DOTS [updated]

"HoustonRunner" (houstonrunner) 02/05/2019 at 09:54 • Filed to: None

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I’m confused by this in my parking garage.

I understand importing a car, but this Jeep? Where did the guy (pretty sure the person I’ve seen driving it is a guy) buy it and why decide to bring it to Houston? Isn’t RHD enough of a pain to just go ahead and buy one just like it here? What did he or she have to pay to get it here from where ever it was purchased? Is there some unique feature you can only get in UK / Japan / Australia that would make it worthwhile?

I completely support importing cars, and understand having a connection with a car, even if it is relatively common.

But still confused on this one in particular.

[Update - clearly I missed the part where you can buy RHD ones in the US fairly easily.  But again, why?]

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > HoustonRunner 02/05/2019 at 09:58

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Maybe it’s a diesel?

GLiddy > HoustonRunner 02/05/2019 at 10:00

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Contract Postal Delivery drivers.

https://www.autotrader.com/car-news/you-can-buy-new-right-hand-drive-jeep-wrangler-us-256279

adamftw > GLiddy 02/05/2019 at 10:03

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Yup, probably a postal truck

WilliamsSW > GLiddy 02/05/2019 at 10:04

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Came to post this, beat me to it - but dollars to donuts that this is the correct answer.

4kc > HoustonRunner 02/05/2019 at 10:05

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You can buy rhd ones in the US, usually sold as private postal vehicles for rural routes I believe

HoustonRunner > GLiddy 02/05/2019 at 10:10

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OK, but why? This is parked in a secure garage at a major oil company, and the person definitely works or contracts here. Why would you buy one if you are not a postal worker? It has a number of modifications (wheels, tires, light bar, etc.), so it isn’t a str ipped out mail truck .

Again, just confused.

OPPOsaurus WRX > HoustonRunner 02/05/2019 at 10:11

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its confused as well. it wants to be out of a trail but always finds itself in the concrete jungle.

give me this instea d:

TysMagic > HoustonRunner 02/05/2019 at 10:13

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cheaper starting base? Plus now you’re mad JDM bro

Nothing > HoustonRunner 02/05/2019 at 10:20

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I’d guess cheap resale when whatever municipality was done with city of Denver uses them for “right of way enforcement officers”, parking police.

Censored > HoustonRunner 02/05/2019 at 10:21

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The mail truck trim didn’t mean that you couldn’t get one with all the nice features of a loaded wrangler. Plus these were usually bought by a contract employee that worked (under contract) for the Postal Department, so these a lot of times were their work vehicle as well as their personal vehicle. Also, these pop up on the used market often, and are usually fairly cheep in wrangler terms.

4kc > HoustonRunner 02/05/2019 at 10:23

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Usually they’re a good bit cheaper 2nd hand than lhd . And while they’re used for mail, they’re privately owned vehicles. Most people aren’t trying to buy a s tripper model if they personally have to spend time in it. And most boonies people who can work-expense are gonna toss better lights and tires on because they actually make a day to day difference.

Rural post drivers are almost always a 2nd job, mail usually comes once or twice a week depending on how far out in the sticks you are.

HoustonRunner > 4kc 02/05/2019 at 10:32

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Ok, that makes sense.  Didn't know they would be cheaper.

Nick- Professional Car Destroyer > HoustonRunner 02/05/2019 at 10:32

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To be unique maybe?

I bought a police pack Cherokee just because it was that. Its nice to be one of the few to own something so odd, and different.

Plus if he wheels it, it is possible that it could make some trails a little easier to see a line no one else has taken.

Nothing > HoustonRunner 02/05/2019 at 10:38

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Actually, as another option, it could have been someone stationed overseas that brought it back with them, I had a buddy that was on a defense contract in the UK, and part of his employment package was a vehicle stipend. His company paid for Jeep, and shipping it back to the US was free when his contract was up.

HoustonRunner > Nothing 02/05/2019 at 10:56

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I thought about this, since this company definitely ships people around the world and compensates them well for it.  But wouldn’t you still be responsible for some import duty / tax?  Haven’t done the expat thing, so not sure what is covered in the vehicle department.

facw > HoustonRunner 02/05/2019 at 11:39

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I mean they could have bought it used and then modified it right? Alternatively, if it is at an oil company they could have bought it for use in a foreign country (though p retty much all major oil producing countries drive on the right).

HoustonRunner > Nick- Professional Car Destroyer 02/05/2019 at 12:13

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That I get as well, though it is a PITA way to be unique.  For a Skyline it makes more sense because car is unique as well.

Nick- Professional Car Destroyer > HoustonRunner 02/05/2019 at 12:37

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But this RHD postal jeep has no left you questioning and wanting to know why. Maybe that’s why he did it?

Maybe they were a contracted postal worker, personally, if a wrangler was something I wanted and I had a choice between two equally spec’d ones, regardless of price, I would get the RHD just to make people wonder why, or be different.

Yeah the Skyline makes more sense, but you can’t wheel it, and maybe a Nissan Patrol was out of budget.

Nothing > HoustonRunner 02/05/2019 at 14:36

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Nope. They had no import tax at all. My guess is it may have fallen under income, since it was a work benefit, but at the time, overseas  income up to $77k yr was tax free. It’s up to $102k now. Even if there was, work covered 100% of moving/relocation costs, so they would’ve paid for it anyway. It was a sweet gig, I should’ve taken advantage of it, too.

Spamfeller Loves Nazi Clicks > HoustonRunner 02/05/2019 at 16:01

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RHD Jeeps from Postal service are usually 50% of LHD prices or less . They have a shitton of miles generally, obviously lots of stop-and-go, but they’re also open checkbook fleet maintenance.

As long as it’s ‘reasonable,’ maintenance and repairs we re just covered. Period. Needs tires? Go get a new set of Wrangler T/A’s. Oil change every 3000? Absolutely. Transmission fluid? It’s in the ‘severe duty’ schedule so it’s approved.

HoustonRunner > Spamfeller Loves Nazi Clicks 02/05/2019 at 20:09

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I’d like to think I could tell if this was a super high mileage Jeep, it just doesn’t look like that. Co- workers and I have concluded that he just wants to be "that guy" with a RHD Jeep.