crushers
post ho
curious, have actually had to do this for real or are you speculating?MTNRAT said:
i drove a RHD from Calgary to San Deigo Cal and had zero problems passing, turning etc...
cheers
1994 Japanese Spec Diesel Cruiser In Palo Alto
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i drove a RHD from Calgary to San Deigo Cal and had zero problems passing, turning etc...
cheers
LX_TREME said:It not just about switched but Its Turbo, Diesel & 5 Speed not damn automatic...
More power & Torque for Mud and Rock Climbin'
Genius...we were talking about cost to convert from RHD to LHD, I know why you would want a NON US Spec truck...thanks for you input and a picture of the headlights that were described just fine. Great job!
crushers said:
I drove mine for about 3 years many times on two lane roads and even at night. It makes things more difficult but I wouldn't say it was worth 10K. It does take some getting used to just turning corners as it "feels" much different controlling it from that side.
If you have a passenger just ask them to look before passing
HZJ60 Guy
Tank Buster
What are you running for lights in the ARB where the directionals usually go?
semlin
curmudgeon
I think driving a RHD vehicle here would be a potential PITA occasionally when passing or pulling out of a parking spot when the traffic is blovcked, but not difficult physically. I find driving a RHD vehicle in the UK difficult because I have trouble judging the width of my vehicle to my left of me, and because I have to think too much about shifting gears. I am sure both problems would wear off very fast.
Wrong side steering is a genuine PITA and downright dangerous.
You don't really have to swing out to see to pass, you can hang back enough to see before swinging out, but that also encourages others to pass you when you make enough space. Signs, lights and signals are all designed for the other side of the car. It can be done and done tolerably, but with much more attention at driving.
On the other hand, with the fabulous junk yards in the States, I doubt it's all that hard to buy a complete second hand assembly to replace the wrong side drive set up. I'm probably wrong about this as I've never had the experience, but don't those junk yards have just about every car in wreck ?
Kalawang
You don't really have to swing out to see to pass, you can hang back enough to see before swinging out, but that also encourages others to pass you when you make enough space. Signs, lights and signals are all designed for the other side of the car. It can be done and done tolerably, but with much more attention at driving.
On the other hand, with the fabulous junk yards in the States, I doubt it's all that hard to buy a complete second hand assembly to replace the wrong side drive set up. I'm probably wrong about this as I've never had the experience, but don't those junk yards have just about every car in wreck ?
Kalawang
Jim_Chow
V8_Fan
corbs said:
There is a "list" of vehicles that have been approved for import. IIRC, the latest LC is the '96, and LHD only. I think the only RHD was the Skyline GTR (I've seen one in LA), but I have also seen some specialty vehicles (bentley's, etc.) w/ RHD. Some states (like NY) have reg's against RHD vehicles on freeways/expressways. I know CA and AZ don't, but in CA, the vehicle has to have a certain number of miles on it to even register it in state, assuming it's fed legal. One can get a new HZJ105 for around $45K in either LHD or RHD, but I figured it would cost around $10K to legalize it (new windows, not sure if it has airbags, new headlamps, etc.). By that time, you're up to the price of a new UZJ100, and you'd still have to install a turbine and intercooler ($5K) in the HZJ. It just ain't cost effective, but if money is no object, you can make it happen.
I'd say importing a new 78 series is very difficult, since you'd have to crash test it. At least when importing a 80 or 100, you can make an argument that the same, current vehicle already exists in the US.
I think it would be easier buying an overseas HDJ80/81, importing it temporily (you can get a temp import permit for practically any vehicle, like for 2 months), swapping out the engine/tranny, then getting a salvage title for the import. Show that to the feds (and the fact that there's no engine; you might have to cut the frame to render it 100% undriveable), and I think you're off the hook. Otherwise, buy the engine /tranny from a parts importer, but you really need to know how everything connects.
Since a vehicle's VIN is associated w/ the body rather than the chassis, I guess you could technically remove the body off your US spec 80 and swap it onto a LHD HDJ80? I think this is perfectly legal. Can anyone confirm?
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Kalawang said:
Would that be your professional opinion?
I would think that the people who have been driving their RHD vehicles would have a more valid opinion rather than pure speculation. I have been daily driving mine for well over a year now, and have had no issues whatsoever. I could think of a lot better ways to spend $10-12k USD on my RHD BJ74 than to switch it over to LHD.
