Lotus Europa Forums > Technical Articles and DIY tools and tips
Converting a Left Hand Drive Car to Right Hand Drive
grnicholson:
Hello
Having got the car home I find that I have an abundance of wheels which are spare. They all fit a Europa or Lotus Cortina and are fair condition. You can have them for free - carriage only. There is a white van man who will deliver to your house for about 60 GBP. There is also an oil catch tank and another strange blue cylindrical device, new, which I have not identified and two rods with tubes welded at the end - God knows......... plus a cooling fan.
I'm still after a boot badge and interior cooling fan..........
It's a bit cooler today, only 25, nice to work in shorts.............. sat out and had a toastie and a beer.
Cheers
Richard
BDA:
Just FYI - you might want to put offers and requests for parts in the Classified Forums.
Good luck with your car!
4129R:
I am just converting #4, 4129R, to RHD, and found that you don't have to open out the wiper drives off the rod drive, you can slide them off the end of the rod drive and just turn them over. I learn something during every strip down and rebuild.
One thing that puzzles me, when I am moving the steering column over, is the is a 1" wide and about 18" long metal strap, which goes from the steering column U clamp, where the column is braced to the bottom of the dashboard.
It attached to the underside of the front plenum chamber with 2 nuts and bolts, and appears to do absolutely FA.
Why would Chunky waste all that extra weight on 2 nuts and bolts and the strap, and the extra cost?
What does it do? Does it brace the bottom of the dashboard to the plenum chamber (too flimsy), or act as an earth strap (no wires connected)?
Any one have any ideas?
LotusJoe:
--- Quote from: 4129R on Saturday,October 14, 2017, 09:51:40 AM ---I am just converting #4, 4129R, to RHD, and found that you don't have to open out the wiper drives off the rod drive, you can slide them off the end of the rod drive and just turn them over. I learn something during every strip down and rebuild.
One thing that puzzles me, when I am moving the steering column over, is the is a 1" wide and about 18" long metal strap, which goes from the steering column U clamp, where the column is braced to the bottom of the dashboard.
It attached to the underside of the front plenum chamber with 2 nuts and bolts, and appears to do absolutely FA.
Why would Chunky waste all that extra weight on 2 nuts and bolts and the strap, and the extra cost?
What does it do? Does it brace the bottom of the dashboard to the plenum chamber (too flimsy), or act as an earth strap (no wires connected)?
Any one have any ideas?
--- End quote ---
I have always wondered about that same strap. I put mine back in upon assembly but have no idea what it does :confused:
I looked it up in the parts book and it is described as an "impact bracket"
4129R:
Thanks for that info.
Impact bracket ! 2 mph or less?
The column is designed to be able to collapse with the sliding joint held with the clamp at the bottom, but the steering wheel cannot go very far as it fouls the dashboard.
As this "impact bracket" connects the bottom of the dashboard (which is quite thick and unflexible) to the plenum chamber, I cannot see much movement taking place in case of a mild impact, and what does structure does it add before the impact?
I also wonder why there are two door switches, down by the dashboard end bracket, on the drivers side and only one on the passenger side of federal cars.
All this extra weight !
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