Hi,
I am looking at buying a GMC 4x4 SLT 2500HD C/C S/B with the heavy duty power package .The vehicle will be exported to australia and converted to Right-hand drive.

I am just after some feed back on what options people could not go without and what not to worry about? Also any aftermarket options eg, exhaust, power ups, but reliabilty must not be effected.

Also any warranty issues which have been raised. The main reason is that we only have limited contact with these vehicle and not many specialist to seek information from in Australia.

The vehicle is going to be used for towing and general work duties.
Thanks for your help.
Heath.

in your case I would keep it stock and you should be very happy with it!

I would put a secondary fuel filter on (I have a pre-OEM Nicktane filter; Nick will ship it to you here in OZ) and change the shocks to Bilsteins. Best GMC/Chev truck people in Australia are Corvette Queensland in Gympie. Enjoy your truck!!
:driver:

Do you HAVE to convert it to right hand drive? Is it what the law states?

Yes, with the exception of vintage cars/trucks over I think 30 years old all vehicles have to be converted to right hand drive....... that's the law :bow:

Heathgu -

What will the right hand drive conversion look like? How much will it cost?

Hey, AussieDmax, what part of Australia? My fiance' has family in Gympie, and I have been by Corvette Queensland, pretty cool... they had a RHD Plymouth Prowler when I was up there last. I am in Brisbane. Take Care!:D and yes, 30 years and older, can be LHD everything else has to be swapped.

A Dmax will suit your needs very well!!! Enjoy your new beast!!

HOW in the world can you swap to right hand drive??????
I am shure it is a little more than drilling a hole in the fire wall):h
I realy would like to know.
David

go have a look at www.corvette.com.au.... it explains a little and if you look in the "recently sold" or "trucks for sale" you can see some pics, it's pretty wacky I know, but I am gettng used it :D I hate to say it, but after only being here about 2 years, and still getting Road and Track monthly, sometimes I look at my beloved American autos and go.... "Hmmmmm something isn't right here...." What a disgrace huh?

There will be at least one left hand drive DM in Australia in six months or so - as a temporary import. My truck and myself will be putting ourselves on a boat for a six month's visit and a little poking around in your outback. My understanding is that we will have to have a sign on our backside "Left Hand Drive". Perhaps another one stating "Old Fool At The Controls" might also be appropriate.:)

My truck was converted by Corvette Queensland in Gympie. They import from the US and Canada (mine is a Canadian truck) under an Australian government approved scheme for limited new vehicle imports. They do a so-called "mirror" conversion (basically everything mirrored to the other side; any parts that can only be used LHD are manufactured here for RHD).
They strip the truck bare (dash, seats everything) and many parts in the engine bay are removed as well. Then they start building again which ofcourse involves a RHD steering house, airco swapped to the other side, brake cylinder swapped to the other side, inside a new dash is put in that is an exact mirror of the original. Many parts can be re-used, some have to be specially made. Headlights are replaced and any other features that do not comply with ADR (Australian Design Regulations) are changed like the seatbelts, the towbar etc etc. Only very few clues will tell you this was originally a LHD: entry to the truck using a key is still on the left hand side; the lever to open the hood is still left; the buttons for the seat heating are swapped over left to right and right to left so the "seat picture" faces backwards (not that we need seat heating in OZ......). Once the whole process is finished (takes about 5-6 weeks) a Compliance Plate is requested form the Federal Government. Once obtained you can register the truck. I will try to attach some photos. Love the truck!! :rockit:
By the way: I have learned a lot from the Dieselplace; you guys are the best!!! :thumb:

Lookoout postman...here we come! :rockit: .............

No really, is it still 16k to do that or have they eased up a bit?

Many parts can be re-used, some have to be specially made. Headlights are replaced and any other features that do not comply with ADR (Australian Design Regulations) are changed like the seatbelts, the towbar etc etc.I was wondering what is the differance between the United States version of headlights and the Australian version of headlights?
If it is not too much trouble... pictures?:o:

jc

There will be at least one left hand drive DM in Australia in six months or so - as a temporary import. My truck and myself will be putting ourselves on a boat for a six month's visit and a little poking around in your outback. My understanding is that we will have to have a sign on our backside "Left Hand Drive". Perhaps another one stating "Old Fool At The Controls" might also be appropriate.:)
If you're near Brisbane... look me up! Be good to shoot the breeze with a fellow American (who has a Badda$$ truck none the less)

Burner: agree it's a lot of money.........F**d imports a bare bone F250 7.3 PS (RHD built in Brasil ; build quality -:t ............ for US$62,500.......... :nonono: )
Better getting a fully loaded Dmax/Allison!!!

jc64: The original headlights could not be adjusted sufficiently to point to the left rather than to the right; so a chrome insert is put in with two (Australian) aftermarket lights :thumb:

Very neat I must say AussieDMAX. I have never seen any american import with a changed driver-side before. Very professional looking too! Those are some sweet (mean) looking headlights as well :ro) ! I see you also had to mount a yellow reflector on the side of the front bumper just infront of the wheel. That would be what you would have to do in Europe as well I think.

Hey AussieDmax... what is the deal here with stinking "dead pedals"? Every car I have driven in Australia has a stupid dead pedal. I wear a size 15 shoe and need all the room in the floorboard I can get, they are a nusiance. Is it some kind of law? Or just preferance?

All of the trucks I have seen from Corvette Queensland and the American Vehicles place in Victoria have dead pedals too, My Z-71 didn't have one back home, and I am quite sure that no one else's do either unless they add them on themselves.

Just curious.

