French Lycoming- Adventures in Importing
A few months back a Lycoming 0-360-A3A appeared in the classifieds from a fellow in France. Someone didn't get a reply from their inquiry to him and posted his dissatisfaction in that thread. One or 2 others smelled blood and questioned his integrity. The fellow posted a reply apologizing and explaining his schedule was hectic and also fired back at his detractors. I liked that.
I had inquired about this engine but dropped it when I found it was in France. Then after his reply I emailed him apologizing for his treatment in the thread and asked for more info on the engine. If we knew then.....
Initially, neither of us would budge on taking the plunge. I wouldn't send him money without the engine and he wouldn't send the engine without payment. This went on for about a month. Shippers would not send COD overseas. He wouldn't agree to any 3rd parties I suggested. I finally sent him a picture of my wife and her horse captioned "why I'm buying a USED engine" and a picture of my project. Also the phone number of where I've worked for 23 years if he wanted to inquire about me there. He sent back a picture of his family in front of their hangar. And caved in saying he would ship me the engine. Then caved and said I'd pay half and half on delivery.
Then came the darkest times.... The crate he made was rejected because the wood wasn't stamped "fungus and bacteria resistant". He welding together another. UPS didn't work out. He put down a deposit with a shipping company (as in ships). Then for reasons too complicated to explain, went back with UPS shipping "salvage parts" to the US. Finally, it shipped (flew). Then Customs put a hold on it. And Officer Ward was on the case. First, she asked me if I was "stalking her" after my 2nd or 3rd call. Then said they would have to inspect the cargo at the UPS warehouse. Later that day, I was on the way to work and she called, saying "we are refusing entry into the US and shipping the cargo back to France at your expense". After I finally squeeked out "Why?", and she said "gotcha, didn't I? You can come pick up the forms clearing the carge for entry." I did. I'm very happy.
Now Nicolas has a new job and may be flying into the US. I'm hoping he'll come by to see the engine he had so much trouble getting here. And I told him if he needed a reference on anything else he was selling stateside to use me. His dogged persistence in seeing this through was very impressive.
Jerald King
Tucson RV8- canopy
Last edited by jaypee : 04-25-2011 at 01:26 PM.
Reason: Clarity
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