Date:         Mon, 28 Aug 2000 22:56:54 +1200
Reply-To:     Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@stonebow.otago.ac.nz>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@stonebow.otago.ac.nz>
Subject:      Re: lighted rocker switches/which side of the road?
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

>Top right.....? You're driving on the wrong side of the road down there???
>My headlights turn on and off with the switch on the left.
>
>I never have figured out if South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand all
>drive like the english - I mean if you imported a SA Vanagon - would you be
>driving in the left front seat or the right front seat.... - and those
>Vanagons made in South Africa..... are they available for sale to New
>Zealand and Australia???


Yup. RHD, driver sits on the right. I wouldn't have thought the dash
switches would've been reversed though...thought the instrument panel would
be the same on both RHD & LHD.

Certainly the Europeans are incredibly stupid about steeringcolumn
switches. The LHD standard is wipers right, lights left stalk. RHD is
reversed. But the Euros (including the English!) don't bother; they save
money by haveing one size fits all. So if i jump out of my Toyotas or
Mitsubishi into my Caravelle (or vice-versa), chances are the first corner
I come to I'll indicate with my wipers...this is actually dangerous, and
I'm really surprised there's no legislation about this anywhere.

There would be no problems (other than finding the $$$) importing an RSA
Caravelle. If I had the funds I'd do it in a flash...order one top-spec
Caravelle, minus driveline, from VW RSA.

They are not actually sold in NZ or Australia, more's the shame. Maybe VW
Japan should import them there?

The Japanese, like England, NZ, Australia, most of Africa etc, drive on the
left.


Andrew Grebneff
Dunedin, New Zealand
VW & mollusc nut
1969 Kombi with Corvair 2.4 & Powerglide
1975 Kombi derelict ex 3.6 Toyota V8
1984 Caravelle 3.8 Holden V6
1984 Mitsubishi Galant Sigma 2.0 (FWD)
1986 CE80 Toyota Corolla 1.8DX diesel
1989 CT170 Toyota Corona Select 2.0 diesel