Just more a comment or rant than anything constructive......

I have been messing around with my new purchase, my colleague's 110. It's not worked out very well, and I think I am going to sell it on. It isn't a touch on my refurb'd 90.......but that's life, I suppose.

So, I am going to Europe next week. I am going to meet someone in Nīmes, pick up a 110 rental from a specialist firm and then have a drive through the French alps and then north all the way to Calais. Swapping vehicles in Calais before going to the UK.

I have planned to look at a few 110s to buy whilst over in Europe. A couple in France, a couple in Germany, a couple in Italy and one in Switzerland. Not sure how to do it...perhaps look at the one in Turin as a diversion from St Jean de Maurienne in the French Alps as a day trip; the two in France will be en route to Calais. I'm not sure if I should divert the journey to include Switzerland or not, and I expect to just fly over to Germany from London to look at the one in Cologne and then take a train to see the one in Munich. They are all factory built original left hand drive trucks.

What has surprised me though is what I realise form speaking to people in England. I am sure this is all known by everyone here, however, as an Englishman who settled over here with my family in my teens, I am quite shocked by the way my former fellow countrymen seemingly take advantage of customers from over here.

Firstly, as soon as I explained what I was looking for and where the truck would be coming to, prices escalated. Clearly, they thought I was too dumb to check out ebay UK or autotrader; perhaps they felt I was unable to understand the classified ads in the back of Land Rover monthly? I don't know.....however, I do know that £12k for a 1976 LWB Series III in unrestored condition is just laughable. Sadly, I experienced this from most of those who call themselves land rover specialist exporters. I was given prices of £12-15k for a cosmetically well finished 1985 rhd 110....but with original gearboxes, engines, chassis....nothing overhauled at all.

I am not a fan of the rhd to lhd conversion. I don't want a rhd either. I want a factory built lhd.......just my preference, and I expressed this, so, I was quoted a service from one of the more reputable land rover exporters. Again, I know everyone knows about this, but I will still explain.... This gentleman told me that this is the process: he will source a rhd 1984/85 110 for me. He will officially change the chassis on this (though, when I asked if he would actually do this, he said I should not be worried about the exact details and should not be worried about it at all) and the numbers will match; then, I will buy a new lhd 110 from him. He will put this on the new galvanised chassis from the former 1984/85 110.....and hey presto, I have a brand new 110 registered in 1984/5 for all intents and purposes and he said he has done this many times and that his agent in Maryland will clear it for me to come in to the USA. The cost? $60-70k!!!!!!!

So, I tell him that none of that sounds very legal to me; I am not really the type of person who wants to do anything illegal in the first place; moreover, the price tag is far too hefty to justify on what my wife would say is my weekend toy; furthermore, I do not wish to incur the wrath of any authority, from Customs to police; I do not want my insurance company to take issue with this vehicle in the event of an accident. There are far too many reasons why not.

Nevertheless, I asked for a price breakdown on the $60-70k cost: 1984/1985 110: £3k-4,500; New lhd Land Rover from his stock: £20k-ish; galvanised chassis £1.5k-ish, hence, so far, £26k (about $41.5k). So, I ask, why the extra $10-20k? I am told that the labour cost will be at least £10k!!!!! And I should allow for up to $15k for extras. I ask what extras? I am told air con.....but ask if that is not standard on the new lhd vehicles....he says it is. Ok, he moves on to leather upholstery - £3k...a bit higher than the prices from Trakkers! What else justifies the $70k price tag? Bringing the car to local spec I am hastily told. Ok....so, this is getting silly, so I call someone else who is close by to this first company.

So, the next company. I get the suggestion for a similar process, just a little cheaper. It goes like this: £18k for a New Old Stock lhd truck; up to £25k for a brand new 2010 lhd truck; they have both in stock; £4-6k for a 1984/5 rhd truck; £10k for labor and parts, including the galvanised chassis, so, approx. £40k. I can reduce this cost by £7k by going for a new old stock truck, and can reduce it by another £8k if I go for a decent condition, hardly used 2003 secondhand lhd truck as the transplant vehicle, so, potentially, about £25k in all if using the cheapest options. They also told me that they have someone in Maryland who can clear anything to come in to the US.

Lastly, I called a company on the other side of London, near Reading. They do the same sort of thing and the prices are quite similar.

I was wondering, does anyone actually buy these rebuilt trucks which are clearly hardly legal? Or, is my understanding somewhat incorrect on these vehicle? I am happy to be wrong. And, has anyone else found this culture to over inflate prices of trucks destined for the US? In my recent search for a lhd 110, I was offered a military 110 from 1987 which the owner suggested I buy from him and keep dry stored for 2 years before I import it here (he can arrange it for £80 per month plus £70 per month to maintain it).....and the price....a mere £10k for the privilege!