, Cheers, Badfrog, Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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