[Richie]

Does anyone on this forum know if there is a way to get a RHD skyline registered on mainland europe.
There are a few problems I see with this like:
- The headlights are for RHD driving, thus will blind everyone heading in the opposite direction when I drive on the right.
IS there a waw to convert these??
- Does the skyline have a european approval?
- How difficult is it to get spare parts??

Are there any members with skylines on the mainland, if there are I would like to hear their findings with these "problems".

Thanks in advance.

 

[Richie]

By the way, I am from The Netherlands.

 

[TOKYO]

Your Man

Dan, Redback911 may be able to help you out.

glen

 

[Richie]

Thanks for pionting me in the right direction.

 

[redback911]

RHD Skyline

Hiya Richie,

It is relatively easy to register a Skyline in Europe, firstly though which country do you live in? Now you need to:

1. By a standard Skyline from Middlehurst
2. Get a new set of lights from a Mitsubishi Gallant (LHD) and refit them to your Skyline, this can be done by a Belgium Garage I know. The Gallant lights are the only lights that we could fit under the standard Skyline head lamp shields.
3. Make sure you have you cat in your exhaust pipe and take the car to get homologated.

You may have to argue a number of points as not all the Skyline parts have EU registered codes (seat belts, mirrors, windows etc) but as long as you can argue the practicality of each component and road worthiness it should not be too much of a problem.

/Dan

 

[Richie]

Dan, thanks a million!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Great info!!
You just made my day. I will go and look into it.

Thanks.

 

[Perra]

Great info!

Although, I´ve got a few more questions. I saw the LHD R34 in Oman in another thread and now I´m wondering:

Has anyone on this board made a LHD conversion or are the few of you that live outside the UK driving with RHD and modified headlights?
IF you´ve done the conversion, who did it? How much did it cost? What parts were difficult to get a hold of? (I could imagine the dashboard for instance...) And where did you find those parts?

Any info greatly appreciated!

Cheers!
/Perra

 

[Lee_Pendlebury]

LHD

I think you should stick to RHD, thinking about the long term and future re-sale.

If I were after something that was only ever made in LHD, like an E30 M3 or Integrale, I wouldnt even consider one that had been converted.

Cheers
Lee

 

[Perra]

Well, I see your point but you have to remember that the GT-R is one of the hottest cars around and I´m absolutely positive that re-sale won´t be a problem since the car would be unique in Sweden... IF there were a LHD GT-R in Sweden I´d buy that one.
Not that I plan to sell it if I get a hold of one. I think I´d keep it for a long time.
Plus, the thing is that you have the option to buy another model of the BMW-range as RHD which in my case just isn´t possible. E.g. the E46 M3. (I´m not interested in a Primera )

So, back to the questions. Anyone´s got some answers for me???

Cheers!
/Perra

 

[Richie]

Some time ago I came across a Site that featured a guy that did a LHD conversion to a R32 GTR.
I even think that was in Sweden.

 

[Perra]

Found it!! Here´s a guy in Finland that has done it and is willing to help others. (Like us Richie!!)

http://www.helan.to/henri/gtr/

Cheers!
/Perra

 

[Richie]

That's the site I was talking about.
You found that one fast!!

 

[Perra]

Well, it was pure luck. But I´m glad I found it! Hope it helps you to, Richie!!



Cheers!
/Perra

 

[Richie]

I've bookmarked it allready!!!!!!

Thanks again.

