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I posted this ages ago on this forum, but I'll copy and paste it again just in case.
Thanks,
Ken
Posted: Sep 19, 2003 - 12:32 PM
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Doesn't seem like this forum is used too much but I'll give it a try anyway.
Anybody know where to go in England to get a left hand drive switched over to right hand drive? Will a Mini dealer do it? How much, etc, etc? Any help appreciated. I live in California and it looks like I'll be headed home in the not too distant future. I just can't give this car up and I'm taking it with me. While I'm at it...what mods are acceptable?
Hey, I was just at the MINI factory in Oxfordshire last week and asked the same question. They told me that No right-hand MINIs would be sold in the states. They also told me there are no conversions either. Sorry
Is it really necessary to swap it? There are people here who drive RHD cars all the time, and I'm sure there are those in the UK with LHD. I guess I don't understand the need to change what you already have, unless it's a legal thing
(click on "Car Imports" to see the LHD to RHD conversion)
As has been pointed out in the many other threads discussing this issue, the US is much more tolerant about RHD cars on its roads than other countries are about similarly backwards setups. For example, I believe that in Australia, it's simply impossible to drive a LHD car on Australian roads. You have to get your RHD car converted to LHD if you want to register it. Thus, one would assume that there are a number of places that perform the service. It looks like the one I found (link above) specializes in converting American monsters (Hummers, Navigators) for those morons who want to drive such a thing in Brittan. But it also looks like they'll convert anything.
That said, it's got to be expensive and likely problematic to tear apart your car and put a good bit of it back together in reverse. Sort of like rebuilding your MINI after a near-totalling accident. IMO, I wouldn't do it... The $ you save over buying a new RHD MINI would likely be eaten up in the cost of the conversion and paying to fix conversion-related problems.
But it also looks like they'll convert anything.
