Vehicle scrapped: what to do?
 

Hello
New to the group, have had a browse around and it appears the temporary vehicle import process has recently been revised, so it might all be different now:(
Anyway, to the point, worse case scenario and my car Peugeot 807 is not mendable in time, what options are there?
Currently the engine is out. Initial problem was a blocked injector, which are notoriously difficult to remove.
I'm still hopeful that it can be put back together, but just in case........

Fingers crossed it can be fixed. Moroccan mechanics are very resourceful!

If it does get scrapped you will need to visit the nearest customs office and get it cleared from you passport etc. You’ll have to pay import duty on the value of the vehicle. When one of my group lost a Landcruiser in a fire he had to pay 2300dH import on the wreckage (by all accounts that was very very cheap)

I’m guessing slightly here, but you may need an official report stating that it has been scrapped. Expect a couple of days of headaches with the authorities.

Alternatively get it transported out of Morocco and scrap it in Spain


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That's very helpful, thanks.
My natural optimism and faith in the resourcefulness of local mechanicos is waning.
Would be a shame, and headache, to scrap car, even though it was only worth a £1000 in UK, for the sake of special tool. Then there's getting myself, wife and dog home. Hmmmm, quite a few permutations.

Can you get another good injector? Then drill and tap the old one out ...

Alternatives ... another motor? Just the engine.

If you are a member of ADAC, they will get your vehicle out of Morocco if it is out of action

As the engine has other issues as well, now considering a second hand engine

Wish I was....
That's the benefit of hindsight and cost of spontaneity.....

ADAC stopped taking U.K. members a couple of years ago. I’ve also heard they may have stopped the repatriation service now


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Duty and procedure for importing spare engine.....?
 

Hello again,
Sorry about all the recent newbie posts....
Following up the replacement engine option. Found plenty in Europe, guaranteed and compatible, but then there's shipping costs and possible import charges.

Decisions, decisions..... good job I like to keep my brain active, accumulating yet more information, whilst lounging in the sun:Beach:

Any insights and similar problems solved welcome:helpsmilie:

I have brought a "spare" engine and gearbox in the rear a few times. Customs accepted that.
Better buy in Spain than Morocco I would say. Still a risky deal. And tiresome. I would probably dump the car, and negotiate with customs.

Thanks for sharing.
Having large dog with us doesn't help logistics. Would still need to get a car in Spain, in order to get back to uk.
The universe will provide a solution, of sorts, in due course, I'm sure.
Car currently has engine out, so half way there, in a way....

Hello Ian:

Although I am in Morocco at the moment (just rode up from Dakhla to Laayoune today), I'm not an expert on Moroccan customs procedures.

What I do know, though, from decades of working overseas in the aviation industry, is that most countries recognize that occasionally someone or some entity needs to 'temporarily' import a part in order to repair a piece of equipment (in my case, aircraft).

Sometimes, it is sufficient to state that the part is coming into the country in order to effect a repair on a moving object (vehicle, aircraft, ship) that will then leave the country as soon as the repair is carried out. In such cases, you just explain the situation to the customs officer (or to your customs broker), and the part comes in without tax or duty.

Sometimes it is necessary to either post a bond for the duty that would be paid if the part is not exported, or pay the duty up front and then apply for remission of the duty once you have proved that the part has left the country.

I suggest that you contract a customs broker in Morocco (one who has an office in the city you are in, and is able to clear the shipment for you at the port of entry into Morocco) and ask them what the Moroccan protocol is for situations such as yours. That same broker will probably be able to assist you with whatever paperwork is necessary to prove that the engine you are leaving behind is scrap and of no commercial value.

Michael

Why bother taking it all the way to Spain? Just take it out of Morocco and push it off the ferry halfway across - that will save you time, money, and paperwork :)

Alternatively, just leave it behind on the boat when you arrive in Spain, and walk off...

That's brilliant and reassuring advice, thanks

I dealt with Customs in Dahkla a few years ago to retrieve a moto that had been left in official customs storage. They were very helpful and professional.
Many large towns will have a Bureau de Douanes. It seems Larache has an office. See Customs website
There is a daily charge for storage.
Elsewhere on HUBB I seem to remember reading it was possible to leave a vehicle at an airport (i.e not a customs warehouse) and only the keys were left with Customs. So it may be possible avoid or reduce storage costs. You do have a convincing case for leaving the car at the garage.

