Author Topic: It\'d be nice but... (Read 9366 times)

RJ7868 · « **on:** February 26, 2007, 08:46:59 AM »

Lets all hope this is true:

PLEASE CLICK HERE

MADVET · « **Reply #1 on:** February 26, 2007, 12:56:34 PM »

I hope this is true so as to stop our local cars from having to be butchered however there has been talk of a factory RHD vette since the C5 and nothing has yet come to fruition. I will believe it when i see it.

Vette Obsessed · « **Reply #2 on:** February 26, 2007, 03:20:56 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by MADVET
I hope this is true so as to stop our local cars from having to be butchered however there has been talk of a factory RHD vette since the C5 and nothing has yet come to fruition. I will believe it when i see it.

Hate to say it but I agree.

RHD production is one thing IF it happens (and I've been hearing it since 1986). Then there is whether GMH will bring them in AND what the cost is going to be after everyone takes their share of profit....

daniel42au · « **Reply #3 on:** February 27, 2007, 06:26:10 AM »

Without being too negative, judging by the local pricing of the imported Mustang, it will be just 'eye candy' for most including me :-) .... unfortunately.

The article mentioned that GM was going import RHD Covettes into Japan too. What is of interest is that Corvettes have been privately imported in reasonable numbers into Japan for years. The reason that the cars get to Japan in so many numbers is because there is no requirement to modify cars(at penalising expense) to RHD for Japanese road usage. So the local Japanese import new corvettes cheap as chips (relatively) and drive 'em till they get old and too expensive to register locally and dump them to Australia as they also do with a lot of their older rice burners. This is how many older C4 Corvettes get to Australia. Incredible huh?

Unfortunately for us in Australia, most of the affluent civilised world is either LHD or not so anal in enforcing strict RHD compliance. In Australia, RHD compliance is enforced in order to protect the local car manufacturers(such as GM) all of which are owned or controlled by foreign interests anyway.

Remembering, it was the lobbying of the Australian Govt by the local manufacturers that delivered to us the Registered Automotive Workshop Scheme (RAWS) which has screwed us so totally since it's introduction.

Meanwhile in New Zealand where the local car manufacturing industry has collapsed, a local Mustang car club has been successfully lobbying their Govt to scrap the requirement to convert late model imported LHD enthusiast cars to RHD. Apparently they have a good opportunity in respect to getting the policy reviewed.... People Power at work. Read it here....

http://www.nzmustang.com/Thisthat/LHD-RHD-A.htm

69 DIRTY RAT · « **Reply #4 on:** February 27, 2007, 01:55:56 PM »

Politicians & Police here are brainwashed into thinking driving a LHD car is dangerous! Its also has rubbed off on most people....I always get asked all the time...is it hard to drive a LHD car?......... NO!!!!!!!!!, If you say yes I personally think you shouldnt have a licence!
If England and Japan are allowed to drive any car LHD what makes us so stupid and incapable in Australia!!!! The rest of the world just laughs at us! In the US you can drive a RHD on there roads

The whole thing doesnt make sense either.....If your car is 30years or older you can register the car LHD but if its brand new you cant because its tooooo dangerous!
Quote from a ignorant Policeman friend of mine"It would be too dangerous and there would be to many accidents!"............How many LHD cars have you guys seen at or caused accidents????? and if one were in an accident I can guarentee being LHD didnt cause the accident!!!!:o

nifty · « **Reply #5 on:** February 27, 2007, 11:00:05 PM »

touchy subject.....imagine trying to overtake a road train and not being able to see if anything coming the other way.buddy steve only drives his 69BB at night on highway so he can see any other cars coming....but then you got roos to worry about.

69 DIRTY RAT · « **Reply #6 on:** March 01, 2007, 07:40:36 AM »

Just trying to stir up some controversy, and get a bit of discussion going!!! What I'm trying to say is that we should have a choice! but not be forced to spend 10's of thousands of dollars for no reason! When everybody else in the world seems to be capable of driving vehicles left or right hand drive, our country seems to be way way behind the rest of the world!

