Brief views on Right hand drive cars conversion to Left hand drive

Fist view :  As recent as 20 years ago conversion of Transporters was not as complicated as it is now the very same can be said for cars which were nowhere as complex as what you have now,

Just before obtaining into all the complexities of new dashboards, pedal clusters, servos, wiring looms, steering racks and such like, merely run a tape measure across from 1 end to the other.

Most Ford cars are typical examples that have a complete difference between the RHD and the LHD version. To the extent that in particular sorts the body was 50mm wider so the RHD dash would not fit, and the engine block &amp bell housing where handed to accommodate the starter-motor which was mounted on the other side out of the way of the steering column. These two items alone produced it a non-viable project, let alone all the other complexities that one may possibly encounter.

Second view :  I think it is all about selection. Taking your vehicle down to most African countries at least Nigeria (where this view came from and have encounter of) is far far better than wanting it converted in London I will undoubtedly say forget that side
I had Japanese Honda accord accomplished in 2009, it was carried out really good but this comes with some caution due to the fact I was given a lot of recommendations including a man I had never seen but he was meant to be a pastor and started saying some “witchcraft” stuff on a auto just before he even started commencing any conversion work on it, This was in Lagos and I was later told that he converted it extremely well!

Third view : This is the dilemma I have with doing it in Lagos (Nigeria). . . .

Will all the electronics be converted to the left. . or will they remain on the right hand door?It will seem a bit odd to have all the driver controls on the right when the conversion has been completed. Won’t it? So can they convert everything, I mean every single single thing to the left?

Fourth view:  I am a vehicle converter based in UK for all those interested in the conversion business, i would like to add the following info to the forum, 
1)   From an engineering perspective, European vehicles (Not only cars) are significantly simpler to convert than Japanese or Korean vehicles.
2)    Parts are easier to get hold of for European vehicles.
3)    RHD Cars are considerably less expensive to buy than LHD cars.
The down side of this is that currently the Russian / Polish market are purchasing a lot of RHD cars out of UK, transporting? Or driving them to their own country, purchasing utilized LHD parts and converting the vehicles, some are for domestic consumption and some are for re-export to Africa, extremely couple of uncover there way back into Europe as they would have issues in complying with EU  standards.
As a result of this upswing in the Russian / Polish marketplace, the price of very good employed LHD parts is on the boost.
We have researched the marketplace and a kit for a quality conversion (Which includes Headlamps) is now on average between £800 and £1200 (Depending on make &amp model). Therefore the end price of your vehicle no matter whether in Nigeria, Ghana, Gambia, Cameroon’s or wherever the country specifically in West Africa is also acquiring a lot more high-priced.
My suggestions to any person considering this operation need to take into account the following just before purchasing any vehicle.
Automatics are less complicated to do than manual gearboxes (A general rule)
Manual windows are less difficult than electrics
The steering rack can be inverted on some vehicles, a universal rack can be purchased (depending on where rack is mounted)
Do you want Lights that dip in the correct direction ? if so don’t forget the fancier the vehicle the more costly the lights.
Rear wheel drive cars are generally less difficult to convert than front wheel drive vehicles. In-Line engine vehicles are less difficult to convert than Transverse engine cars.Vehicles with Symmetrical Centre consuls call for much less parts than vehicles with “Wrap Around” dash. Beware of vehicles with totally electric seats, wiring looms are tough to re-position. Always remember, if anything goes wrong with the vehicle in the country where you are going to use it you could have difficulty in finding parts simply because the VIN number will no longer relate to a lot of parts on your vehicle, this frequently gives suppliers / repairers the chance and excuse to overcharge.The safest bet is to maintain your auto as simple as feasible with couple of gadgets, bells and whistles.You ought to also think about the savings on the buy price versus the risks you are taking. An original LHD vehicle is virtually instant, decide on your automobile, pay for it, ship it, clear it and appreciate it. A converted vehicle is a protracted physical exercise, decide on the auto, get it, pay a sizable deposit to the converter, wait for completion (You might or could not be satisfied), ultimately pay the balance or loose everything paid so far (Or Go legal ), ship your vehicle, clear it and pray that you don’t have any issues (Particularly flashing lights and fault codes) In closing gentlemen, all i can say is think long and challenging before you embark on this journey. Please bear in mind it normally costs the exact same to convert a 10 year old vehicle as it does a 2 year old vehicle, it takes the exact same quantity of labour and the parts cost about the same.

4) I’ve had the same problems converting Japanese cars to LHD, and as such, am not keen to get involved. Euro cars are undoubtedly less difficult to convert, whilst retaining a factory-look. As per costs, you are also proper – the age of the auto doesn’t alter the price, as in make it cheaper than a newer one. So, one has to be careful in selecting a car to convert. The labour might be much less on a newer Euro model, as most newer cars / light trucks have a frequent body shell, with provision for both LHD and RHD components. The present Peugeot, Audi, Volkswagen, Skoda, Seat, Volvo and Saab are prime examples. No welding or cutting is involved. Trucks are also considerably less difficult to convert than cars, due to space to work in.

Fifth view: I believe it is time to enable free flow of vehicles in some African countries. The couple of things I will suggest is for such vehicle to be road worthy and the driver in question to be licensed /insured to drive the vehicle. In United Kingdom, I drive with ease left hand cars with out troubles. There are even some insurance firms that give you greater deals. I was able to insure my Chrysler grand voyager LHD cheaper than my RHD TOYOTA liteace. Both are 7 seaters. Why can’t we put in location such opportunities in the West African countries as well. See what some people ride as cars or taxis in rural parts of Nigeria, you will notice cars for scrap yards in UK are several times greater than they are.

Sixth view: Soon after lengthy search and looking and asking, The answer to conversion RHD to LHD is : Locate spare parts and get a great mechanic to do the job!!