Picture this. You have a 1965 'Stang that you have finally cherried out to its original condition; now, your employer wants to ship you to a country where people drive on the left-hand side of the road. If you're a purist, you may well want to leave it the way it is and just learn how to deal with it when you get there. Another approach is to opt for a Ford Mustang right hand drive conversion.
The 'Stang, or "pony car, " was introduced to the American market early in 1964, earning it the model designation 1964-1/2. It apparently filled a large gap in the market and spawned a fleet of copycats; namely, the Chevrolet Camaro, the Pontiac Firebird, the Dodge Challenger, Plymouth Barracuda, and the AMC Javelin. The basic pony car vibe is a sports car-cum-coupe with a short rear deck and a long front. This peppy little Ford has also been blamed for inspiring the Ford Capri and Toyota Celica, now iconic vehicles in their own right.
For such a classic car, moving the steering wheel from the left-hand driver's seat to the other side is tantamount to a sex change operation in a human being. No fewer than five major panels have to be removed, then guy in the shop has to drill out all of the spot welds. Next, he replaces them with new, right-hand drive panels that have been stamped at the factory.
Before the job is finished, the dash pod, dash trim, and right-hand drive instrument bezel are installed. For a few thousand dollars more, you can install a new steering column to improve the way the car handles. People who have moved to RHD countries, like Australia, Indonesia, Japan, the United Kingdom, or southeast Africa say that it does make it easier to maneuver.
As to whether it is a good idea to convert your 'Stang, there are pros and cons. On the "pro" side, changing to RHD makes for easier and safer overtaking on single carriageway roads. Also, if you are a guy, you are placed on the correct side of the road when chatting to girls at traffic lights.
Others say that converting to RHD lowers the resale value of the vehicle. The "no" camp also think that the time it takes to adjust to driving on the left side of the road with an RHD car is negligible. They also point out that for the same money it takes to pay for the conversion, you could install a 500 hp blower and/or an epic suspension.
Australians have laws like the federal governments Vehicle Safety Standard Act and the National Code of Practices to protect car owners from shoddy garages. If you intend to have your car converted overseas, it pays to do your homework first and find out what legislation you will have to fall back on should the unthinkable happen and the mechanic makes a mess of your conversion.
To convert or not to convert is not a decision to take lightly. It's not like you can easily convert back if it turns out you don't like it. Whatever you do, treat your 'Stang with respect and she will reward you with years of faithful service.
The 'Stang, or "pony car, " was introduced to the American market early in 1964, earning it the model designation 1964-1/2. It apparently filled a large gap in the market and spawned a fleet of copycats; namely, the Chevrolet Camaro, the Pontiac Firebird, the Dodge Challenger, Plymouth Barracuda, and the AMC Javelin. The basic pony car vibe is a sports car-cum-coupe with a short rear deck and a long front. This peppy little Ford has also been blamed for inspiring the Ford Capri and Toyota Celica, now iconic vehicles in their own right.
For such a classic car, moving the steering wheel from the left-hand driver's seat to the other side is tantamount to a sex change operation in a human being. No fewer than five major panels have to be removed, then guy in the shop has to drill out all of the spot welds. Next, he replaces them with new, right-hand drive panels that have been stamped at the factory.
Before the job is finished, the dash pod, dash trim, and right-hand drive instrument bezel are installed. For a few thousand dollars more, you can install a new steering column to improve the way the car handles. People who have moved to RHD countries, like Australia, Indonesia, Japan, the United Kingdom, or southeast Africa say that it does make it easier to maneuver.
As to whether it is a good idea to convert your 'Stang, there are pros and cons. On the "pro" side, changing to RHD makes for easier and safer overtaking on single carriageway roads. Also, if you are a guy, you are placed on the correct side of the road when chatting to girls at traffic lights.
Others say that converting to RHD lowers the resale value of the vehicle. The "no" camp also think that the time it takes to adjust to driving on the left side of the road with an RHD car is negligible. They also point out that for the same money it takes to pay for the conversion, you could install a 500 hp blower and/or an epic suspension.
Australians have laws like the federal governments Vehicle Safety Standard Act and the National Code of Practices to protect car owners from shoddy garages. If you intend to have your car converted overseas, it pays to do your homework first and find out what legislation you will have to fall back on should the unthinkable happen and the mechanic makes a mess of your conversion.
To convert or not to convert is not a decision to take lightly. It's not like you can easily convert back if it turns out you don't like it. Whatever you do, treat your 'Stang with respect and she will reward you with years of faithful service.
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