Bit of Right Hand Drive conversion help needed!

Larby

Larby

Club Member
Morning all,

I've spent far too long searching and can't find anything, due to 'RHD' being too short to be included in a search term, hence writing it out in the title for this for anyone else looking in the future.

So, I have a really good condition Cali 280Z which I'm converting to RHD. I'll state at this stage that I'm not getting hung up on originality. I want it neat and tidy, but I'm not chasing it looking like an original RHD in every little detail.

I also run a cherished vehicle/fabrication centre, so no problem to make bits as I go.

First things first - the firewall reinforcement panel. Does anyone make the RHD one? Seems KF Vintage don't. It would make positioning a LOT easier if I could just get one of those!

IMG_0215.jpg

Second up - heater/aircon/blower. What solutions have people come up with for this? I assume the main heater matrix etc in the centre can stay as-is? Is there a good option for a RHD based fan I could use? If not, I'll have a look for a generic squirrel cage 12v fan.

Wiring - With mine being a 280Z which I'm also converting to triple Webers, I'm getting ever more tempted to just build my own loom from scratch, which I'm more than capable of doing. Any thoughts on this? Are there easier options? From looking at the LHD loom, it seems it could pretty easily be adapted over to be a RHD layout with a few bits extended/shortened, but I'm conscious that the 280Z loom contains a lot of wiring I just don't need.

Steering rack - either I'll find a RHD rack, which would be lovely, or my theory would be to use a Subaru rack with an electric power steering pump.
Could someone point me in the right directions for what I'd need to get the correct Subaru rack and required related parts please?

Any other tips and hints, or links to other people's solutions would be greatly appreciated!

Cheers, James
 
Fairlineguy

Fairlineguy

Club Member
If you get a set of bulkhead panels from Andy you really only need a dash and rack .
everything else that’s LHD can be modified/altered to suit RHD.
i.e pedal box,loom,heater,wipers
 
Larby

Larby

Club Member
Fairlineguy said:
If you get a set of bulkhead panels from Andy you really only need a dash and rack .
everything else that’s LHD can be modified/altered to suit RHD.
i.e pedal box,loom,heater,wipers
Click to expand...
That’s my hope/plan!
Hoping someone can save me some time and hassle by suggesting what’s normally used for blower, rack etc.
 
Robotsan

Robotsan

Club Member
Can't help you with the RHD stuff.. but top tip for searching the website (or any website). Only works in Chrome browser though.

In the chrome address/search bar type:

site:zclub.net/ and then whatever you want to search here

E.g.

site:zclub.net/ RHD conversion

Then you'll get a big list of all the pages on the site which mention it right there in the Google search results. It's way better than the stupid forum search.
 
chrisvega

chrisvega

Well-Known Forum User
Hi James,
You've been busy and the car looks a lot different than when you collected it from Devon back in October ;)
So you took the brave pill and decided on a complete and full strip-down rather than cosmetic restoration, great decision as that shell looks in superb condition as expected (passenger floorpan aside as we knew). The leaking heater matrix explains that mystery!
That was the last of what was almost forty x S30's I have imported over the last 10 years prior to hanging up the part-time hobby biz sheepskin, so it's a defining car and really looking forward to seeing the end result, I know you will do it justice and more....
I would take up Alan on his offer of a RHD rack rather than mess around with Subaru parts and if you need power steering add that at a later date after trying it without first. Will keep a keen eye on your Instagram page and look forward to the progress updates.
 
Mark N

Mark N

Club Member
Regarding the 280Z loom, the fuel injection part is pretty much a separate harness and easily removed from the main chassis part that you will retain.
As for the dash loom, the plugs are in the RHS footwell so the connections for the gauges will all be long enough but you may have to extend the likes of the glove box light.
 
Larby

Larby

Club Member
Robotsan said:
Can't help you with the RHD stuff.. but top tip for searching the website (or any website). Only works in Chrome browser though.

In the chrome address/search bar type:

site:zclub.net/ and then whatever you want to search here

E.g.

site:zclub.net/ RHD conversion

Then you'll get a big list of all the pages on the site which mention it right there in the Google search results. It's way better than the stupid forum search.
Click to expand...
Good call, thanks!! I didn’t know about that!
 
Larby

Larby

Club Member
chrisvega said:
Hi James,
You've been busy and the car looks a lot different than when you collected it from Devon back in October ;)
So you took the brave pill and decided on a complete and full strip-down rather than cosmetic restoration, great decision as that shell looks in superb condition as expected (passenger floorpan aside as we knew). The leaking heater matrix explains that mystery!
That was the last of what was almost forty x S30's I have imported over the last 10 years prior to hanging up the part-time hobby biz sheepskin, so it's a defining car and really looking forward to seeing the end result, I know you will do it justice and more....
I would take up Alan on his offer of a RHD rack rather than mess around with Subaru parts and if you need power steering add that at a later date after trying it without first. Will keep a keen eye on your Instagram page and look forward to the progress updates.
Click to expand...

Yep, it’s going to be somewhere between a cosmetic resto and a full-blown nut and bolt. I want to get using it, then will keep on improving over the years. If I dig too deep, I’ll end up with it just sat in the workshop forever while I chase perfection.

I’m so, so impressed with the condition of her and the amount of work someone had clearly done just before she was sold.
In removing the motor I’ve found it has a new plugs, dizzy, leads, alternator, starter, clutch and flywheel!

The passenger floorwell turned out to be due to the drain from the inner air-con drain tube being bizarrely cut off, so it was training into the top of the trans tunnel rather than out of the hole as it should.
That’s all resolved now though and I’m so pleased to be working on a car which feels 2 years old in terms of condition!! None of the usual rusty crap to contend with, I just can’t get my head around how good it all is.

I’m aiming for a usable car rather than a show queen, but with what I do and the way I like things to be just so, I’m certain it’ll be done to a very high standard.
 
Larby

Larby

Club Member
Mark N said:
Regarding the 280Z loom, the fuel injection part is pretty much a separate harness and easily removed from the main chassis part that you will retain.
As for the dash loom, the plugs are in the RHS footwell so the connections for the gauges will all be long enough but you may have to extend the likes of the glove box light.
Click to expand...
Yeah I’ve already pulled the ECU loom, the main loom still has a bunch of stuff in that I don’t need.
I haven’t decided yet. I do love wiring and I want the engine bay to look as clean and uncluttered as possible, so it would be a great opportunity to re-route things and simplify, to get the look I want and also sort the RHD conversion.
 
johnymd

johnymd

Club Member
Once you have a LHD shell completely stripped, you would be mad not to take the small extra step of going RHD.
 
Rob Gaskin

Rob Gaskin

Treasurer
Staff member
Site Administrator
Am I right that the only dashboard to use is from a 260Z?

How difficult are these to source considering that there were fewer 260s over here?

I assume that during the time when the 2/2s were less favoured and being broken-up they have provided a few.
 
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AshTheScaff

AshTheScaff

Club Member
Just a heads up, I’m assuming you’re keeping the original engine. But if not - I’ve done a engine swap, and also lhd to rhd, then found out that my brand new manifold / headers were designed for a lhd car and they were right in the way of the steering arm…expensive mistake to make and over looked at the time. Just thought I’d say just in case 🤙🏼
 
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