# insuring and driving a skyline 32 gtr in Barcelona and/or spain ?



## anthonymcgrath (Feb 22, 2005)

hey guys can anyone help me out with this one?

I've got a 32gtr - its going to be having a full engine build and remap in may this year.

I'm wanting to take it over to Barcelona but is anyone in Spain driving a skyline or are they impossible to get insured? really stumped on this one and would like to know or hear from any spanish skyline owners out there?

thanks :wavey:
Ant


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## Skylife22 (Apr 16, 2015)

Interestin, but I don't know


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## Rb25mark (Feb 16, 2015)

Hi Ant its Tilly from SOC. 

Are you moving to spain or just going there for a trip/while?? My insurance covers me to drive in europe for up to 30 days... Depends on if you mean permanently


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## Rb25mark (Feb 16, 2015)

Check with your insurers


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## anthonymcgrath (Feb 22, 2005)

Heyup mate we're moving out there permanently as far as I can see so I'm wanting to see if I can get it insured over there really. Insurers here won't sort me out with annual insurance on it (bet if I wave enough cash they do) but I just wanted to see if ppl have em insured out there and how they get on?


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## Rb25mark (Feb 16, 2015)

So really without teaching you how to suck eggs, You need to be calling a few spanish insurance companys and having the crack with them i think. Im not sure how spanish insurance works, By looking at there cars you wouldnt think anyone has insurance. Every single car on the road out there has dings in every panel


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## anthonymcgrath (Feb 22, 2005)

Yeah i can get me missus to do that as she's from Barcelona but just wanted to see if there's anyone on here an if they have one on the road out there. I have heard that there is a few but it's difficult to get em out there


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## anthonymcgrath (Feb 22, 2005)

And yeah every car is bashed up out there but plan is to have it as Sunday fun drive so no plans beyond driving it out an about then garaging it back up


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## bkvj (Feb 13, 2006)

GT-R Register - Nissan Skyline and GTR Owners Club forum - View Profile: hpt_simon

Might be worth PMíng Simon. He's got an R32 GTR out there, and he's close to Barcelona!

I'd quite like to live out there again to be honest! No shortage of absolutely stunning roads.


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## anthonymcgrath (Feb 22, 2005)

Ah cheers mate I'll give him a bell it would be ace if I can take one out there an keep


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## matty32 (Dec 18, 2005)

Have you seen the state of driving in barcelona? especially around the arts hotel

lol

go in something which will survive a few dinks in the door

great roads tho


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## anthonymcgrath (Feb 22, 2005)

matty32 said:


> Have you seen the state of driving in barcelona? especially around the arts hotel
> lol
> go in something which will survive a few dinks in the door
> 
> great roads tho


That's the whole point I won't be commuting or taking it into town to be parked up for the day. It'll be garaged and only driven when I want to take it out for drives  proper driving only car


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## bkvj (Feb 13, 2006)

Wondering if there's any update on this?


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## anthonymcgrath (Feb 22, 2005)

Funny enough just been speaking to one of wife's Spanish friends out here (I moved to spain 4 weeks ago) who is a mechanical engineer and he's given me some info so I'll update soon just busy with snotchops and his autism :/


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## hpt_simon (May 20, 2006)

Hi , was just told about this post.

insuring in spain is no problem, just a bit had for someone willing to make a custom quote, as they do not have skylines on their database (i used winthertur, as i have a family friend working there, and i was paying 450euros if i remmeber right at age of 24, thrid party fire theft) in castelldefels area)

only fiddly part is you need to register the car in spain it to be able to get spanish insurance (as uk does not do 12 months out of uk insurance, only 3 months green card if i remember correctly), nor does spanish insure a uk plated car, unless you have green plates (you get given these when your going through registering procedure, lasst for 3 months, as spain is not the fastest doing this) 

best way to import and register, is get the uk, paper part for export of your cars paperwork, go to barcelona traffic department -la campana-(or do it though an importer, wich will cost around a grand), and get the residency change import paperwork, meaning you wont have to pay tax, nor homologation, as its you personal vehicle you bring back from uk, you will need to have lived outside spain for at least 1 year and have the car registered to your name 6 months minimum too.
you would be then given your provisional green plates, so you can insure and go try pass an mot called -itv-(spain is stupidly anal and ignorant in this department), they will cheque the basics, test noise, brakes and a few things (its good to import this way, as apart from not having to pay tax or import duties, you can register your car with , seats , wheels, brakes, engine , etc, wich normaly would be illegal over here)

pm me if you need anything else


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## bkvj (Feb 13, 2006)

Moving out there myself tomorrow, will be just south in Vila Nova, so not far of Simon. 

Trackday 21st of may at Catalunya, bloody cheap it seems, especially compared to here (day at Zandvoort starts at euro 200+ for an evening session, Catalunya just euro 45 for what looks like all day!).


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## anthonymcgrath (Feb 22, 2005)

Great advice. The main issue for me was that I couldn't source headlights for a 32gtr that handle right hand drive roads. Apparently not available for gtr I was told?

Either way more than anything else it sounds like the police there are just jobs worths anyhow and I'd prob be stopped for simply sitting in it

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## bkvj (Feb 13, 2006)

anthonymcgrath said:


> Great advice. The main issue for me was that I couldn't source headlights for a 32gtr that handle right hand drive roads. Apparently not available for gtr I was told?
> 
> Either way more than anything else it sounds like the police there are just jobs worths anyhow and I'd prob be stopped for simply sitting in it
> 
> Sent from my SM-G920W8 using Tapatalk


That's depressing. Especially since I don't speak the language, so chatting to them will be...difficult. Not in a GTR as yet, though. 

