Beam deflectors for a RHD Mitsubishi Delica

[Penny]

We are planning to move to France when our house sells and have been looking for a suitable car for the trip over and the ensuing house hunt (our present steed is old and tired and wants to stay home). Last week we came across a Mitsubishi Delica, 2.8 TDI, 7 seats, seemed to tick all the boxes, then the word REGISTRATION came up in the conversation, so we decided to check a few points.

There doesn't seem to be any problems from the info on this forum as long as you follow the rules....except for one thing! The Deli is a grey import and, as far as I can tell, does not seem to have been imported to any LHD countries (feel free to correct me if you know differently). The problem is that LHD replacement headlights for the Delica seem to be as scarce as parrots teeth in the artic. My question is, if LHD headlights are not available, would beam deflectors attached to the lense be accepted??? After all if you can use these for touring they can't be seen as dangerous, you don't have to be a french resident cause an accident.

Any opinions on a solution would be greatly appreciated.

Penny 

[Sunday Driver]

You are right in that the Mitsubishi Delica was never officially imported into the EU.  That means it will have to pass a single vehicle type approval inspection in order to be acceptable for registration in France. 

The SVA process is not particularly complicated, but amongst the various items that need to conform to French type approval/construction and use regulations are the headlamps, so I suspect that if you are unable to change them over to right hand dipping ones, then the vehicle will fail the inspection.  You mention the use of deflectors for touring, but this is only applicable as a temporary modification to visiting vehicles in order to comply with the French highway rules on the use of dipped headlights.

Given the potential difficulties you would face, it may be better to consider purchasing an EU manufactured vehicle of a similar type.

 

[AnOther]

There was a thread just yesterday suggesting a novel (& cheap) way of converting lights which may or may not work !

http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/974030/ShowPost.aspx

If you do try it do let us know how you get on [;-)]

[Anton Redman]

If you google 'Mitsubishi Delica' with country set to UK a couple of clubs and forums come up including one with a link to Canada which does drive on the right.

I echo the comments about grey imports in France. There have been a number of sagas written up over the years people have succeeded but it requires a large amount of persistance and chnaces of success seem to vary Department to Department.

Also I would not want a car in France where spares had to be sourced from the Japan via the UK.

Beam deflectors used to be accepted in some Departments up until four or five years ago. I do not know of any cars which have passed a CT with them since then

[Sunday Driver]

I think it's worth considering that the CT examines the functionality of the headlights, ie if the bulbs are permanently and immovably adjusted to provide the correct dip, then that function is fulfilled.  Temporary beam deflectors do not have this immovable property.

The SVA, on the other hand, is concerned with the actual construction of the lenses which require the E-marks.....

 

[Penny]

Thanks to all for the input, the idea mentioned by ErnieY looks interesting but I was concerned with how it may sit with the SVA and your last line was the main point of interest...'without the correct lense with the E-mark'... so it looks like a non starter, especially as it seems that this model was never made in LHD.

Antons right about the possible cost of maintaining a motor like the Delica but the internet does help with most things coming by email anyway.

The dealer is trying some of his contacts and I am at the moment waiting for him to get back to me, if he can't find any then it's back to the drawing board...possibly something uncomplicated like a Pug 807 or similar, just to last until we get settled and then stay as a second car for transporting the outlaws when they visit.

For those readers with an interest in the Delica lighting, I'll post here if I find a solution.   

 

[Sunday Driver]

Just to pile on more doom and gloom....

There have been previous instances where people have attempted to import 'grey' Mitsubishis (if I recall, one of them may well have been a Delica) without success, mainly because the technical documentation for the SVA has to come from Japan.  Given the unofficial status of these vehicles, the French importer is singularly unhelpful in this respect.

I also know of someone who is currently attempting to import a UK registered VW Minibus and because it has a limited edition engine which was never used in France, VW can't seem to provide him with the required emissions data for the SVA and he's faced with an 1,800km round trip to Paris to get it tested at a cost of 400€.  And that's a mainstream EU manufacturer, let alone one on the other side of the world.

The Pug is sounding like a really good idea.... 

 

[Penny]

Oh dear!....that does sound terminal...pity, because the Deli looked like a good tool, 2.8 TDI 4X4, seven/eight seats, good spec, lots of gadgets and gismos. We have Collie and a Labrador so the extra space is handy.

Thanks for the input, greatly appreciated, I think that we will have enough on our plates with the move without adding extra complications.

Still, it wouldn't be any fun if it was too easy......so they tell me!!

Adrian & Penny