Across USA road trip

Hello John,
Sounds a great trip BUT if it were me my car would would be in a container and on its way to the states with a new distributor and a new carb good luck.
 
M2M is correct about the restrictions placed on visitors trying to do anything in the US. I gave up on a few things a while ago for that reason. I was not planning an adventure like yours but sometimes, no matter what you do, the ducks cannot be aligned unless you have the generous help of a US citizen.
As an example of how many Americans don't understand, I was in negotiations a while back to buy a car. When I asked for the vendor's bank account numbers so I could transfer the money, he refused, saying he was told not to trust a foreigner. I pointed out to him that I was dealing with a foreigner myself (him). He didn't get it and I didn't buy the car.
All that said, M2M's advice about talking to someone who has done long distance touring is good and I can confirm he knows what he is talikng about. I have known him from before he did his big trip. I have made a few myself.
If you can win the help of a local, I say DO IT. I have found that generally, Americans are helpful and polite people.
Good luck with your plans and please keep us informed.
 
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Good Morning All, ( well, it is morning here). Thank you for all your help and offers; as I feared- being a non USA resident puts several bureaucratic problems at the forefront. Mechanicals I can cope with, Officialdom presents more of a challenge. Obviously a lot of planning ahead.
 
Registration is not a problem for you. A simple LLC, limited liability company, can be set up in the US. The LLC can legally be owned by you, a non-US citizen, and the Model A can be titled in the name of the LLC. For example, the filing fee in Virginia to create an LLC is $100 and it is quick and easy. The LLC will also give you a US address to use for registration, etc. You will just need a lawyer who is a Model A owner to set it up for you at no charge- I think I know of one!

On the insurance, you may have to check with “regular” insurers such as State Farm, Progressive, and Nationwide as the collector car insurers have more restrictions on use. The collector car insurers are more focused on show cars, limited use, garaged cars, where the insured has other vehicles for everyday transportation.

Best of luck!
 
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John,


Considering your dream cruise, you'll enjoy
Tom Cotter's 'Ford Model T Coast to Coast, A Slow Drive Across a Fast Country'.


Yes, driving with the windshield open in summer has the added benefit of collecting larger bugs.......


Enjoy both, JB
 
Read the book "Another Fine Mess" by Tim Moore. He is an Englishman who drove a Model T across the USA quite recently. The book is printed in the UK and is a real good read.
 
I would take a MAFCA roster along on your journey so you could call for help and/or parts if needed. Most Model A'ers would be more than happy to help you, you might even get some free room and board on occasion.
 
Good Luck with your Trip John

Have a word with John Charlton He is on this site and has a place in Arizona ,
for a non Resident Brit he seems to buy a few cars !!
Who knows he might even sell you one

You should buy that book "Another Fine Mess "very informative about travel in the USA
 
Good Morning John...at least it is here! My wife is a McPaul from Kilbeggan, Ireland and has Buckley's in her family tree...perhaps you are related? You will like John Charlton, he is cool and hangs out in Chandler, Arizona some of the time. I would suggest that you contact MARC and MARCA the two national/international Model A Clubs and see what help they can be with the correct route to travel and help along the way, if needed. They may even be able to help with the purchase or lease of a capable Model A for you to take on the trip. You might also speak with Jonathan Klinger who is a Vice President at Haggerty Insurance and a Model A Guy of many , many miles. He once had to drive his car every place he went for a year, for work. Give him a call. PM me if you with his cell number...If you land in Arizona, you have a room...Ernie in Arizona
 
Jim Brierley said:
I would take a MAFCA roster along on your journey so you could call for help and/or parts if needed. Most Model A'ers would be more than happy to help you, you might even get some free room and board on occasion.
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We tried that a few years ago when we drove east to west in a modern car. We drove a modern car but wanted to catch up with Aers as we went. The info was very out of date in many cases. Clubs changed their contact details without updating the register. We only connected with 2 out of 7 attempts and one of those was by chance only.
We were disappointed we didn't make more contacts as those we did, were the icing on the cake. How much better would it have been with more?
 
Make sure you get a list of the clubs along your route in case you run into trouble you can't handle. good luck wish i the guts to do it.
 
A trip accross Australia might be easier. The distance is the same and we drive on the correct side of the road. We also speak English more like you.:D:confused:
 
Synchro909 said:
OK, T.op to bottom then!
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Done it in a 29 phaeton and got the tshirts -- Adelaide, Alice, Darwin, Broome, Perth, Nullabor, Adelaide, followed by Adelaide Bathurst Brisbane- Followed acouple of years later by Birdsville in a 4x4 :) enough for any pom.:) time for another cotinent
 
I did it way back in '05. Was a relatively simple process then. A friend who shipped his car out with mine kept it in CA and titled it, only brought it home late last year, told me he couldn't keep it out there any longer as it was no longer possible to insure it without a US drivers licence.
 
Synchro909 , sorry you couldn't have done better with contacts, but I still recommend it. MAFCA updates their roster yearly, so should be somewhat close on info.
 
Jim Brierley said:
Synchro909 , sorry you couldn't have done better with contacts, but I still recommend it. MAFCA updates their roster yearly, so should be somewhat close on info.
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Jim,
Maybe MAFCA has changed it processes. As I said, my experience was a few years ago and the contacts we were able to make were excellent.
 
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