right hand drive vehicle sales?
 

i'm considering buying a Toyotal LC HJ60 to drive thru Tunisia, Libya and Niger this Fall. my plan is to sell the vehicle in Agadez. this vehicle is right-hand drive (originally from the UK). does anyone have any information on whether or not this will affect our ability to get a good resale price for it in Niger?

thanks.

I would guess that it would have a major impact on it's value - but I suppose you are hoping for someone to have experience otherwise?

Sam.

Right hand drive would be a significant negative. Expect to have to discount significantly and bargain really hard on this one. I hope your French skills are good, because it's going to take some work to get a decent price. Sorry.

thanks for the advice, kevin. that was my gut instinct, but i didn't know b/c i haven't tried to sell a vehicle in that neck of the woods. have you had experience selling a vehicle in Agadez or neighboring countries? any insights into the process would be be greatly appreciated.

I dont think that it will have a big effect, seeing that it is a landcruiser. Most of these and Hilux twin cabs or landies are used for tours in the desert or Air mountains and it doesnt really make a difference. older cars are also easy to change over to LHD. They will obviously use the RHD as an excuse to try to bargain the price down but a good toyota diesel will always get a good price.

selling a car in Niger is still relativly straightforward. They dont (2003) write the details in the passport so it can be sold without going to customs or whatever. I last sold a car there in 2002 and it went well, no problems although there are the usual tricks to watch out for. Until the war in Algeria Arlit and Agadez were the places to sell cars so youre going down a well trodden path.

I can't agree with the:

'older cars are also easy to change over to LHD'

??!! There is absolutely no way that it makes commercial sense to buy a second hand (relatively old and battered) Land Cruiser, and then spend a huge amount of time and money converting it to LHD. Much more likely is that it would be broken for the identical parts (ie engine, gearbox etc.).

Well I know this is a very complicated (and stupid...) thing but that's what many people do in some South American countries : they import old cars from Japan and put the steering wheel "back" on the left side, without even doing anything to the dashboard

Hi !!! . I disagree . Most (if not all cars) are designed being left hand driving , and then modified for RHD countries . If you look at most UK car , most still have steering , pedals mountings , , everything at the left , even if they got the stuff at the right . Even the wiring harness is LHD , with a "RHD extension harness" just for UK models.

Actually , most RHD modern cars are actually manufactured with the brake pump ,servo , clutch actuator , at the LEFT !! , and controlled via sturdy levers from the pedals in the right (Ford mondeo UK-spec is the most ovbious example) .The steering , brake , servo , pump , clutch is at the left , and everything is actuated from the right !! .

Also , swapping the steering rack from RHD to LHD is straihgtforward in most UK cars.
Some of them are actually the same casting , with 2 holes for the pinnion entry .Others are as easy as flipping the rack.

The mountings , fittings , holes , etc.. are already there .

The only part which obviously doesnt fit is the dashboard , but that can be fixed too.

For converting to LHD a UK '86 Jag Series III , I was quoted about 2 grand in London , so I guess converting a old toyota in Niger would be really cheap .

Anyway , I agree that no-one will care at all .They will see it as a bargaining point , but they will really dont care at all. I "feel" that they will pay much less to a tourist for a RHD , but later , the resale value of such a vehicle beetween Nigerians would be much the same.

Just bargain harder.

A little off topic, but maybe you could sell a RHD car in Zouerat, where because of the quarry/mining operations they drive on the left http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb/smile.gif

Funniest thing I ever saw was a D Reg Montego pulling into the car park/campground/toilet at Fort Guerguarat. We were on our way north and they were the first brits we'd seen in weeks, 10 out of 10 for humour value! I wonder if anyone else has got so far south in a Montego...

Nick.

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Nick Taylor
www.exerro.com
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1996 BMW F650
1996 300 TDi 90
1997 NAS D90 ST #685
1998 Camel Trophy 110 CT47

"A little off topic, but maybe you could sell a RHD car in Zouerat, where because of the quarry/mining operations they drive on the left"


Hi,

There is just one road (the tar one) in Zouerat where driving is on the left (10 Kms?). This roads links the city to the mining compound. Everywhere else, the driving is made on the right. In September 2003 no RHD car were to be seen there.

Regards,

NCR

In the Gambia I was quoted about 100 Euro for the labour costs to change a merc van from RHD to LHD. The parts were easy to get from a crashed van (dashboard) and a couple of things we bought new. Madrid is right when he says it is easy. With newer cars it is more difficult because of the electronics, sensors etc

Hm, I stand corrected!

Still seems like an awful lot of hassle, compared to just buying a car with the steering on the side you want it, but there you are!

Sam.