Has anyone taken their US spec Mini to England? What engine/exhaust mods need to be done? I have an 07 MC with everything except the rear fog light that will need to be installed to meet lighting requirements. Any other requirements that I don't know of? Any help or other experiences would be appreciated.

 

You need to move the steering wheel to the other side.

 

Na I'll keep it where its at, It'll keep the bobbies guessing

 

Hi Mike, I'm glad you asked the question, as I'll want to take my MCS back to Europe when my time is up here in California.

Rear foglight is a definite, and I think the rear brake/indicator lights may need to be changed too, otherwise I'm hoping that with our cars being made in the UK, import will be significantly easier than US brand cards, but I'm interested to see the responses.

I've driven left hand drive cars in the uk (who drive on the left) before now, and it's not as bad as people make out. That said, I'm used to the small narrow roads they have there - that's where I learned to drive. You will probably be hindered most on the motorways (freeways) when trying to overtake, as your view will be obscured by the car you wish to overtake.

 

Hi Dnc, I agree on the passing, I'll just have to find a passanger i can rely on I lived in Japan for 5 years so I'm aware of the concequences. I believe the car tail/turn lights are correct as is. But mabie not..... will look again.... Hopefully some of our British friends can chime in on this

 

Your headlights will have to be adjusted/aligned to the left instead of the right.

 

Rog on the ajustemnt, Is unleaded gas available? other wise I will neeed to dump the cat...........

 

UK "petrol" has been virtually 100% unleaded for years. (But I think leaded is still available at a few outlets catering for Vintage Car racers - at a price!)

 

Where abouts are you moving to in England? You can visit Plant Oxford to see where your MINI was built! As already stated you'll need fog lights. If you have Bi-Xenons there is a switch to change the direction they point in, not sure about the non xenons.

Unleaded has been used for years here and it's generally higher quality than in the US - the standard being 95 RON but most people with a Cooper S will go for 98 or 99 RON / Shell V-Power or similar which costs slightly more. Get ready for a shock at the fuel costs though, my Cooper S from empty will cost the equivalent of $100 to fill up

 

Will be moving to Mildenhall, and yes sticker shock has already set in...... Will also most likely take the Harly and a good rain siut also, for tooling around on the weekends.......... Unfortunatly will have to sell the other toys

 

Excellent, I live in Kent. Loads of MINI events going on in England this year so I look forward to meeting you. Great looking MINI btw - my sister has an Oxygen Blue MINI ONE

 

Thanks, that pic was taken this past winter up in Colorado, looking forward to meeting you also. What about rear turn slgnal lens color?

 

Great photo - lots of snow! Orange or clear indicator lens front & rear are legal here

 

Your TMO Office should be able to give you some information. You'll probabley have to ship your MINI out of Long Beach, CA or Bayonne(sp), NJ.
The following link to Mildenhall's site will give you additional info

http://www.mildenhall.af.mil/news/st...p?id=123044327

 

MINI4rb is exactly right. If there are requirements, TMO will know. I have to say, I've been assigned to Germany twice and took US cars both times. The Status of Forces Agreement covered our specs and there were no mods required.

I have driven US POVs to England more than once and no one ever blinked-not customs, no cop, no one. I did put a day-glo arrow on my dash each night reminding me the next morning to pay attention to which side of the road I was to use.

 

From the Mildenhall homepage.

Requirements for Driving in the UK

Driving Licence. Please ensure that your license is still valid before you arrive in the UK.
You must have a valid signed driving license for the category of vehicle you are driving, and inform the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) if you change your name and address.
Insurance. You must have a valid insurance certificate covering you for at least third party liability. You must not drive a vehicle without insurance.
Vehicle Inspection (Ministry Of Transportation) What is an MOT? The MOT is a bumper to bumper safety test. It is very involved and complex and is not an easy test to pass. The MOT test itself takes about 45 minutes and the cost is about £40 or its dollar equivalent at the going exchange rate. The MOT applies to all vehicles more than 3 years old. The MOT certificate is good for 12 months and then must be retested. You must have an MOT test and have passed in order to drive on British roads. Driving an unroadworthy vehicle may invalidate your insurance. As an exception to this, you may drive to a pre-arranged test appointment or to a garage for repairs required for the test.

What should the guidelines be when deciding whether or not to bring an older vehicle to the UK? The general rule is if you don't think your car will pass this test, it might be a good idea to consider the cost and length of time it would take to get the parts to repair it (generally from the States). A good rule of thumb is any car 10 years or older, unless a classic, would be best left in the States.