Imagine if you could bring in C4,5,6's without changing them over.....you could get a C5 here for less than $40,000!
I guess with straight roads in the desert it would be hard to overtake a road train!
I just wait for a corner or a hill to see whats going on ahead before overtaking, its not worth risking your life for the sake of getting somewhere a few minutes earlier! Also its probably a little easier for me cause I've been driving LHD since 1998!

MADVET · « **Reply #7 on:** March 01, 2007, 10:03:21 AM »

Ok who's the guy with the can opener, the worms are escaping:22
Driving a LHD car in an overtaking situation is simple. You do not overtake unless you can see the road ahead is clear and it's safe to do so. It's the same common sense you use when driving a RHD car. IF YOU CAN'T SEE IT'S SAFE THEN YOU DON'T OVERTAKE. Admittedly when you do drive a LHD vehicle you do tend to hold back a bit more from the vehicle you're wanting to pass and there a probably less opportunitys to pass, however you don't pass unless you're 100% sure.
I have found that people who don't drive LHD vehicles seem to think that there are problems in driving them, yet the people who actually do drive LHD vehicles don't have a problem with them at all.

69 DIRTY RAT · « **Reply #8 on:** March 01, 2007, 02:33:45 PM »

Thats what I was trying to say!without offending RHD drivers. Like I said, the rest of the world is ok with it...why is it such a problem here???? People are scared of what they dont know and havent experienced!

I just opened me a can of WOOP-ASS!

jolinari · « **Reply #9 on:** March 01, 2007, 08:10:29 PM »

just a matter of time i reckon! all about the demand and supply

White88 · « **Reply #10 on:** March 01, 2007, 08:19:35 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by 69 DIRTY RAT
Thats what I was trying to say!without offending RHD drivers. Like I said, the rest of the world is ok with it...why is it such a problem here???? People are scared of what they dont know and havent experienced!

I just opened me a can of WOOP-ASS!

;47 Yeah............just like Chopper Reed says "we should harden the f@#k up"
I vote 69 Dirty Rat for President

wayovermyhead · « **Reply #11 on:** March 01, 2007, 09:17:42 PM »

My understanding from reading all the RTA/DOTARS info on the web is that it's no so much for safety's sake but you don't have to convert the older ones because they are not considered a threat to the current local car market.
I couldn't find any info suggesting it's a safety issue..... only an economic one.
And on a more personal note, I have still only driven my vette a few times on the road, and when asked by people how it is to drive a LH car.... I really couldn't tell them.
There are much greater things to worry about when driving a BB C3 than what side of the car your sitting on

;41

nifty · « **Reply #12 on:** March 01, 2007, 09:50:02 PM »

final comment...how do you order KFC from the lh side in a drive through?

wayovermyhead · « **Reply #13 on:** March 01, 2007, 10:16:08 PM »

I had thought about it and simply concluded you would have to park and go inside...... but...... I just had an idea!!!

Just drive through in reverse!!!

I frequently drive past stanmore maccas which is the most profitable in Oz and at 2 oclock in the morning it is FULL of wogs and their fully sik duff duff just standing around in the car park, and the line for the drivethrough is about 20 cars long.
I can just imagine how it would look now.
I am laughing out loud as I type this. ;43

69 DIRTY RAT · « **Reply #14 on:** March 02, 2007, 07:50:47 AM »

I do understand the economic side, yes they do want to protect the industry...BUT then why let in all those stupid used doof doof piece of craps in from Japan!!!!!!!
Australia & NZ are dumping grounds for those Japanese cars,most of those are only newish as well!!!! Just because they are RHD does that mean its ok then!!!!!!
They are just as much an economic burden on our car industry. If thats the case then ban those cars or impose a $30000 tax on them as we cop for converting Vettes to RHD!!!!!!!
In other words......Discrimination!
STUPID,DUMB,DORKY,OUT OF TOUCH POLITIANS WITH NO IDEA ABOUT REAL LIFE are the biggest problem!
I HAVE TO WORK WITH THEM SO I KNOW HOW STUPID THEY ARE!
I did the story on Rosendal (Min. for Roads NSW) yesterday....that just proves how out of touch politicians are!!!!! quote "traffic times have stayed the same for the past 10 years, they havent got worse"...he gets a limo & driver to work from Vaucluse...what would he know about how much people suffer on the way to work!

