RHD American cars from the 60's in the UK

[polara]

Anyone know of any Right Hand Drive American cars for sale from the 60's ?
For example a RHD 1965/’66 Pontiac Catalina Coupe or a RHD 1966/’67 Buick Riviera or a 1962 Cadillac Fleetwood ?

[threespires]

The only GM cars for UK consumption from the mid '60's that were made RHD were the Impala and Pontiac Parisienne. Both had 287 Chevrolet engines & were assembled in Canada.
I believe Ford Galaxies were available RHD as well in this era.
Any other Yank cars would have been converted here in the UK.
Often the column would be cut in half. Move the upper end across to the right, add a couple of sprockets and a chain to link the two halves.

This is a 1964 Impala built in Canada.

Chevrolet Impala 1964

[Bozwell]

Plymouth built 200 RHD '68 and '69 Barracudas for the UK market. there are still some around and one for sale on Ebay very recently (slightly over priced though)

i'm going to convert a '66 to RHD.






my old LHD '68 I had in the early 90's

[4rephill]

Bozwell said:

Plymouth built 200 RHD '68 and '69 Barracudas for the UK market......
......i'm going to convert a '66 to RHD.

Why?

[Bozwell]

why not?

do you say the same to anyone who drives a French or German car in RHD?

I like American cars, I like V8s. I just think that being in the UK RHD is better and easier for the road. and iv'e driven plenty of LHD cars. next you'll be saying I should ditch the 4 speed and fit an autobox because they are quicker up the drag strip!

[M3John]

Search for a South African or Australian car as they were made - albeit in smaller numbers - for those markets.

[ChasW]

M3John said:

Search for a South African or Australian car as they were made - albeit in smaller numbers - for those markets.

My Dad had a Ford Fairlane 500 RHD in the 70s. It was Australian built version of a 60s design.

[MarshPhantom]

Bozwell said:

Plymouth built 200 RHD '68 and '69 Barracudas for the UK market. there are still some around and one for sale on Ebay very recently (slightly over priced though)

i'm going to convert a '66 to RHD.






my old LHD '68 I had in the early 90's

Was about to post this, my Dad had one just like the one above back in the late 80s.

[roscobbc]

4rephill said:

Bozwell said:

Plymouth built 200 RHD '68 and '69 Barracudas for the UK market......
......i'm going to convert a '66 to RHD.

Why?

I'm with you - why convert to rhd unless you have to? - I drive rhd cars all day long and lhd for fun - makes no difference to me which side of the car I drive from although in fairness lhd in this weather can be challenging in visibility terms when pulling out of side turnings (not with electric windows though!). LHD is easier for parking.. Why ruin a perfectly good lhd and devalue its potential re-sale value. Interior trim will always be problematical, as will wiring related issues.

[Bozwell]

what makes you think i'll have problems converting it, what makes you think it's a perfect LHD car, and who's worried about resale value?

funny thing is I buy a car that nobody wants (it was for sale for a very very long time) and definitely one of the tattiest yet people still have a problem with it. makes me LOL

[Riley Blue]

I don't have a problem with it - it's your car, you do whatever you want with it and enjoy it.

[Bozwell]

cheers.

plan is to get on with the conversion once i'm near completion of fitting a Honda S2000 engine into my Honda S800.

[roscobbc]

Bozwell said:

what makes you think i'll have problems converting it, what makes you think it's a perfect LHD car, and who's worried about resale value?

funny thing is I buy a car that nobody wants (it was for sale for a very very long time) and definitely one of the tattiest yet people still have a problem with it. makes me LOL

As someone else has said - its your car, your time, your money - do as you wish. Its not as though its a super rare, original matching numbers late Hemi Cuda is it?
BTW regarding components to convert - would Aussie Chrysler rhd bits do the job?

[Bozwell]

they would but it would still mean a steering box. i'm going to use a power rack, possibly Jaguar (iv'e got one for mocking up.)

plan is to also use it as a tow vehicle for the S800. I live in the south east where traffic is a nightmare at the best of times.

[iloveboost]

You're best bet is maybe to find an Aus/NZ version of the American car you're looking at, and import that.

[300bhp/ton]

Can't see the harm with LHD personally.

[5-Oh]

I had a RHD Caprice (80s admittedly). The quality of finish on the dash was pretty poor and the glove box was basically useless, but it did get a lot of interest.

[Dilligaf10]

AMC & Rambler did RHD as well

[rohrl]

300bhp/ton said:

Can't see the harm with LHD personally.

Me neither.

I've run an LHD car in the UK before and it really is no bother at all. You get used to sitting on the left in no time flat and it's not as if you're going to be doing any 50/50 B-road overtaking in a 60's Yank Tank is it?

[Bozwell]

can't see the harm in converting a LHD to RHD personally