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Conversion from Right hand drive to Left hand drive

Posted: Fri Jan 07, 2011 8:30 am
by Surge23
Hi

I have a left hand drive dash and would like to convert my RHD golf mk1 to a LHD, to make it American spec, any advice on what other parts are required?

Also does someone know who can do such a conversion?

Re: Conversion from Left hand drive to right hand drive

Posted: Fri Jan 07, 2011 8:36 am
by BlueBlob
Briefly considered it for my race car.

It's a ton of work. You will need all sorts of ****, but the biggest problem is getting hold of a LHD steering rack.

Column is different too.

You're also going to have to do a crapload of fabrication. Pickups for the steering column, pedal box, missing holes on the firewall, etc, etc.

We decided that even though it's the best thing you can do for a Golf race car, it's not worth all the work.

Re: Conversion from Left hand drive to right hand drive

Posted: Fri Jan 07, 2011 8:47 am
by Surge23
Apparently there is a guy in the West Rand that did this within a week, he ordered the parts from the States.

Thanks for the feedback bro

Re: Conversion from Right hand drive to Left hand drive

Posted: Fri Jan 07, 2011 12:45 pm
by Surge23
any mre thoughts on this?

Re: Conversion from Right hand drive to Left hand drive

Posted: Fri Jan 07, 2011 12:49 pm
by dogg
Surge23 wrote:any mre thoughts on this?
With all the crap from Metro, I wouldn't do this.. although it's really cool.

Re: Conversion from Right hand drive to Left hand drive

Posted: Fri Jan 07, 2011 12:52 pm
by BlueBlob
dogg wrote:With all the crap from Metro, I wouldn't do this..
Didn't even think of this. Very good point.

Obviously it wouldn't have been an issue on my car, but yeah, I shudder to think what hoops you're going to have to go through to get the car legal. That's if you'll be able to do it at all.

Re: Conversion from Right hand drive to Left hand drive

Posted: Fri Jan 07, 2011 2:07 pm
by panic-mechanic
Apart from the racecar wieght distibution issue and becuase it doesn't matter on a track it would be a good thing to do. To own a lefthand drive car in a righthand drive country to drive around in is just stupid. Specially to create one. All the parking garages are a pain - you can never see to overtake - nah just a pain in the behind and I certainly won't build one specifically. If I HAVE to buy a lefhand drive because it is a very unique car then I'd consider it maybe.

Re: Conversion from Right hand drive to Left hand drive

Posted: Fri Jan 07, 2011 2:18 pm
by Abnormal
Actually met a guy who did this to his mk1 (2 door). Somewhere way past Benoni.

Funny thing is the only thing he didnt have was the dash.

Didnt speak to him about all the details but he did mention that he brought in steering parts etc. He was working abroad at the time and was able to accumulate all the stuff needed.

Dont have his contact details though.

Re: Conversion from Right hand drive to Left hand drive

Posted: Fri Jan 07, 2011 2:25 pm
by Surge23
Thanks Nerville

Re: Conversion from Right hand drive to Left hand drive

Posted: Fri Jan 07, 2011 4:27 pm
by VDUB GP
LHD rules!
But then I am a little biased...... :lol: :lol: :lol:

Re: Conversion from Right hand drive to Left hand drive

Posted: Fri Jan 07, 2011 8:59 pm
by tamper_man
VDUB GP wrote:LHD rules!
Until you get to access-controlled parking in the rain :evil:

Re: Conversion from Right hand drive to Left hand drive

Posted: Sat Jan 08, 2011 1:07 pm
by Neuk
And what, may I ask, makes a LHD car, American spec?

Re: Conversion from Right hand drive to Left hand drive

Posted: Sat Jan 08, 2011 1:13 pm
by infiltrator
Neuk wrote:And what, may I ask, makes a LHD car, American spec?
was waiting for that bit....

