"Classics" - LHD or RHD?

"Classics" - LHD or RHD?

Author
Discussion

northo

2,371 posts

218 months

Wednesday 11th March 2015
quotequote all
FrankAbagnale said:
Does anyone offer Finance on cars from Europe?

I.E - If I wanted to buy a LHD 355 or 430 from France, bring it back here and register it as a UK car - are there any finance options available?

Buying the car cash would be a possibility if I knew I could finance it on my return.

The way the EUR is moving, it makes it more attractive on a daily basis.
Try www.classicandsportsfinance.com - they can do this for you.

northo

2,371 posts

218 months

Wednesday 11th March 2015
quotequote all
Behemoth said:
Agreed. If you find it more difficult, you're either too close to the vehicle in front or you're trying to overtake where you really shouldn't.
Simply a question of visibility - I don't think there is a dispute over the fact that if the wheel is on the wrong side visibility is compromised. IMHO, of cours...

bryn_p

465 posts

228 months

Wednesday 11th March 2015
quotequote all
northo said:
Simply a question of visibility - I don't think there is a dispute over the fact that if the wheel is on the wrong side visibility is compromised. IMHO, of cours...
In this case (Ferrari), I think you mean the correct side winkbiggrin

Cheers,
Bryn.

northo

2,371 posts

218 months

Wednesday 11th March 2015
quotequote all
bryn_p said:
In this case (Ferrari), I think you mean the correct side winkbiggrin

Cheers,
Bryn.
Wrong side of the road, not wrong side of the car wink

northo

2,371 posts

218 months

Wednesday 11th March 2015
quotequote all
bryn_p said:
In this case (Ferrari), I think you mean the correct side winkbiggrin

Cheers,
Bryn.
Wrong side of the road, not wrong side of the car wink


Edited by northo on Friday 13th March 06:58

Behemoth

2,105 posts

130 months

Wednesday 11th March 2015
quotequote all
northo said:
Simply a question of visibility - I don't think there is a dispute over the fact that if the wheel is on the wrong side visibility is compromised. IMHO, of cours...
Having driven with the steering wheel on both sides of a car and on both sides of the road extensively (many thousands of miles in each of the four possible configurations in a full range of conditions, not just motorways), imho this supposed compromise is very minor. The only mild pita is at toll booths when you're on your own. Hardly a show stopper.

It's never bothered owners of F40s or Integrales. I know there are many who refuse to believe this, so prices are low and options plentiful for the rest of us.

FrankAbagnale

1,700 posts

111 months

Thursday 12th March 2015
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In my last LHD the only annoying this was pulling in to car parks and taking a ticket.

Got one of these and kept it in the passenger footwell...



roygarth

2,673 posts

247 months

Thursday 12th March 2015
quotequote all
FrankAbagnale said:
In my last LHD the only annoying this was pulling in to car parks and taking a ticket.

Got one of these and kept it in the passenger footwell...


If this is true, I salute you!

AMG Merc

Original Poster:

11,954 posts

252 months

Thursday 12th March 2015
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Funny, like it. How is it with MacDonalds burger bags? smile

dustymiller

4 posts

108 months

Sunday 29th March 2015
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Hi I am looking for some advice and after reading your posts I think you could help, I have a 1978 Ferrari 308 Gts, I imported it 10 years ago from North America so its LHD, it has sat in my garage ever since? (a sin I know ) it did run and was fine when I last started it. What I am looking for is this, do I sell the car as is or do I get it on the road. I did have paperwork someware but not much.

Futureclassic

105 posts

178 months

Wednesday 29th April 2015
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FrankAbagnale said:
In my last LHD the only annoying this was pulling in to car parks and taking a ticket.

Got one of these and kept it in the passenger footwell...


On my last road trip i had the same and it amused everyone behind me at every toll booth and carpark entry

AMG Merc

Original Poster:

11,954 posts

252 months

Wednesday 29th April 2015
quotequote all
Well, after a few disappointments I gave up on obtaining a good UK/RHD TR. I eventually found an excellent LHD in Europe.

