Spotted - RHD Corvette

Stingray

CCCUK Member
I was out for a run in the Vette earlier this evening and, highly unusually, came up behind another Corvette. Strange but true - right hand drive. I'm not particularly knowledgeable about the older cars but it looked like a later C1 with the side coves. Car was a grey convertible, registration 62 MOO (or 62 MOD) which I guess ties back to the year of manufacture. No doubt somebody well known in the UK Corvette community but a new one to me. RHD! Must have been a C8....
 

Oneball

CCCUK Member
1962 C1 according to MOT history.

There quite a few RHD conversions in Aus. Probably isn’t that hard mechanically as it’s a box and link steering so you just move the box and link round.
 

Chevrolet

CCCUK Member
1962 C1 according to MOT history.

There quite a few RHD conversions in Aus. Probably isn’t that hard mechanically as it’s a box and link steering so you just move the box and link round.

Here's a good one:

Bit confused why he made it RHD? I seem to remember it was only LHD cars under a certain age (less than 30 years old) that needed to be converted to RHD, and that would exclude a C1 obviously. If you look at C1s for sale in Australia right now, they all seem to be (still) LHD as far as I can see.
 
Last edited:

Corvetteville

CCCUK Member
Wow, beautiful! Ordinarily I'd be a "keep it original"man. But as it was in,14 boxes? then he's done absolutely the right thing. If your good at spannering could be the way to C1 ownership. Don't know what a C1 chassis looks like, but could be like building a Cobra replica? Hmm maybe I can afford one, LOL!
 

Oneball

CCCUK Member
Here's a good one:

Bit confused why he made it RHD? I seem to remember it was only LHD cars under a certain age (less than 30 years old) that needed to be converted to RHD, and that would exclude a C1 obviously. If you look at C1s for sale in Australia right now, they all seem to be (still) LHD as far as I can see.

I think that rule has existed for quite some time. So if you wanted a 1962 C1 in 1991 you’d have to have it converted to RHD.
 

Roscobbc

Moderator
RHD classic Corvette? imho 'kiss of death'
LHD classic Corvette? imho 'best option for resale in UK and USA'
LHD current Mustang? imho 'kiss of death'
RHD current Mustang? imho 'best option for resale in UK'
 

Chevrolet

CCCUK Member
Didn’t Crayford do a few RHD Mustangs back in the 60s?

Can't remember that. Remember the Crayford Cortina convertibles. But never knew they did some RHD Porsche 914 conversions either. :)
 

Roscobbc

Moderator
There was a company known as Wooler Engineering or Wooler Hodec in Surrey who did Delorean and possibly Caprice and Mercury Monarch RHD conversions - long gone but perhaps they did Mustang 11's?
 

Chevrolet

CCCUK Member
Never seen a RHD Delorean/Interesting:

Looks like you are right - Hodec in Old Woking doing the Mustang 2 conversions:
 
Last edited:

Stingray

CCCUK Member
There were certainly a few RHD DeLoreans, the factory being in an RHD market and wanting some local cars to show off and IIRC they were converted as mentioned above rather than done at the plant.

Bell & Colville (Surrey Lotus dealer) used to sell unofficial RHD conversions of the later Alfa Spider models which they organised themselves. They'd previously sold official versions of the Mk 1 Spider, built RHD at the factory, as an official Alfa dealer. They've had many different franchises over the years - currently Lotus, Morgan and McLaren (service).

I've seen one of those 914 conversion to RHD. Nice, simple job with the straight 1970s dash and no front engine to get in the way of moving the brakes/steering.

For one reason or another I always liked the original 1990s Twingo. Renault sold shed-loads of them on the Continent and you still see them around. I guess the very compact, transverse layout may have made RHD impossible whereas British Mini could be built both ways from the start with its gearbox under the engine, not end-on.

It's still going to be a shock to see a RHD C8...
 

Roscobbc

Moderator
If you take a closer look at one of the RHD Mustang 11 conversions they are quite simple. Some of the 'technology' (like brakes and possibly clutch) will come from dual control leaner cars where a 'cross bar' in the foot well duplicates the pedals. Steering is a interesting one and rather like a bicycle - ie, a chain and sprocket arrangement housed in an extruded aluminium section linking left to right. Simply but effective - never heard of chain breaking or excess slack on the system. Electrics and panels are a different matter - and with 'todays' vehicles and 'bus' systems..............
I once had an AMC Javelin that had been converted to RHD. Bit of a bodge. Suspect the car had been done using parts from a Canadian RHD Rambler sedan write-off.
 

Oneball

CCCUK Member
The chain thing sounds a bit nasty can’t imagine it leads to much steering feel, mind there’s probably not much steering feel in a Mustang II anyway.

Slightly related but not really, I’d like to try an Aussie XB or XC Falcon.
 
Top