who has converted a 68-72 dart to right hand drive???????????????????
i am looking to convert a 340 4-speed 71 scamp i hve into a rhd. i know it will be difficult, but i want the wow factor in my build. it is at the body shop right now,and now would be a good time to look into this further.
is there any members who can point me in the right direction.
i know i would have to do alot of fabbing, and swap to a hydrolic clutch setup. i will be refabbing a new dashsetup for it. i think the steering colum will work out of my car. i would modify a new shifter hande to move it to the passenger side about 5 inches. wire harness will be modified and extended/shortened where needed.
does anyone have pics of a aussi car up close, like how the steering box is mounted, and the drag link for the steering. i need to know if i can use my k-frame, and or what fabbing i would need to do.
i may be getting in over my head, but i still want to explore this route
Mate,I like your thinking.
Something different often pulls more attention at shows than the trophy winners which gives a certain satisfaction on it's own.
Trust me!!! I know the feeling!! I'm a left field type of person myself!!!!
I'm quite prepared to assist in your project in any way I can.
Whether it be sourcing parts or just information and pics.
A mate of mine did a LHD 73 Dart Swinger to RHD using Aussie parts back in the mid 90s so yours would be a reversal.
I'm very familiar with US LHD layouts and Aussie RHD so without blowing my horn I'm arguably one of the best you'll find for advice.
OK.- Down to how I see you'd go about it.
Parts need to come from Aussie VE/VF/VG valiants as these are essentially the same as your 67-76 A-bodies.
The steering.
You'll need Aussie steering box, lower balljoints,idler arm,pitman arm - maybe drag link.Not 100% sure on the drag link.I'd have to check that for you.
I'd also need to know if the bolts that secure the lower balljoint to the stub axle are smaller 1/2" or the larger 9/16".Both are available in Aussie lower balljoints but we won't go into the Aussie applications.It'd just be too much information overload.
Where the main steering difference is is in the steering box location.US steering boxes sit forward of the draglink whereas the Aussie ones sit behind.Thus the differing parts mentioned above.
The steering box and idler arm are both mounted off brackets welded to the chassis rails.
Your US steering column will be too long.Not sure if you can shorten it to make it work.Our Aussie columns don't have a pot coupler like your US stuff.They have a steering rag pretty well identical to C-bodies.Well....my brother's LHD 65 Fury has the rag setup.
K-frame.
I see no reason why you can't use your US K-frame and just cut off extraneous mounts for steering box and idler arm.Aussie engines are offset to the right the same as the US as our floor pressings are the same as yours.
The firewall
Aussie and US are pretty much a mirror reversal of each other.As it would be a bulky item to ship over why not fab up a flat firewall and make it work?All the show cars seem to go for flat firewalls.It would also solve another problem - the wipers.To change the sweep would be a big job as this requires replacing the plenum.One problem is good aussie plenums/cowls are now hard to find as this is a bad rust area in aussie valiants.Also our local wiper motors are different and the wiring and switch is VERY different.I can't get my head around how the US ones work so I assume you'd have the same hassles with aussie ones.Stick to what you're familiar with!!!!
Master Cylinder.
You'd probably have to get an Aussie one so the ports were on the RHS.
Exhaust
If you're just running manifolds then a pair of centre drop 360 manifolds are what Aussie cars had.
If you want extractors (headers)I see 3 options.
1.Custom made locally
2.Aussie Pacemaker headers but they're not real big pipes.
3.A mate of mine sent a half cut of an Aussie Valiant to TTI who made him 50 sets of step headers to fit RHD that have proven to flow 600hp.They're not cheap but if you wanted to go this way i can point you in the right direction.
Pedals and linkages
You'd be right with the hydraulic clutch idea.Would be easiest.
Some early slant 6 AP5s (63-64) valiants had a crossover linkage arrangement as they used US bellhousings but they were messy and notoriously sloppy because of all the joints.
No good soucing an Aussie V8 bellhousing as we never had A833s.Only BorgWarners which aren't all that strong and the gearbox bolt pattern and size of the front bearing cover are different.
Stick with your US stuff there.
As for the stick - just bend or cut and make one offset to suit you.
Not sure if the Aussie and US pedals and pedal boxes are the same.An exchange of photos could determine that.
Dash
An Aussie dash frame would be easiest but once again a bulky item to ship.
I don't reckon it'd be too hard to cut and shut yours but if it was an aussie one wouldn't be hard to source.
Small items I can think of are speedo and throttle cables.Ours are longer coz they run to the other side of the car.
If the above info doesn't frighten you then give me the go ahead and I'll start finding pictures.
I reckon it'll make a very interesting thread for US readers!!!!
