Have a question. Lets say we have two 109 5 doors and they are exactly the same except for one is RHD and the other LHD. Wouldnt they be worth the same amount of money for resale in the States? I think in Canada you have to convert it over to a LHD? Im asking because I was recently told that a RHD rover will never get the money a LHD would in North America. Being Im still in newbie mode with rovers I thought I would at least touch base with the list and see how true this might be. Im some communities ,such as aircooled vw's, a RHD vehicle can have a higher resale value because they weren't offered here (as you know).
I did come across a 109 5 door that was already converted to LHD. I asked him his asking price and it was more then other 109's in similar shape. He said this was because he spent the money to convert it over to a LHD vehicle.

thanks
dave

(still looking for a 109 5door... but wont have all my funds back up until this Spring)

I know in the UK LHD go for less than RHD. I guess the same would apply over hear, RHD's less than LHD's. One problem with RHD vehicles is being able to see around other cars. Particularly when you're trying to pass someone on a two-lane road. You would have to hang the whole vehicle out into oncomming traffic to see around. The other alternative is to carry a co-pilot that you trust. Now this wouldn't neccessarily pertain to a Series 109, seeing how you would probably be the passee and not the passer. A couple of years ago there was an article in LRO International about the availabilty of LHD RRC's and how they were good canidates to buy and change over to RHD B/C you could pick them up at a cheap price vs. RHD's.

Overall, I have seen RHD trucks for cheaper. Here in the US, I've never heard of a law limiting whether trucks are LHD or RHD :confused: .

FWIW, a RHD truck will have more leg room for the driver and during the summer it will be cooler since the exhaust pipe runs under the LH side of the truck. In general, the rig was made to be RHD but it works in LHD.

The biggest, main disadvantage of RHD is going through the drive through at Wendys. I would NEVER want to jeopordize my frosty by trying to reach all the way over there to get it. I could just get out of the rig but I'm too lazy to do so. (Its also cool when you can look down upon the person you are ordering from, but that is just me being stupid :D )

RHD trucks freak people out a lot. Its cool in that sense.

Many pros. One Con: no drive through :(

Max T.

Originally posted by LR Max


Many pros. One Con: no drive through :(

Max T.


Yes but if you have a passenger with you then you can still go through drive throughs :D

Thanks guys.. was very helpfull. I never really thought about passing people because I normally drive my rigs (that are just plan slow) like tractors so Im not pushing them hard while on the roadways. So knowing that a 109 5door is going to be slow then I would just drive it like I did my old 40hp aircooled Vdubs..... Sit back, relax, and let others get pissed off and just wave was they pass me. The drive thru is another question now... I do use the drive thru but I almost always have others in the vehicle with me. I guess during those other times I would be prone to getting out and doing my business inside.

Anyway I just wanted to know if the vehicle was going to be worth at least the same as a LHD. Ive seen many RHD aircooled Vdubs sale for hundereds dollars more just because they were an original rhd... so wasnt sure what to expect. I dont have any issues driving it as a rhd... and I intend on keeping the rig for some time... but if I see this as an investment too... all my aircooled Vdubs were 1950's, pre-67's and some rare 70's doublecabs.... I always made my money back when it came time to sale them... same was true for all my land cruisers. I have only seen two 109 5doors here in the States... so I would hope that money invested would be well spent no matter what side the steering wheel was on. Anyone else want to help add info?

I wont be ready to buy again until sometime this coming Spring. We had a couple deaths in the family in December.. the last happening on christmas eve... that one cost us about 2700. So Im just fishing for up to date information. This all started when I asked a shop about the rhd 109's, thats when I was told they were worth less money then a lhd and I would never get my investment out of a rhd rover. He also told me it was going to cost about 4K to convert it over to a lhd vehicle. Thanks to everyone that has helped me out so far. This is a very good group.

Re. the drive thru dilemma, you could always go through backwards... you may get a few funny looks though. :)

AFAIK Canada do not require conversion from RHD to LHD as I know a guy there with a RHD D110 who seems to have no problems.

