2wd to 4wd conversion possibility?

[ExpatXJGuy]

Hey everyone. Things are coming along with our move from America slowly but surely. I've learned getting the vehicle physically into the country is one thing but being allowed to drive it on the street is something else.

I'm trying to understand where you guys find your rules for what is street legal and what is not... (and maybe I'm not using the right terms when I search) Specifically NSW and Victoria to be safe. The part I'm having trouble with is from what I read there seems to be a lot of grey area when it comes to what is allowed and what is not. There has to be somewhere in black and white where you find this information.

Specifically what I'm trying to find is it legal to register a vehicle if you have converted an MJ with original MJ parts from 2wd to 4wd as I have the vehicle and all the parts to do the conversion but don't want to get hemmed up when it comes time to register the vehicle. One thing I have gotten figured out is it LEGAL to register the car provided it was manufactured before Jan 1st 1989 and more recently there is a new 30 year rule that will supersede the original 1989 rule. But a car is useless if it can't leave my garage.

I've also considered shipping the steering components for the new front end and just acquiring the axle and transmission in Aus and making those adjustments there. Just sucks cause I already own known good parts.

[emac]

im pretty sure you won't have an issue with converting to 4x4, your only problem will be left hand drive, if your mj is 30 years old you will be ok (i think) you will need to have australian approved import papers for the vehicle ( if not you send it back or it goes to the crushers) unless you import as parts only, then it can never be registered.

personally unless you truly love the vehicle its probably easier to just buy an XJ here

that said once you are here you could import it and as said as long as its 30+ years old you don't have to convert to right hand drive.

that said its probably not a huge deal to instead of bring parts to convert to 4X4 with you, simply buy an XJ here and use the parts to convert both to RHD and 4X4, if that was you direction you would then need an engineers inspection etc.

as far as black and white instructions are , gees we have trouble and we live here,

[awg]

If your vehicle is 30yrs old, the situation is fairly easy.

Join an appropriate club, and concessional registration is fairly straight forward

( I had a 6wd WW2 LHD GMC CCKW 353 registered in NSW)

If the vehicle is NOT 30 years old, things are much more difficult.

You will need to make enquiries with the Govt Dept that covers vehicle registration in whatever State you reside in...in NSW, this is now Service NSW...you will need to speak to and clarify what is required. They have a document that outlines. Use Google to search. The individual employees lack good knowledge in most cases

I expect the minimum would be an "Approved Automotive Engineer" certificate

the excellent thread by Alex covers his adventures to get his modified XJ legal

I agree that buying an Oz registered RHD drive XJ would be cheaper and easier

[ExpatXJGuy]

To clarify the vehicle is over 30 years old as it is an 88 MJ Comanche. It's specifically 34 years old. As it wasn't sold in Australia and finding a quality one for restoration is even getting hard to find here in America. I'm thinking the second it rolls off the boat it should be real collectable just in the fact that it was never sold there at all.

You are right about using XJs for parts over there. And that is what I am thinking as of right now. As of right now the only parts I see would be super beneficial to ship would be steering components as it is LHD and all doaner vehicles over there would be RHD but the driveline components over there should be identical.

For purposes of registration I'm just tying to figure out if it is easier to make the 4wd conversion before or after shipping since I already have all the parts from a 99 XJ on hand at this exact moment. But if it requires a 4wd club registration it might be required to be 4wd.

I'm also interested in doing a 99 XJ interior swap but haven't decided if I want the hassle. This is an extensive project that requires transferring the wiring harness from the 99. I can ship the dash and electrical components as well. I have pics I'll add of where I'd like to go as an example except most likely red. Because it's an extensive project I'm not sure I want to try to tackle this with the time I have left or honestly even at all. My first car was a 93 XJ so I can embrace the 1st gen interior. I would just change from a bench to bucket seats with a console.

