[ilstratakis]

Hello all...

My mini and I travelled from America back to England about 6 months ago...The time has now come to register the car in England...

To do this, my car has to go through a test and some conversions have to be made.

From what I know some of the changes that have to be made are:

Different color indicators
Rear fog lamp
Different frequency for alarm system
Lights have to be aimed the other way


Does anyone know anything more about the above?

Do you know what other conversions have to be made?

Are these converstions difficult to do?

Please help!

[stryder]

Different Color Indicators? You sure about that?

Check the rear fogs thread for the info, that conversion is really easy, but if a dealer doesn't know what they're doing, they could charge an arm and a leg for something that should cost $75 plus 1/2 hour labor. Its only a new switch panel that includes the rear fog switch and reprogramming from CD 35 or later.

[rrypma]

Yeah, in the UK, they brake with orange lights and signal with reds. Didn't you know that?

[No Golf Clubs at all]

In the UK we have to do without those snazzy wheel arch lights. Some think that they are not road legal in the UK, I am not so sure as there are other cars such as Volvo s70s (I think) that have orange side lights.

Wish we could have the arch lights in the UK, I think they look way cool

[Paul]

Quote: Originally Posted by rrypma

Yeah, in the UK, they brake with orange lights and signal with reds. Didn't you know that?

No we don't. We brake with red and signal with orange.

[Rakey]

You will also need to move the steering wheel to the correct side and learn to drive on the correct side of the road too

[No Golf Clubs at all]

We also have big round junctions with numerous exits on then that you will have to negotiate! sorry ilstratakis think I can see that this thread is going to deteriorate into another hilarous "differences" discussion. Hey ho, hope you get more serious responses.

Oh yes you will also have to make sure you have smaller cup holders to be able to handle our smaller UK cup (and portion) sizes!!

[stryder]

Don't forget to go through the entire owner's manual, correcting all the references to 'color' to 'colour' and 'favorite to 'favourite'

I dono if the thread will deteriorate, its pretty simple anyway.

[Rakey]

You will also have to re-tune all your radio stations to some UK ones too

Oh and get into the habit of calling the hood the bonnet and the trunk the boot

yes this thread will simply deteriorate

[stryder]

Actually, the radio thing might be an issue. Aren't FM radio stations in Europe on the even decimals? like .0, .2, .4 etc? And US ones are on odd .1, .3 etc.

I don't remember and can't look, but doesn't the MINI radio skip the decimals no station can be on?

Start shopping for a tax disc holder! I hear they're quite the fashion accessory.

[Rakey]

LOL@stryder tax disc holder, accessory

we are on even numbers here

[rrypma]

Quote: Originally Posted by Paul Mullett

No we don't. We brake with red and signal with orange.

Hehe...I just coulndn't think of any possible signal differences so I just spouted some BS.

[moorlockx]

If you have a US spec car with the Xenon's you may have to change headlights, not just reaim them. Sitting in the driver's seat and looking at the beam of the lights, you'll see the top of the beam cut straight across the front, but angling up on the right side. In the US this works to put more light up the shoulder of the road. In the UK, though, this will just put more light in the eyes of oncoming traffic. The "proper" Uk pattern would angle up on the left.

Don't know what the pattern looks like for the non-xenon lights, so these may not be an issue.

Have you got tinted windows? If so, you may want to check the regs there, too.

[Racer]

Quote: Originally Posted by stryder

Actually, the radio thing might be an issue. Aren't FM radio stations in Europe on the even decimals? like .0, .2, .4 etc? And US ones are on odd .1, .3 etc.


I don't remember and can't look, but doesn't the MINI radio skip the decimals no station can be on?

Start shopping for a tax disc holder! I hear they're quite the fashion accessory.

I have this problem with my imported GMC - I can keep Radio1 on a trip but have to retune about every 4 minutes - It's liveable with on the whole as an occassional drive but would be a pain day to day - Having said that I imported a particular Kenwood HU before they were available in the UK and never had a problem - 'spose it will depend on the way the MINI rad' works

[paa100]

Quote: Originally Posted by No Golf Clubs at all

We also have big round junctions with numerous exits on then that you will have to negotiate! sorry ilstratakis think I can see that this thread is going to deteriorate into another hilarous "differences" discussion. Hey ho, hope you get more serious responses.

This is not normally a problem in a MINI. Just go round and round and round and round.

Oh, and change your tires for tyres too.

[No Golf Clubs at all]

I reckon that you should trade in your mini in the states. What is the cost of shipping the car over to the UK? plus the cost of all these unecessary conversions? plus other things tax related (if any, but if there are the government burglars will make sure you pay). So trade in stateside and buy another mini in the UK that is fully road legal, you also will have no hassles if you come to sell it in the EU. I mean who would buy a US import in the UK?

Remember also if the steering wheel is on the wrong side for the country you are in you are also going to have hassles in car parks, drive thro macdonalds blah de blah!

Save yourself the time, the hassle, the grief and disappointment sell your Mini in the US get top dollar, buy in the UK second hand or new if you can afford it.

Good Luck.

[stryder]

I dono, haven't we determined MINIs are way more expensive on an equal basis in the UK then in the US?

Shipping is only several hundred dollars by boat, and if all this thread has shown, it seems the only thing you need to change are headlights (maybe) and adding rear fogs.

I'm not sure about the tax issue, that's probably the big thing.

But you never know, I think it'd be horrible if you moved to the UK and weren't able to go through any McDonalds drive throughs You'd be forced to eat real food

or walk inside.

[No Golf Clubs at all]

The car park issue IS a pain though, I drive on the continent each year and that is an inconvienience a small one though.

Trouble really is when you come to sell it. you will not find it that easy to get rid. I had a 3 series bought in Holland in 1998, built to the exact UK specification as any other 3 series for UK market. It was EU type approved and the only difference was the dealers name on the ownership document (v5?). The dealers treated it with suspicion come trade in, I never got one serious enquiry from private buyers. Theory is, why buy an import when you can get the real thing for the same money.

My concerns is that you will go to the bother of import pay whatever it costs to convert it, but at heart it will still be some dodgy imported car !! Jeez I know that this sounds ridiculous cos the car is built in the UK but the dealers are really funny about imports in my experience.

A lot of UK buyers sick of high UK prices buy on the continent, I saved £5k from new by doing so and lost about £1k on trade in (as opposed to trade in of a uk spec car). The dealers try and recoup some of that money they think they lost when you trade in. As for private buyers .....they would need to be as mad as mad jack mcmad from madsville who was too late to attend the mad hatters tea party to want to buy a car with the steering wheel on the wrong side.


You may have to end up taking it to Holland to sell or back to the States ! more bucks to the shipping company again.

[ilstratakis]

Hi all!

Thanks for your helpful, and funny replies!

Wish me luck with this...

[KenL]

I see from your country flag you have a Greek connection. Unless you are planning to take your MINI there one day I'd say leave your's in the USA.

As people have mentioned you'll have to pay to ship it, have conversion work done on it, your insurance will be more expensive than a RHD car and it will be almost impossible to sell here.

You see some LHD cars here but only really one's that are not available in RHD, Fiat Barchetta being one example.

Good luck.