Yank Tanks Conversions?

Yank Tanks Conversions?

Author
Discussion

F93

Original Poster:

575 posts

184 months

Sunday 25th January 2009
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Even though i'm only 15, I really love all cars, and am glad to have found this section of Piston Heads.
But anyway, when i'm old enough to afford it, I want to import a late 80's early 90s full-size American car, like a Caprice or Crown Vic. But, I would obviously want a slightly more efficient engine and for it to be RHD, because i'd want to use it as a day driver. Seeing as RHD yank tanks are exceedingly rare, and all of them are petrol (rather than the diesels they should've been) I wanted to know if it was possible for cars of this type to be converted to RHD from LHD in the UK, and if they can be fitted with diesels. (Yeah, I know it'd be stupendously expensive to do, lol, but I was just wondering) And would those cars (late 80s Caprice's/Crown Vics) be rust-proofed? If not, could they be?

F93

Original Poster:

575 posts

184 months

Monday 26th January 2009
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Yeah I definitely wouldn't rid myself of the V8's in the cars, i'd put it in the garage or something, but I was really looking to just make them more efficient, as 27 mpg is a little poor nowadays, and seeing as their older now would it be lower? Cos essentially, I want one of them as a day driver, because new cars.... well they're real good but I just want a good old one, but I want it to work well and have some life left in it yet once i'd done it up to an acceptable level.

F93

Original Poster:

575 posts

184 months

Monday 26th January 2009
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Thanks for the info, yeah American Oldsmobile V6 and V8 diesels from the 80s (pretty much the only ones for cars) were horrendous, so i'd put a different engine in whichever car it was. I hadn't thought about a Trans Am/Camaro... i'll look into it.

F93

Original Poster:

575 posts

184 months

Monday 26th January 2009
quotequote all
true, true.... Especially as until i'm 25 anything would be expensive to insure anyway.... but I wouldn't have the money to do it until i'm fairly old anyway... like 50 or something lol

F93

Original Poster:

575 posts

184 months

Tuesday 3rd February 2009
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Ok, ok, so I wouldn't take out the petrol V8. I just heard of the 10-15 mpg and thought it was probably a little stupid giving today's petrol prices. I didn't prefer the diesel, just wanted it for better the supposedly fuel consumption, but I guess I was proved wrong.

So, I could get a pretty decent US car and import it, get it done over and cleaned up (not modded to buggery), all for a low price? If its low, how much is low? like £10-20,000?


F93

Original Poster:

575 posts

184 months

Friday 6th February 2009
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Thanks for the advice! Very very helpful. I love the 96 Fleetwood's, there just so very... well they're legendary. Thing is I like the look of earlier cars, like late 80s. The 86 Brougham is the exact style I like. Also, if you search the Striking Distance car chase on youtube, I like the Crown Vic used in that chase.

But the 96 Fleetwood is definitely a good idea.