Date:         Mon, 17 Mar 2014 00:02:31 -0400
Reply-To:     James <jk_eaton@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         James <jk_eaton@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Frydae - Right-Hand drive manual transmissions
Comments: To: Anthony Egeln <regnsuzanne@yahoo.com>
In-Reply-To:  <1394803754.96344.YahooMailNeo@web122001.mail.ne1.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

We went to Ireland for two weeks in 2003, and ended up with a rental car whose controls were quite literally identical to the car back in Canada, as we have a Toyota Matrix as our 'daily driver' in Canada and the Irish rental turned out to be a Toyota Corolla.  
 
Except for the placement of the shift lever and parking brake under my left hand instead of my right hand, and the centre console (heater etc.), EVERYTHING else was exactly in the same places in the RHD car as in the LHD car.  It was very convenient, let me tell you, driving out of the airport in Shannon knowing exactly where the wiper control, headlights, etc. was.  Shift pattern was the same too!
 
Many years ago, I was once told, British car makers would flip the steering columns upside down on exported cars for LHD markets, reversing the position of turn signal levers and so on, and a very few British motor cars of the 1950s actually had the parking brake between the driver's seat and the door, but you won't see any of that in modern cars.
 
James
Ottawa, ON
 
> Date: Fri, 14 Mar 2014 06:29:14 -0700
> From: regnsuzanne@YAHOO.COM
> Subject: Frydae - Right-Hand drive manual transmissions
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> 
> For some reason I woke up this morning thinking about driving a manual transmission right-hand drive car.  Maybe I was dreaming about visiting my ancestor's graves in Ireland.
> 
> The question I have for the list is about the foot pedals in said right-hand drive car.  Are they reversed from a left-hand drive car, ergo L to R, throttle, brake and clutch?
> 
> Furthermore, would the shift pattern be reversed as well, ergo first gear to the right instead of to the left?
> 
> Surely someone on this list can answer this question, perhaps our brethren from OZ or the UK.
> 
> Thanks, Anthony
> ('89 Syncro GL Hidalgo - sadly recently traded to the tile man for a tile job)