I'm adding a few pics of the Jeep I'm heading over to pickup tomorrow as well. I wanted to wait on posting pics till it's actually mine but I guess whatever. I've got an XJ project that I've in the beginning stages of working on, BUT I know shipping an XJ isn't practical or likely legal as it's LHD. Big picture I've got a ton of parts and I'm trying to figure out what exact direction I want to take with the Comanche within the rules of going to Australia. I HATE the idea of putting tons of work and money into my XJ knowing I won't be the one that gets to enjoy it. The Comanche on the other hand has an opportunity to come with me and the parts I have can get used. Plus I've always wanted a Comanche. Just haven't gotten one because they are getting hard to find and are getting over priced because of it. I'm thinking do the bare minimum to get the current project XJ running and sold so I make my money back on buying the Comanche and put all of my work into the Comanche. The other thing is I don't want to make a change that will cost me in making it street legal once I'm there. I want to be able to take this Jeep to meetups and stuff once it arrives. And lets be real I will also be starting over once I'm in Australia. My credit won't carry over. I won't have good or bad credit, I'll have no credit. It will be as if I'm 17 and starting over when it comes to my buying power. My buying power for a new vehicle will be piss poor. I by no means want it to be a daily driver as it's a vehicle I want to keep but at least it will be a vehicle that will be fully gone through as a secondary vehicle I can use. I also will be starting over with everything furniture wise. We decided that since we have kids we have a ton of Ikea furniture. We never wanted nice furniture to get ruined by kids and animals. SO the reality is it's just not worth shipping Ikea furniture to the other side of the planet. We are going to need furniture and household goods when we arrive. Hey at least I will have a truck to go pick it up... just be gentile loading it.

This is the Jeep I'm going to get.



And this is the Jeep I'm kind of modeling after in my brain except red. The original color of this jeep you can tell is red. My first XJ was Flame Red with a grey interior so I can def see myself going this way. I'm fully aware of ride height rules there so this is a reason I'm seeking this information so I know where my limits are.

[layback40]

In Victoria, it doesnt need to be a 4wd club. There are car clubs specifically set up to provide club reg. You may not need to convert to RHD either to have club registration. There are many LHD cars on club reg.
It depends on what state you will be living in or choose to register the jeep in.

[ExpatXJGuy]

There's a 90% Chance it's going to be NSW and a 10% chance it's going to be Victoria. My plan is to leave it LHD. I think any steering conversion kills the originality of the car and makes it unsafe as it won't be how it was originally designed AND will require cutting and welding on the firewall and frame of the vehicle to make the change. But if it has to remain completely stock to come with me and clear customs and state tech inspection then so be it. I do truly feel it will quite collectable and desirable once it arrives regardless. Hopefully enough to justify the cost of shipment. While I do plan to fully integrate and become "Australian" I also think it will be nice to have a little piece of collectable America that comes with me and this Jeep is it.

It's age and the 30 year rule is the reason as to why I decided to take this project on and basically abandon my other project. Again why invest so much into something I can't keep.

What are the names of some of these car clubs so I can start looking them up online and trying to get involved? Again sorry if some of this stuff sounds like really dumb questions but I truly am starting from scratch with info as I was born, raised, and as of today still live 9280 miles... wait you guys are metric... 14935 kilometers away. That's how much terminology is different, we don't even use the same units of measurement. Heck we don't even call tools by the same names. You guys say spanners we say wrenches. I never heard spanner till I was watching Outback Truckers on Netflix. You guys call hard streets the bitumen while we call it asphalt or simply "the paved road." There's tons of little differences that throw you off. You guys prolly have a leg up as you guys have years of American television show watching under your belts as were so stuck up on ourselves in America that we don't get hardly any type of television from somewhere else. As I'm learning some of things can be figured out on the fly, some stuff I have to look up as I go but I will learn and adapt. I just ask you guys to please be patient with me as I go.

I do plan to fully document the process from tomorrow when I buy it to the day it arrives at my home in Australia fully registered and legal for street use. Depending on interest maybe even beyond and to either it's or my grave.

Maybe you guys can use this as a blueprint for obtaining these disappearing beauties before they can't be found at all anymore even in America and I can be a source of info as to what to look out for when purchasing in America.

[awg]

its very important to point out that "concessional club registration" does NOT entitle you to drive the car every day.

I think it is 60 days plus some extra ones for approved club events, but obviously you can game the system to some extent

If you dont intend to drive it for more than that number of days, I strongly advise it is a great system.

I have an old Jaguar on club rego and it costs me about $200 for rego, green slip and comprehensive insurance.
It would be more than ten times that ($2000) for full rego and insurance, AND you can leave it LHD

It would be complicated and expensive to get it fully rego LHD, (or converting to RHD)

My CCKW was LHD and no probs driving around

(pic of my cckw on Stockton Beach)