LHD swap

[DSM4LIFE]

hey i'm looking into to buying a s13 silvia with sr20 swap but my moms worried about the right hand drive. i haven't heard too many people complaining about not being able to see but i have heard that the insurance on a JDM car could be insane. so i was wondering how hard it would be to swap a car to LHD or if there is somewhere that i could take it to get done

[top_speed]

:nut:

[EM1FTW]

it would be easier and cheaper to find a LHD 240sx and put and sr20 in it

[CelicaST-162]

You will get used to it, as if it was a LHD car. Left hand turns will be a pain sometimes so leave enough space to see and turn when you are ready to do so.

Insurance is normal like with any other car, it may take a few days for the insurance to process your car through. But it`s straight forward like any car.

[Mista.2]

just buy a 240sx and swap and sr20 in it if your worried about a jdm its cheaper and makes a lot more sence then a LHD swap. i personally have had no trouble with my jdm mr2 and ive been driving it for almost 2years now and as far as insurance im only paying 150 a month for full coverage.

[SR240SX]

Originally posted by EM1FTW
it would be easier and cheaper to find a LHD 240sx and put and sr20 in it

You got that backwards......

go buy a motor and a car I'll do the swap for you! :D

[Ballin]

Yo buy this guys car from beyond

http://forums.beyond.ca/st/250906/fs-1989-nissan-240sx-very-clean-w-low-km/

Take it to autodream or pick up a motor from jdm source or something swap it in.

3500 for the car
3-4000 for the swap plus some need things

Or buy a camera for the right hand drive. Mount it on the lhd side mirror or front grill fender and get a monitor for inside the car. All better ideas then the route you want to take I personally think

[DSM4LIFE]

okay well my mom is starting to ease up on the RHD so if i can go JDM would you guys rather recommend SILVIA or SKYLINE

[teknical]

Nothing wrong with RHD...just as easy to drive as a LHD Vehicle. The insurance on my RHD is 500 cheaper a year then it was for a LHD 240sx.

[Ballin]

Ok well you need to change the title of thread if you moms is easyin up on you. Go with the 93+ silvia I love my s14's Or a GTR on the skyline route

[DSM4LIFE]

k thanks guys i'll have to talk to my mom more but thanks for the help

[Cooked Rice]

listen to your mom

[funkedelic2]

Originally posted by Cooked Rice
listen to your mom

lol :werd: Momma knows best

[A790]

Originally posted by DSM4LIFE
k thanks guys i'll have to talk to my mom more but thanks for the help
Guess it's not DSM4LIFE anymore eh?

[cjay^]

If its your money then get whatever you want. My mom hates RHD, but it was my money so who is she to not let me get one if its what I want?

In all honesty, RHD isn't harder to drive and I drive both LHD and RHD regularly. The only thing is making a left turn on a busy road (think MacLoed north onto Southland Dr) with only an advance green. In that situation, just wait it out until you are positive its safe.

[sergejsk2]

insurance is the same.. only difference is you can only get liability (may be different with other companies, im ama).

you get used to driving rhd in like 2 days i swear.. im sick of bullshit that people make up cause they think its so bad, left hand turns are easy as fuck, only thing thats shitty .. for me at least is parking accurately lol.

[rc2002]

Originally posted by sergejsk2
you get used to driving rhd in like 2 days i swear.. im sick of bullshit that people make up cause they think its so bad, left hand turns are easy as fuck

I call BS. I've driven RHD before and making left turns sucks. Especially when there's a big truck in the opposing left turn bay. In cases like those it's even hard to see in a LHD car.

[EK 2.0]

Originally posted by richardchan2002

I call BS. I've driven RHD before and making left turns sucks. Especially when there's a big truck in the opposing left turn bay. In cases like those it's even hard to see in a LHD car.


+1...

[zieg]

meh. other thing about a rhd is that if it gets in an accident (say someone tbones you ro something) it's waaaaayyyyyy more likely to get written off, and the insurance company will try to cheap out on the payout as much as possible. I see no reason to own a rhd car that was already available here (this means s13, z32, fc, fd, etc) when you can simply buy the lhd version for cheaper and throw a motor in there.




oh and just to throw it out there, ka-t > sr imo :P

[black13]

Originally posted by richardchan2002


I call BS. I've driven RHD before and making left turns sucks. Especially when there's a big truck in the opposing left turn bay. In cases like those it's even hard to see in a LHD car.