 

[somberg]

Skyline in Holland

Richie, I don't know if I told you before. I've tried to get an R32 registered over here. They were complaining about the headlights, so the easiest way would be to fit something else. Mind you, the sizes for R32/R33/R34 differ so the Galant ones may not fit on anything else than an R34 !
Anyway, it'll also depend on the RDW station you visit to have the car accepted over here. It depends on the people, the weather and the time of day. It would be good to have some garage do the work for you who know them well.
Also, I know that there's an R33 in Holland that has the standard headlights fitted (wrong (island-like) side of the road) and had it noted on the Dutch car papers - so he's legally allowed to use them !
That's my few Eurocents (not pennies, I'm no islander) worth of comment.:smokin:

 

[Richie]

Somberg, nice to talk to you again!!
You told me about the difficulties you had to register the R32, thanks for the info.
So if I get this right, it is not 100% sure that you can get a Skyline registered, it depends on the person that does the checks at the RDW?
The R33 that is in Holland will blind all upcomming traffic with those lights, I am surprised it was allowed.
I would like an R33 as a car but I need to be sure I can register it here and use it as every day transport.

Somberg, have you received the R34 race car yet?

 

[somberg]

Skyline in Holland

Hi Richie
Basically, due to European rules, a car which ahs been registered in any of the EU countries has to be accepted in another EU country. However, I was told by the RDW that it's not allowed to cover RHD lamps with tape as you should do when you travel from LHD to RDH countries vice-versa. It has to be a permanent solution, like different headlights. So, another solution would be to mount different headlights temporarily and replace them with the original lamps. You would have to do the same action every year, when doing the APK (Dutch MOT).
I'm quite convinced that a Skyline can be registered in Holland. The R33 Vspec may be known to the RDW since there are or have been at least 2 registered cars in Holland. The R32 wasn't known in their system. What happens next, fully depends on the person who's doing the job, as I said in my previous post. Once you've passed this obstacle, the next one is the taxman... they need to base the luxury car tax (BPM:legalized theft) on the original value of the car. You need to have the right proof there. So, it's a hard struggle, but it can be done.
Re R34 racecar: yes, I've got it. Going to Zolder again next week Thursday to give it another go. The new engine needs to get another couple of hundred kilometers. Provisional plans include running the car in at least 2 VLN races and the 24H race (Nuerburgring).

 

[Richie]

Somberg,
So since the UK is part of the EU, the R33 (first skyline officailly sold in UK) must be accepted in the rest of Europe.
The only bottleneck is the headlights. I wonder if it is possible to moddify the existing headlights of the R33 to LHD specs. Does anyone know something about headlights here?
I think the swapping of headlights is not such a good idea and with the RHD headlights on you will blind a lot of other road users that will not like you driveng near them.
The Taxman is another problem as you said. I have called the RDW a couple of times to ask them if they can give me a ammount what I need to pay for the BPM. They say they cannot help me. I have heard total BPM ammounts between 50000 - 100000 guilders. That's a lot of room in there. These quote's are not from the RDW.
Why is The Netherlands so difficult to import a car to .
Have you seen or spoken to the other skyline owner(s) in Holland?

The racecar, is it blue? If so, then I have seen it on 8200rmp.com.
Great looking car!!!!!!
Hope you win some races.

 

[JohnD]

Richie,

I'm thinking about bringing an R32 or early R33 to the Netherlands.
I have a friend working at the RDW in Almelo in the east.
Maybe standard headlights are allowed if the light "breaker" providing the light beam to the upper right is removed from the glass with a grinding tool.
The light beam only has to fit a pattern which is checked with the standard check device.
All the light shining above the black line is forbidden, else there's no reason to reject the car.
Forgive the bad language.

In Dutch.

Elke garage heeft een controle apparaat voor de verlichting.
Op dit apparaat staat een zwarte gebogen lijn.
Links boven deze lijn mag geen gericht licht voorkomen, verder in het lichtbeeld en de licht opbrengst een afweging van de keurings meester.
Als je de lichtbreker in het glas weg zou slijpen kan het licht niet meer het foute gebied rechtstreeks aanstralen en zou er theoretisch geen reden zijn om de verlichting af te keuren.
Zelfs dan is de opbrengst nog hoger als een oldtimer.

 

[Richie]

JohnD, bedankt!!

Have you talked to your friend at the RDW about importing a Skyline??
What does he have to say about it and does he predict any difficulties other then we have discussed here?
The mod you described could work.