I have the chance of an "as new" lhd 1.3 mk1 car. Can I build my rhd parts into the shell ? My experiance tells me that all rhd cars are lhd conversions. am I correct and if so has anyone done it ?
As AxlFoley says the brakes are a bit better, becuaes the master cylinder is on the same side as the pedal on LHD cars, rather than connected via a linkage as on RHD cars.
Nah, the brakes are a LOT better Especially when you add 16V servo, calipers and discs IMO keep as LHD, but conversion is pretty straight forward save for a few brackets for pedals (inc cross linkage), steering column and elongated dash loom.
LHD Cars can handle better as they tend to be better balanced left to right. Some guy in the VW Cup converted his RHD to LHD for balance.
Hi there, I had a VW Golf 1.1L (small rear lights 1980) that I imported from Belgium in 1981. & registered here in the UK. I was LHD. I drove it for a while until I found a RHD complete dashboard inc instruments for £20. I had the car converted to RHD. The only parts that I bought were:- 1) Dashboard 2) Carpet. They used the old steering rack and modified the brake servo links etc The company (now defunct ) who did the conversion extended the wiring loom as far as I know. The only other thing that I was going to change was the driver door lock as it was set up for LHD, and I also added a door mirror on the drivers(previously passengers side)
They couldn't have used the old steering rack. Rods and ends yes, but rack no - unless you can use it backwards Pretty sure the column tube and pedals are completely different too (they are on 1.6/1.8) so they must have done a lot of "modification". As echoed in posts above, if anyone does find this post - keep it LHD! Braking and weight balance is much better If you must convert, get an RHD mk1 cabby and murder it for the parts.
To add to the good advice given by others in this thread, lhd cars are also worth more second-hand plus all front wheel drive cars handle better as lhd since they are all designed to be that way (only 3%-ish vehicles worldwide are rhd). If one thinks about where the weight distribution at the front is (on a front-wheel drive car), the lighter of the gearbox and engine is always on the left so adding the weight of the driver on that side balances it better, with the heavier engine on the right hand side. tldr - rhd vehicles are mostly a (global) bodge-job without specific springs for left and right hand applications.
@mr.brown. The old parts that I supplied are listed above. They used the same steering column and as far as I know, the same rack. If they used something different, they didn't charge me /or tell me. BTW the car passed the MOT at the time. They may have done some mods for the brake pedal.... I forgot to add, I had to get some headlights as well as the LHD beam was the wrong way round....