Conversion to left hand drive..
Although I don't mind driving a right hand drive car in a country where we all have left hand drive I still wanted to convert to left hand drive. Reasons are the dangers when overtaking other cars and the constant awareness of being in a RHD car which is needed when parking. Furthermore I like the challenge to convert to LHD and it also gives me the opportunity to rewire everything under the dashboard (the only place left on this car where the wiring is absolute horror).

Converting from RHD to LHD for this car brings on the following considerations.
- steering column, clutch, brake and accelerator pedal to be remounted to the left

Pretty straightforward a matter of dismantle, refurbish and assembly.

- altering and renewing a number of brake lines

This is something done many times before. If only I could find my flaring tools
Flaring tools found.... The enginebay could use a good cleanup. I also repaired a large hole in the left hand side inner wing.





- altering the dashboard

The dashboard appeared to be a plastic plate as an overlay on a moulded GRP dashboard. This dashboard is mounted in each door aperture with two M6 bolts. The other picture shows the amount of unused wires I removed from under the dasboard. I really cannot believe how anyone could make such a mess out of this.

I decided to make my own dashboard from steel, similar to the Healey 100 dashboard. I first made a dummy dashboard from wood which took two attempts. I transferred that to sheet-metal and made an edge (flange) on it for rigidity.

Trialfitting a dashboard from wood. Next picture: the new dashboard can be fitted to the car....


Old (RHD) and new (LHD) dashboard.

- a LHD steering rack from an Opel Kadett C

This was already given to me and is also part of the rebuild of the front suspension.

- another bellhousing for the gearbox

This is combined with the plan to convert from a 4-speed to a 5-speed gearbox.

To be continued....