Page 1 of 1

LHD

Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2012 5:55 pm
by assassin
Has anyone here ever converted, or had a conversion from right hand drive to left hand drive? I really do want to take my touring with me when I move abroad later this year. If its a non starter then I'll have to sell it and keep my eyes open for a left hooker before I go. :)

Re: LHD

Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2012 6:14 pm
by Duke137
Just drive it over there RHD? Where are you going?

Re: LHD

Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2012 10:06 pm
by assassin
Portugal

Re: LHD

Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2012 10:18 pm
by pacerpete
assassin wrote:Portugal

Buy one when you get there. To swap PROPERLY is a MAJOR mission needing lots of LHD specific parts and loads of labour.

Re: LHD

Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2012 10:22 pm
by e30topless
you can drive RHD in Portugal as far as I know, as above converting them over properly is a lot of work ,
I know I'm in the middle of one :(

Re: LHD

Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 10:10 am
by daimlerman
My M50'd touring came to me as a LHD engine-less shell.

My thoughts were that as the braking system was extended by a linkage by the factory to produce a RHD version,all I would need to do would be to swap the pedal box and steery column over....

I dicovered that the bulkhead differs in detail between RHD/LHD,making the neat fitting of the glovebox particularly difficult.All sorts of bits are different,this is a probably in-complete list;
pedal box
dash
glovebox
centre console
mirrors
wiper motor
wiper linkage
carpet
door locks(but the door wiring looms can be swapped)
wiring loom

Never again!

If the OP is intent on this,I still have the LHD wiper set up on a shelf somewhere... :D

Re: LHD

Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 11:01 am
by assassin
Hmmmm. Maybe time to let go then. Let someone else have some fun with the old girl. :(

Re: LHD

Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 11:13 am
by Nick91
Why not just leave it as a RHD? Here in Denmark lots of the imported japanese cars (supras, skylines etc.) are RHD and according to them isn't that much of a difference

Re: LHD

Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 11:20 am
by anothere21323i
Definitely buy one when you get there. Remember that they don't salt the roads there, so like Italy, the cars will generally be in better shape in terms of structural condition as they won't have been exposed to 20 odd winters of salt etc. Plus you may find a larger number of cars with a nice spec like aircon, given the climate. And don't forget that the 320is was a portugal and Italy only model. And they are AWESOME cars! :D

Re: LHD

Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 11:26 am
by harry_p
buy a lhd out there, and enjoy an e30 how it was supposed to be instead of a half arsed rhd version :wink:

Re: LHD

Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 8:34 pm
by assassin
Dunno what to do now. Guess I'll have to keep her for now, but if anyone hears of a good lhd 325 touring going begging, feel free to give me a shout. Thanks to one and all. :D




A swap would be the ultimate solution. :)

Re: LHD

Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 9:30 pm
by ross2009
or just keep it rhd ??

Re: LHD

Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 10:41 pm
by harry_p
well yeah, i've driven lhd cars over here daily for many years without issue, and hundreds of thousands of brits in rhd cars go over to the continent every year.

Re: LHD

Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 11:26 pm
by assassin
Thanks for all your opinions, its much appreciated. E30's are like dodo sh*t over there and secondhand prices are really astronomical even for daily turds, google it!. Inasmuch as my tourings tidy with leather, sunroof AND aircon, I think, finances permitting, I'll take her with me and do battle from the other side with the worst drivers in Europe!!! Whats the worst that can happen to a 2grand lump of tin and a geriatric? winkeye