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.
Converting your 'Stang for right-hand drive is a monumental decision, one from which you cannot easily claw your way back if you don't like it. It involves the removal of no fewer than five major panels. Then, all of the original spot welds have to be drilled out. These are then swapped for factory-stamped, right-hand drive panels.
Next comes the installation of the RHD of the instrument bezel, dash trim, and dash pod. Installing a Rack and Pinion (power or manual) steering column can significantly improve the car's handling. It's a costly move, but some people say it makes it easier to drive in places like the United Kingdom, Australia, Indonesia, Japan, and southeast Africa.
As might be expected, opinion is divided on whether such drastic surgery is worth it. On the one hand, if you have spent years and years and thousands of dollars restoring a classic car to its original condition and added a few performance-boosting enhancements, you are not going to want to hack it to pieces. On the other hand, making the switch will make it easier to overtake other cars on the road.
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.
The Australian federal government regulates such major automotive surgery as the RHD conversion via its Vehicle Safety Act and the National Code of Practices. Before you commit yourself to the operation, it pays to look into whether similar protective legislation applies in the country to where you are moving.
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.
Converting your 'Stang for right-hand drive is a monumental decision, one from which you cannot easily claw your way back if you don't like it. It involves the removal of no fewer than five major panels. Then, all of the original spot welds have to be drilled out. These are then swapped for factory-stamped, right-hand drive panels.
Next comes the installation of the RHD of the instrument bezel, dash trim, and dash pod. Installing a Rack and Pinion (power or manual) steering column can significantly improve the car's handling. It's a costly move, but some people say it makes it easier to drive in places like the United Kingdom, Australia, Indonesia, Japan, and southeast Africa.
As might be expected, opinion is divided on whether such drastic surgery is worth it. On the one hand, if you have spent years and years and thousands of dollars restoring a classic car to its original condition and added a few performance-boosting enhancements, you are not going to want to hack it to pieces. On the other hand, making the switch will make it easier to overtake other cars on the road.
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.
The Australian federal government regulates such major automotive surgery as the RHD conversion via its Vehicle Safety Act and the National Code of Practices. Before you commit yourself to the operation, it pays to look into whether similar protective legislation applies in the country to where you are moving.
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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