LHD to RHD

[Jay Laifman]

I'm toying with the idea of converting my Alpine to RHD. Just for the novelty of it. My kids are against it. Part of me is against it. My psyche is certainly partial to the LHD that I have always driven. It just seems "right." I also know that being in a LHD car works better on US right side driving.

Oh, also because the Elva racing car we are restoring is RHD. So seems like it would be good "training."

Also thinking of doing the earlier grey dash while I'm at it. But I think that looks great in pictures, but in person seems to not have that same look. Again, my psyche is used to the black dash (or the wood one on my Tiger). Possibly because my auto formative years were the last 60s and early 70s, where black dashes were "sporty."

I'm open for any opinions.

 

[mikephillips]

I did that for the heck of it. Does take a bit of getting used to that you're shifting with the other hand and you're not sitting relative to the road where you're used to. You do need a RHD steering box and idler arm, brake and clutch pedals and gas pedal linkage. I was going to rewire anyway so got a RHD harness so that the lengths matched the changing locations of the switches, gauges, etc. All the rest will work either way. It is unique when you're out.

 

[alpine_64]

I'm toying with the idea of converting my Alpine to RHD. Just for the novelty of it. My kids are against it. Part of me is against it. My psyche is certainly partial to the LHD that I have always driven. It just seems "right." I also know that being in a LHD car works better on US right side driving.

Oh, also because the Elva racing car we are restoring is RHD. So seems like it would be good "training."

Also thinking of doing the earlier grey dash while I'm at it. But I think that looks great in pictures, but in person seems to not have that same look. Again, my psyche is used to the black dash (or the wood one on my Tiger). Possibly because my auto formative years were the last 60s and early 70s, where black dashes were "sporty."

I'm open for any opinions.

Jay.. Your cae your choice... Its s bunch of work for "novelty" ... Just switch to an si/ii dash and you can paint it a brighter silver than the stock darg metallic grey... Why rewire, new front carpets, dash, pedals and steering handbrake assembly hydraulic lines etc and all the faffing around to be on the wrong side for your driving condtions.... Just mho ... I have a lhd tiger in au.. If it wasnt restored id maje it rhd.. Even have most of the parts to do so

 

[DanR]

I was in Bermuda for several years back in 1959-61. That is where I was introduced to the Sunbeam Alpine and a host of "other" Rootes and various British vehicles.... all RHD.

Drove RH Anglia for the most part on my time there.

During my out briefing from Bermuda to the US by my military personnel, they continually remined me upon driving back in the states to be extremely cautious when making a "left turn". You will have a tendency of staying left and running head long into the oncoming traffic (US).

Even with their reminders I made a left turn in my "newly purchased" '58 Impala onto a one-way street and into on coming traffic..... Dumb, Dumb, Dumb.

Habits are hard to break

 

[65sunbeam]

Years ago I bought a RHD S5 Alpine the owner had converted to RHD because he had a RHD parts car with a nice wood dashboard. He liked the dash so much he decided to change the S5 to RHD. A year or so later he tried to sell it and no one wanted it as it was RHD! I watched the price come down every few weeks in the paper (pre-internet days....) and finally bought it just to get the nice hardtop that came with it. Turned out to be a great driving car that I still have but now stored in the garage.
RHD cars are great training for if you make a trip to the UK. Then the shifting with the left hand comes easily-just have to remember to drive on the left! Most UK rentals are manual transmissions with a premium for an automatic.

 

[Hillman]

There is a RHD Tiger near me. A couple of years ago the owner thought he wanted to sell it a a really good price. I declined as I want something I can drive on the 2 lane highways up here. He decided to keep it even though he hasn't driven it off his drive way (about 1/2 mile long) in at least 10 years. He does keep it looking good though.

 

[volvoguys]

I did that for the heck of it. Does take a bit of getting used to that you're shifting with the other hand and you're not sitting relative to the road where you're used to. You do need a RHD steering box and idler arm, brake and clutch pedals and gas pedal linkage. I was going to rewire anyway so got a RHD harness so that the lengths matched the changing locations of the switches, gauges, etc. All the rest will work either way. It is unique when you're out.

Driving a RHD vehicle on USA roads isn't quite as difficult as some think. When I began as a US Postal mailman it was just a few hours until I became accustomed to it.

A conversion from LHD will take a few more bits than Mike listed above but I should have most of them. If interested, PM me.

Mark ..... volvoguys

 

[Alpine 1789]

RHD cars are great training for if you make a trip to the UK.

I have to disagree with you there, Eric. I found shifting with your left hand to be very intuitive and much easier than remembering to stay towards the left. The best advice I ever got before moving to the UK in '95 was to remember that the driver always sits towards the middle of the road. That thought carried me through the next four years, both in the UK and on our trips back home where it was surprisingly difficult to remember to stay to the right. We took a road trip to France in our LHD car near the end of my time in the UK and my wife did all of the driving. I was afraid I'd be totally confused by the experience.

 

[mikephillips]

I did forget to mention longer clutch line since the master is on the opposite side and a dash/glovebox which I thought obvious, but the rest I used from the LHD setup. The emergency brake setup for example just flips over, and may be better that way since the rod that hooks to the wheel cylinder drops in from the top rather than up from the bottom so if the clip fails it doesn't drop out. The passenger side foot rest, well I've had them out forever and don't worry about how they're handed.

 

[Alpine Addict]

Also the brake light switch needs to be moved to the opposite side. The wipers park on the opposite side of the windshield.

 

[DanR]

The emergency brake setup for example just flips over, and may be better that way since the rod that hooks to the wheel cylinder drops in from the top rather than up from the bottom so if the clip fails it doesn't drop out.

I turn all of my brake rods over so that they stick downward..... Like you said .... "So it will not drop out if the clip should come out"

 

[mikephillips]

Also the brake light switch needs to be moved to the opposite side. The wipers park on the opposite side of the windshield.

I was thinking more along the lines of what you cannot reuse but are LHD or RHD specific. For example the brake light switch and it's splitter connect to the front/rear/master lines I left where it was and shorted the brake master line. And the wiper park can be changed by loosening the cap on the wiper motor, rotating the center 180 degrees and tightening back down. Most bit will will work either way with not that many that have to be specific.

Been quite a while since we ran into each other Steve, hope you're doing well.

 

[Alpine Addict]

Doing well Mike, Thanks. I hope you are also doing well.

 

[mikephillips]

I got through the last 18 months or so. Still employed so kept the bills paid. No virus losses although at the beginning one of my oldest friends passed from cancer and this last February my mom from old age. Neither was unexpected but not being able to celebrate both lives with open services was a bummer. But what can you do?.. Anyway still here, still doing my car stuff and that's a plus.