letter of compliance

[slenay]

Hi all,
Under three months I will migrate from France to Adelaide. Then sorry about that but I french and so my golf MK1 convertible is as well.

My wonderfull car is a gift from my died mother and I can't think a minute not to bring my car in Australia, as my relocation intend to be permanent.

but conditions to pass the custom are quite impressive without talking about conformity with australin rules.

Do you know what are differences between model made in europe and those in australia. I'd like to estimate transformation I would have to go through to make my car compliant with local rules.

Thanks for your answers

[Golf Loon]

You`d have to convert it to RHD, but thats not that hard on a Mk1 and there are plenty of donor cars for parts.

[RedMk2Gti]

I believe emission control compliance could be your bigger headache than RHD conversion.

[DVR68U]

all the info should be linked somewhere on the RTA website for nsw , must be one for SA . id be looking for that.
cheers brenton

[slenay]

Thanks all for your answers,

Would you have some links to suggest me to navigate through and be more documented (as emission controls and values, conformity check lists, and so on...)

Thanks in advance.

[DVR68U]

prob somewhere in here

http://www.transport.sa.gov.au/publications/road_rules/index.asp

[evorobin]

Emmisions won't be an issue but as loon pointed out it will need to be RHD and have an engineers certificate to say it's Kosher.

[melissa]

I thought any car over 30 years old didn't need to be converted to RHD. Does it depend on what state its going to be registered in?

[evorobin]

"The convertible version, named the Golf Cabriolet (or Typ 155), was sold from 1980 to 1993"

What annoys me the most is in WA & TAS and possibly NT you can have LHD cars. Why can't this country have one rule for all it's retarded. They bang on about some crappy ADR then have different rules in each state

I could go on for hours except we don't have roadworthy in SA which would have prevented me registering atleast two of the mk1's I've had.

[slenay]

Hi all,

Again thanks all for your answers.

As I spent sometime to investigate over the last two days I can say (or at least beleive I can say) that:

1. I would have to pass successfully the custom and sanitary inspection, my car need to be perfect (no seed, dust and so on) that itself could be a challenge as the car is not new but suppose to be (as said on gov site) "as new"

Question: has somebody already experienced the import of an old car, and could be a little talkative on his or her experience? I'd like to evaluate the effort I have to produce to give my car all change to enter in Australia smoothly?

2. I will definitely have to transform my LHD to a RHD a bit tricky but not impossible as the main frame of the car is the same for LHD and RHD... But need to be done before been validated by an engineer of the transport administration. I think I could cop quite easily with that if I can find some used part.

Question : Does somebody can provide me with Australian web site where I could find spare or used parts for my car?


The super champion question? considering all steps for the car and me to go through to have one day a change to drive it in Australia, would you, in my position:

a - forget it because it's absolutely out of reason to undertake such an experience,
b - Do it because it's not so complex and tedious as it can appear at the first glance,
c - definitely It's complex and tedious but it can be done with reasonable efforts.

Thanks for your answers and your indulgence for my insistence and overall my english

[RedMk2Gti]

a - forget it because it's absolutely out of reason to undertake such an experience,
b - Do it because it's not so complex and tedious as it can appear at the first glance,
c - definitely It's complex and tedious but it can be done with reasonable efforts.

I'd pick a. unless it is a truely collectable car.

[melissa]

I am sure it can be done. People are importing split screen kombis from the US all the time. They are not being converted to RHD - bit of a hassle going through the drive through at Maccas and the doors opening out onto traffic for your passengers but its being done nonetheless

[Golf Loon]

B. If the car means a lot to you, bring it.

Get the letter of import approval from Canberra, bring it and sort the rest out when you get here.

I have all the secondhand parts you would need to convert it to RHD and I could do the job for you in Sydney.

Australian states have very inconsistant rules and they have rules on the gov websites and the real rules which depend on the person enforcing them and what day it is

[evorobin]

It's financial suicide tbh. Bringing a LHD car that is available here is nuts. If it was a GTI I'd say yes but when you can pick up a nice cab for $5K...

[slenay]

Thanks all,

And what if my cab is DX mean a convertible with GTI engine ?

Additional extra bonus question - is it easy to find a (true not a cab) mk1 gti in australia?