jonnymaserati Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 Hi guys Does anyone know if Land Rovers manufactured for the Middle East market are made to a different spec and more importantly, is it feasible to import these cars easily back into Europe without having to spend a lot of money on conversions? I'm new to this forum, but since I'm considering buying a new Disco I thought it would be good to join up and ask a few questions. I'm in the process of moving to Syria. I'm not a stranger to off-road driving having some good experience in the UAE and Oman (deserts and wadis), but that was with a Jeep Cherokee. I've always wanted a Land Rover though and now is my chance! It seems that there's not a lot of choice on Discovery models in Syria... the only model that they now offer is a fully loaded V8 HSE. Given the relatively cheap fuel price there though, it's a realistic prospect although I probably would have gone for a diesel if I bought the car in Europe. They did until recently also offer the V6 engine, but have stopped due to lack of demand. The alternative is a Freelander, which is probably more practical for driving in Damascus (driving there is quite an experience to say the least), but the Disco just seems so much more comfortable and certainly far more competent off-road? If anyone has advice on good options and mods or general advice I'd be most appreciative! Regards... Jonny. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest diesel_jim Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 I know that series 2 (and 1 i think) disco's had a different front grill and bumper to allow better airflow. not sure about the actual radiator itself, but neither of those things are going to be a hassle over here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonnymaserati Posted July 20, 2008 Author Share Posted July 20, 2008 I know that series 2 (and 1 i think) disco's had a different front grill and bumper to allow better airflow. not sure about the actual radiator itself, but neither of those things are going to be a hassle over here. Hi there Thanks for the info! Makes sense given the temperature (it was pushing 40 deg C when I was just over there). Talking with one of my Brunei-an colleagues, he told me that in Asia many European cars are overlooked by the locals because they have insufficient cooling and air conditioning for the climate, which pushes many of them to buy Toyotas and the like. However, I know with the new Land Rovers they spent considerable time climate testing the cars... they spent a few months in Dubai driving around the dunes (and we got a sneak preview of the new cars!). So hopefully the cooling should be sorted on the new cars. However, this is unlikely to prevent the cars from getting re-imported to Europe I think? My biggest concern is environmental stuff... the quality of petrol in Syria is not great and I'm not even confident that the fuel is unleaded. This would wipe out a catalyst pretty sharp! So to prevent this it might be worth me fitting a de-cat exhaust and keeping the original to refit if I try to import the car back? Are there many good after-market exhausts for these cars? Cheers... Jonny. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwriyadh Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 My Disco 1 purchased in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia required changes to speedo (from kph to mph), headlights ( dip left instead of dip right) and fitment of catalysts. None of them great problems. However, the DVLA require a Certificate of Conformity in order to register the vehicle, Land Rover will not supply a certificate since the vehicle was not supplied within the European Market. They do not require that certificate for a vehicle over ten years old, that happened today Check with Land Rover on the availability of the certificate for the future, alternatives are over ten years old or SVA. jw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonnymaserati Posted July 22, 2008 Author Share Posted July 22, 2008 hi there great... thanks for the reply! i know what to ask for now! i know saudi cars don't have cats (i fitted an OEM saudi exhaust to my car), but i had a look under one of the LR3s in damascus and it definitely had cats. cheers... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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