Bringing a TVR into switzerland?

[RLCCM]

Hi I've been out here a year now, and am thinking of bring my TVR over from the UK... but a few questions of practicality may get in the way:

1. Where can a TVR be serviced in switzerland (Canton Vaud/Geneva)? largely curious as the things do have occasional issues, most often the battery, which has a habit of dieing... or are there other small garages which may be able to manage such smaller issues as this?

2. Are there any rules on noise at all? Dont want to get in too much trouble for it.... afterall it will wake up half the town in the mornings!!

Any thoughts?

[WelshBoyo]

Might want to ask User Brem as he is the Vice-Chairman Swiss TVR Car Club

[smilerbaker]

good luck with the noise, our mg zs180 was only just on the limit, my old tvr s2 makes the mg sound like a tesla

[RLCCM]

Well at this point I have no real in tention to switch it to Swiss plates... I would intend to run it on english plates for the year before rethinking that aspect... so its more a case of whether people will complain bitterly! That said, its good to know about the noise restrictions, incase switching becomes a necessity

[smilerbaker]

RLCCM said:

Well at this point I have no real in tention to switch it to Swiss plates... I would intend to run it on english plates for the year before rethinking that aspect... so its more a case of whether people will complain bitterly! That said, its good to know about the noise restrictions, incase switching becomes a necessity

ah, in that case you'll be fine

[ChrisMCoupe]

RLCCM said:

Well at this point I have no real in tention to switch it to Swiss plates... I would intend to run it on english plates for the year before rethinking that aspect

I could be wrong but would also like clarification on this, but doesn't the 1 year rule apply to how long you have been over here and not your car? A guy at work has said I can't simply bring my car here on English plates for up to a year because I have been here much longer?

[RLCCM]

interesting, you may be right, I'm not sure honestly, but I thought the year applied if you owned the car before moving here or not. Will have to check on that...

[smilerbaker]

unless you show them your permit instead of your passport, they wouldn't know how long you have been here

[JMGS4]

ChrisMCoupe said:

RLCCM said:

Well at this point I have no real in tention to switch it to Swiss plates... I would intend to run it on english plates for the year before rethinking that aspect

I could be wrong but would also like clarification on this, but doesn't the 1 year rule apply to how long you have been over here and not your car? A guy at work has said I can't simply bring my car here on English plates for up to a year because I have been here much longer?

The year starts when YOU enter CH and your car AND LICENSE must be swiss within 1 year. NB you are NOT allowed to drive a non-swiss registered car (except a hire car) on a swiss license in Switzerland after the year... my daughter has just moved from Germany and had various problems about this. Apparently they can be VERY pedantic about it!

ALSO re TVR exhausts... about 8 years ago I was thinking of buying one and as the only German importer was over 700kms away, I went to the then Swiss importer in Embrach (or Embraport) near Zürich. He said there were a LOT of modifications that he had to make, including a complete new exhaust system, to make the car meet Swiss regulations and MFK.
I'd check with a TVR owner or specialist before you get anything done or import the vehicle.

Edited by JMGS4 on Thursday 25th March 09:36

[RLCCM]

thanks thats very helpful indeed. I might have to rethink on the TVR, I dont like the idea of changing exhausts etc... I have a good while left though before my year is up, so maybe I will brng it out temporarily.

[AndrewD]

Is your TVR especially loud?
Plenty of grunty cars in Switzerland I can assure you, not sure why a TVR would be in trouble particularly?

[ChrisMCoupe]

Does anyone know how these noise tests are done? Is it at tickover, or full chat or an average etc?

From memory TVR's are pretty loud even at tickover, whereas some finer 10/12 cylinder machinery are very loud under load but not so much at tickover?

[RLCCM]

The TVR is a loud beast, they all are pretty much... its half the fun of them! Perhaps not wnidow shattering, but certainly children waking!!

And yes, does anyone actually know how they test noise?

[carbon14]

well, I guess that the MOT will have a very close look at your car before granting the plates. It depends a bit of the type of TVR it is, if the model has been officialy given a "type number". IMO only the griff and chim have such ID (hence detailled description where the MOT would look for).
about noise, yes they would react if too loud (happened to me) - I had to exchange the JP exhaust for the Swiss model.
what model is it ?
C14

[so called]

I had a 6 month work permit for work in Switzerland and was based just outside Solothurn.
6 months in my TVR wedge with out complaint and the occasional friendly "Is it a Delorean ?".

[swissrob]

i was here for 5 years using my car before i officially regestered it, just imported it at the basel border and all was fine.

[RossMac]

RLCCM said:

Hi I've been out here a year now, and am thinking of bring my TVR over from the UK... but a few questions of practicality may get in the way:

1. Where can a TVR be serviced in switzerland (Canton Vaud/Geneva)? largely curious as the things do have occasional issues, most often the battery, which has a habit of dieing... or are there other small garages which may be able to manage such smaller issues as this?

2. Are there any rules on noise at all? Dont want to get in too much trouble for it.... afterall it will wake up half the town in the mornings!!

Any thoughts?

I dropped you an email about bringing a TVR into CH. Did you get it? I did the same two years ago and can give you some pointers