A bad driver will be a bad driver whether the vehicle is a LHD or RHD. My 2 bits.
Stone,
I've driven all over the world, your country included, for more years than I care to count. In some of those places, as when I took a road tour in England, I had to drive wrong side. I found it a PITA and downright dangerous. I'm not a professional driver. Just a guy who likes to drive.
Wrong side driving is more difficult, requires more attention and gives the driver less information at critical moments. It's not impossible and can be done safely as evidence your and my being alive, but I consider it dangerous.
Kalawang
I've driven all over the world, your country included, for more years than I care to count. In some of those places, as when I took a road tour in England, I had to drive wrong side. I found it a PITA and downright dangerous. I'm not a professional driver. Just a guy who likes to drive.
Wrong side driving is more difficult, requires more attention and gives the driver less information at critical moments. It's not impossible and can be done safely as evidence your and my being alive, but I consider it dangerous.
Kalawang
Well I drive on the right side of the car which is the right all you guys drive on the wrong side which is the left but I also drive on the right side of the road which actualy is the left side and you guys drive on the wrong side of the road which is the right. I am now very confused i will have to start again! I have driven a vehicle in the UK which had its sterring on the wrong side which you would consider being on the right side but was actualy on the left side and I hade no problems at all, but then I was driving my U900 Unimog 406 Crew Cab which was tall enough to look easily over the top of nearly all 4x4 vehicles so was not realy a problem. IMHO you just get used to it.
Gold Finger said:
Gold Finger,
Very cleverly put. One can get used to much, and one can overcome obstacles. Regardless, it's a disadvantage I would rather not have to face too frequently, or for too long.
Kalawang
crushers
post ho
I will debate this statement.Kalawang said:
"Signs, lights and signals are all designed for the other side of the car. "
really? so for left had cars the signs are on the right hand side of the road... that makes sense? nope. if it made sense then the signs would be on the left side of the road so the LHD driver could see them better...
"but that also encourages others to pass you when you make enough space."
so we all should tailgate the vehicle in front so the bad drivers that have no patience will not cut in front of us? hummm, nope, that does not make sense either. bad drivers will cut in front of you whether you drive RHD or LHD and you being a good driver wouldn't tailgate anyway, right?
curious, if RHD on LHD roads are so dangerous then why is there not hundreds of accidents on record by now? there are thousands of RHD vehicles in Canada and I have yet to hear of ONE accident that was reported to be caused because of a RHD vehicle.
I would have to say that you are talking opinion not fact, an opinion that affects the decision of responsible drivers that are looking at buying a RHD, an opinion that is not based on any fact but on your own assumption. curious, how many accidents have YOU had driving a RHD vehicle on the LHD road system? how many do you know about for a fact?
driving RHD is a learning curve same as any other modification. I find that RHD drivers are more attentive than the LHD which is a good thing. I find that RHD drive has advantages over the LHD, the driver is getting in and out on the curb side. parallel parking is much easier. passing is no harder than with the LHD vehicles once you know what you are doing and are not tailgating. driving in fog or snow storms is easier since you can see the line on the road much easier. when some idiot doesn't dim his lights you can see the line along side the road easier. when someone comes up with the high beams on then the light does not affect you the same as when you are driving LHD.
cheers
HZJ60 Guy
Tank Buster
TFS55 said:LHD, 5 speed manual, Turbo Diesel. These are the locally released cruisers here in the Phils.
LOOK AT THOSE TRUCKS!
MANUAL HUBS! THE BASTARDS!
We dont get s***!
TB
crushers said:
Hello Crushers,
Hand signals cannot be seen from the wrong side, and it's truly more difficult to see if the road is clear for passing from the wrong side. In Europe, back in the late 50's and early 60's, drivers used to help would be passers with both hand and light signals, especially drivers of old trucks. Just another of the little things, seeing the hand signals of the front driver, that wrong side driving deprives you of. Of course back then air conditioners for cars hadn't been made yet so hand signals were as often used as light signals. My own technique under wrong side driving conditions is to hang back a little to get a better angle on what's coming, but that too proved unsatisfactory for me. In the end I found cruising at the speed of the front vehicle the better part of travel. Most times, I'm not very aggressive when I drive.
