getting a right hand driver car in us - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

lazyhooks · #1 02-08-2006, 01:10 AM

Hi, i am thinking of getting a right hand driver (rhd) car in the states..thinkin of importing a car from europe
i was wondering if anyone knew of any cases like mine...
ive seen rhd cars very randomly but i was wondering if u can actually get it registered, insured, etc..
and also if there are any regulations, restrictions to certain states and such..
please post some helpful replies..thanx

Carleton Hughes · #2 02-08-2006, 06:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lazyhooks

Hi, i am thinking of getting a right hand driver (rhd) car in the states..thinkin of importing a car from europe
i was wondering if anyone knew of any cases like mine...
ive seen rhd cars very randomly but i was wondering if u can actually get it registered, insured, etc..
and also if there are any regulations, restrictions to certain states and such..
please post some helpful replies..thanx

Ain't no restrictions,Hell,I got 3 RHD cars!

And......If they're over 25 years old you put'em on Historic Insurance which is a helluva bargain.

Pete Geither · #3 02-08-2006, 06:47 AM

Subaru used to sell a lot of RHD's, mostly for mail delivery people. I hated it when we got one in and had to fix it.

BobK · #4 02-08-2006, 07:31 AM

You'll love driving it. Just wait till you're stuck behind a slow moving truck on some two lane road and you want to pass him.

lazyhooks · #5 02-08-2006, 04:35 PM

thanx for ur replies..
so rhd is allowed in all 50 states??
and what is mail delivery? is that mean ordering from other country?
do u kno where i can find out about the taxes when i bring a car from europe?

TX76513 · #6 02-08-2006, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BobK

You'll love driving it. Just wait till you're stuck behind a slow moving truck on some two lane road and you want to pass him.

Never thought about that - that would (could) present some opportunities

Pete Geither · #7 02-08-2006, 06:16 PM

[QUOTE=lazyhooks]thanx for ur replies..

and what is mail delivery?
Uh,,,, that is when a postal employee delivers your mail in a rural setting. It makes it much easier for them to deposit the mail out the right side of the car.

lazyhooks · #8 02-08-2006, 07:10 PM

[QUOTE=Pete Geither]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lazyhooks

thanx for ur replies..

and what is mail delivery?
Uh,,,, that is when a postal employee delivers your mail in a rural setting. It makes it much easier for them to deposit the mail out the right side of the car.

haha i thought it was some kind of term fo getting the rhd cars haha i was buggin...newayz..so rhd cars ARE allowed in all 50 states brought from europe??

Botnst · #9 02-08-2006, 07:21 PM

Just drive'em backerds, no problemo.

B

lazyhooks · #10 02-09-2006, 12:59 AM

im really new at this so i have no idea wut i have to go thru..
so wut do i have to do to get the rhd car into the states??
is there any processes that i have to go thru?

Skippy · #11 02-10-2006, 12:22 AM

The RHD part will make little, if any difference. When importing a vehicle, the tough part will be emissions and safety. You will most likely have to provide evidence that the model you wish to import has been tested for and passed EPA and FMVSS requirements applicable to that year and type of vehicle. The Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards are codified into federal law and are available online if you look for them. They are quite involved, and some of them involve destructive (crash) testing. About the only way you are going to get a single vehicle imported is if the manufacturer has done the required testing already.

However, there are some loop holes, particularly if the vehicle is old. I wish I could provide some specifics, but I haven't tried to import a vehicle. I do know that a guy I worked with was able to import the '63 VW that he bought new in Germany, but that was in the 60's. I also heard about five years ago about a friend of a co-worker who brought an old Fiat over from Italy, so I know it can be done.

Did you have a specific car in mind, or do you just want something RHD. If it's the latter, look for something that's already here, like a Postal Jeep or something.

Carleton Hughes · #12 02-10-2006, 12:28 AM

My vehicles,and I've imported 3,are all pre-'29 so emissions were not an issue,

The principal cost was containerised shipping,which can be prohibitive.

I did a thorough search on this before purchasing and saved countless dollars.

kerry · #13 02-10-2006, 12:31 AM

A friend of mine was travelling in Alaska last summer and met a South African couple who had shipped their Toyota truck over to Brazil and driven it from there to Alaska. Before shipping it, they had converted it from right hand drive to left hand drive. They planned to convert it back to right hand drive after they shipped it home.
It might be easier for you to do the same.

RobTheMod · #14 02-10-2006, 04:39 AM

Kerry, I believe your story, but why *on earth* would anyone bother doing that?

Not the globe-hopping travel (I'm jealous) but the double conversion. Aren't Toyota trucks available almost anywhere?

86560SEL · #15 02-12-2006, 09:16 PM

I personally could not stand it. It would drive me crazy.

Obviously they are not "illegal", because a lot of "mail cars" here are RHD, as well as the mail trucks (city trucks). Our local mailperson has a RHD Subaru Legacy wagon. The other day, I saw a Honda CR-V that was a RHD unit - also a mail carrier.

The only thing is that if you are involved in an "off-set" head-on collision, your passenger may be in greater danger than you since they are in the side to get hit. Probably also a higher chance to get hit, since you are not on that side and you cannot tell how close a car is coming toward you. Not a good idea if you ask me, but thats JMHO. (Just my humble opinion).

@ any rate if that is what you like.... ENJOY