[AprilWhine]

This is a question that came up during yesterday's meet.

One member, sig33kde aka Jay, has a mother who does rural mail delivery. She currently has a right hand drive Subaru with over 200,000 miles on it and wants a new car. She is allowed to drive anything she wants for work and she would very much like a Cooper to drive on the twisty mountain roads.

Jay asked our local dealer about importing a right hand drive, but was told it couldn't be done. So I had the idea of buying a used MC and having it shipped over. I believe there are places that will do the changes required to register it in the US.

Alternately, could she buy the parts required to change a US specced MC to right hand drive? Is it possible or economically feasible?

Ideas, or am I totally out of line?

[pocketrocketowner]

I do not think it would be much of a problem to make a British car conform to US specs.
Having had my S homologated the other way around (US spec MINI shipped to France) I can tell you that the parts you will need to change are few:

a) The wing mirrors
b) The fender fairings -you will need to have the side reflectors which are mandatory in the US but forbidden in Europe.
c) I had to change my speedo but seeing as though it would be a UK job, not a problem.

Hope this helps

[AprilWhine]

Quote: Originally Posted by pocketrocketowner

I do not think it would be much of a problem to make a British car conform to US specs.
Having had my S homologated the other way around (US spec MINI shipped to France) I can tell you that the parts you will need to change are few:

a) The wing mirrors
b) The fender fairings -you will need to have the side reflectors which are mandatory in the US but forbidden in Europe.
c) I had to change my speedo but seeing as though it would be a UK job, not a problem.

Hope this helps

Thanks! That is a big help, we started not even knowing what had to be adapted.

[sig33kde]

... great things to know!

[cristo]

...would also need to change the headlights for driving on R side of road in US...

[AprilWhine]

Quote: Originally Posted by cristo

...would also need to change the headlights for driving on R side of road in US...

I would think they would only need to be realigned?

[bandrews]

Nothing to contribute except that I wish *my* rural mail carrier drove a MINI! Mine drives some clapped out 80s era red SUV... it's so blah i don't even know exactly which brand it is

(I actually don't really live in a far rural area, but the road I live on extends out into the middle of nowhere so I'm the last stop in civilization, and it's just easier to have my mail come through the rural system)

Ben

[AprilWhine]

Quote: Originally Posted by bandrews

Nothing to contribute except that I wish *my* rural mail carrier drove a MINI! Mine drives some clapped out 80s era red SUV... it's so blah i don't even know exactly which brand it is

(I actually don't really live in a far rural area, but the road I live on extends out into the middle of nowhere so I'm the last stop in civilization, and it's just easier to have my mail come through the rural system)

Ben

Yes, I think it would be cool to drive a MINI all day on twisty roads and get paid for it.

[cristo]

Quote: Originally Posted by AprilWhine

I would think they would only need to be realigned?

the low beams in us go

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . XXX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .XXX
. . . . . . . . . . . . . XXXXXXXX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . XXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX . . . . . . . XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX . . . . . . . XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

and in the uk go

XXX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . XXX
XXXXXXXX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . XXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX . . . . . . . . . XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX . . . . . . . . . XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

to light up the side of the road more and less into oncoming traffic's eyes.

[AprilWhine]

Quote: Originally Posted by cristo

the low beams in us go
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ___ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .____
. . . . . . . . . . . . ________ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . _________
_____________________ . . . . . . . . ____________________
_____________________ . . . . . . . . ____________________
and in the uk go
___ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ___
________ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . _________
_____________________ . . . . . . . . . ______________________
_____________________ . . . . . . . . . ______________________
to light up the side of the road more and less into oncoming traffic's eyes.

Ok, you lost me there.

Is that programming, or do the lighting hardware units have to be changed?

[AprilWhine]

Ok, I get it now.

The hubby explained it to me, I thought you were talking in Morse code there.

[cristo]

Quote: Originally Posted by AprilWhine

Ok, I get it now.

The hubby explained it to me, I thought you were talking in Morse code there.

couldn't illustrate it with spaces, (they get gobbled up when posted), so I had to put
the dots in to get the ___'s to line up properly...even then took several edits to get it about right! actually, should have used XXXX's or something to illustrate the light pattern better...I think I'll go back and do that now.

There, that looks better.

[pocketrocketowner]

The Xenons can be aligned, the regular jobs can be modifed with a cheap set of plastic lenses that glue on to the headlights and are sold at most channel ferry ports........

[AprilWhine]

Quote: Originally Posted by pocketrocketowner

The Xenons can be aligned, the regular jobs can be modifed with a cheap set of plastic lenses that glue on to the headlights and are sold at most channel ferry ports........

Thanks guys, this is starting to look like it might be do-able.

[pocketrocketowner]

Next week (actually the 24th of May) I get to jump through the final (I hope) hoop for getting ole PKT RKT finally registered in France. It entails a physical examination of the vehicle by some government agency with an impossibly long name. I know the US is different and surely more rational. It has taken me close to six months and an inordinate amount of paperwork. For the US, it might take a little paperwork but that should be about it.
good luck!

[AprilWhine]

Quote: Originally Posted by pocketrocketowner

Next week (actually the 24th of May) I get to jump through the final (I hope) hoop for getting ole PKT RKT finally registered in France. It entails a physical examination of the vehicle by some government agency with an impossibly long name. I know the US is different and surely more rational. It has taken me close to six months and an inordinate amount of paperwork. For the US, it might take a little paperwork but that should be about it.
good luck!

Thanks!

When Jay and his mother carry through, I'll update the thread. Hope to be able to add pictures too.

[Jim Ray]

Having been involved a little bit in the conversion of "Grey Market" Euro autos to meet US specifications, the biggest cost is the certification. We all know that the cars are the same except for a few changes. The Feds don't see it that way.

I think the best and easiest thing to do is to buy the MINI here in the states, and make friends with someone who knows a wrecking yard owner, breaker, who can sell you the RHD steering gear, steering column, clutch and pedal assy and assorted bits to make the change to RHD. If it was a newer model with the three piece dash, so much the better.

The car would already be US certified, and the change to RHD requires no paperwork at all. Compared to those conversions done here with a second steering wheel on the right and Harley chains or V belts connecting them, it would be a dream.