Hey up, I'm wanting to convert my LHD beetle, to RHD.
1) Is it possible
2) Does anyone know of any companies that do this in the UK
3) Should I go for the DIY option, what would I need?; I'm guessing a RHD front axle would help or could I move the weld where the steering column joins? anything else, any info how ever small
Contact Wolfsburg West in California and ask them,it's possible to do this and may have been a fairly common procedure 30 years ago,but as time goes by,the expense goes up as the availiable parts supply dries up. They could probably help you....www.wolfsburgwest.com Fred67bug
It's ergonomically better if you live in a country that drives on the right, I think you would find it's not ergonomically better in countries that drive on the left, of which there are many. ;-)
You will need a RHD dashboard, front beam, pedal assembly, brake master cylinder (and associated plumbing), and steering box/drop arm.
You will also need to replace or extend the LHD wiring loom to reach the other side of the car, new interior mirror, and possibly a new wing mirror on the drivers side too.
The hardest part of the job is making a decent job of welding in the RHD dashboard.
Yes, and I live in a country that drives on the left (which is historically correct). However, that is not what I meant, having driven a LHD car in a RHD country for about nine years.
Bugs were designed to be LHD and the redesign to RHD was never quite as good. LHD is a more comfortable arrangement due to the position of the accelerator pedal and the steering column, relative to the driver. On LHD the pedal is directly in front of your right leg position, where as on a RHD it is offset to the left. This forced VW to move the steering wheel from its central position (on LHD) to a left offset, so as to not interfere with pedal operation. So basically, you sit in a RHD Bug with the pedals and steering wheel off-centre. On top of that, if it is a later 'flat screen' model, the wipers operate only for LHD position.
RHD drivers do not notice these things as we get used to anything. However, if you swap between the two over a period of time you can start to feel the difference, without even looking.
...well if you look at the limited number of countries that still drive on the wrong side of the road...and subtract them from the very large number of countries that don't....well you will have your answer.... ya know, I was joking....actually... hence the smiley face. But since you bring it up, well this is really simple deductive reasoning....you not only have no sense of humour, but I fear are rather limited in the intelligence department as well....
"..so is using outhouses, but much of the rest of the world has progressed nonetheless
...Gareth"
I really don't want to make a war over this. There was no mal-intent over the "historical" comment I made. I was infact advocating the better design of the Bug for driving on the right. I saw the 'joke' as a 'smart-assed' comment, so I gave back. My mistake, as I can see that "intelegent" discussion has gone out the window.
...if you go to the following link you can see a list of definitions for many commonly used acronym's and emoticons.
formatting link
....BTW, if you are going to conduct comunication in an intelligent and comprehensive manor, you may wish to try and spell key words such as....oh I don't know, "intelligent" correctly. Otherwise it is simply obfuscation at best, and more likely boorish drivel.
No, I was not making a sarcastic comment, as I feel the need to keep things simple. I just made a spelling mistake - No big deal. If you want to point out these mistakes then you better check out your own before you post!
Apart from a few others, none of you have anything to say about the original questions posed by this thread. I am as guilty as the rest of you for bringing this thread down, but I figure I may have forgotten more than you ever knew on the subject of RHD/LHD with Bugs, so I don't feel too bad about it. No one has cared to comment rationally on my 'historical' statement other than to poke fun at it. I am not and never have been particularly interested in emoticons or the relevant symbols. However, there seems to be a distinct level of intolerance on this 'international' forum which seems to be the way of the world in these days.
Nonetheless, I am sorry for misinterpreting your original comment, Gareth, as anything other than a light hearted joke. We may have all not just wasted our time, if I had not risen to the bait.
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