RE: Clive Sutton US right-hand drive conversions
Discussion
Way out their on price. You can import RHD Aussie muscle cars like the Holden or Falcon if a saloon is your fancy, you can buy a a homegrown VXR8, you can get a RHD mustang and theirs plenty of Brit muscle cars you can buy at that sort of price like a F type or Vantage.
The appeal of the muscle car is its price, the mustang and it's like are performance car legends because they combined lots of excitement in a low cost package.
Take the current Mustang 35k for a brand new V8 it might lack the sophistication of a AMG or M car or he badge of an Aston or Porcshe but I doubt owners care (I don't) it's good RWD V8 fun without the huge price tag new or the need for expensive aftermarket warranties if you buy used
The appeal of the muscle car is its price, the mustang and it's like are performance car legends because they combined lots of excitement in a low cost package.
Take the current Mustang 35k for a brand new V8 it might lack the sophistication of a AMG or M car or he badge of an Aston or Porcshe but I doubt owners care (I don't) it's good RWD V8 fun without the huge price tag new or the need for expensive aftermarket warranties if you buy used
cookie1600 said:
Anyhoo, surely the pretty bits inside are relatively easy to duplicate, it's the oily steery, stoppy and goey bits that I'd be concerned about as they could be fitted to areas of the cars structure that were never designed for them and possibly with adaptions to get them around exhaust headers, gearboxes and the like. Some of the early conversions that even manufacturers did (Ford RS1600i?) to get usable RHD cars into the country were allegedly bodges at best.
The RHD AMC Pacer takes some beating - steering gear all left where it was and steering column on the right with a chain (I am not making this up) drive behind the dash to the other side. It really is like the people at Clive Sutton were philosophically vexed to create the ultimate automotive paradox — how do you dramatically increase the price of something without adding anything AT ALL that would in any way improve it. And when that thing's only intrinsic value lies in its value (cheapness), the 'improvement' thus renders the thing utterly valueless.
Regiment said:
swerni said:
Spend a fortune to make a perfectly good car worth less?
f
king genius, where do I sign ?
I'm sure there must be a few people out there that have the thought "I'd love a Hellcat but the left hand drive is holding me back"? f
king genius, where do I sign ?Vocht said:
Crazy money to convert a standard Camaro or Ram truck but if these can be done on the more exotic US cars such as the Viper ACR, Corvette Z06 or Shelby GT350R etc then it doesn't seem so crazy, and may not lose you any money at re-sale time.
How many of those cars converted to RHD will UK customers be buying each year?Cars designed for LHD/RHD are engineered to be easy to build both ways at the factory. Pure LHD cars aren't. For instance, the original Renault Twingo was a brilliant little car but couldn't be converted. Back in the day Bell & Colvill used to convert Alfa Spiders to RHD but that was in the days when dashboards were made of wood, computers didn't exist and there was space around the engine. And the factory had built RHD before discontinuing it.
For the money I'd take a properly built McLaren or Lambo any day of the week.
People that want a factory built RHD American car will buy one (as has been proven by the popularity of the current Mustang) and I can see what they are trying to do, basically jumping on the bandwagon.
The issue is you are not (or haven't been) adding value to the car by converting it to RHD, only irrecoverable costs. You take a base car, pay out for having a RHD conversion and then for some reason need to sell it, only to find that it is worth less than a LHD car, sure you might get lucky and break even, but that conversion cost is just money down the toilet.
There is only one reason why I personally would buy a UK spec RHD Mustang over a US Spec one, and that is because it is cheaper than importing one at the moment, why would I pay through the nose for a conversion when it isn't needed.
The issue is you are not (or haven't been) adding value to the car by converting it to RHD, only irrecoverable costs. You take a base car, pay out for having a RHD conversion and then for some reason need to sell it, only to find that it is worth less than a LHD car, sure you might get lucky and break even, but that conversion cost is just money down the toilet.
There is only one reason why I personally would buy a UK spec RHD Mustang over a US Spec one, and that is because it is cheaper than importing one at the moment, why would I pay through the nose for a conversion when it isn't needed.
Ozzie Osmond said:
You'd think in these days of dashcams and reversing cameras it wouldn't be rocket science to install a forward looking camera at the top right of the windshield with a screen the driver can see.
In fact, I think I might be able to knock one up myself for a tad less than £50k!
In fact, I think I might be able to knock one up myself for a tad less than £50k!
Or for those on an even tighter budget, some kind of reflective glass- let's call it a "mirror"!
I can still see a market for these even if financially they might not be great value, all because of their manual gearboxes. The Z06/ACR for example. Where else can you get 600bhp+ manual cars these days without paying an arm and leg for them.
Even after conversion costs these cars come in at around £100k. Whats the closest European alternative? A 911R?
Edit: If conversion is possible that is*
Even after conversion costs these cars come in at around £100k. Whats the closest European alternative? A 911R?
Edit: If conversion is possible that is*
Edited by Vocht on Tuesday 4th October 14:42
tim milne said:
It really is like the people at Clive Sutton were philosophically vexed to create the ultimate automotive paradox — how do you dramatically increase the price of something without adding anything AT ALL that would in any way improve it. And when that thing's only intrinsic value lies in its value (cheapness), the 'improvement' thus renders the thing utterly valueless.
Completely wrong. If you're cruising Tower Hamlets with one's homie next to you and some bhez in the back then all the bus wkers are going to think your homie is the daddy and that you're the homie. So, drop a quick £50k and the problem is solved. Trabi601 said:
Squirrelofwoe said:
Or for those on an even tighter budget, some kind of reflective glass- let's call it a "mirror"!
On the left - mirrors. On the right - prisms.
TooMany2cvs said:
Trabi601 said:
Squirrelofwoe said:
Or for those on an even tighter budget, some kind of reflective glass- let's call it a "mirror"!
On the left - mirrors. On the right - prisms.
I figured even just two, positioned in the right place would get you enough right-hand-side forward vision.
That mirror/prism diagram above is bringing back all kinds of memories from physics A-levels...
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