I am being relocated to London next year, and

intend to take our 1996 960 Wagon with us. Does anyone know what modifications we will need to make to the car for it to be

legal in the United Kingdom? I'm particularly concerned about lighting

(headlights, rear fog lamps, side marker lights), but also about correct fuel specs (I believe that the US-spec engine is tuned to deliver lower HP but higher torque than the Euro-spec engine), suggested suspension modifications, etc.

Road fund licence in the UK is the same regardles of the size of car, unless under 1100 cc. £185 per annum. I would question however if it is really woth the hassle of importing a LHD 960. Esecially given the price of fuel currently about 80 pence a litre. Check out autotrader.co.uk for UK values

Regards

Peter,

You may want to check on how much road tax you would have to pay each year before you take the car with you. The price may change your mind. Each European country is different. Germans charge road tax on horsepower, the Dutch charge on the weight of the car. I do not know what the British do. So if a car is loaded with power everything and you have so many more motors on board, you may end up paying a lot more in taxes then someone else who purchased a car that was made for the local market and has less power accessories.

I took a 88 Nissan Sentra Coupe to Amsterdam (The Netherlands) in 1990 and had to change headlamps, disconnect side markers and black them out, take out third brake light and add rearfog light. My car was unusual for the market, so I had to buy new headlights and they were $330 each in 1990. You may find cheaper ones in a yard. I was in London last summer and saw many 960s.

Check if you can find a descent 960 in London on the internet and compare the prices. I would not take my car anymore. The conversion is expensive and big cars cost more in road tax. Gas in Europe is 3.5 times of what we pay here. And 960 is not good with gas mileage. Also it is tough to drive a left hand steering car on the left side of the narrow roads they have.

Good luck,

Ahsan (1994 960 wagon with 61k)

I wa sin Lo

I would buy a brick in the UK it's hard driving a left-hand drive car over their and its illegal to pass on the left when you are on the motor ways. Be safe and drive a right-hand drive car when you are there.

Why? They drive on the wrong side of the road and have a huge tax on large engine displacements.

It may be paid for by the company though. I must say, I have ridden in an American manufactured car in London and it is SCARY! But, then, you can put those bigass Hella or Cibie lamps on the bumpers and you'll be able to see anything clearly up to a mile. Definitely equip the car with REAL fog lights, not these whimpy cosmetic Xmas lights they call fogs here in the USA...