question for owners of right hand drive cars (jdm)

[Gravy_83]

since I have moved to calgary last week I was surprised to see the number of right hand drive cars has increased significantly as compared to when I lived here a year ago. And be it as it may I am buying my seventh car in 3 years in a couple months and was looking at importing a soarer. Now is it hard to get used to right hand drive. the car Im getting is automatic as well. but just as far as normal driving goes is it any harder since the roads we have are geared towards left hand drive cars...just had to ask before I get myself into a right hand drive car

[civicrider]

hopped in one for the first time 5 spd RHD CRX i had no problems its easy, only thing that i do is hit the wipers instead of the signals, but its really easy and fun

[Gravy_83]

sweet thanks.... all other input will be greatly apreciated as well

[euro_racer]

if you are worried about driving on the wrong side of the road why not look at buying a lexus sc300 or 400?

the sc300 makes a for a perfect project to swap a nice 2JZ-GTE or 1JZ-GTE for a decent price and it would be hella quick

[Rocky]

I think the hardest part, is turning left when the lane across from you is doing the same thing. Since you're so far over, hard to see oncoming traffic. Oh, and you could never go to a drive thru anything :D

[Gravy_83]

well thats good since I eat too much McDonald's as it is hahaha. but seriously I don't want to take the time or the money to swap into the sc300 or 400. i have had problems doing swaps in the past and would just rather start with a car that has what I want in it. the cosmo is really what I want as an engine but the car just dosn't have that much appeal for me so when I have enough money I will build one in an rx7. but for now the sc300 style of body I have liked for many years and to find out the soarer comes with the 1JZ-GTE allready in it just makes it a car I can't pass up. I will get one in the spring no matter what it takes. I have had 6 cars in the past 2-3 years and have finally settled on keeping my civic and getting a second car and leaving at that for a couple years. so hopefully there will be a twin turbo soarer in calgary this spring cruising the streets :thumbsup:

[euro_racer]

good to hear, you wont regret it :D

here is a website were you can find out some more info on the car and such... http://www.clublexus.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=6

[Graham_A_M]

I was going to add that drive-thru's are impossible unless you have a passenger. but Rocky beat me to it. Oh well, you'll be healthier in the end :thumbsup:

[benm]

Drive-thru's!!!! I KNEW there was a catch to RHD cars! Although I guess if the car is narrow enough you could reach across.. hmm...

[Akagi Redsuns]

I think going inside and ordering is worth the hassle in order to own a good quality rare JDM. Who gives a crap about drivethrus anyways? Are we all that lazy?

I find it humurous that at Peters, people will wait in the car lineup forver at the drivethru.....while I just pull up, get out of the car, order and I'm back in my car with my food before a car moves forward.

It's a catch-22 for the JDM market for me. I don't want the hassle of a JDM, and no it's not because of the drive-thru :) (left turns, passing on the highway, street parking... etc) for just getting a car that I can get in this market regardless. Yet I am leary of getting a Japanese specific car with the fear of parts being way too expensive or impossible to find. I would love to own a Nismo R32 GT-R or a VspecII someday.

As to the original poster, the only thing I didn't like about RHD that I noticed during a brief drive was that it's tricky to pass on the highway and when making left turns at intersections when someone opposite of you is also making a left. Basically you end waiting for a yellow to clear the intersection as you can't see the opposite traffic depending on the car (in my case it was a delivery truck) I find myself going straight past the intersection I want to left turn at and then I make 3 right turns. Sad, but it works! and safe :)

[benm]

That left turn issue would be very annoying for most of us! It's bad enough when you're in a LHD vehicle and the guy opposite you doesn't cut close enough to the curb to see past him!!!

[inline6turbo]

nonono you learn to love peters drive thru so much more, its the only drive through in the city we can go through!

like everyone has mentioned, left hand turns while someone is doing the same thing on the other side (god forbid its a huge truck) is like leap frog, close your eyes and hit the gas and pray lol.

passing on the highway i learned, very hard, behind semis i tried to pass on the shoulder if i could, to dangerous to sneek a peek into the other lane.

oh and parallel parking, have to realise your perspective has changed by 5 feet. i ended up on the sidewalk the first time.

waving to the people behind you, dont hit your hand on the window, same goes for after your used to driving the RHD and hop back in a LHD, i smacked my hand pretty hard.

wipers often get turned on when signals should be

and its fun to confuse police, let them give your passenger the ticket, ive noticed if you stay quiet, he wont even check.

parking the first couple times took a second or too.

after driving my car for a year i drove my friends car and nearly ran into the curbs because i was stuck in RHD mode.


it makes driving so much more interesting and exciting.

play games on deerfoot, have your passenger reading a herald, completely blocking his line of view, have a big dog ride with you in the front passenger seat, buy an aftermarket steering wheel and let your passenger pertend hes driving and then freak other drivers out as you pertend to steer into them... be creative!

[gp36912]

hahaha some good answers here, though the only thing i think i'd find to be the hardest is parking, and getting used to having the the wipers and turn signals switched, though i can't tell for sure until i get one and drive it. and when i do. empty parking lot here i come :D

[\JCAR/]

i noticed that when i was driving my boss's gt-r i hit the wipers so many time just force of habbit and i found passing vechiles on single lane highways was a little tricky at times

[Arthur Dent]

smaller the car the easier it is too. Driving a RHD Mini isn't much different than a LHD. A RHD Land Crusier requires a bit more care when driving.

[asp integra]

i dunno why peps say going through drive thru would be hard, half the time at peters i go to the one side closeest to 16th ave, and i just lean over to give the money and get the food, its not hard to do, really the only troublesome thing i could forsee would be turning left, but other than that it wouldnt be bad having rhd

[LilDrunkenSmurf]

Originally posted by inline6turbo
play games on deerfoot, have your passenger reading a herald, completely blocking his line of view, have a big dog ride with you in the front passenger seat, buy an aftermarket steering wheel and let your passenger pertend hes driving and then freak other drivers out as you pertend to steer into them... be creative!
i wanna go driving with you! :hitit:

[RPM]

The part I hate the most is at least once a day getting asked by strangers beside me if "thats hard to drive like that??"fuck it pisses me off after the 1000 time. Or ill get asked if that cars LEGAL and some think its Illegal no mater what i say to them, those people make my day.

I get all kinds of stares and random strangers coming up to me that i dont have time to talk to, but i live in Red Deer so that could have something to do with it

but other than that there is nothin that you dont get used to within 2 weeks i actually prefer to drive on the right now.