Duty and procedure for importing spare engine.....?
 

I know someone whose replacement clutch was apparently sat in Moroccan customs for 2 weeks being processed recently.

Having something sent to you could well take quite a while. If you go down the replacement parts route from Europe you might be better trying to find someone to bring it for you although a whole engine is pretty big

Peugeot’s are common in Morocco so sourcing parts should be possible there.

Maybe try calling a decent mechanic like Ali Nassir in Zagora and seeing if they can source a replacement and get it sent to where you are


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Thanks for that, we walked past the douane place yesterday and noted it for future reference... I'm still hopeful it won't come to that but time is running out....

Eeeek!
2 weeks? I'm sorry I keep forgetting this isn't EU, with frictionless borders. Though I have put word out for a man and van in Spain, anticipating slow delivery.

Apparently, we can't chuck any Peugeot Citroen engine in as it will then upset the ECU, which narrows it down.
Must be RHR DW10BTED4 engine codes 136hp 2.0hdi, in old money.
Thanks for the name of contact, I'll research phone number for him.

Has your "mechanic" destroyed the engine? Can you find a friendly garage back home with a suitable injector puller you could hire, and have someone fly out with it on a cheap carrier of your choice? (A la Lois Pryce's rescue mission to Austin Vince on Mondo Sahara with a piston and top-end rebuild kit for a Honda XR400)


Sorry, just read in your next thread down further issues with the engine.


Towing into Ceuta would be my next thought to get over the reexportation deadline, which would also remove customs duty issues with any spare parts you bring in.

All options still on the table.
I've learned today that what I'm doing is "parallel planning", which sounds more constructive than "head boiling......

Customs clearance for spare engine.....
 

I've bitten the bullet! Got the ball rolling...
Bought spare engine and arranged shipping to Morocco through a logistics company a friend works for. Mates rates. Works out same price/ cheaper than buying locally without the hassle of running about down the inevitable blind alleys.
Anyway, to the point. Larache customs officer was very helpful and kind but my questions were beyond his experience. He said that he will find out. I'm looking for a customs agent in the meantime.

I've read all sorts of horror stories about spares being held up for weeks and I'm very keen for that not to happen to us.

Is there a key phrase, document or whatever I need to be asking for?

Thanks in advance, internet is a bit slow today so my own independent research is compromised

Well, I've bitten the bullet, bought engine in UK and arranged shipping.
Douane officers in Larache were very sympathetic but needed to check, higher up the food chain, before giving a definite answer regarding " temporary import certificate" or whatever

Ian:

What you need is a licenced customs broker who can do the paperwork on your behalf.

You have a relatively complex transaction (temporary importation of a spare part that will be re-exported, along with abandonment of the component that the spare is replacing).

I think it is likely that the average customs official will not know, off the top of their head, how to deal with this to your best advantage. This is why you should get a customs broker.

Let me put it in context: If I was in my home country (Canada), where I speak the language and generally know the rules, and I had to do something similar (temporarily import an object, hopefully without duty & tax, and then re-export the object), I would contact a customs broker in Canada to handle this on my behalf... I would not try to do it myself.

I think that any horror stories that you may have heard about items getting hung up in customs for weeks probably arise because individuals who are unfamiliar with the process try to do the paperwork themselves.

For what it's worth...

Michael

That is the soundest advice I've had today, thank you!

As of yet, despite asking around and thorough search of the internet, none in Larache. Have contacted firms in Tangier and Casa.....

Temporary Admission of spare parts protocol....
 

Hello again....
I've had zero success finding a licensed customs or transit agent who is prepared to act on our behalf, as suggested in previous post.
I have found a page on the government website, that clearly states that it is possible to temporarily import spares to effect a repair without any duty payable.
This was news, I think, to the local douane in Larache.
Unfortunately, the guidance states that the process has to be initiated by an "assistance company" delegated by the tourist, rather than as an individual.
We phoned the recommended company and told that it wasn't possible, all he could arrange was being towed to Spain.
Back to square one, or minus square 1, as I've paid for an engine and arranged shipping from UK.....

Hmmmm,.....

