just out of interest where would ya be able to buy a big yank motor does anybody import them into the uk or europe.and as the ossies run right hand drive yanks would it be possible to import from there
Perfectly possible, although try as I might I have yet to find someone other than used sales people in the states who are able/willing to help. Funnily enough I an really searching for what you have on your posts Carl, a Kenworth K100E Aerodyne, I’ve got several dealers stateside on the look out, but as yet they’ve not found the right one. Soon as they do though it’ll be coming over. $8-10,000 dollars will buy a late 80’s early 90’s one, plus shipping, taxes, type approval or sva, registration etc, I don’t expect much change from £13,000.
if ya go onto www.toprun.ch theres a dealer in switzerland that imports kenworths and most of them look new . 
Tramper,
Have you tried putting a post about the truck your looking for on the Owner operators forum on Trucknet USA 
If anybody can find what your looking for it will be those guy’s. 
I hadn’t thought of that admittedly, but was ringing around the used dealers who advertise a shipping service, as when I do get offered the right rig, I will need assistance with getting it here. I am not at all up to speed with the legalities of import/export, customs etc, although I really should be.
Most of the american O/D’s would be in the dark like me I guess.
Hey Carl, Just checked out the link, and guess what! Thats the truck I’m looking for 30,000 euro £18,000 and it’s just SOLD! 
dave:
in the uk what we call an 16 speed eaton is what the americans call an 18 speed. we dont count reverse .
Neither do we. An 18 speed is a 9 speed with a splitter on all gears, low range and high both. A 13 speed is a 9 speed with a splitter only on high range.
The typical American 9 speed is a 5 speed pattern, reverse left and up, 1st left and down, then 2-5 in the typical H-pattern. High range is only the 4 gears in the H-pattern, since the high range equivalent of 1st gear is not a valid gear to use-it is exactly the same ratio as 5th gear on the low end.
In the past few years, 10-speed transmissions have been becoming more common, and the 15 speed variants as well. They have you shift all 5 gears on the high range.
Keep in mind also that US truck emission standards are likely less stringent than Euro standards are, as well as noise restrictions. We also have differnt standards on air brakes, lighting, 5th wheel height, brakes (all drums still!), so expect the cost of converting a US spec truck to be considerable.
alexxlnny,
the gearboxes you mentioned . do the have or crawler gear, or just a regular first.
Tramper,
They are always talking over on Trucknet USA about how you can’t give a cabover away,so I think if you search the net you should have no probs coming up with a COE to your liking thats going for a song.
Also there is a dealership somewhere in England that specialises in selling used N.American Artic prairie type Agri tractors,they should know the ins and outs of importing these monsters from “Uncle Sam”.I’ll see if I can get you a number if you want?
I hope you don’t mind but I put a post on Trucknet USA about you looking for a KW K100 to import and a guy replied back with the following website (sorry I can’t do links )
www.truckpaper.com
If you do a search for KW K100 you’ll find there are 24 
listed here,with prices of £12000 for the most expensive down to £260 
for the cheapest,I kid you not. 
You gotta look at the £12 grand one it looks as “sweet as a nut” in the photos,it will take you half an hour to read through the spec list and best of all its for sale in Michigan which is right next door to the big container shipping lines.
It don’t come much handier than that 
Top Man! I’ll let you know what happens.
dave:
alexxlnny,
the gearboxes you mentioned . do the have or crawler gear, or just a regular first.
A regular 1st gear. If it were a crawler (or “deep reduction” gear"), it would be listed as “L” on the shifter, and the transmission would then be an 8-speed.
Here is a website of a dealer in Germany that imports and sells all kinds of North American trucks.
Click Here
You can choose from stock or custom-order. Might be of interest …
I lived in NEW ZEALAND for a while and there were more US trucks than any other. The kiwis usually import trucks from Japan but since the Japs dont make em big enough they import from the US. Strange though as all the imports from the US are right hand drive!!
US manufacturers have serial production of right hand drive trucks for Australian, New Zealand and South African markets. It’s an important component of their overall sales since they don’t have true access to the European market.
caravan:
US manufacturers have serial production of right hand drive trucks for Australian, New Zealand and South African markets. It’s an important component of their overall sales since they don’t have true access to the European market.
Thanks for that bit Caravan. I did wonder why they were right hand drives and now I know.
Cheers mate
If you are after a cabover Kenworth an Australian K series,latest model K104,have been designed and built here in Australia. www.kenworth.com.au
Very popular truck with the added bonus of a 2nd hand unit from Australia being originally built Right Hand Drive. Kenworth Bayswater(Factory) export Kenworths around the world.Can give you a list of dealers that will give you an idea of what costs etc for a used truck.
Mack,Volvo,Iveco have plants in Australia-Western Star,an Aussie company did manufacture trucks here before moving OS.
We run a K124 1978 vintage 350 ■■■■■■■ with a 15 speed RR and it is still going strong and it gets loaded to the max weights.The durability is a major factor of US specced trucks.
caravan:
US manufacturers have serial production of right hand drive trucks for Australian, New Zealand and South African markets. It’s an important component of their overall sales since they don’t have true access to the European market.
Yes, that has gone on for many years, I drove right ■■■■■■ Macks in the 60s in Oz and in the same period there was a firm in England, P&S I think from Rotherham, running them.
Salut, David.
boots:
If you are after a cabover Kenworth an Australian K series,latest model K104,have been designed and built here in Australia. www.kenworth.com.au
.
How sad to see Foden missing from the KW site considering their predominance, in Northern Australia at least, years ago.
Salut, David.
After visiting the truck show in Louisville this year i fell in love with the big cab overs …especially the new volvo…got a sleeper cab that makes our sleepers look like rest cabs…anyway …the problem with importing one is type approval for the european market…and because of their length would (if type approval were to be given) leave you with a very small trailer because of our overall length limits. I seem to re-call a guy advertising on trucknet an american rig that he couldnt get type approval for…so before importing it is best to have a word with the type approval guys first. the sites advertising on here such as the german ones i believe are mostly for trucks that would be used for shows as i have never ever seen a german registered american truck running on normal work…but…i have see even last week a dutch registered one…so that could be a way out…one i would consider…if i was to win the lottery…