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 was the first in a new genre of "pony cars, " sporty coupes that have a long front end and a short rear deck. The 'Stang, introduced to the American market in early 1964 (making it a 1964-1/2 model), was followed by the Pontiac Firebird, Chevrolet Camaro, Plymouth Barracuda, AMC Javelin and the Dodge Challenger. There are rumors that it also inspired the Toyota Celica and the Ford Capri. Later, came a more family-friendly model, the Maverick, or "Son of Mustang, " and then the Pinto, the baby of the family.
The conversion of a pony car from left-hand drive (or normal) to a right-hand drive (basically, British and colonial) is far more complicated than, say, a simple gender reassignment. Five major panels on the car need to be removed. All of the original spot welds are drilled out and replaced with RHD factory-stamped panels.
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.
Opinion among Mustang owners is divided as to whether or not converting to RHD is a good idea. There are those who think it makes it safer and easier to pass other vehicles on the highway. Others, mostly male, like the idea that they are on the right side of the car for talking to girls at stop lights.
The down side of converting, according to some, is that it will not enhance the resale value of the car and may, in fact, reduce it. Advocates of keeping the car in its native state say that it doesn't take very long to get used to driving an LHD car on the left-hand side of the road. There is a brief period of reaching for the door handle when looking for the hand brake, but you soon get over it.
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.
Converting your car to right-hand drive is a massive undertaking, both structurally and financially. Take all the time you need to be sure you are making the right decision before the mechanic wields his scalpel.
The 'Stang was the first in a new genre of "pony cars, " sporty coupes that have a long front end and a short rear deck. The 'Stang, introduced to the American market in early 1964 (making it a 1964-1/2 model), was followed by the Pontiac Firebird, Chevrolet Camaro, Plymouth Barracuda, AMC Javelin and the Dodge Challenger. There are rumors that it also inspired the Toyota Celica and the Ford Capri. Later, came a more family-friendly model, the Maverick, or "Son of Mustang, " and then the Pinto, the baby of the family.
The conversion of a pony car from left-hand drive (or normal) to a right-hand drive (basically, British and colonial) is far more complicated than, say, a simple gender reassignment. Five major panels on the car need to be removed. All of the original spot welds are drilled out and replaced with RHD factory-stamped panels.
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.
Opinion among Mustang owners is divided as to whether or not converting to RHD is a good idea. There are those who think it makes it safer and easier to pass other vehicles on the highway. Others, mostly male, like the idea that they are on the right side of the car for talking to girls at stop lights.
The down side of converting, according to some, is that it will not enhance the resale value of the car and may, in fact, reduce it. Advocates of keeping the car in its native state say that it doesn't take very long to get used to driving an LHD car on the left-hand side of the road. There is a brief period of reaching for the door handle when looking for the hand brake, but you soon get over it.
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.
Converting your car to right-hand drive is a massive undertaking, both structurally and financially. Take all the time you need to be sure you are making the right decision before the mechanic wields his scalpel.
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