When there is a big truck in opposing lane, I even have trouble with LHD turning.

Yea RHD is harder for turns but if your really stuck with a big car on opposite lane then you can't wait till the light turns yellow and then turn. It's really not that hard, especially with an automatic.

[calgarys_finest]

Originally posted by richardchan2002


I call BS. I've driven RHD before and making left turns sucks. Especially when there's a big truck in the opposing left turn bay. In cases like those it's even hard to see in a LHD car.

It makes no difference to me on left hand turns. I just hated not being able to take a drive through going forwards. Since i got my new car i wouldnt mind having one again. But i agree zig-87 i would only get something that isnt available here i dont see a point unless you can only get it from japan or it would cost less from japan

example. I want a silvia i am not going to buy a 240 and put a new engine and front clip when i could just buy one for half of what it would cost to do all that work.

[Mibz]

Originally posted by cjay^
The only thing is making a left turn on a busy road (think MacLoed north onto Southland Dr) with only an advance green. It's kinda funny, that's always the intersection I think of when turning left in a RHD comes to mind.

[nat_skyline]

Originally posted by ZiG-87
meh. other thing about a rhd is that if it gets in an accident and the insurance company will try to cheap out on the payout as much as possible.

I went through that, I just brought it for a mechanical inspection at Nissan and obviously it came back alot more then the isurance quoted... the isurance has no choice but to pay up.

[JfuckinC]

Originally posted by richardchan2002


I call BS. I've driven RHD before and making left turns sucks. Especially when there's a big truck in the opposing left turn bay. In cases like those it's even hard to see in a LHD car.

this is the only reason i havent bought a RHD car!!
It's sketchy in a LHD car depending on whos across from you even sometimes..

[rc2002]

One more thing about the left turn in a RHD car is that you're going to get smashed on the drivers side if you misjudge.

Might be better if you normally carrying a passenger because that way they're not the one who pays for the mistake.

[scat19]

Originally posted by cjay^
The only thing is making a left turn on a busy road (think MacLoed north onto Southland Dr)

This is why RHD cars should not be legal!

To each and their own.

[n1zm0]

Originally posted by richardchan2002


I call BS. I've driven RHD before and making left turns sucks. Especially when there's a big truck in the opposing left turn bay. In cases like those it's even hard to see in a LHD car.

+1 just yesterday in shawnessy, thankfully my brother was in the passenger seat (ha it's his levin too), i couldn't see shit all because there was a cube van opposite me turning right. so if he wasnt there to tell me when to go, it'd be:

- risk turning left without looking(super smart)
-crawl forward until your F/L bumper is sticking in the other lane
or wait till the yellow/red and then go

sooo inconvenient for l/h turns and drive thrus
:D

sure its easy to get used to driving a JDM car here but those L/H turns.. unless you have a gdamned periscope or x ray vision, it's a fken hassle in certain situations, i.e: cubevan/semi in the opposite turning lane etc

[calgarys_finest]

Originally posted by n1zm0


+1 just yesterday in shawnessy, thankfully my brother was in the passenger seat (ha it's his levin too), i couldn't see shit all because there was a cube van opposite me turning right. so if he wasnt there to tell me when to go, it'd be:

- risk turning left without looking(super smart)
-crawl forward until your F/L bumper is sticking in the other lane
or wait till the yellow/red and then go

sooo inconvenient for l/h turns and drive thrus
:D

sure its easy to get used to driving a JDM car here but those L/H turns.. unless you have a gdamned periscope or x ray vision, it's a fken hassle in certain situations, i.e: cubevan/semi in the opposite turning lane etc

This is a point i try and make people say it is very dangerous and i dont think it is. It is a hassle but for a smart driver it isnt dangerous the danger is with the driver not the car.

[n1zm0]

^yes i totally agree driver is the key factor, but i'll reiterate, certain situations in rhd cars can be a bitch, another example, driving by yourself, stuck on a somewhat narrow stretch of HWY1, you want to over take the semi/camper/bus but in order to see oncoming traffic you have to pull out and look, sure you could pull into the shoulder and peek but what if that bus is long as fk.