Hi Ian,

As someone else mentioned, you could
1. Trailer/truck your vehicle to Ceuta frontier
2. No problem to export the vehicle
3. Source a replacement engine in Spain
4. Ship it to Ceuta - no customs issues
5. Get a garage in Ceuta to fit it
6. Re-enter Morocco - customs don't check engine numbers

Just my 2 pennorth.

Happy trails,

Peter

Maybe search for "freight forwarder" or "transport et logistique "
If you can't find one in Larache there're surely many in Tangiers.
Yellow Pages in MA might help too.

Thanks for that, Peter.
I rejected that plan because it all felt too difficult, with a wife and large dog in tow, and the engine already out.
Importing, though expensive, felt like the path of least resistance.
The dog has developed quite a fan base on has become famous on Farcebook....

I've probably emailed and or called a dozen companies now.
Then douane said that it was an assistance company we needed, matching the guidance on website. That company was only interested in taking me to Spain.
The finale, before close of business, was to instruct the bureau on back of "green Insurance card". They weren't interested because no RTA involved.
Really enjoying living here, for a while, but would enjoy it more if the engine I've paid for was on its way....

Recover vehicle to Ceuta
 

Hi Ian,

It's a lot easier and quicker than importing parts to Morocco as you can control each stage. No paperwork/customs procedures to deal with.
The most complicated bit is getting a man with a van to bring your engine from mainland Spain to Ceuta. Put some feelers out here and I'm sure someone will do it for a few quid.
Loads of tow trucks in Larache. Going rate to get to get you to Ceuta is around €100 including you, wife and dog!

Happy trails,

Peter

Temporary Admission of spare parts protocol.... assistance company
 

http://content://downloads/all_downloads/2559

I found this useful and clear guidance on the government website. The local douane advice was to instruct my "assistance company" to contact their Moroccan equivalent, they gave me a long list, in order to start the process.
All the organisations, so far, that I pay money to, that could possibly be described as an assistance company don't have a clue....

As for finding a licensed customs agent to see to the clearance, no joy there either so I'm passing that on to the UK courier :thumbup1:

I have no dog in this fight, just came across your misery.

Peter's advice is spot on, I don't understand why you keep rejecting it.
The 2 days you have spent on the phone trying to find some agent could have been used to have your car transported to Ceuta. That's the EU on the African continent, in case you forgot.

1. Car on a truck
2. Rent car for dog, follow truck.
3. Reroute shipped engine to Ceuta bound ferry.

Cheap, no agent needed, no customs involved, no fees.

Life can be so easy.beer

Thanks for taking the time to patronise me.
Perhaps you haven't, understandably, followed the whole story.
We are where we find ourselves now and dealing with it. certainly not in a state of misery and still enjoying a relatively easy life.
Earlier advice here suggested that temporary import of spare parts was covered by a protocol. Because we were living an easy life here, and have a mechanic we can trust, we chose that path.
My calculation was that if I could stay where I am, having a nice time, whilst the engine is swapped, that would be the best option.
If that doesn't work and I wanted towing anywhere, I'd use the open return on ferry ticket and abandon car in Spain. Not a problem.

So, for anyone else reading this, who might have an interest in Temporary Admission of spare parts..
The protocol is there, in black and white, it's not as simple as it first appears but if it works out I'll share the secret.
Thanks again for the support, apologies if I come over as somehow needy, we are actually quite resourceful and resilient

Ça va, mon pote? Any interesting developments?
I'm trying to generate some real sympathy for you but I see it's 16c and sunny in Larache every day his week. Lucky barsteward!

Hi Ian:

Do update us, we want to know if you will ever be able to leave Morocco, or if you will have to apply for Moroccan citizenship because your car died while you were there. :)

Michael

Hi Ian,

Lots of advice given by several folks to help solve your problem.

Any news?

Peter

Presumably you didn't take the car into Morocco on a carnet? If you did then leave the car and forgo the deposit. If you didn't then I realise that my next comment doesn't help, however this is the situation for which the carnet was intended...

Clearly no one noticed that Ian never came back and updated the thread over the last 18months.

I was always curious why the engine was so hard to source via one of the recommended mechanics or why getting the vehicle recovered to Europe was a non starter, both common situations in Morocco.

