Hi

Just a quick query, does anyone know whether A-Framing a car in France is legal or not?

Also has anyone had experience of the French CT process? I think you have to have the car insured first to take it to a CT station, so what happens if it fails? Can you drive it home again? How long do they give you to fix the car?

Cheers for any advice

Matt

Right - A Frames are a very grey area.

But I have used one (still have it) and all I did was run a couple of magnetic rear lights to the back of the car. I also put a big sign on the back "En Remoque". I A framed it for 400km past Gendarme, Police etc etc. Even on the autoroutes.

Just like the big campers A Framing their Smart cars etc. You should be fine.

If you are driving on the roads, you need insurance. You can insure on the Carte Gris you get at the sale. Thing is, that the owner should not be selling the car if it does not have a CT (that is the law) but as we all know, put in a few words in the ad and they get away with it - in fact I have only bought one car with a CT.

So get your CT, if they fail it you have 2 months to take it back. You do not get a sticker but you still get the paperwork. I pushed my Traction off the trailer and into the test centre - it failed on everything, but I had the certificate to take to the Prefecture so I could change the Carte Gris into my name.

I am quite a master at getting Carte Gris and CTs now.... even if I say so myself

Hmmm

Yes this is an interesting one. I asked some French 2cv'ers about buying a project in France and they responded "Why would you buy a car without a CT?"

To them it seems a strange concept. However a car's CT might just expire and the owner not get it re CT'd e.g if the owner died and put the car in his garage or if the car was just parked up recently.

Sensible head would say put it on a trailer and just transport it back, however we are considering keeping this car in France as holiday transport albeit in a different department.

Either way I may bring it to the UK for any resto work it needs as I have the contacts here. Either way I'd need to get it up to CT standard and registered in Dept 59.

There is no problem getting a CT if you can do the work.

For the Carte Gris you need the CT certificate, the sales certificate (done at the time of purchase, print these off the internet), an EDF bill or certificate of residence, your passport and also the form to request the Carte Gris. If you have all of these then no problem at all.

If you are not into old cars then your French friends are correct, you would n't touch a modern car without a CT but an old car in its juice or for restoration then it is hard to find one with a CT, as I said the only car I found that I could drive away was our 4L that was a plumbers car and I got is so cheap as he did not know the value, specially road worthy value.

You can register it in 59 but the number plates now last for the life time of the car where ever you move or live. It would be easier to import a car in your own name into the UK other than someone else so even if it doesn't pass the CT you can still get the Carte Gris (find a nice CT garage)

Hopefully the plan is that if we insure it in my French soon to be Mother in law's name and we take it in for a CT local to the seller.

Hopefully it will sale through (with a bit of prep) and we can then either bring it back in stages under its own steam through France or get it transported up to 59 to register it there.

It will need new plates as its still on old Department ones.

Congrats Matt

Cheers Chap, should have asked her much sooner. Trying to convince French side of family that hiring a brewery for the Wedding reception is a good idea as they are practically on the Belgian border. Problem is you need a brewery with accommodation nearby as most beer round that area starts at 8% and goes upwards.

Wedding car likely to be either the rebuilt 2CV or the Ami 8 no idea yet...whatever works and has tax/fuel on the day maybe.

Re the CT

You have 2 months to fix the faults it failed on and it can be legally driven on the road as long as it had a current CT when tested, if it has been laid up for a while ie no current CT and it fails it cannot be legally used on the road.
The re-test if needed will only apply to the failures, not a full re-test if done within the 2 month time frame.
Mark

can i get a ct on a pony?

Depends on the pony.
How are its teeth?



Does it have a dodgy colour scheme?



and so on...