How do you make a USDM vehicle street legal in Europe.

"duurtlang" (duurtlang) 04/25/2019 at 13:08 • Filed to: None

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Step one: fix the taillights. This Dodge barge shows you how it’s done. The USDM reverse lights get an Amber bulb and are converted into indicators. There is a new reverse light added, and a rear fog light. Done.

I’m sure there are a number of other modifications needed as well, but these are the most obvious.

E90M3 > duurtlang 04/25/2019 at 13:15

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Step two: Rethink your decision everyday. If you wanted an old E-Class why bother importing one from America. 

For Sweden > E90M3 04/25/2019 at 13:17

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Mopar or no car

Arrivederci > E90M3 04/25/2019 at 13:18

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With subpar interior and build quality.

ranwhenparked > duurtlang 04/25/2019 at 13:20

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How to make an EUDM vehicle legal in the US :

Option 1: import in shipping container marked “empty container, nothing to inspect” in big letters and hope ICE buys it

Option 2: sign a 25 year lease on a garage somewhere in Europe, wait

KnowsAboutCars > E90M3 04/25/2019 at 13:21

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Because E-class = boring taxi, Charger = American Muscle car

duurtlang > ranwhenparked 04/25/2019 at 13:21

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something, something, FREEDOM!

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > duurtlang 04/25/2019 at 13:22

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Wait, that looks like a V6 charger. Why on earth would someone import to E urope a crappy car without the only feature that redeems it? That platform with the V8 at least makes nice noises and becomes a good cruiser. The V6 is a big, heavy, cheap and crappy driving car you hope not to get at the rental car counter.

RallyWrench > duurtlang 04/25/2019 at 13:25

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The European C5 Corvettes did it pretty well too, with the exception ofthe overly large fogs:

ranwhenparked > Arrivederci 04/25/2019 at 13:27

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Should be more durable than an equivalent E-Class though. 

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > duurtlang 04/25/2019 at 13:29

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I do get a kick when european manufacturers delete the amber rear turn signals when importing cars to the US. My favorite is VW who sometimes leaves the amber segment in the tail lights of the US cars but then blinks the brake light instead. The post facelift first generation Tiguan is one with unused amber turn signals present on USDM cars.

Rear fog lights are another thing that tend to be present but unused on USDM cars. My 2004 Mini doesn’t just have the housings for the rear fogs on both sides but they even have bulbs installed. The wiring is not present in the USDM harness though.

lone_liberal > duurtlang 04/25/2019 at 13:30

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When I was stationed in Spain (back in Ye Olde Days) the answer was: be in the military and take off the catalytic converter. I don’t think that helps.

duurtlang > RallyWrench 04/25/2019 at 13:32

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That was a factory conversion. The Dodge in my picture is a grey market import.

Svend > TheTurbochargedSquirrel 04/25/2019 at 14:55

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If I recall some of the Buick Regal had the rear lights dual use as indicators.

As does the Ford Transit. The clear section of the Transits rear light cluster in Europe is split between clear lens with an amber bulb for an indicator and the other half, clear lens with a clear bulb for a reverse lamp. The USDM version, the clear section is solely used for the reverse lamp, while the taillight is now dual use as an indicator.

Ash78, voting early and often > duurtlang 04/25/2019 at 14:58

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I find it interesting that, of all the American cars that could be imported, the “Buy Here Pay Here, No Down Payment, Everyone Approved” rental fleet special is among them.

That’s a lot of work to do. I would have just pushed it off the barge in the middle of the Atlantic and filed an insurance claim.

Svend > duurtlang 04/25/2019 at 14:59

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It could of been a left over from someone in the military. There are Ford Fiesta saloons in the U.K. from U.S. service personnel selling them for something else whilst here.

Seems daft, why bring over a four door saloon Fiesta when you now have the option to buy a three door hatchback Fiesta. 

MultiplaOrgasms > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com 04/28/2019 at 03:25

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How to Europe: My probably wrong calculations say that Fuel prices tend to hover around the $6 per gallon mark. Also the annual road tax is usually based on either CO2, Displacement, the emission standard or a combination of other things, often with a heavy additional tax for engines over x displacement. In my native Germany which is fairly humane when it comes to this (no displacement penalty tax here ) this means a 2006 Charger 5.7 would be around €300 in annual tax given it conforms to the Euro 4 norm. Insurance also tends to be expensive on rare stuff with big power . This is why the american cars that make it over here are either low spec or only driven part time.

Tl;dr: It’d probably cost you  well over €3k a year just to be able to drive an early   V8 Charger and that is not counting maintenance cost (fun fact spare parts are also more expensive if the car is rare).

MultiplaOrgasms > RallyWrench 04/28/2019 at 03:34

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Buick for the win.

Of all their cars they chose to officially import the Park Avenue.