changing lights for continental Europe

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Tue 3 Apr 2007 17:25
changing lights for continental Europe - useless with cars
I have moved to Sweden with all my wordly possessions stacked in my 1996 kia pride. I now want to register my car in Sweden, but I need to change my lights to continental standards as opposed to british. I thought I could just adjust my lights, but the mechanic in Sweden said I need to change my entire headlight unit as the angle of the beam was in the cut of the glass. Is this correct? If it is, it is easy to change the headlight units yourself? Do you need special tools? I can get used lamps pretty cheap so I would like to do it myself.

Thanks
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Tue 3 Apr 2007 17:55
changing lights for continental Europe - bell boy
easy on a pride if they arent rusted in
i would have thought
why not get mechanic to fit your supplied lights?
that way he can align them on his special mark on his garage wall
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Tue 3 Apr 2007 19:25
changing lights for continental Europe - Dave N
Have you checked with the authorities over there, as you can usually get away with just blanking out the part of the lens that sends the beam up the wrong way. The rule is that they musn't dazzle, not that they have to point the correct way. Obviously, the correct lights are a better option.

Have you tried to register it yet? The Swedes can be a bit funny if they can't tick all the correct boxes, and I'm not sure they Pride was ever sold over there. The same may apply to insurance, especially for a RHD. I have a friend near Tranemo that moved over a couple of years ago with a Nissan Patrol, but when he tried to get it tested prior to registration, they had a fit about the suspension lift, winch, snorkel etc. He now just runs it on UK plates, and comes back once a year to MOT and tax it, and runs UK insurance.

Where have you moved to?
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Wed 4 Apr 2007 07:43
changing lights for continental Europe - useless with cars
Yes, my partner has checked with the authorities and I am not allowed to register it with those sticker things on the lenses to adjust the light. I think the pride was sold over here as there are ones in car yards so we can get used parts. Do you think it would be cheaper if we put the lights in ourselves and just had them adjusted at the garage or would it really not make a difference? I am trying to do this a cheap as possible as we know a 96 Pride really isnt worth investing that much money in and it will cost £170 just to register it in Sweden. But it still runs great and is very cheap on gas so we want to keep it.

By the way Dave, I am in Kalmar.
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Wed 4 Apr 2007 21:24
changing lights for continental Europe - Dulwich Estate
It was once suggested to me that I go to www.oscaro.com for lights to use on a UK car in France. Never used them, but apparently they do mail order anywhere in Europe.
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