converting japanese rhd to lhd before you import

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semlin

semlin

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Anyone ever heard of these guys or comments on the process? Seems they will convert a RHD japanese lc to LHD before export for only 30,000 yen but for some reason they will only do it for pakistanis who want to export the truck to the UAE. That's doable for us Canadians if we can then get it in the country.

http://members.at.infoseek.co.jp/japancarexporter/index-1.html
 
Thats gotta be wrong, or maybe 30 000 Yen per person and it take four to make the conversion?

Otherwise its a smoking deal, I have heard of Canadian guys asking 6K for the conversion.
 
I've seen a japanese spec 60 converted from RHD to LHD.. it was really a botch job. IMHO need all the correct LHD parts so it will look clean and that probably isn't cheap.. Guess it depends on the company/person doing it...
 
Keep guessing.

You guys should learn to read. It is 30,000 to introduce you to the guy that has the information on how to do this. He will then set you up with a shop to do the work and skim off 50% of the final charge. I am betting that it will set you back close to 1,000,000 yen.

This is all crap. It is because importing any vehicle into Pakistan is difficult and the taxes are very very steep. It is cheaper to send them via Afganistan and risk war damage and paying bribes at every camel crossing and then either running the border or bribing your way across.

How do I know this? I shared an office with a Pakistani grad student here until two years ago. He planned to take a Hilux home but eventually gave up as the import duties were just about three times the cost of the truck here.

If you want them converted before shipping let me know, I will get a local shop to do it and charge you 0% overhead. It means a new steering box and column. A new dash and a set of pedals. Those parts are not available here used. So it will not be cheap.
 
Some of the more frightfull issues will be wiring harness lenght, heater outlets.

I looked hard and long at a 60 series firewall and compared it to the right hand drive , more little things would rop up on the first install.

Where do you start, its tempting to cut into the seams and make it look factory. That would be a pile of work that may not pay off.

Sheldon still has a 70 series fire wall that I have often thought about, wonder if he kept the dash etc?

Rob
 
The Japanese 70/73/74 series have no seat belts in the rear.If you wish to fit them you need the Euro/Aust spec roll cage and the rear seat. The Japanese seat has 1 rear mounting in the floor that uncouples to fold the seat forward.On the seat belt version there is 2 mountings ,10 inches apart.Looks a pain to fit into the floor.
Most of the owners who import them into oz give up and lic it as a 2 seater.

My local landcruiser mechanic imported 5 LHD 75 series cabs into oz left over from an aid program in Vietnam or Laos with the intention of converting them to RHD and selling them to the mining companies here .
Its fair to point out that he did it for commercial reasons and not as a labour of love but he said he would definately never undertake it again.

The problem according to him that because of the scale of landcruisers sold in the world Toyota can afford to build separate LHD and RHD cruisers rather than a single vehicle that can be adapted either way.
 
Thats the way I would do it. But, I would drive it for a week or so, then make the decision. RHD is an easy thing to figure out. I have let many people jump in and drive mine and all of them said wow this is no big deal. My wife drives it regular in car pool.
Gary
 
just drive the rig RHD... no big deal
my .02
 
I agree with stickboy and wagoneer5. Learning to drive the rhd was no problem. Just turned on the wipers a bunch of times while trying to turn on the signals. The levers are opposite to a lhd. 5 grand is a lot of money to spend on a swap that I could use elsewhere,i.e. roof rack, snorkel,mtr's,intercooler.
 
that is a truly weird website now that I read it again. I had converted 30,000 yen to $3000 but I missed a decimal so maybe $300 is not so much for an introduction. I doubt pakistani nationals would pay top dollar for the conversions, especially if they have to smuggle the trucks through dubai and then afghanistan (via Iraq or Iran I guess???)
 
Stone said:
I love driving my RHD. It's my DD and I haven't come across any issues. I would definitely spend the $$ on other stuff rather than a conversion to LHD.
Click to expand...

Numerious cruiser heads say the same thing, until you own one and drive it on the wrong side(or right depending on thought process) its hard too judge.

I think its a non issue and if it really is and you have some money burning a hole in your pocket, giddy up........
 
Try ordering food from a drive through or pay highway tolls :) Makes you want to take your wife or GF all over.

Dave
 
Dave: I do have one disadvantage. There's this one hooker that hangs around the corner near the hospital parking lot where I have to make my right turn onto King George Hwy., and when the weather was hot I always had my windows rolled down. My driver's seat being closest to the curb, she never failed to take the opportunity to proposition me while I was helplessly waiting for traffic to pass. Then she'd give me crap for never taking her up on her offer! Gives me the creeps what some people stick their willies into to fulfill themselves. YUCK!!

Otherwise, I don't mind reaching over to order a meal, pay a parking attendant, or for the toll booth. I don't like having to get out of my truck for the transponder in my underground parking lot, but I don't have to deal with that anymore after the end of this month. :)
 
beanz2 said:
Try ordering food from a drive through or pay highway tolls :) Makes you want to take your wife or GF all over.

Dave
Click to expand...
How about some of those taco bells with the drive thru on the wrong side of the building? Ive seen a few fast food joints with drive thru on both sides. I guess you have to be selective on your fast food if you don't want to get out ;p
 
This is probably a long shot, but I read an article in the Wall St. Journal within the last couple of months. It was a piece about how Dubai is the used car capital of the world. In it they mentioned that there are a lot of people there who will convert vehicles from left to right hand. I'd guess there are a lot of Cruisers there for sale too. Probably diesel. If I thought there was any way I could get a long wheelbase 70 series into the U.S. I'd beg, borrow and steal to get there and buy one to put on a shipping container bound for Houston.
 
Stone said:
and when the weather was hot I always had my windows rolled down. My driver's seat being closest to the curb, she never failed to take the opportunity to proposition me while I was helplessly waiting for traffic to pass. Then she'd give me crap for never taking her up on her offer!
Click to expand...

Got A/C? :D




wesintl said:
How about some of those taco bells with the drive thru on the wrong side of the building? Ive seen a few fast food joints with drive thru on both sides. I guess you have to be selective on your fast food if you don't want to get out ;p
Click to expand...

Try backing into the drive through instead :) Lucky for you BJ74 guys you can see where you are going. Imagine if you had an 11 seater troopie with spare tire on the rear door.

Dave
 
I found a Canadian guy that will do the conversion. 5000.00 US is the cost!

FORGET ABOUT IT! IT ISNT WORTH IT!

My man Stone is correct. Put that cash into a spring over and some wheels and tires and a winch!




TB
 
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