Hi, i've owned a classic mini in the past that was right hand drive, and really preserved the heritage of the car...has anyone changed over the steering column and gotten a dash from england? I'm really thinking about doing it and just ordering the parts from the UK...but I'm wondering if anyone's done it. If you have ... post it here

 

If you do that it will ge a nightmare to pass anyone as you will be hit before you can see around that truck in front of you

Earl

 

I think it would be quicker just to import a UK car. What side of the road do they drive on in Mexico? I think their cars are closer to euro specs as well, correct me if i'm wrong.

 

I had a 1966 MCS with LHD, and I am not sure that it did not have any thing to do with "preserve the heritage of the car". Look at any 40's 50's 60's Austins, Jaguars, Rolls Royce, Morris, etc, and you will note they all had their instrument clusters in the center of the car, making it easier to make it LHD for export (a SIGNIFICANT percentage of builds).

My factory Sprite, TR3, MKIV etc., all were legitimate factory cars with LHD, and heritage intact. Right down to the oil leaks.

Heritage or oddball factor?

regards,
Red

 

you can't import a UK car unless it's over 25 years or older, that's why i'm asking, mexico is left hand drive....and ya...just the whole steering thing...maybe i'm weird but I think it'd be awesome!

 

Anything is doable for a hefty price. If you have the financial resources and "connections" you may import a new UK/Australia/Japan/NZ spec MINI into the US. Be prepared, however, to pay top dollar for paperwork, conversion fees, addition/removal of factory equipment to make the car "legal" or "federalized". Current laws make importing a brand non-US spec car a real challenge.


Maybe if you get to import the car into US soil, you may not be able to register it. Just ask Bill Gates what happened to his Euro-spec Porsche 959 that has been stored away for a number of years because he was not able to register the vehicle in his home state (Washington).

 

In line with what Red posts, the new MINI is a world car...designed that way from the very beginning. Therefore, you're not doing anything "more authentic" by making the car less than fully suitable for US roads. The LHD MINI is just as real as the RHD MINI...and frankly, there are probably a lot more LHD MINIs made given the fact that only the Brits, Japanese and a handful of oddball former British colonies still cling to RHD.

Oh yeah, and mail carriers.

 

I'm baffled by how buying a RHD model of a car that has been sold around the world in LHD and RHD versions is preserving the heritage...

I would bet that the significant investment in time and money trying to rebuild the car into a RHD car is probably as much if not more than the significant investment it would take to import a new RHD car into the US...

This isn't merely a "plug and play" upgrade...

 

It would definitely cost a lot of money to mod it over to RHD but might be 'easier' than fighting the gov't hassles of importing.

To everybody else: As for whether or not he should do it, if that's what he wants then he should go for it. He had a RHD classic Mini and wants to replicate it with a RHD MINI. Cool. It doesn't make the LHD MINIs any less real, it just gives him the MINI he wants. I'm all for that.:smile:

Cheers,

 

Well, at least the release for the bonnet is on the right side.