RHD to LHD

[Shiuko]

Hi, first at all, its not me who is interested in the conversion. The thing is that I\'m a member in a spanish RX7 forum, and people started thinking about importing cars from UK and converted then to LHD.
It\'s it possible?
Its there any differences in the chassis or it\'s only a question of swapping pedals, steering sistem and dashboard with a LHD one?
 
Take it easy and don\'t flame me:spank because I already know that I don\'t know **** about cars, but back then I didn\'t knew **** about women and that never put me off.:Ladys-man

[RobbieRX-7]

It a pretty big job. You would need...

LHD abs solenoids with all the pipe work
LHD brake master cylinder
LHD dashboard
LHD door cards
LHD wiring loom
LHD window wiper motor, linkage and wipers
LHD steering rack
LHD steering column


Basically it\'s not worth doing imo. Because RX-7\'s are cheap as chips over here, why not just import one from here to spain and leave it RHD

[Shiuko]

Well, would you like to drive a LHD in here?
 You can\'t see far ahead if you are in a dual line carriageway, so it makes it very difficult to safely overtake.  Plus I\'d have to check on that, but I think that you are not allowed to drive a RHD in Spain as easiely as a LHD in here.
Anyway if you\'d finded a LHD in a scrapyard in Spain, should it be too difficult? as long as there are not chassis modification, it be only a question of swapping over some parts for what I can see.
 
Are the USA car mats the same shape than ours or it\'s the floorplan different as well?
Thanks

[RobbieRX-7]

To be honest, it wouldn\'t bother me if i drove a left hooker on our roads. Be a bit of a bitch through drive thru\'s and car park barriers.

As for the chassis, the floorpan is the same regardless, and the mats wouldn\'t matter anyway.

I think the hardest thing about this whole thing is finding a LHD car to take the bits off.

How come they want to import from the uk anyway? Are fd\'s expensive in spain or summat?

[Tim_B]

I\'ve never felt it so bad being RHD when I drive in the continent - even overtaking is OK.  Tbh I would be happy driving a LHD here too, e.g. Lancia Delta Integrale :InLove

I\'d see how it goes in Spain before undertaking a  costly conversion :rolleyes:

[Shiuko]

Yes, they are very expensive, just think of it like this:
How much money my car (a UK model) would be worth if they were only LHD in Japan?

[elford_tim]

Well, would you like to drive a LHD in here?

I regularly drive both my RX-7s on the Continent, and I\'ve driven LHD vehicles in the UK. You get used to it...

Anyway if you\'d finded a LHD in a scrapyard in Spain, should it be too difficult? as long as there are not chassis modification, it be only a question of swapping over some parts for what I can see.
 
Are the USA car mats the same shape than ours or it\'s the floorplan different as well?
Thanks

I\'d still say that even if you\'ve got another LHD RX-7 to get all the LHD bits off (and if it\'s been crashed, how do you know that vital parts like the steering hasn\'t been affected?) you\'ve got a good starting point but you\'re still talking a full stripdown. If your time is worth money you\'ll probably find it\'s not worth it...

Of course you could look into importing a lefthooker from the US but they ain\'t exactly cheap over there either.

[RobbieRX-7]

When i said it\'s gonna be a pretty big job, i meant it\'s gonna be a massive job. Taking all the dash out on your donor car, heater assembly, pedals the lot. Taking all the door trims off, taking all the wiring loom out the car. Removing and refitting the abs unit, brake master cylinder and clutch master cylinder. You\'ll also need the engine wiring harness because the ecu is on opposite sides of the car with LHD or RHD cars. ALso i dont think it\'s as simple as bolting the brake master cylinder on. I think you would need to make your own holes for this on the bulkhead.  Same goes for the steering column. Removing the engine wiring harness with the engine in is a back aching job i would not fancy doing, and so is taking the steering rack out. I might be wrong here, but i think the engine needs to come out to remove the steering rack, although im not 100% on this.

Not only will removing all this stuff take a long time, but you\'ve gotta fit it all back on which will take twice as long!!

[elford_tim]

Certainly is a lot easier to take out the rack after you removed the engine.

Of course it\'s likely to be an interesting conversation once you come to register the car - "Oh yes, I bought a RHD and converted it to LHD with bits from the scrapyard"

[Shiuko]

Thanks for the information guys, I\'ll tell them to get used to RHD or to get a USA one then.

[JapHunter]

Personnally I don\'t think the Job is worth it...

I live in France and have a Jap imported RX7... It\'s not a daily drive so I don\'t mind driving a RHD in France!!! ;-)