Car Parts

[Gapster]

Hi all, I'm looking to change another UK vehicle to French plates - already done it with the Discovery - but now I am struggling to find a supplier for the Land Rover Freelander on the web as I need continental headlights?

Does anyone have a recommended (not too expensive) supplier/link for car parts?

Originally Posted by Gapster

Hi all, I'm looking to change another UK vehicle to French plates - already done it with the Discovery - but now I am struggling to find a supplier for the Land Rover Freelander on the web as I need continental headlights?

Does anyone have a recommended (not too expensive) supplier/link for car parts?

Try Ebay.co.uk, search on Freelander, headlights, LHD, or similar. There are always hopefuls trying to sell off bits.

BTW, the words 'LandRover' and 'not too expensive' are rarely seen together in France.

I guess you know already that a RHD vehicle on frog plates is virtually unsellable here in France?

[Billy The Fish]

Not too expensive means that you don't want to go to a Land Rover garage? I went to the local Honda garage when I converted my Honda.

I just had a look at oscaro.com, and although they have parts for Freelanders, I can't see headlights. There are other sites though that do spare parts. However I would guess that eBay may well be your best bet if price is critical.

Originally Posted by Billy The Fish

Not too expensive means that you don't want to go to a Land Rover garage?

Oh, not too expensive CERTAINLY means he won't.

I needed a new PS box for my 2004 110 - the local Britpart man quoted €1100 for supply alone. I got one in the UK for €500ish.

GOK how much the main stealers, sorry, I mean dealers, would have tried it on for.....

[Billy The Fish]

Fair enough. My headlights were €300 for the pair when I bought them from Honda, so I didn't know how bad/good Landrover dealers were. I didn't mind paying that much to avoid the hassle of finding some second hand, for a car that isn't hugely popular in France.

But with the difference in price that you've quoted I can fully understand why it's worth thinking twice!

[Gapster]

I managed to get the Discovery headlights for £100 on ebay, but there have been no LHD headlights for Freelanders in the last month or so...

As for selling a RHD i France? It all depends where you live and what you are trying to sell. There is always someone (French or otherwise) looking for a 4x4 in the mountain regions, and plenty of `brits who simple don't want the hassle of registering their vehicle.

<< I managed to get the Discovery headlights for £100 on ebay, but there have been no LHD headlights for Freelanders in the last month or so...>>

There is a left hand one on there right now, but you might obviously find life easier if you look for a pair....

<<<As for selling a RHD i France? It all depends where you live and what you are trying to sell. There is always someone (French or otherwise) looking for a 4x4 in the mountain regions, and plenty of `brits who simple don't want the hassle of registering their vehicle.>>>

I'd cautiously agree - someone in my village (not too remote, not too mountainous) has treated themselves to a 1997 RHD Shogun for the winter, its plated in France and he accepts that it'll have no resale value.

My wife's UK-regged Disco will eventually end up here on French plates but it'll only be used as a laner so the minimal value it represents won't be a huge loss. However, there's been a very tidy RHD D2 on froggy Ebay for nearly a year now, and the price hasn't been outrageous.

I suspect the Gendarmes will get around one day to having a blitz on foreign micky-takers in the same way that their Spanish colleagues have done - damned computers, once they start talking to one another they won't stop ;-)

[Gapster]

Yep, there are two on ebay right now, but for a Freelander 2 - bargain price!!

Unfortunately I'm looking for TD4 Freelander 1 headlights.

THey are so cheap it's almost worth hacking a piece of the bodywork to make them fit....

[brucesarn]

Just as a comparison for you - my Series 2 facelift Disco headlamps from Landrover in Limoges were 350 Euros fitted - LHD headlamps from Paddocks in the UK are 157 Euros each not fitted. I suspect from a Land Rover dealership that cost would be substantially increased. I suppose it depends greatly on the franchise you go to, but I personally have found parts prices to have been comparable to the UK - what has been cheaper is the cost of servicing - about half that of the UK.
I had a quick look on Paddocks and Famous Four websites and Freelander LHD headlamps are 115 Euros each (with indicators). Still a lot of money for 10 pence worth of plastic and a quids worth of glass.
I agree with you minesthechevy - I think the Gendarmes have started - I'm on French plates but have been stopped twice recently, along with other RHD vehicles in front of me, and had a thorough check of my documents. I believe that insurance companies here are starting to get funny about renewing policies for UK reg vehicles and the the test centres will soon stop issuing CT's unless French registered.

Brucesarn

All v. interesting stuff.

I had the 110 serviced at LR Chambery once and was astounded at the cost- even by UK main dealer standards. Maybe it was just myluck to find an extra-large shark in a pool of sharks...

Interesting also about le plod stopping you - my wife brings her UK- regged Disco over from time to time and we use it to tow a variety of french-regged trailers (technically we have to ask permission of EVERY Mairie we pass through....) with no trouble.

All the UK-plated vehicles Ive re-regged here have had a CT before I go to the Sous-Pref for the local plating; my local S-P is a nightmare, and I figure a piece of 'familiar' paperwork might oil the wheels.

The one Ive yet to do anything about is our 1958 S1 - it'd be nice to get it out into the countryside on a summers day......

Whereabouts are you?