While waiting for some recommended books to arrive ...I've got my eye on a few cars that are up for sale. I don't think I have any interest in a RHD steering wheel amd was told that it is very easy to change it to LHD.

How easy is it? what does it take, what about the pedals, wiring..etc.

Does everything in the RHD car fit on the LH side ...or do I need to aquire the proper "handed" components to make the change?

Sincere thanks,
Rob

 

You'll need a new steering rack. Pedals should be fine. Carb linkage will need to be changed. Relocation of the brake and clutch master cyclinders and related piping. Not a terribly difficult job. Check with Don at Minimania.

 

WHY? RHD is what makes the classics so much fun.

 

I agree... I love my RHD. Only takes a day or two to adjust, and everything but drive-up ATMs is just as easy to deal with.

 

Hee hee!! Thanks Matt! You're probably right...but, I plan to do some track events with my new classic....and I have no idea what it will be like to shift with my terribly un-coordinated left hand.

-Rob

 

First time I backed thru a drive-in with my RHD Mini 1000 was a trip . . . the gal at the window / young gal / would have dropped her false teeth if she had had them . . .

Tom, Maxfield Mini's Caretaker

 

Dude... the car's tiny. Just reach over to pay.

Shifting's actually not bad - I just practiced by driving with my right hand on the steering wheel for a few days before picking up the car. The actual shift pattern is the same, so it's really steering with the right as you shift that feels weird, believe it or not (at least it was for me). The first day or two is actually harder as you get used to it and begin to relax - unless you're actively thinking about it in that time, you tend to try and "drift left" to try to be in the expected part of the lane. After a few days though driving over on the right is second nature and even switching between LHD and RHD cars is not a problem.

 

Your brain figures it all out. Just drive the car around for a day and you'll be re-wired.

Only thing I noticed was going from my RHD to LHD Mini in the same day - I'd swing and miss for the turn singal stalk.

 

you will adjust..........take a few trips around the block, and bobs your uncle........much more fun, in my opinion.........

 

On mine, I always turned on the damn windshield wipers rather than the turn signal.

The nice part about driving a RHD classic, if you do start to drift toward the left to match your normal position in the lane, the car is small enough that it really won't matter.

 

MY right hand cars have turn signals on the left so that keeps me from turn on the wipers.
People always have questions in traffic or red lights so RHD keeps you from shouting across your car.

 

That is the truth. I have so many conversations at stop lights with people. I should start compiling the silly questions I get about the Mini.

 

I had an older couple pull up next to me at a light the other day. They both leaned out and said they loved the car. The guy driving said that he had raced in a Mini about 30 years ago. Too bad the light changed as I'm sure that could have been a great conversation.

You get used to RHD. Of course my Mini was the first manual I have owned (in 20 years of driving) so I didn't have much to "un-learn." Ditto on the turn signal though... I really have to think about when going back and forth.

 

Great Stuff! Thanks for posting and my search is still on!!

 

When my parents first came to US, our new car's windshield got washed quite often. A few times we actually ended up in the left lane after making a turn... good times!

 

I love my RHD as well, how much does the garage charge to do it?

 

just wondering if you noticed the post you attached to was from 2007?

But I DO like my RHD . . .

 

I noticed yours is as well

 

Can't you just back thru the ATM and McD's drive thru's? Not like you would need to exceed the max speed of reverse.

 

Advise plz...

Tis but a dream for now, but is it really feasible to import a LHD car and spend the $ to make it RHD? How much would the car need to be worth before starting to look at this as an option?

 

Ok, to make this swap feasible......from LHD to RHD is pretty easy as all the components besides the steering rack can be reused. You wouldhave to extend the Guage cluster wiring unless you already havea center speedo.

The hard conversion is going right to left as you need the extended linkage (this is not available new, thats the hard part!) to connect the pedals to the master and clutch cylinders

In the end it is better just to find what you want the first time and eliminate the time and money required to do the conversion, thats my opinion. I can drive either one as I was stationed in the UK for a few years before coming back stateside and my mini pickup is RHD.

 

WHAT???

On older classic minis, the ones without the brake booster built into the master cylinder, you can simply move the master cylinders over to either side of the car (And use a remote booster if you really want power assist brakes). There are holes on both sides of the bulkhead and the entire pedal box moves over and the studs for the master cylinder attachment are part of the pedal boxes.

If you do NOT have the brake booster attached to the brake master (horizontal mount) then the ONLY thing you need to purchase is a steering rack and maybe about 4 feet of steel brake line to attach to the existing lines, run across the firewall behind the carb, and then to the master cylinders. The throttle pedals are a little different -- the RHD pedal has a kink in it to clear the inner wheel well and the LHD one is straight, but you can bend / mangle one if you really have an issue with just swapping them over as-is.

All shells were built ambidextrous so could be assembled lhd or rhd and both have the places already built in to locate the parts from one side to the other. (well, except for the mini cord which was a fiberglass shell made in south america).