Foreign Elements

I have been running my 'E' for 6 months in the U.K. Probably the only one here! in the background is the new Queen Mary 2 cruise ship.
http://www.elementownersclub.com/uploads/files/V-Element at Hythe1.jpeg/

"I think we need a bigger boat."

http://www.elementownersclub.com/uploads/files/V-Element%20at%20Hythe1.jpg

Took the sister-ship QE2 over from the US to the UK in...'81? I think. Off season, though, not much swimmin' weather in the north atlantic at the time...

-brendan

PS - putting the QM2 on the roofrack like that is most likely bringing you over the 675# carrying capacity of the vehicle. :)

Ummm, two side marker lights

[quote:2d18887641=" "]Ummm, two side marker lights[/quote:2d18887641]


whoa i just noticed that!!! cool deal!

>Ummm, two side marker lights

That looks an awful lot like my thought from a while back, using S2000 repeaters. I might be correctable on this, but they probably had to be added to meet local equipment/lighting regulations before our agent in the U.K. could register it.

I'm actually a little surprised they registered a new LHD vehicle, but I guess with the Chunnel "wrong siders" are a shoulder-shrug these days.

I thought the British would have made it backwards. Looks like your driving wheel is still in the American position.

Enjoy

It is probably a one-of-a-kind import from the USA, not a model built for the UK.

paulj

>It is probably a one-of-a-kind import from the USA

Oh, definitely. Or, more specifically, from Canada, where its Commonwealth status might make export/import a trifle easier.

I had a little exposure to "gray market" importing back in the '80's. It can be done in most countries, but you have no idea the meaning of "red tape" until you try to import and then convert a vehicle that doesn't comply to your country's safety and emissions requirements. It's far less difficult now because the "world market" makes cars more alike than different, but, still, there are a lot of market-specific vehicles that won't pass muster here or in EU countries, and even they have conflicting standards. Again, I am honestly surprised that the U.K. still allows import and registration of LHD cars - I thought those days were over.

"Back then", here in the U.S. you had x-number of days to get a non-compliant car to pass, or Customs agents would confiscate it and then send it to the crusher. Try telling the guy whose Lamborghini that you had laying about in a zillion pieces that it was for all intents impossible to make those stupid doors meet the side-impact rules, and you were playing hide-and-seek with Customs because you were already past the deadline.

:shock:

(Our collective butts were saved when Customs issued a memo in the nick of time that "personal" imports didn't have to meet the structural rules - just smog and lighting.)

[quote:a0fe635156=" "]It is probably a one-of-a-kind import from the USA, not a model built for the UK.[/quote:a0fe635156]

While that is probably true, Paul: Honda also manufactures the E for the Japanese market, which has the driver position on the other side...

-brendan

Most of continental Europe is LHD, and since you can drive to the UK, there must be a mix of LHD and RHD cars on the road. In the USA it is rare to see a RHD car, except for specialized delivery vehicles (e.g. mail).

paulj

[quote:583399ef7e=" "]Ummm, two side marker lights[/quote:583399ef7e]

Well spotted...(this was all because of an EU rule for the severely vertically challenged!)
Side markers must be visible when standing by the rear wheel and looking from 1 foot off the ground. The 'E' wheel arch flairs hide the light, so extra ones had to be fitted.

Would you mind explaining how the extra side marker was added? I'm sure there are a few of us who are interested in the same mod.

Thanks.

[quote:f2a27fa5b1=" "]Would you mind explaining how the extra side marker was added? I'm sure there are a few of us who are interested in the same mod.

Thanks.[/quote:f2a27fa5b1]
:oops:
I forgot to mention, in the UK we cannot have US side markers but must have side repeater flashers.

I therefore removed the inner wheel arches, and side marker live wires (which took about 10mins.) and ran new live wires from the front flashers to the side markers.

The next bit is probably of more interest to you. Having bought 2 G.M. small round lamps, I drilled a three quarter inch hole in the composite wing panels. The hole centres were 5" in from the door, and 3.25" down (on the composite wing panel), which avoided the steel supports behind the panels, and looked to be a good position on the vehicle. Wires were then linked to the original side marker...an easy job
Several other lighting modifications had to be made, that were far more difficult....but I don't think you want to be bored with those!

Several other lighting modifications had to be made, that were far more difficult....but I don't think you want to be bored with those!
Actually, I'm quite curious about this. What other differences could there be? It already had the separate amber rear turn signals.

1) As US headlights dip to the right, the lamp units had to be dismantled and modified to dip left
2)The front amber side lights have to be white light, although the flashers must be amber, so whilst the headlamps were dismantled the original amber lenses were cut in half and split with a new white side light below, and the amber made into the flasher only.
3) A rear foglight has to be fitted with illuminated dash switch. This was let into the rear bumber so that it didn't look like an "add on".
4) All new wiring has to be in conduit, and tied to fixing points every l0 inches.
5)Plus the side marker mods prevoiusly mentioned.

All well worthwhile...now I have a vehicle that is great to drive, really turns heads, and is probably unique here!

> rear foglight

???

-brendan

>> rear foglight
>
>???

Gosh... haven't you ever noticed that especially on Volvos and newer Audis? I don't know if it's EU or just U.K., but somebody there says you have to have 'em. They're nothing more than brighter, semi-focused taillights. And I think you're only required to have one, if I remember right.

It drives me nuts when the soccer moms in their Volvos mindlessly leave 'em on. Looks like they're riding the brakes.

:roll:

I had forgotten about those silly split white/amber front lights. It's an incredibly antique requirement where I was under the impression that it was abandoned a while ago. That particular conversion was likely the biggest pain-in-the-tuckus of the whole project.

A rear foglight has been a commonly available option in Germany for nearly 20 plus years. Being extremely regimented in their driving regulations and their resultant expectations, Germans routinely overdrive the Hella (intentional pun) out of their headlights, especially in fog! But at the same time, they instantly recognize a rear foglight ahead (which would resemble one brake light here). I'm confident that anyone rear-ended in the fog with only one operational brake light would be considered "at-fault" in a German court. A rule is a RULE over there. Go more than 24 hours with a burned out exterior bulb only at severe personal risk over there. While it certainly seems extreme by our standards, everybody over there knows the laws, 99% obey the laws, and it's what makes the Autobahns viable. They would be a functional disaster in our country, where we each seem entitled to our own personal interpretation of any given statute. "Freedom" rocks?