Re: Conversion from Right hand drive to Left hand drive

Posted: Sat Jan 08, 2011 2:04 pm
by Jetta2
AFGHANISTAN LHD
ALBANIA LHD
ALGERIA LHD
ANGOLA LHD
ANGUILLA RHD
ANTIGUA & BARBUDA RHD
ARGENTINA LHD
ARMENIA LHD
ARUBA LHD
ASCENSION ISLANDS RHD
AZERBAIJAN LHD
AZORES LHD
BAHAMAS RHD
BAHRAIN LHD
BANGLADESH RHD
BARBADOS RHD
BELARUS LHD
BELIZE LHD
BENIN LHD
BERMUDA RHD
BHUTAN RHD
BOLIVIA LHD
BOSNIA LHD
BOTSWANA RHD
BRAZIL LHD
BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS RHD
BRUNEI RHD
BULGARIA LHD
BURKINA FASO LHD
BURMA LHD
BURUNDI LHD
CAMBODIA LHD
CAMEROON LHD
CAPE VERDE LHD
CAYMAN ISLANDS RHD
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC LHD
CHAD LHD
CHILE LHD
CHINA LHD
COLOMBIA LHD
COMOROS LHD
CONGO LHD
COOK ISLANDS RHD
COSTA RICA LHD
COTE D'IVOIRE LHD
CROATIA LHD
CUBA LHD
CURACAO LHD
CZECHOSLOVAKIA LHD
DJIBOUTI LHD
DOMINICA RHD
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC LHD
ECUADOR LHD
EGYPT LHD
EL SALVADOR LHD
EQUATORIAL GUINEA LHD
ERITREA LHD
ESTONIA LDH
ETHIOPIA LHD
FALKLAND ISLANDS RHD
FIJI RHD
FRENCH GUIANA LHD
GABON LHD
GAMBIA LHD
GEORGIA LHD
GHANA LHD
GRENADA RHD
GUADELOUPE LHD
GUATEMALA LHD
GUINEA LHD
GUINEA-BISSAU LHD
GUYANA RHD
HAITI LHD
HONDURAS LHD
HONG KONG RHD
HUNGARY LHD
INDIA RHD
INDONESIA RHD
IRAN LHD
IRAQ LHD
ISRAEL LHD
IVORY COAST LHD
JAMAICA RHD
JORDAN LHD
KAMPUCHEA LHD
KAZAKSTAN LHD
KENYA RHD
KIRIBATI RHD
KYRGYZSTAN LHD
KOREA (NORTH) LHD
KOREA (SOUTH) LHD
KUWAIT LHD
LAOS LHD
LATVIA LHD
LEBANON LHD
LESOTHO RHD
LIBERIA LHD
LITHUANIA LHD
LYBIA LHD
MACEDONIA LHD
MADAGASCAR LHD
MALAWI RHD
MALAYSIA RHD
MALDIVES RHD
MALI LHD
MALTA RHD
MARTINIQUE LHD
MAURITANIA LHD
MAURITIUS RHD
MEXICO LHD
MONGOLIA LHD
MONTSERRAT RHD
MOROCCO LHD
MOZAMBIQUE RHD
MYANMAR LHD
NAMIBIA RHD
NAURU LHD
NEPAL RHD
NETHERLAND ANTILLES LHD
NEW CALEDONIA LHD
NICARAGUA LHD
NIGER LHD
NIGERIA LHD
NIUE LHD
OMAN LHD
PAKISTAN RHD
PANAMA LHD
PAPUA NEW GUINEA RHD
PARAGUAY LHD
PERU LHD
PHILIPPINES LHD
POLAND LHD
PUERTO RICO LHD
QATAR LHD
REUNION LHD
ROMANIA LHD
RUSSIA LHD
RWANDA LHD
SAMOA RHD
SAO TOME & PRINCIPE LHD
SAUDI ARABIA LHD
SENEGAL LHD
SERBIA LHD
SEYCHELLES RHD
SIERRA LEONE LHD
SINGAPORE RHD
SOLOMON ISLANDS RHD
SOMALIA LHD
SOUTH AFRICA RHD
SRI LANKA RHD
ST.HELENA RHD
ST.KITTS & NEVIS RHD
ST.LUCIA RHD
ST.VINCENT & GRENADINES RHD
SUDAN LHD
SURINAME RHD
SWAZILAND RHD
SYRIA LHD
TAIWAN LHD
TAJIKISTAN LHD
TANZANIA RHD
THAILAND RHD
TOGO LHD
TOKELAU RHD
TONGA RHD
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO RHD
TUNISIA LHD
TURKMENISTAN LHD
TURKS & CAICOS ISLANDS RHD
TUVALU LHD
UGANDA RHD
UKRAINE LHD
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES LHD
URUGUAY LHD
UZBEKISTAN LHD
VANUATU LHD
VENEZUELA LHD
VIETNAM LHD
VIRGIN ISLANDS RHD
WALLIS & FUTUNA LHD
YEMEN LHD
ZAIRE LHD
ZAMBIA RHD
ZIMBABWE RHD