Hey BroncoFanCam: No idea about the dead pedal / foot rest. I don't think it's the law........ Indeed most if not all cars / trucks in OZ have one. Size 15 huh...... :jawdrop: boy you have to register them separately from the truck...... is that size feet legal in Queensland??? :rotflmao:

Maybe it's a good thing Immigration didn't check for foot size eh? I might have got "the boot". :eek:

BTW... I like your headlights, most of the ones I have seen have those ugly as hell black "surrounds", those chromies look WAY better! :cool:

Indeed the chrome surrounds are better than the blacks. Was in Gympie 3 weeks ago and saw new 05's converted. Corvette Queensland now has approval to use (I think they said) Denali headlights. So you will see them shortly on the road I guess... :Whoa:

them would be cool and you could use the perfomance offroad lights as the real deal. that looks mean! :)

So what's the total cost to buy the truck ship it over and convert it to RHD?

And what's it convert to US dollars?

Here is the link to their prices. All in Austrailian Dollars. I wonder how much shipping costs are??

Take care

Will



http://www.corvette.com.au/index.asp?Sec_ID=18

You can check prices at www.corvette.com.au (A$=US$0.78) Prices include freight, conversion and import duty. Eg a GMC 2500HD CC/SB SLT D/A converted, with OZ compliance plate, will be around A$109,000 (at current exchange rates US$85,000). Keep in mind car/truck prices are high in this country........ :bawl: but keep their value.........have a look at the for sale section for used truck prices....

Holy cow batman :Whoa:

$85,000 for a truck :jawdrop:

And we complain about spending $45,000 :eyecrazy:


What's the average hourly pay for a worker there ? $50.00 per hour ?

:offtopic: I was in Australia about 11 years ago for 16 days on my honeymoon and loved it there. Went to Sydney, Alice Springs and Ayers Rock (climbed to the top), up to Cairns, down the coast to Dunk Island, and Heron Island, and into Brisbane, then off to New Zealand for a week. Got to drive a rental car there, I had that little toyota humming on the raods, plus all the sheep along the fences on the sides of the roads would start a stampede every time I blew the horn at them. Still cracks me up when I think about it. :lol:

Australia and New Zealand had some very friendly people and are great country's to visit, I would highly recomend them to anyone to go see.

Wouldn't mind moving there myself, IF I could take my truck with me, wife's optional.):h


DD

The trucks are high....... but no one has mentioned how good the warranty's are.

All new "gray imports" (Corvettes, Vipers, Prowlers, Chev/GMC trucks, Rams etc) typically come with a 3yr 200,000KM warranty provided by a warranty company (price of this cover is included in price of car/truck) . No OEM warranty since cars/trucks are exported (from US and Canada).

And yes he is VERY right about them holding their value, it isn't uncommon here to see a 10 year old Chevy/GMC for sale and costing over 50 large. I looked at a 93 Crew Cab dually 4x4, $55,000, that was about 7 months ago. I don't know what it costs to get one here, but they say if you find a particular truck,they will do the conversion for $25,000 Aussie $. (And assuming it is on the list of "importable" vehicles.

Quick question about your warranty "AussieDmax", since you are in Sydney, who is authorized to do repairs (God forbid you have any troubles)??? A Holden dealer??? Or do they have some specialty shop they require you go to? I have always wondered about that. I don't even want to think about the cost of replacement parts... and can you get an extended warranty at all?

jc64: The original headlights could not be adjusted sufficiently to point to the left rather than to the right; so a chrome insert is put in with two (Australian) aftermarket lights :thumb::D Thanks, jc

BroncoFanCam: First of all: the guys at Corvette Queensland are fantastic. Always happy to help over the phone. I have had some small issues and they just "talked me through the repair procedure" over the phone while I was doing it. Secondly: I will never let a Holden dealer touch my truck!! :Nonono: I had a 98 Suburban 5.7 (which was imported as a Holden!!!) and the largest Holden dealer here who I bought the car from was absolutely terrible. Typically I would get this reaction :confuzeld I knew more about Suburbans than they did (and I am only your average backyard mechanic........). If I have a problem that I can't fix myself with help over the phone but that can wait, I have them fix it next when I am up in Queensland. Parts: Corvette Queensland carries a good supply of parts and if they don't have it it is always possible to get it airfreighted out of the US (like Nick shipped my Nicktane filter and Lisle "quick" disconnect tool some time back). If the truck would die I would call Corvette Queensland, discuss what to do and they will authorize repairs / send parts and we would discuss where to go. For more serious issues with my Suburban I would go to a specialized 4x4 workshop (Traction 4) here in Sydney. They have experience with US SUV's and trucks and I would suggest to go to them. Again Corvette Queensland would then review the work to be done with them over the phone. Extended warranty: no idea, I didn't investigate but given the limited amount of miles that I do probably not worth it.

Hey thanks! I have seen a few of those Holden Suburbns around here, and it sounds like it (your truck) is backed pretty well, that's what I was wondering.It's good to hear ;) now when are you gonna bring it up here and take me for a ride? :p: Take it easy!

No plans to go North for the moment.......... :sorrysign

That's cool I was just yankin' your chain.:beerchug:

Thanks for all the replys, I think standard is best maybe just get the exhaust done and leave it at that.

Cheers Heath.

My only concerns are 1 stabing the gas pedal and hitting the parking brake and someone hitting you in the ASS. And 2 the crazy amount of import duty at one point I thought it was 100% could be wrong on that figure.
Lived in OZ for 10 years while growing up and had a blast. Would like to go back there to live maybe and take the wife and son.
Jonathan