So, looks like I need to get me one of those wink

offshoreeddy

349 posts

140 months

Monday 4th May 2015
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I have just bought at LHD 2001 360 Modena F1 from Italy, 28k miles Rosso/Crema with Scud shields, Daytona seats, hifi, radio nav, a set of new tyres and a new clutch, FFSH. I had some Euros available to me to exchange rate wasn't an issue but had it been so, it would have worked out at under £40k for the purchase. Insurance - under £500 a year for 5k miles, insured on VIN temporarily of course. It'll get used mostly here but also in France maybe 1-2 times a year. Personally I'd rather have LHD for this car because as previous people have said, that's how it was designed to be. I'm not even slightly worried about overtaking and the other issues - it's simply a matter of positioning the car to see correctly.

4rephill

5,040 posts

177 months

Monday 4th May 2015
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offshoreeddy said:
.....Personally I'd rather have LHD for this car because as previous people have said, that's how it was designed to be....
And the RHD versions were designed to be RHD!

I seriously doubt that the RHD cars were some kind of after thought, and suspect Ferrari put as much effort into designing the car for RHD as they did LHD (especially the post 308 cars).

Any compromises that may exist between LHD and RHD cars will be so small that you'd have to be a hyper-sensitive race driver (think F1 standard), to notice the difference.

Whilst I appreciate it's your own personal thinking, there is no evidence whatsoever to prove that LHD versions of the car are somehow superior to RHD.


(BTW, Enzo Ferrari's first ever road car: the Auto Avio Costruzioni 815, and the first ever Ferrari production road car : the 1947 Ferrari 125 s, were RHD - So technically, Ferrari's were originally designed to be RHD!)

offshoreeddy

349 posts

140 months

Monday 4th May 2015
quotequote all
My point, which you are clearly aware of and yet are, for some reason, being obtuse about, is that they don't initially design the car in RHD. The conversion to RHD takes place after the LHD design and development work. I didn't say LHD or RHD was better or worse or that I could detect any difference, simply that I prefer LHD for a Ferrari.




Camlet

1,132 posts

148 months

Monday 4th May 2015
quotequote all
In the UK, a left or right hooker Ferrari makes no difference assuming (a) the car is as it left the factory, (b) has been properly looked after and (c) the driver isn't a nutter. I have just driven my newly delivered F50 into central London and back out via the M1 and it was bloody brilliant, the car and the experience. Later I'm going to take out my 599 GTO which is RHD for a big run. Trust me, as a RHD Ferrari the GTO works just fine.


Behemoth

2,105 posts

130 months

Tuesday 5th May 2015
quotequote all
4rephill said:
And the RHD versions were designed to be RHD!

I seriously doubt that the RHD cars were some kind of after thought, and suspect Ferrari put as much effort into designing the car for RHD as they did LHD (especially the post 308 cars).

Any compromises that may exist between LHD and RHD cars will be so small that you'd have to be a hyper-sensitive race driver (think F1 standard), to notice the difference.
Wrong. There are often ergonomic differences, typically the position of the gear stick, the angle of the centre console, the positioning of key buttons on the console, the room available for the foot rest. Probably some others, too.

Murcielago_Boy

1,995 posts

238 months

Friday 22nd May 2015
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LHD is a non issue. (only ticket barriers etc cause the odd problem).

For Ferraris/Lambos made before 2000, I wouldn't buy RHD in any event. They were never designed to be RHD and you can tell with fit/finish/driving position etc.
LHD feels more natural anyway.


Slickhillsy

1,772 posts

142 months

Friday 22nd May 2015
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Murcielago_Boy said:
For Ferraris/Lambos made before 2000, I wouldn't buy RHD in any event. They were never designed to be RHD
Absolute rubbish!

Behemoth

2,105 posts

130 months

Friday 22nd May 2015
quotequote all
Slickhillsy said:
Absolute rubbish!
Sit inside and take a very careful look next time you can compare an LHD directly with an RHD. You'll be surprised.