Re: Conversion from Right hand drive to Left hand drive

Posted: Sat Jan 08, 2011 5:17 pm
by Surge23
Sorry Nic,I forgot to mention,I have American rabbit fenders, grille lights which I bought off Vortex....

So LHD conversion makes sense to me...

Westys Rule!

Conversion from Right hand drive to Left hand drive

Posted: Sat Jan 08, 2011 5:39 pm
by Sinbad
Lhd cars are illegal in SA unless they're already registered and all sorts of other rules. You'll never get it road legal.

Re: Conversion from Right hand drive to Left hand drive

Posted: Sat Jan 08, 2011 5:52 pm
by Neuk
Surge23 wrote:Sorry Nic,I forgot to mention,I have American rabbit fenders, grille lights which I bought off Vortex....

So LHD conversion makes sense to me...

Westys Rule!
And the rear Rabbit lights? Completely diffferent from MkI Golf lights...

And Sinbad may be right...

Re: Conversion from Right hand drive to Left hand drive

Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2011 1:15 pm
by Abnormal
Spotted on beyers yesterday morning

Looked like it had a velocity dash lhd (edit to add it looked like a new spec dash)

Image

Re: Conversion from Right hand drive to Left hand drive

Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2011 7:32 pm
by araf69
It depends which westy front you got, early fender are same, late fender are different to accommodate indicators

Early westy - small tails pre 80 (same as european pre 80)
Late westy - large talis post 80 (longer than europrean post 80)

Read on vortex, hella was selling the late westy tails brand new (NOS)

Re: Conversion from Right hand drive to Left hand drive

Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 7:10 am
by Mojo
:hijack:

WOAH

5 lanes :twisted:

Re: Conversion from Right hand drive to Left hand drive

Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 7:39 am
by Abnormal
No 4 lanes + left hand drive citi!

Re: Conversion from Right hand drive to Left hand drive

Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 8:49 am
by Surge23
I have the late westy front, just need the fenders now...

Re: Conversion from Right hand drive to Left hand drive

Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 12:57 pm
by Dj lost
This is something I've been thinking bout for my racecar. What would be needed?

Steering rack, and?

I know I'd need to mount the steering column and pedal box. But what else? Just the rack?

I don't care for a dash etc. For racecar...

Re: Conversion from Right hand drive to Left hand drive

Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 3:17 pm
by panic-mechanic
The MAIN thing you need is the rack. The rest I suppose you can adapt.

Re: Conversion from Right hand drive to Left hand drive

Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 4:07 pm
by BlueBlob
panic-mechanic wrote:The MAIN thing you need is the rack. The rest I suppose you can adapt.
Yep, that's the main thing.

There are going to be loads of little fiddly things though, like a shorter clutch cable for one. That you'll also have to import, or get made.