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Re: Right Hand Drive in the US

To: mgs@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: Right Hand Drive in the US
From: Geoffrey Gallaway <geoffeg@sloth.org>
Date: Thu, 11 May 2000 20:12:12 -0400 (EDT)
This all reminds me of when I was first learning to drive. My parents had
(rightfully) decided that I should learn how to drive on a manual rather
than an automatic. At the time, we had two cars, a Colt Vista and a 70
Land Rover. Since we had two cars and three people in the family a lot of
car swapping occured to get people where they needed to be. The first time
I had to switch cars with my dad from the Colt to the Land Rover I made a
potentially large mistake. I had forgotten the the land rover had reverse
on the left and the gears towards the right, the opposite of the Dodge
Colt. I got out of the Colt and immediatly got in the allready running
Land Rover. I then put it in what I thought was first gear, which was
actually reverse on the land rover and proceded to drive the car into the
large ditch behind our house. After checking to make sure I was ok, my dad
started laughing enough that he fell down. I drove the Land Rover out of
the ditch in 4wd/low range, switched back into 2wd and drove off to my
engagement. When I got home, later that night my dad started laughing
again, he still chuckles when I mention it.

Now that I drive an automatic daily (95 Saturn that has treated me
wonderfully) and I am starting to get my 70 BGT running, I'm remembering
how much I miss driving a manual.

Just a little story for everyones amusement,
Geoff

This one time, at band camp, Rick Brown wrote:

> I used to have a rhd Daimler double six - the only problems I found with it
> was:
> 
> 1. Paying tolls
> 2. Passing cars on two lane roadways
> 3.  The looks of others as I drove down the road with my Irish Setter
> sitting in the
> "drivers" seat.
> 
> Rick
> 
> Anthony Woodruff wrote:
> 
> > I'm considering the purchase of a RHD MGB (MK1).
> >
> > Are parts like steering racks, dash parts, etc. that are unique to RHD
> > available in the US or am I looking at having to find British
> > suppliers?
> >
> > Are there other considerations or expenses that are significant and
> > apply only to Right-hand drive cars?
> >
> > Finally, this would be for my son as a first car.  Is this a big
> > mistake, having him be a "newbie" on a right-hand drive car?  You Brits
> > that have moved to the US (and vice-versa) - is this a difficult change
> > for you?
> >
> > TIA,
> >
> > Tony Woodruff
> > '67 MGB Roadster (LHD)
> 

-- 
Geoffrey Gallaway || Programming the X Window System is like trying to find 
geoffeg@sloth.org || the square root of pi using Roman numerals.
D e v o r z h u n ||                            -- Anonymous


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