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Jan 31, 2012 22:09:28 GMT
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Just wondering if anyone has experience of driving a left hooker with a manual box on these shores?? I have recently driven such a car about 400 yards and manouvered it into a tight gap. Frankly, it feels totally weird & just wrong!! I'm sat in the wrong place holding the steering wheel, the width of the car is over to my right, gears feel weird, rear view mirror feels weird, it all feels weird....!!! Assuming it does ever become 2nd nature to at least pootle about town, what about taming one with BIG horsepower on a decent B road?  Could I live with it & enjoy it??? Your thoughts & experiences pleeeze |
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  64 Anglia van 82 Cossie Starlet 69 Twincam Escort. |
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Jan 31, 2012 22:14:12 GMT
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You will be fine.
Although, you don't want to do overtakes on a single lane road.
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 Click picture for more |
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Jan 31, 2012 22:18:51 GMT
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You will be fine. Although, you don't want to do overtakes on a single lane road. I had thought about that. I've always been very cautious of overtaking anyway. So yeah, a left hooker will prob have me sat at the back of long ques of traffic all day long |
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64 Anglia van 82 Cossie Starlet 69 Twincam Escort. |
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Jan 31, 2012 22:19:23 GMT
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I think you'll be surprised how quickly you get used to it. When I worked for the UK arm of an Italian corporation, their purchasing department hadn't fully thought out their company car buying strategy, and us guys in the UK all got LHD Alfa 156s as well, on Milan plates.
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brc76
RR Helper
Posts: 1,107 
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Jan 31, 2012 22:26:53 GMT
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You will get used to it quickly, and overtaking is something to be approached with caution, but is not impossible at all. I found that (and still do) car parks were my fail area. Growing up driving on the right and then moving here with a left hooker probably didn't help that....
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ozzy
Part of things
Posts: 745
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Jan 31, 2012 22:34:34 GMT
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I find it alot easyer to drive lhd cars. if you want to over take its best to have a good mate to tell you when its clear.
you will be ok with in minits of driving.
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1985 GMC camper family wagon
1989 nissan sunny
1994 fiat cinq my boys car
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10mpg
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 4,253
Club RR Member Number: 204
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Jan 31, 2012 22:36:08 GMT
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I've had several LHD cars some with fair HP and rwd, personally i drive them no problem, you get used to it very quickly. HOWEVER, i really resent the LHD'ness' of them i hate not being able to see to overtake (I overtake a lot) car park ticket machines are a pain, and if you holiday abroad a fair amount as i do, then getting back in your lhd car in the UK after driving your LHD hire car abroad really messes with your mind, and i do a fair bit of driving on the wrong side of the road after i get back from abroad...
I love my Yank cars despite the LHD aspect not because of them, if your a laid back cruising type driver, rather than a prick like me, then you'll probably not have any issues..
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The Internet, like all tools, if used improperly, can make a complete bo**cks of even the simplest jobs...
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Foxy
Posted a lot
Making pink manly in the north!
Posts: 1,913
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Jan 31, 2012 22:50:45 GMT
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It really is one of then things that just takes a little time. I had no trouble with the old tredia but as said overtaking is odd and smokings just strange cause you have to hold the fag in your left hand whilst you drive but hey ho. Edit Oh and get ready to reverse around drive throughs if youre on your own.  |
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Last Edit: Jan 31, 2012 22:52:01 GMT by Foxy
I'm the handsome fella with the cheesy white specs or is that the cheesy fella with the handsome white specs?
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Jan 31, 2012 23:03:12 GMT
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First time I drove my Dodge van was on little country lanes when I picked it up from Huntingdon. I'd have LHD cars before but the van felt very daunting as it's mega wide with really bad visibility. But after smoking it about for a week I was hustling it round the town centre and parking it like it was a hatchback. It's amazing how quickly you get used to it. Overtaking in the van isn't too much of a problem as you sat so high up but in the AMC I had before it was trickier, especially as it was manual with no PAS and brakes that were a bit feeble at speed. I don't find small LHD cars as much of a bother as yankee metal though.