[calgarys_finest]

The problem with these cars it that any 17 year old kid can get his hands on one go out street racing thinking hes brian spilner and do some stupid shit.

prime example http://forums.beyond.ca/st/252036/calgary-police-run-in-/

In the hands of the right people these cars are fine in the hands of ass clowns they arent safe. I like to think of it like this, RHD = High Hp domestic, you wouldnt put somebody behind the wheel of a viper if you thought they didnt have the skill to drive it so why put a immature kid behind the wheel of a car he will mis-use.

Edit : i have owned 3 RHD cars have been driving them for around 4 years i have never been in a accident i have never felt unsafe driving them i have done alot of highway driving in them but then again i am not a unsafe driver.

[alloroc]

Originally posted by DSM4LIFE
okay well my mom is starting to ease up on the RHD so if i can go JDM would you guys rather recommend SILVIA or SKYLINE

Unless moms is a mechanic stay away from RHD.

Just sayin'.

[ShermanEF9]

Originally posted by alloroc


Unless moms is a mechanic stay away from RHD.

Just sayin'.

i agree. an import is definately not student friendly.

[rc2002]

Originally posted by calgarys_finest


This is a point i try and make people say it is very dangerous and i dont think it is. It is a hassle but for a smart driver it isnt dangerous the danger is with the driver not the car.

There's a built-in danger in not being able to see when you turn and that's due to the car, not the driver. You could mitigate it by being a "smart" driver and waiting for the yellow/red light before clearing the intersection. But now the inconvenience of you having a RHD car is being shouldered by the drivers behind you who may have otherwise been able to make the light. The crossflow traffic is also inconvenienced because they have to wait for you to clear the intersection.

[silviak91]

Originally posted by richardchan2002


I call BS. I've driven RHD before and making left turns sucks. Especially when there's a big truck in the opposing left turn bay. In cases like those it's even hard to see in a LHD car. I drive rhd left turns no problem just look on the right side of the truck look on the left if it is a lhd .Driving rhd for 5 years now and still loving it .:clap:

[Gabe182]

I have two RHDs. A truck and a 300. So what if you have to wait for a yellow once on a blue moon, I love them.

...but

http://www.japan-partner.com/LHD-conversion.php

[JZS_147]

........ just buy one already swapped.

there are more 240's rollin around with sr's than ka's these days.

[ercchry]

swapping a rhd to lhd if done by the person that owns the car ie. not paying labour is cheaper then a sr20 into a lhd 240 and the benefits are a car in much better conduction then you would find here

all you need is a lhd parts car and since there has been a few on here in the past few months for under $800 it is do-able only thing is if you have power windows and doors it would be a bit more work

hard part would be extending the harness, but since you have to do that anyway with a sr20 into a lhd its still about the same

[megafandrew]

Ill agree with the guys talking about the left turns being difficult. I have actually had a few horns blown at me before just because I wasn't sure if it was totally clear and could not see/did not want to risk. Usually after that though and the turn was complete I would take off like a bat out of hell:thumbsup: Honestly when I got my 180sx for the first while I sucked at shifting with the left hand, I would occasionally go from say 1st to 4th lol while trying to accelerate fast, not cool:facepalm: I would definitely go with a silvia over the gtr skyline or any skyline for that matter I believe the parts will be easier to find and are swapable with 240sx/sentras I believe? (older model sentras for alot of things) Im not 100% sure on that though. Also import/student thing, if you really want a import and and really good reliability but an eg6 or prelude. they have a b16a and a h22a in alot of them and are rhd, I think the hatch would be sweet just do some minor internal work to it and you'll have an even quicker little honda rhd btw Iwhen my rhd was bought the turbo was siezed I re-did the turbo setup with a larger ball-bearing turbo (i believe it was a gt2871r not the biggest but better then stock) and whole exhaust system and honestly I had a faster then stock (t25/28 sr20) 180SX for little over 6000, so lhd is not always cheaper.

[5.0LitreBeater]

Originally posted by ZiG-87
meh. other thing about a rhd is that if it gets in an accident (say someone tbones you ro something) it's waaaaayyyyyy more likely to get written off, and the insurance company will try to cheap out on the payout as much as possible. I see no reason to own a rhd car that was already available here (this means s13, z32, fc, fd, etc) when you can simply buy the lhd version for cheaper and throw a motor in there.




oh and just to throw it out there, ka-t > sr imo :P


sorry to open an old post but i paid 6500 for my 300, wrote the sucker off and the insurance company paid out 8500. they compare jdm cars to the closest dsm model ex. toyota altessa to a lexus is300. write one of those bitches off and ur ritch