American pick up 4x4 and RHD conversion?

[W.olly]

Hi guys.

So what Classic American pick ups are there about that are 4x4 and can be converted to RHD. Conversion is not the deal breaker but prefer it.

And like the Ford F350 and the likes but others considered.

Maybe even a day van


Cheers

Wayne

 

[CompoSimmonite]

What about importing just a cab / front panels from USA and mount them on a UK 4x4 rolling chassis ?

 

[W.olly]

What about importing just a cab / front panels from USA and mount them on a UK 4x4 rolling chassis ?

Mmm but which UK chassis to match the width and length, all i can think of is a Transit County maybe, not sized them up yet.

 

[Arc Tourist]

What about importing just a cab / front panels from USA and mount them on a UK 4x4 rolling chassis ?

When doing a conversion you have to consider cab and dash board configurations for wheel, instrument, and pedal mounting. I do recall some of the 1950 > 60's vehicles made by U.S. car makers were made in a right hand side drive for the Canadian market.

 

[julianf]

A pickup is a gold fish bowl. With that level of visibility, LHD would be less of an issue. Sure, RHD would be nicer, but im not sure it would be terrible to have a leftie.

 

[8ob]

I had a RHD ex fire brigade 4x4 chevy 6.2 diesel truck, best tow truck I ever owned. I dont know why I fell out of love with it and sold it . Regretted it ever since. Worth keeping an eye out for an ex airport or fire brigade truck because they like their 4x4 yanks and most are RHD.

Bob

 

[CompoSimmonite]

All US pick-ups sold in Australia were RHD as LHD not legal

 

[CompoSimmonite]

Google fibreglass cabs are there are a big choice and probably better than an original, rusty, steel. Look at Australian suppliers of such as they will be RHD dash etc.

 

[Arc Tourist]

Canada drives on the same side of the road as the USA, Europe etc. ..................

The owner of the Flying A gas station down the road from us had a Pontiac car with the right hand drive which he got from Canada; that's what I remember from back when I was a kid growing up in California.

 

[8ob]

I would be very wary of RHD "conversions". Check under the bonnet and make sure the steering box is on the righthand side, I have seen rhd conversions on yanks where they fit a chaincase behind the dash with chain and sprockets transferring the steering to the column the other side.
Not good

Bob

Google chain rhd conversions, there are all sorts of lashups

 

[johnik]

No idea why, only RHD cars you see there are generally postal service vehicles...

i was told so they dont have to get out into the traffic and snow, and they can throw your parcel marked "fragile" instead of getting out and putting on your doorstep.

i have had a couple of left hookers, never had a problem with driving them

 

[wookie]

I would be very wary of RHD "conversions". Check under the bonnet and make sure the steering box is on the righthand side, I have seen rhd conversions on yanks where they fit a chaincase behind the dash with chain and sprockets transferring the steering to the column the other side.

only ever seen a couple of LHD to RHD conversions and they had all been done properly, that chain setup is proper scary, I wouldn't trust it for a second.

I've a LHD and I'm not converting it, the only time being on the wrong side of the car is a pain is when I want to overtake but mine's too slow for that to happen much. Mind you it's nice to drive on the continent with it....

 

[JEZGUZ]

The only downside of a LHD yank tank that I've found is getting in and out of some car parks that had a ticket issuing machine going in and one that took the ticket on the way out. No problem with overtaking, just have to hang back a bit to be able to see past the vehicle in front then hoof it to get past.

 

[bricol]

the chain lash-up thing - could be a "proper" conversion:

https://www.postalthings.com/right-hand-drive-kits

Having driven lots of rented pickups in the US for work, I wouldn't want one here. Too damn big to fit the roads, drives, car parks . . . Never mind the fuel "economy".

As for LHD - never been a problem with my integrale - although I have reversed into some car parks just to be annoying ;-)

 

[Brad93]

Don't convert to RH drive. Every conversion I've ever come across is crap.
Keep it Oem

 

[thinfourth]

There is a cheaper way of getting past the majority of major issues with RHD

 

[gordon stephenson]

The right hand drive Unimogs that my son had were a version of the chain mod in 8obs post, the Unimogs used a shaft and bevel gears to do the same job and I believe it was factory fitted.

 

[fixerupper]

Yeah drove around here , across Europe many times in my RHD Volvo 740 never had any problems ...just the motorway tolls ...

 

[rtcosic]

Newfoundland did not become part of Canada until 1949 and was an RHD market until then.

South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho and Botswana are also sources of OEM RHD US pickups.

 

[WorkshopChris]

the chain lash-up thing - could be a "proper" conversion:

https://www.postalthings.com/right-hand-drive-kits

Should that not read "the chain lash up thing may be a commercially available lash up conversion kit"