At the 2008 New York International Auto Show, General Motors debuted the two-seat Pontiac G8 ST – a Pontiac badged version of the iconic Holden Ute sold in Australia and New Zealand. The automaker had planned to put the vehicle in production and even notified Pontiac dealers of its intentions to bring the rather strange coupe utility to the U.S., but the automaker’s 2009 bankruptcy proceedings put the kibosh on those plans.
While the Pontiac G8 ST never did come to fruition, there is still a way to legally import and register a Holden Ute in the United States. Travis Bell, an American Holden Ute owner, recently appeared on automotive YouTube channel VIN Wiki to explain the process which, unsurprisingly, is rather complicated and expensive.
The first step in this complex undertaking is to locate a Holden Ute body and ship it from Australia or New Zealand, and obtain a Pontiac G8 sedan donor vehicle. This is where things get a little scary. The next step is to cut the Holden Ute and Pontiac G8 in half and weld the two ends together. Another technique is to cut the firewall out to switch the steering wheel from one side to the other, but surprisingly, marrying the two ends together seems to the easier route to take.
Bell managed to get his creation registered through the state of Indiana’s Body Transfer Affidavit, which allows the owner of the vehicle to re-title it to whatever they like. He could have registered it using the Pontiac G8 sedan’s VIN, but was concerned about the repercussions if he was pulled over, as the police’s information would still list the car as a four-door sedan.
Listen to Bell’s rather entertaining Holden Ute saga in the video embedded below.
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Screenshots: VIN Wiki
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I will say one "firm" is not doing this legally and just grafting the Holden VIN onto US paperwork because the computer sees it as a G8 VIN.
Everyone that does business with that importer is risking having their cars seized. It has happened before, it will happen again.
This guy did it properly.
I always thought the Holden Ute would've worked better than the coupe (gto) and SEDANS (g8 and SS). I think some tax kept them away. I guess it's one of those things of what could've been... Isn't there historical imports 25 or 30 years old allowed? Wonder if a heap will turn up then
yes there is! The other thing I don't understand is the right to left steering conversion. It isn't illegal to have a right hand drive vehicle here. The cool factor would be off the charts. I live in Florida. They register street legal full blown stock cars, sprint cars, late models, and modifieds here. I can't see a Holden Ute being a big issue to get registered. "Home Built" they call it. There are no emissions inspection here. It'll get a look over by a county deputy for safety and signed off for the DMV and you are good to go. I have always admired the Holden Ute from afar. Maybe one day. It just never made sense to me why we don't have them here in the States.
Hi Tom, Left Hand Utes takes advantage of a Colorado law for kit cars, but the catch is that the majority of parts must be DOT approved and the wheel needs to be on the left. I'm not sure of anyone doing this conversion in Florida but you could corner the market! I was one of the first to buy one from them in 2014
There is currently a company in Denver Colorado that does right hand to left hand drive conversions on the Australian built Holden Ute.
They are called Left Hand Utes USA
http://www.lefthandutes.com
Check them out on Facebook as they primarily use that as their website
Hello all! Love your blog, and especially the Holden section. My heart is in pieces to what GM did to them. I'm a Ute owner as well in California. I need to tell you this:
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO CUT THE FRAME.
Left Hand Utes uses the intact frame of an imported Ute and carves out a new position in the firewall for the G8 Interior and Engine. It is badass and a heinous amount of work. I have attached a video below done by Doug Demuro of my actual car. Enjoy folks, and let me know if you need any more information for an update to this story.
Also please check out Left Hand Utes on Facebook, they are out of Denver and are wicked awesome people. Most recently they are doing HSV Maloo's, with such a job well done that visiting personnel from Holden Special Vehicles were blown away by the craftsmanship when they brought two to SEMA a few years ago.
Tim
Hi, I came across your blog and I like this post in particular. You give some thoughtful points. Where may I find out more?
Search for Left Hand Utes on Facebook. I've got one in my driveway now
I talked with LHU about how they did their importation and asked them how they handled certain importation regs, having been through the federal regs before on other matters.
I was genuinely interested in buying one. The owner blocked me on Facebook from his page, and then claimed I made rude remarks, which I most certainly did not.
I won't touch an LHU car without some RI data on how those Holden VINs are legal here. If you don't plan on selling it though, you have nothing to worry about except, if it isn't properly imported, a knock on your door from the feds one day wanting to collect it.
Speaking more generally, proper conversions and Registered Importers usually are happy to share the entire process from start to finish for a conversion, particularly when any chassis is being used that originated outside the United States.
I have an assigned vin, 12 digits from the CO State police. Message me at talons at gmail for details
Yeah, the problem with assigned VINs is that they *often* are later deemed federally illegal. The car chassis has a VIN. That is the VIN you usually are supposed to use.
I have heard some importers - I can't say if LHU is doing this or not - banking on the Holden Commodore VE VIN happening to match close enough to a Pontiac G8 VIN - that they can convince inspectors this is a GM car that just "fell out of range" and "the paperwork got screwed up on."
The problem is, with custom VIN assignments, if it isn't legal, it's really easy for NHTSA to ask all 50 states to send over "special/other" VINs that match a GM Pontiac G8 pattern. This is how many other cars have been seized, collected, and crushed, by people who had nothing at all to do with the illegal conversion. Many second time owners.
Legal: I am not a lawyer. I can't say if LHU is doing it legally or not. You should consult with a federally licensed Registered Importer, and/or an attorney when purchasing any car using substantially foreign/modified parts, if you don't want to risk it being collected and crushed, possibly many years later.
All true and thoughtful points. But, six years in, this has been the best car i've ever owned and I'm proud to have been part of the automotive legend Holden. Very grateful to problem solvers like Randy and I'm sorry he wrote you off. I'd be willing to sell you mine to make up for it
Where are these guys in NC?