(Absolutely no need for a Carnet in Moroccodoh)

They don't seem to have a branch in Morocco. :rolleyes2:

Its a spam artist we had the same posts a few weeks ago from a "different" user

backofbeyond, warden, please reports spammers by clicking the https://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hu...ons/report.gif icon so ALL the moderators worldwide get an email and whoever is awake can deal with it quickly. The faster the scums links are gone the better.
It only takes a few seconds!
thanks!

Grant, I did report it and also the earlier one :thumbup1:

From my experience, the less developed a country is, the better they are at fixing old tech. I've seen cars in Lusaka, that looked like crumnpled tinfoil, be restored to good condition - with various craftsmen lined up along the street (curbside, not indoors), each with their own specialty (from welding, upholstery, painting, metal work, mechanical, electrical) - each taking their turn (I believe they were working for different employers, but one contractor overseeing it) - with the only thing being done in a shop being machining parts.

Myself I had a broken steering bearing that made it impossible to carry on. I spendt days trying to fit parts from other motorcycles and bicycles, as well as sourcing new parts that would work - too no avail. As the ball bearings were held in place by a a grate, no other solution than to source a new part from Europe would work. It ended up with them actually machining a new part for me. That new part held up for allmost ten years - including an Enduro Rally (Old Paris - Dakar Route).

In Europe it would have been a long shot to get someone to make me such a part - and it would have cost me a fortune and likely had taken months to get such a small and unimportant job (to them) done. In Africa it took a few hours, and all I paid was a box full of a good selection of cured meat.

To get to the point - your car is an old time favorite in Africa, and they know how to take it down from Atoms and put it back together. Also, Morocco has great crafts men and good acess to parts and donor vehicles. I would be hopeful if you are willing to pay for fast track - but also prepared that it could take a while (weeks?).

Its taken 18months so far..................................if you checked the date of the first postdoh

Crap - sorry.

Easier to bring the car out than necessary parts in I would assume?

Haha,easy mistake to make when a thread comes alive again.

Nobody knows what happened here, he should have been able to easily get parts and a repair or get it transported out of Morocco to Europe but we never heard from him

Hello again everyone I am back from the brink

Go on then Ian, put us out of our misery - tell us how it all worked out. :thumbup1:

Well fancy that. I spent an hour resetting password and writing a long and witty response and only the first line was published.
I'll start again then......


Several things happened at about the same time. The courier company didn't collect the replacement engine, we met the secretary of the district governor and a bloke in Spain asked me to drive his slight accident damage range rover back to UK.
With this new situation and inside knowledge I felt it too stressful to do engine swap, due to time constraints. Decided to have car put back together, towed to ferry and throw myself on mercy of Europe Rescue, or whatever they were called .
One of the mechanics customers, now a "Facebook friend ", describing himself as "top cop" negotiated the price of tow truck and shouted down the phone to someone at the port.
Tow truck driver was brilliant, drove us on to wrong ferry first, as a joke, before jumping the queue and unloading us on the correct one.

Arrived Spain middle of night, pushed car on to quayside and went to bed. Couple of hours later polite tap at window was police officer doing welfare check. Within half hour of phone call to rac, or whoever, breakdown truck arrived.
The deal with repatriating vehicles is that value of vehicle has to exceed cost of said repatriation, assessment and valuation of vehicle to be done by local expert at customers expense. I'd "let go" by now and didn't want to throw any more money at it.
Courtesy hire car was so small, it took 2 trips to decant our possessions from dead car to our friends up the coast.
The lowest point was when Range Rover man failed to make rendezvous as arranged, despite numerous calls and messages sorting out details. He just disappeared, blocked me, didn't return calls.

Couldn't take hire car out of country so gave half our stuff away and arranged for our friend in France, who had encouraged our mad escapade, to meet us at Barcelona Airport. Back to his place, leaving our stuff at his, then hire car to dieppe, where we boarded ferry with what we could carry and dog. The dieppe Newhaven crossing is the only one that allows foot passengers with a dog.
Arrived in fUK at pub closing time, hotel and train/rail replacement bus service home next day. Splendid holiday .

Manged without a car for several months, until someone gave me a Honda Jizz. Had every intention of returning to Larache in it lastJanuary but the beloved had to undergo surgery & chemo. Then there was Lockdown. Euro tunnel tickets now booked for this coming January.... .

Whew - quite a story!

It does say that anything can be sorted, one way or another!
Thanks for the update, and all the VERY best to your beloved on recovery.