RHD Conversion
Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 8,402
Likes: 10
Hi,
I have a chance oportunity to go to Australia and want to take my pickup with me(I could give a list yay-long why) and was wondering if there was a kit to transfer everything from the left side to the right or if none exists, suggestions on how to convert it.
Any info is appreciated
-Matt
I have a chance oportunity to go to Australia and want to take my pickup with me(I could give a list yay-long why) and was wondering if there was a kit to transfer everything from the left side to the right or if none exists, suggestions on how to convert it.
Any info is appreciated
-Matt
Moderator
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 56,950
Likes: 2,718
From: Virginia
A guy I worked with back in the early 80's decided he just wanted to up and move to Australia, and they would only give him some sort of tourist pass or something like that, good for a short time. If he wanted to stay permanently, he had to have a good reason, and bring a lot of assets(read money) into the country when he came.
Thread Starter
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Senior User
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 398
Likes: 0
From: Liverpool, NY
I'm getting close to getting recertified as an IT tech here soon and found out I could get a temp work pass that's good for 4 years and allow me to get a house and whatever. After that I can decide wither or not I want to live there as a permanant resident(just what i've read). I've also emailed the goverment office related to coming into the country and have yet to get a reply since there's so much info on the net it's a tad confusing about what's what in Oz.
Cargo Master
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 2,558
Likes: 69
From: New Zealand
I'm in New Zealand, not Oz, but commercially-done RHD conversions here for 80 - 86 models were around $18000NZ ($9000US) a few months ago. That included parts & labour.
I was told kits were available, but over here vehicles under 7700lb GVWR are exempt from needing to be converted, & the F250 I bought in Ca. was 7300lb GVWR, so there wasn't an issue.
There may be a similar situation in Oz - I don't know, but worth checking out.
But if the truck does require a conversion, would you have to convert back to LHD on your return?
I was told kits were available, but over here vehicles under 7700lb GVWR are exempt from needing to be converted, & the F250 I bought in Ca. was 7300lb GVWR, so there wasn't an issue.
There may be a similar situation in Oz - I don't know, but worth checking out.
But if the truck does require a conversion, would you have to convert back to LHD on your return?
Thread Starter
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Senior User
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 398
Likes: 0
From: Liverpool, NY
They'd be stuck on stupid as you scoff lol. I did hear about NZ not needing a conversion if the vehicle is a certin year/weight rating. All questions that'll hopefuly be answered when the local office gets back to me(I hope they get back to me lol).
Post Fiend
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 7,437
Likes: 4
From: Charles Town, W bygod Va
I used to work on a amc eagle that had a belt drive rh steering. I gave the customer a ride home once, he drove there and we didnt have to swap seats for me to drive back to the shop. Its really weird to sit in the drivers seat as a passenger with a steering wheel in front of you.
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Can you imagine how bad that rig would hurt when you rear end someone while texting and driving??
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From: NJ
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Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 175
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From: Australia
Just leave yours there in storage and buy an Australian assembled truck. Ours were spec'd slightly differently other than being factory RHD - the F100 from 81 thru 84 was really a F150 (we didn't get those officially until 1985) and the V8s were either a 460 or a 351 Cleveland. As per the F150s, we didn't get EFI 351Ws until 1985.