RHD Dream or possible reality
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Staging Lane
Joined: Jan 2011
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RHD Dream or possible reality So first off, im not trying to be " JDM yo". I am genuinely interested in converting my TA to right hand drive next year. Im looking for input on this subject such as technical issues anyone forsees, someone able to create a RHD dash for less then a lifes savings, creative ideas, and anything anyone thinks would be a valid point. Im sure the flamers will have a field day but hopefully i get some helpful responses. (hey atleast its not a stanger)
TECH Apprentice
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 312
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From: Maryland
Im not sure if anyone makes a kit that would do this. There are some sponcers that are very good with customizing things and I am sure they will jump in if they car do something. Why do you want to switch it? If there are Fbodys that are overseas than im sure you could find a spare part some how. Either way im sure its expensive.
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Staging Lane
Joined: Jan 2011
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Haha I was waiting for a honda comment. I have an intrest in doing it because it seems like a neat project and something that might turn out quite awesome. I don't know if there are any in the u.s.a but if there are there's very few.
On The Tree
Joined: Jan 2011
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From: East Coast
But still... Why?
Why the hell would you want to ruin a car like that. Really.. Just stick to your Honda's and Nissan's withthose B-Series and KA motors...
Read more import tuner..... :/
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Staging Lane
Joined: Jan 2011
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I really honestly started this thread off saying im not trying to be JDM I dont want a POS honda. There are alot of things people do with their cars that i dislike or dont agree with, but at the end of the day its THEIR car. I dont want a carbon fiber interior with pepboys glowy lights, i want something clean and close to original whats wrong with that?
Now back to the topic at hand. What issues do you see in registering it if its RHD? as long as i retain safety features like the airbags what reason would they have to fail me..
Now back to the topic at hand. What issues do you see in registering it if its RHD? as long as i retain safety features like the airbags what reason would they have to fail me..
TECH Apprentice
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 312
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From: Maryland
Im not 100% sure but you may need a special license to drive it. I know there used to be a company that imported the R32 skylines awhile back. They had to go through a lot of crap to register the cars here. Not sure all the specifics but they check the installation and stuff like that. Good luck on it, but I think it may get expensive. I have learned that if its gonna be custom or one of a kind its gonna be expensive also 
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Staging Lane
Joined: Jan 2011
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Yeah the thing with the skylines was that they were never crash tested in the U.S. and did not comply with U.S. safety standards untill modified thats why they were such a pain. But for a vehicle manufactured in the USA i think the rules would be alot more lenient
I guess I too don't really understand why you would want to do this, other than to be able to say "I have a right hand drive F Body". The dash will be the most expensive part, but there's so much stuff to consider. The HVAC stuff is right where the steering shaft would go. How would you get a rack to fit? Brake booster? And so on and so forth.
On The Tree
Joined: Jan 2011
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From: East Coast
IT's too much work and not really worth the effort, time, and money.
State depending, some states that perform safety inspections will check out everything. And if they see a car that's obviously not supposed to be that way, and it wasn't done properly, it will fail.
Hacking up the firewall isn't a real good idea... Not only that but driving on the other side of the car in a left-side drive country is very... inconvenient.
Go drive a mail truck for a few weeks and you'll realize why.
State depending, some states that perform safety inspections will check out everything. And if they see a car that's obviously not supposed to be that way, and it wasn't done properly, it will fail.
Hacking up the firewall isn't a real good idea... Not only that but driving on the other side of the car in a left-side drive country is very... inconvenient.
Go drive a mail truck for a few weeks and you'll realize why.
I think the main problem will be GM did not make an RHD F-body for the export market, to my knowledge. Thus you'll have no way to install a RHD dashboard. The import guys are at least dealing with vehicles sold as RHD in Japan so factory parts for the conversion exist.
I really have no idea why one would want to do that though. Unless you're naturally left-handed, shifting will be a pain. And forget about drive-thrus and tollbooths.
I really have no idea why one would want to do that though. Unless you're naturally left-handed, shifting will be a pain. And forget about drive-thrus and tollbooths.
No, because it has not been crash-tested with the driver's side on the right of the car. That is why there are separate impact ratings for the driver and passenger protection. I doubt the DOT would accept it. So it is a similar problem.