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1962 Datsun Bluebird Estate - 1971 Datsun 510 SSS - 1976 Datsun 710 SSS - 1981 Dodge van - 1985 Nissan Cherry Europe GTi - 1988 Nissan Prairie - 1990 Hyundai Pony Pickup - 1992 Mazda MX5
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BT
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,772
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Jan 31, 2012 23:05:50 GMT
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Jan 31, 2012 23:06:22 GMT
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You look up the inside of the lorry instead of hanging on the middle line. so in theory its safer |
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Some days you just need to take a grinder to an inanimate object, just to make your day a tiny bit better!!
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Jan 31, 2012 23:07:12 GMT
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i had one of those little stick on mirrors on the right hand end of the dash so i could see round things on my mustang.
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Volvo back as my main squeeze, more boost and some interior goodies on the way.
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Jan 31, 2012 23:09:16 GMT
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What might amuse you about driving an LHD car if you've driven an RHD model is the discovery that the pedals/wheel/seat are STILL offset to one side or t'other.
IOO used to hate driving my sister's Clio (RHD) here but when I had an LHD one in LHD-land I found that the seating position was STILL awful and the pedals were STILL uncomfortably off.
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smurf
Part of things
Posts: 829
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Jan 31, 2012 23:13:56 GMT
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I echo the above posts,
Drove a rhd bug to devon from kent
Drove home in a left hooker buggy
Was used to it by the time i got home, just make sure you don't try and get in the wrong side all the time
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Laser cutting and cnc punching (up to 3mm stainless and ali, up to 6mm mild steel)
Mail me a dxf file and i'll get you a price
Metal folding and custom fabrication service also available
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Jan 31, 2012 23:23:05 GMT
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I think you'll be surprised how quickly you get used to it. I concur. It took me no more than 10 seconds to get comfortable driving my first LHD car. My only problem was that I'd badly hurt my right palm that day, so while I could have driven a RHD car OK, LHD gearchanges were very painful. |
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kerrly
Part of things
Posts: 266
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Jan 31, 2012 23:26:32 GMT
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I have been driving a LHD manual car in the UK for 18months now and it is incredibly easy to get to grips with.
When i first started off I made a few silly mistakes, the most common was 1st, 2nd and into 5th not 3rd. Or another good one is going to change gear with my left hand and reaching into the door pocket or flicking the electric window.
If you aren't fussed about going through drive thrus (although it is amusing to reverse around) or multi storys (there isn't enough time to get out grab a ticket and run back around before the barrier comes back down) then you will be fine.
Aside from the odd lorry you find most people drive close to the centre line so it is possible to look up the inside prior to overtaking.
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I have no problem getting out, getting the ticket and getting back in. I saunter round. The barrier doesn't drop until the electronic eye thing sees your car drive through. YMMV but I've been driving LHD cars over here since the 90s and never had a barrier drop back on me.
"Looking up the left" is aledgedly a safer way to pass. Its still an acquired skill.
You will frighten the living curse word out of your front seat passengers.
Roundabouts are my Nemesis. Especially really busy ones. You end up with a cricked neck....
My cars are all too big for UK drive throughs and I was taught you wash your hands before eating, so I always park up.
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1937 Austin Street Rod - 1941 Wolseley Not Rod - 1956 Humber Hawk - 1957 Daimler Conquest - 1966 Buick LeSabre - 1968 Plymouth Sport Fury - 1968 Ford Galaxie - 1969 Ford Country Squire - 1969 Mercury Marquis - 1970 Morris Minor - 1970 Buick Skylark - 1970 Ford Galaxie - 1971 Ford Galaxie - 1976 Continental Mark IV - 1976 Ford Capri - 1976 Rover V8 - 1994 Ford Fiesta
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cameron diaz managed a good time in a rhd car on the top gear track, if she can adapt, then so can you.
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@ CRX_IN_SCOTLAND
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Left elbow gets sore from walloping the door going for the gears the first few times. You adapt quickly.
Not driven a lefty-hand-drive car in the UK but changing to one here... didn't take long at all.
Most of the time I just ended up looking like a muppet grasping over the wrong shoulder for the seatbelt.
--Phil
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had a lhd polo g40 brifely... Was a quickish car. Built for a roads...
Got used to it quick enough. But if you cant overtake in a rhd car then don't overtake in a lhd one...
Ill be the one overtaking you AND the tractor then... getting used to doing that alot round salisbury and andover lately.. Not alot of people know how to overtake supprisingly..
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