A new requirement for vehicles less than three years old is the Single Vehicle Approval (SVA). The SVA is a one time requirement on concession vehicles imported into the United Kingdom less than three years old. The MOT and SVA are similar safety inspections. On passing one of these tests, a certificate will be issued by the testing station.

You will need to bring this certificate along with U.K. insurance certification or a cover note, U.S. or foreign registration document and the pink C and E 941 to Pass and Registration. If you are driving in from another European location, you will not have to have the C and E 941. Once you have picked up your vehicle from the port, you have 72 hours to initiate the registration process. If your vehicle is under 3 years old, it must be safety inspected at the base Auto Hobby Shop. The inspection certificate and documents mentioned above must be taken to Pass and Registration.

MOT Light Conversion All vehicles built after 1 April 1981 must have a fog light, mounted at the rear of the vehicle, centered to the right hand side of the vehicle. Also, the light control switch must light up when the fog light is on and must be seen from the driver's seat.

Parking lights must be white, not amber. The headlights in the UK are angled differently than in the States because of driving on the other side of the road. It is suggested that the re-aiming of your lights be done when you arrive in the UK.

All vehicles built after 1 April 1986 must have a side repeater. A side repeater is a separate turn signal in the fender that can be seen from the driver side door. In most cases this means drilling holes in the fender of approximately 3/4 inch. Wraparound lights may substitute for the side repeater in some models.

All rear turn signals must flash amber, and must not adversely affect any other light (brake light, parking light). Very few American vehicles meet the standards for light requirements in the UK. The price for a light conversion costs from $185 - $250, depending on the vehicle

Vehicle Registration Document. Registration documents are issued for all motor vehicles used on the road, describing them (make, model, etc.) and giving details of the registered keeper. You must notify the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency in Swansea as soon as possible when you buy or sell a vehicle, or if you change your name or address. For registration documents issued after 27 March 1997 the buyer and seller are responsible for completing the registration documents. The seller is responsible for forwarding them to DVLA. The procedures are explained on the back of the registration documents.

Road Tax / Vehicle Excise Duty. All vehicles used or kept on the roads must have a valid Vehicle Excise Duty disc (tax disc) displayed at all times. Any vehicle exempt from duty must display a nil licence. Air Force members with one vehicle in the family can get reimbursed through Finance after you have paid for a full year's road tax. Mil-to-mil couples can get reimbursed for two vehicles in the family.

License plates. The Road Traffic Act requires all vehicles registered in the UK to possess two registration (license) plates. Those that do not can be fined. Don't forget to hand carry your stateside license plates with you. You will put your stateside plates on your POV until your vehicle meets the requirements to get your British license plates. Also check your drivers license prior to your departure to ensure they will not expire while your in the overseas area

Offense to use hand-held phone while driving. It is an offense in the UK to use a hand-held phone, or similar device, when operating a motor vehicle. The penalty is a minimum £30 pound sterling fixed penalty or up to £1,000 pounds sterling upon conviction in court. It is expected that penalties will increase in the future. The minimum penalty could soon increase to a minimum of £60 pounds sterling for the first offense. The regulations apply to "hand-held-phones or similar device" (Cell Phones are hand held devices).

Access information about the Highway Code and road safety at the following web sites:
http://www.highwaycode.gov.uk/
http://www.thinkroadsafety.gov.uk/

 

you might have to check if you will have to pay for the value added tax. if you notice they pay much more for them there. since it is for export to usa the value added is deleted. might be very costly if you have to pay that.

 

I was looking at importing my Mustang back to the UK when I was moving back home temporarily in 06 and found that VAT was only to be applied if you hadn't owned the vehicle for less than 6 months. After 6 months you should be fine...

But laws may have changed...

 

Thanks All, I have already visited the Mildenhall link and was looking for additiona info. Still not absoutely sure I'm going to take the Blue Ox, But the Harley is going for sure, I will have to de-mod the rear turn signals on it though

Mini Me, Do you have the number to the nearest mini dealer/service facility? I will need to check on the warrenty coverage from the US to there.

 

Yup the nearest to Mildenhall is Carrs Bury St Edmunds on (+44)1284 750033 website here

 

Thanks, I'll give them a holler when I get and accept the job offer. I need to call my dealer also, they mey know, we'll see.............