RTA/Dotars wont say they are worried about safety of LHD's but I can asure you that is in the back of there minds! Like I said most Police think LHDs are dangerous.

With drive thru's... Vettes are that low down that you cant reach the window anyway! I usually park! Anyway if I drove through the Dirve thru I would probably kill them with my Side Pipe fumes and noise!;50

MADVET · « **Reply #15 on:** March 02, 2007, 08:26:48 AM »

The drive through one is easy, just mention that you're taking the vette for a run down through drive thru and you'll have a sea of volunteers who will want to come with you.

69DR i think we need to find the person(s) who was responsible for implementing these rules in the first place. Go visit them at their house and have a little 'chat' about it.**

**J/K;41

White88 · « **Reply #16 on:** March 02, 2007, 01:01:59 PM »

I thought one of the reasons RAWS was brought in , is because of all the imports that were flooding the car market and affecting new car sales, I didn't know they were still allowing jap imports in still, with nothing to slow them up. Your right 69 Dirty Rat that is discrimination! ;30

Thunder Kiss · « **Reply #17 on:** March 02, 2007, 01:04:30 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by nifty
final comment...how do you order KFC from the lh side in a drive through?

With a claw ;laugh, Bunnings have them for under $10

daniel42au · « **Reply #18 on:** March 03, 2007, 06:31:29 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by nifty
final comment...how do you order KFC from the lh side in a drive through?

Easy... if you can't afford a bunnings claw.... else just don't eat alone.

Alternately, why stop at reversing the Big M drive thru? Many countries have gone from driving on the left to driving on the right over the years. Take Sweden for instance....

"In 1955, the Swedish government held a referendum on the introduction of right-hand driving. Although no less than 82.9% voted “no” to the plebiscite, the Swedish parliament passed a law on the conversion to right-hand driving in 1963. Finally, the change took place on Sunday, the 3rd of September 1967, at 5 o’clock in the morning."

http://users.pandora.be/worldstandards/driving%20on%20the%20left.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Driving_on_the_left_or_right

By the sounds of it, it isnt all that hard, just switch all the signs and traffic lights around and hey presto. The freeway on/off ramps work just as good when they are used for driving on the right. Further, it would generate jobs and be good for the economic growth of the country.

Of course, all those who have a RHD car built after 1989 would have to get them RAW'ed to LHD.... but hey, 'sh*t happens'.

Waz In Oz · « **Reply #19 on:** March 03, 2007, 09:04:38 AM »

Investigations into all the stories of right hand drive C5's proved them to be just that - just stories. I spoke personally to Dave Hill, John Cafarro and Dave McLellan in 2002 about RHD Corvettes and while they admitted the C5 should allow a better conversion, that was a coincidence and a RHD C5 was never planned. The sheer numbers required, they claimed, made it not worthwhile to build. Unless GM could be assured of substantially increased sales by supplying a RHD model I doubt it will happen. Just because GM build a couple of experimental RHD models for each generation it doesn't result in production of them unfortunately. I reckon if a RHD Corvette does happen it will probably be via HSV who would take a complete or mostly complete vehicle and essentially convert it. (They'd probably be pretty pricey too.) A certain Queensland company probably wouldn't like the competition but then, if it happened, it might result in cheaper C6's, maybe, perhaps...

It would help if the UK insisted on new cars being RHD for their roads, as this would offer another market, but as a member of the EEC I doubt that would happen.

By the way in NSW, to get US style (shape) number plates made, according to the RTA, requires orders of about 10,000 a year to be economically viable.

The only other 'legal' way to obtain a plate that fits a US number plate mount is to find a car with NSW 1988 Bicentiennial plates that is still registered, buy it and tranfer the plates - or marry the owner or prove a defacto relationship or get them to adopt you or you them. Sort of complicates things unecessarily doesn't it?