Ask some of the Scandinavian members here who seem to have converted their headlights to LHD.


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## anthonymcgrath (Feb 22, 2005)

I know a guy out there with a Silvia. Old guy.. doesn't drive it fast but is stopped nearly every time to be checked. He lives in a village of 1800 ppl where my wife is from too.
What annoys me is a tatty tractor can roar around town causing utter racket and generally being obnoxious blocking up small roads and downright dangerous when ppl leave them in town idling away for an hour for any kid to psiss about with. Yet a guy with a Silvia is the culprit because his exhaust burbles a bit louder than normal

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## bkvj (Feb 13, 2006)

Well I arrived a few weeks back and so far it's been all positive. First tried to get internet via Vodafone, as my previous experience with Telefonica/movistar 10 years ago was terrible. Vodafone was happy to sell me a package which would take 2 hours to activate, then 2 days, then on monday, and on monday it would take up to 21 days. Err. Cancel. Telefonica response time was brilliant, and now happy with 300mbs connection. 

Cars wise I haven't had a single problem yet, even though I have been driving...enthusiastically. Granted, no spastic exhaust on my E34 but it does have a different manifold and stock ''sports'' exhaust. In fact, the only place where I've had trouble was on the drive down in France. The lead car had a flat, so we pulled over. Hostile gendarmes soon come to what I presume at first was some help or check if everything was alright, but all they wanted to do was pull my car apart before leaving. Presumably to strike. Got pulled over twice more by Gendarmes, last one was at the very last toll booth where again they pulled my car apart. Lead car was in Spain in a lay by for 10 minutes already before I could depart! Whole fiasco took over 20 minutes. Hope there weren't any speed cameras in the latter part of france as I suspect I'm not welcome in France anymore if so. Made it to Spain, and the aforementioned lay bye in 5 minutes flat... 

Things to note: Parking spaces/garages are absolutely tiny and not something I remembered from my previous stay. Car has already sustained some extra damage from a less considerable parking enthousiast. Glad it's only an E34, but still.


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## anthonymcgrath (Feb 22, 2005)

Yeah they really don't care about bumpers put there or wing mirrors. God help you if you park with wheels turned out.

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## bkvj (Feb 13, 2006)

anthonymcgrath said:


> Yeah they really don't care about bumpers put there or wing mirrors. God help you if you park with wheels turned out.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G920W8 using Tapatalk


Indeed

I tried searching but can't find any evidence: Is the average speed measured between toll road booths? Can't see any mention on it and only the warning when a camera approaches. Kept it easy through France as I like having a license, but in Spain on the toll roads I was passed by several Spanish registered cars going quite a bit faster than my 140-150kph, so I assumed the average speed between toll booths is gone (if it ever got here)?


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## anthonymcgrath (Feb 22, 2005)

My wife is from Barcelona.. we go back often.. and she said she's never heard of anyone being done for going over average speed. She's heard of ppl stopped by police who can be jobs worths for a few kph over. Her mom only recently.

Oh they also love using copters to watch you on your phones too so bear that in mind! And not just phones they ticket for eating and drinking whilst driving! Smoking they don't tho of bloody course.

She says the tolls are there purely to make money.. she's never heard of them being used as average speed check points.

The police LOVE to hide on small roads.. do a few kph over and they give chase. They also hit you for going from a 60 to a 40 for example.. you need to be at 40 when you pass those signs!

Jobsworths

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## bkvj (Feb 13, 2006)

anthonymcgrath said:


> My wife is from Barcelona.. we go back often.. and she said she's never heard of anyone being done for going over average speed. She's heard of ppl stopped by police who can be jobs worths for a few kph over. Her mom only recently.
> 
> Oh they also love using copters to watch you on your phones too so bear that in mind! And not just phones they ticket for eating and drinking whilst driving! Smoking they don't tho of bloody course.
> 
> ...


Yes seen them a few times already at a 70 to 50 spot. Good to hear they're not doing the average speed thing...

Don't use my phone whilst driving except as a sat nav, generally have a play list of music too so no issues but all helpful stuff.

The eating/drinking and fines, that brings back memories from Africa when I got done for drinking and driving....for sipping coffee! I tried to explain to him what drinking and driving meant but he refused to understand until he got his pocket money from me .


How's your search or conversion for LHD lights going?


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## dar1 (Jul 4, 2010)

hi i am an english citizen living in france , i own a r33 gtr and i needed to convert my headlights to lhd beams ....

i could recommed you to contact a guy in france who lived in spain for around 10 years and imported a few gtrs in to spain and got them registered .

his facebook page is " gtr import " he is now based outside of paris but i am sure he can help you out registering yours.


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## sticker (Jan 27, 2013)

anthonymcgrath said:


> hey guys can anyone help me out with this one?
> 
> I've got a 32gtr - its going to be having a full engine build and remap in may this year.
> 
> ...


If you want to stay in Spain with the vehicle over an unbroken 6 months period (how would they check? Barcelona is only a couple of hours from France.), then you will have to register the car in Spain, pay taxes on it if you are not importing it as private goods in a removal to Spain, put it through the MOT (ITV), which means complying with the law in Spain for lights and so on, and look for a quote. Direct Line exist in Spain, although I don't know if your car is out of their quote register. Otherwise, there is AXA and Alliance, along with most banks who offer insurance (as agents). I would recommend an insurance agent. I have an R35, full no claims bonus for more than donkey's years, the car is garaged, and I pay about 1000 (Euros) fully comprehensive with the first 300 (Euros) deducted. If you have an address in the middle of the city, expect to pay more. 

Otherwise, get a green card from your existing UK insurer.


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