I have a plan and I want to run it buy the forum and see if it's a solid plan or not. To my knowledge to legally drive an imported vehicle in the US (I live in Colorado). My plan is to buy a 1984 110 defender from the UK. You can get a nice one for around 5K US and then there is a 3K cost to ship it. Work on it for a few years to put it in tip top condition then in 2009 it will be legal to drive. Does anyone see a problem in doing this? Is there an easier way to get this done? Also is it easy to swap the RHD to LHD? Thanks.
-Mike

 

Keep me posted on what you find out. I have alot of hunting property in Utah and would like a 110 for off road/ranch only. Would ik a newer 110. Just need to know how to do it. Would also like one legally converted to drive on the roads. Turbo Diesel ONLY.

 

Mike,
I also live in Colo, where do you live?
As for the truck, you need to wait the legal time frame before you can bring it in, which I think is 25 years. At that time you have to post a bond showing that the necessary work will be done to make it legal. As I remember they won't let you bring it in based on your statement of not driving it.
Mike

 

I have been down this street several times, and the short version is that Mike is almost right. And there is no easy solution to this. Here's the long story.

Several years ago I was involved in a project to design, develop and build tactical style expedition 110's for an un named UN entity. We thought we could pull this off and make a ton of money.
Here's the problem. Defenders were pulled from the US market because, they wouldn't present these trucks for safety testing by EPA, NTHSA, and DOT. Why, because they couldn't pass roll over and crash testing. As a result, only the years that were legally imported into the US are currently eligable to bring here. We bought and shipped in from Canada a number of ex MOD frames and body parts to start this project on. We built two, the others were confiscated and we were fined.

One more thisng. Rover diesels were never presented to EPA for emissions testing. That is why you can't buy one here. Now all that being said. There are new 2003 and up Defenders that have made it into the uS by SUPPOSEDLY legal means. I've seen them, driven them, and watched as one of them was seized and is currently under impound at the US customs yard in Galveston Texas awaiting Export or destruction!

Do you Really want to lose your hard earned bucks?? I doubt it.

 

If you import one from France or Germany it will already be LHD - shipping costs would be much the same I'd imagine. Just the language barrier to overcome ;-)

Cheers,

 

Heres an idea, im in Spain europe and know defenders well I could find good ones and send them to US if we can find a way to make them legal, then you send me classic american cars to sell in europe and we split the profits? Anyone up for it? Im actually quite serious about it