steveg
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,548
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I really am loosing the plot a bit but I have seen a very nice car for sale but it's LHD !
I have all of the parts to do it and the only mods to the bulkhead will involve cutting out an area where the pedal box / steering column exits. I'm fairly confident actually doing it will be very easy but haven't delved into what the DVLA will say. I have asked the insurance company I am with and they say it will be OK as long as I get a report done.
Has anyone been silly enough to do this and got away with no more than telling the DVLA and them sending a new logbook out or is it a major nightmare.
If it turns out it won't be a huge problem it will involve a road trip and modification thread if that in any was compensation for asking silly questions, cheers.
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steveg
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,548
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The other thing to make it very complicated is that it's a J import. I haven't looked into it yet but the dealer selling the car said it will take about 2 weeks to register the car and it will come with a new MOT. Do they need to have an SVA check as well ?
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THE_Liam
Yorkshire and The Humber
If at first you don't succeed... HAMMERS.
Posts: 1,363
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A J import? How come its LHD? Was it imported to Japan from somewhere else?
It terms of a report, they usually just need an engineers report that the conversion is sound and done to a professional standard.
Do you have to convert it? LHD is pretty easy to get used to to be honest.
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steveg
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,548
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It's an Astra, I don't know quite why it was LHD but apparently having wrong side drive over there makes the car stand out !?
I wouldn't normally bother but for an early car, engine , spec and the condition it's so much better then anything thats been in the UK for years. The only cost will be my time and that shouldn't be much, famous last words.
The biggest pain with all this is the possible official intervention that might involve expensive inspections.
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I would say sort out DVLA and get on the road legally as LHD before attempting conversion. That way you are registering a 100% standard LHD import whereas if you change to RHD before registering they MIGHT class it as modified and therefore demand BIVA test / Q reg (modified monocoque).
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steveg
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,548
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I would say sort out DVLA and get on the road legally as LHD before attempting conversion. That way you are registering a 100% standard LHD import whereas if you change to RHD before registering they MIGHT class it as modified and therefore demand BIVA test / Q reg (modified monocoque). Thanks, I think I would have to do that as I need to drive it home. The insurance company made less fuss about it then when I said I have fitted an auto in a car which was a bit of a shock..
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steveg
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,548
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Well I don't know if this will go much furthur. I just did a Google street view of the garage selling the car and it's on the forecourt ! Google says that picture was taken in November 2012. I asked them about it and they have had it sat there on the garage forecourt since ! I don't know but really think a road trip in a car thats been sat for that long is going to end up on a recover truck, the salesman said it would be fine though !
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barty
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,088
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there are loads and loads of mk1 escort being imported over to our shores from all over the world now as the price of the uk ones are going through the roof so i guess there are many convertions out there, the obvious thing is to get a donor car. Legally i guess its been done so many times there shouldnt be too much of a problem
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