LHD handbrake lever project

[Albrecht]

Some will have seen me post this elsewhere, but I thought this might be of interest:

One of my long-term project cars (a 4/70 production HLS30UV model) requires a few details that tip their hat to Works rally team practices and specifications. One of these is the re-engineering (de-engineering?) of the handbrake lever, moving it from the RIGHT side of the transmission tunnel to the LEFT side of the transmission tunnel, for better ergonomics.

It's complicated, as it requires the handbrake lever itself to be mirror-imaged as well as the transmission tunnel sheetmetal and the console that sits on top. I've finished the handbrake lever, and it was quite involved. Making sure that the ratchet mechanism still worked after reversing the mounting and then re-welding the central pivot was quite delicate (the lever itself is quite a thin gauge of folded steel) so I was fairly pleased with the home-made results, all things considered.

Perhaps something few people with LHD cars have even thought about...?

 

[Albrecht]

Scruffy OEM (RHD biased) version and my mirror-imaged Works-style LHD version comparison:

 

[jonbills]

Alan, we're the works cars LHD then? Or did they prefer the handbrake on the left for RHD cars?

 

[Rob Gaskin]

Alan, we're the works cars LHD then? Or did they prefer the handbrake on the left for RHD cars?

Alan I can't really see any advantage, especially as the car is so narrow. All 350/370Zs have the handbrake on the left though so why the difference from the S30 - it was considered a 'world' car when manufactured.

Anyway well done, nice job if it makes your car different and aligned to rally car design. Did the 'works' cars use standard handbrakes and drums?

 

[Albrecht]

Alan, we're the works cars LHD then? Or did they prefer the handbrake on the left for RHD cars?

LHD Works cars were LHD, and had the handbrake lever on the RIGHT side of the tunnel.

RHD Works cars were RHD, and had the handbrake lever on the LEFT side of the tunnel.

Standard S30-series Z road cars - whether RHD or LHD - always had the handbrake lever on the RIGHT side of the tunnel (RHD-biased design concession).

 

[Rob Gaskin]

Alan, does your car have a choke lever?

 

[Albrecht]

Alan I can't really see any advantage, especially as the car is so narrow.

Works team engineers and drivers don't seem to have been of that opinion:

Did the 'works' cars use standard handbrakes and drums?

Not quite. It's a moving target (dependant on event and build date of the car as well as individual car development) but the rear setup on the first cars used bigger wheel cylinders, 'comp' linings and a driver-adjustable bias valve. They progressed with longer (more leverage) 'fly-off' handbrake levers, then shorter linkages and eventually hydraulic handbrakes. Final Works setup was vented-disc MK63 4-pot calipers on the rear.

 

[Albrecht]

Alan, does your car have a choke lever?

The HLS30UV? Yes. And the hand throttle lever too.

All disassembled, and in boxes...

 

[Mr Tenno]

Very cool - great idea! Could this be applied to any LHD car or are the tunnel modifications significant?

 

[Rob Gaskin]

I can see that the console on the rally car has been modified for clearance, that's why I asked about the choke lever. I thought the handbrake and choke may be a bit close.

 

[Albrecht]

Very cool - great idea! Could this be applied to any LHD car or are the tunnel modifications significant?

The sheetmetal work on the tunnel is fairly drastic and involved. You need to cut out a big section from the RH side and put it on the LH side, and also a small section of the LH side needs to be relocated to the RH side (the pivot mount) so you might as well make both cuts the same size. Then there's the console mirror-imaging to take into account.

 

[Albrecht]

I can see that the console on the rally car has been modified for clearance, that's why I asked about the choke lever. I thought the handbrake and choke may be a bit close.

I could still use the choke and hand throttle in stock location if I wanted, but I might put a bias valve in there like the Works cars.

 

[Albrecht]

B-type transmission console version.

 

[Albrecht]

LHD Works cars were LHD, and had the handbrake lever on the RIGHT side of the tunnel.

RHD Works cars were RHD, and had the handbrake lever on the LEFT side of the tunnel.

Standard S30-series Z road cars - whether RHD or LHD - always had the handbrake lever on the RIGHT side of the tunnel (RHD-biased design concession).

Correction (good job I checked back on what I'd posted...):

LHD Works cars had the handbrake lever on the LEFT side of the tunnel.

RHD Works cars had the handbrake lever on the RIGHT side of the tunnel.

Standard S30-series Z road cars - whether RHD or LHD - always had the handbrake lever on the RIGHT side of the tunnel (RHD-biased design concession).

Getting old...

 

[Mr Tenno]

The sheetmetal work on the tunnel is fairly drastic and involved. You need to cut out a big section from the RH side and put it on the LH side, and also a small section of the LH side needs to be relocated to the RH side (the pivot mount) so you might as well make both cuts the same size. Then there's the console mirror-imaging to take into account.

Props on the added dedication then

 

[johnymd]

I love mods like this. Lots of work for something YOU want and because YOU want it.

I m continuously driving both my LHD and RHD cars and I’ve never even considered or noticed the lever is further away on the LHD car.

 

[Mr.G]

Love it Alan, it's the small details that make the big difference and the challenge of getting it done is part of the fun.

 

[SeanDezart]

Nice work Alan.

This is for your HLS30UV - the GrpIV replica ? I'm losing it - I thought you'd converted that before painting to RHD......?

 

[Albrecht]

This is for your HLS30UV - the GrpIV replica ? I'm losing it - I thought you'd converted that before painting to RHD......?

You're confusing two completely different projects:

*1972 HS30-H Nissan Fairlady 240ZG with Nissan 'Sports Option' body kit (staying original colour 904 White).

*1970 HLS30-UV Datsun 240Z with original Nissan Works rally parts (will be 918 Orange).

None of my cars are being converted from LHD to RHD.

 

[SeanDezart]

Ok, clear now - lost track for a moment how many cars you have and therefore projects.

Still, I know on which side the handbrakes are located.....