Parking is not the issue here. It the disadvantaged position of the wrong side driver in operating his vehicle. Because of my country's proximity to Japan, and it's poverty, we've been getting a lot of Japan's used trucks and other vehicles. As they came in numbers, more and more accidents involving the unmodified Japanese trucks became so common that a law was passed enforcing the modification of all such vehicles before sale to the general public. Our roads are mostly 2 lane affairs and rather narrow.
My experience with wrong side driving was very uncomfortable but managed safely. I've also had experience with frantic braking when some fool in a wrong side truck, a few years ago, popped out to have a look to see if he could pass. The bottom line on wrong side driving is that some data, such as oncoming traffic, comes a little bit later to that driver than to others. Most times that is not fatal. But there is that small number of times when it would have made a difference. It's not necessarily definitive. My country's law makers may have over reacted to the rising number of accidents. Regardless, I myself feel the regular use of such vehicles is not adviseable.
I'll grant you it can be learned and if a man is incapable of learning in a very short time, he shouldn't be driving any vehicle. I prefer to drive without any disadvantage.
Kalawang
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crushers
post ho
when i take a potential customer for a test drive i go at least an hour to an hour and a half, why?
this allows the customer to get the feel of the RHD and the shortcomings of such.
it also allow me to see if i will sell a RHD to the customer.
of the hundreds of test drives i have now gone on only once did i tell the customer to go buy from one of the other importers. this gent was just too tense to be able to adapt his mind over to the RHD drive. of all the test drives it seems women learn better than men. they seem to be more attentive to what they are doing.
the same gent i sent away came back a month or so later and we went for another couple hour test drive, this time he was relaxed and adapted quite well. i mentioned that at that time i still would not sell him a truck but he has been back a couple more times, once I feel comfortable that he has adapted well then i will have no problem selling him a unit.
i am not trying to say that RHD is for everyone but it is not hard at all to adapt over and it is SAFE, as safe as anything is on todays highways.
what can really get to me is when someone who has never even tried to drive RHD spouts off about how dangerous it is. obviously you are not one of those, you have tried it and feel the way you do from experience.
hope no hard feelings
cheers
this allows the customer to get the feel of the RHD and the shortcomings of such.
it also allow me to see if i will sell a RHD to the customer.
of the hundreds of test drives i have now gone on only once did i tell the customer to go buy from one of the other importers. this gent was just too tense to be able to adapt his mind over to the RHD drive. of all the test drives it seems women learn better than men. they seem to be more attentive to what they are doing.
the same gent i sent away came back a month or so later and we went for another couple hour test drive, this time he was relaxed and adapted quite well. i mentioned that at that time i still would not sell him a truck but he has been back a couple more times, once I feel comfortable that he has adapted well then i will have no problem selling him a unit.
i am not trying to say that RHD is for everyone but it is not hard at all to adapt over and it is SAFE, as safe as anything is on todays highways.
what can really get to me is when someone who has never even tried to drive RHD spouts off about how dangerous it is. obviously you are not one of those, you have tried it and feel the way you do from experience.
hope no hard feelings
cheers
Crushers,
I never felt any sort of feeling, hostile or otherwise. It's just an exchange of facts, experiences and opinions.
I do have a question unanswered so far. Considering that you are in the business and therefore properly equipped, what's so very difficult about reaping the American junk yards for the steering assemblies of the right vehicles and installing them ? In my country such conversions are done by actually rebuilding the steering assembly, mostly by hand and with a lot of creativity. I had to have mine checked and re-checked and even then drove carefully for a long time before gaining confidence in my steering. I even got a book on welding and metalwork to see if the advice given me was correct. Original parts are much too expensive for my wallet, which is why I envy the access to American junk yards.
Kalawang
I never felt any sort of feeling, hostile or otherwise. It's just an exchange of facts, experiences and opinions.
I do have a question unanswered so far. Considering that you are in the business and therefore properly equipped, what's so very difficult about reaping the American junk yards for the steering assemblies of the right vehicles and installing them ? In my country such conversions are done by actually rebuilding the steering assembly, mostly by hand and with a lot of creativity. I had to have mine checked and re-checked and even then drove carefully for a long time before gaining confidence in my steering. I even got a book on welding and metalwork to see if the advice given me was correct. Original parts are much too expensive for my wallet, which is why I envy the access to American junk yards.
Kalawang