Passing other things - especially trucks and vans where you can not see over or through them - can be a nightmare however. There have been times while driving in France thet it has seemed easier to pass on the grass at the side of the road - you just know that you will find a drainage ditch running at 90deg. to the road though.:eek:

Chris

I used to drive my wife's UK RHD car in Switzerland (lhd country) and now I drive my SIII ld in Malaysia (rhd country) and it's a shag. Parking lots and toll booths. Aside from the eyes agog giggle at the tollbooth when you are leaning across and down to hand them the money (and the novelty wears off quickly) being on the wrong side has no redeeming value.

There may be some cache with an RHD in the US, but generally I think people would/should pay less for rhd.

In Japan (A RHD country) it is fashionable to own a LHD car (mostly American or European cars - but people even import Japanese cars from the US so they can own a LHD one). This is so prevalent that the parking garages frequented by the wealthy have the booth on the wrong side (for RHD) to cater for owners of such cars. Apparently it all came about after WWII - when the US forced the Japanese government to allow people to register/drive LHD cars on the road, so us companies could sell their cars without converting them.

I think the only issue might be the drive thru when I am alone... that just means I get off my lazy arse and go in. :p Would that be considered an excerise program? Other then that if the 109 is as slow as they say then I wont be even making an attempt to go around people on the roadways. After driving old aircooled vdubs for years I have learned to just take my time. I dont think I will be getting any more speeding tickets thats forsur. As for now lets see what I find this Spring. Like I said earlier... we had some unexpected things hit us hard in the pocket book and now we are playing catch up. After being told that the RHD's would never be worth as much as a LHD, in the same condition, I just had to ask people I trust would know the answer. I didnt think it would matter. Sure you have some things that one would have to get used to... but a clean rig is a clean rig in my book.

Btw... doesnt 4000 dollars seem a bit on the steep side to convert a RHD over to a LHD?

$4000 on the steep side? Hell, you would be paying through the nose if you payed $4000 for a 109 in the UK! Avarage prices for RHD (The local custom) are about $1500-$3000.

Chris

Originally posted by Ghostdog

Btw... doesnt 4000 dollars seem a bit on the steep side to convert a RHD over to a LHD?

(Cheap Bastard voice on) $4000 (even Canadian:flipoff2: ) seems a bit steep for a 109! (Cheap Bastard Voice Off)

Not sure if my Q was taken correctly.... I wasn't asking if a 109 was to expensive if I paid 4000 USD for the whole rig... I was wondering if the qoute I was given to convert the right hand drive vehicle over to a left hand drive was to high being the guy told me it was going to start out at 4000 USD. That's just for the parts to convert the vehicle to a LHD and does not include what I would pay for a RHD 109. The qoute was given to me by the same guy that told me that a rhd 109 would never be worth the same as a lhd 109 in the usa. I actually didnt even ask him to give me a qoute to convert the truck.. he used it as a means to support his statement.

the qoute I was given to convert the right hand drive vehicle over to a left hand drive was to high being the guy told me it was going to start out at 4000 USD. That's just for the parts to convert the vehicle to a LHD

Would your man possibly go by the name of Mullah Ali ? Because he is definitely talking shi'ite.

Steering conversion on a Series Land Rover is straightforward and not particularly difficult. Presumably he is asking USD 4,000 for a bulkhead, dash facia and a few bits and bobs. Rubbish. I can't recall exactly, but I'm fairly sure you can get a brand new galvinized bulkhead for @ USD 1,000, so he is taking you for a ride.

If you are buying a RHD 109 to use for fun - preferably not as a daily driver - it is not worth getting it converted for the many reasons outlined above (although there will be times it pisses you off). If you must have it converted, shop around for the bulkhead and dash facia (such as it is) from a LHD and any reasonably sound garage should be able to handle this for you.

In any event I would not buy a Series II/IIA/III Land Rover as an investment - unless negative equity is part of your investment plan;)

I think the bulkhead is the same for RHD/LHD? My old S2a one was, it just had the peddle holes and steering column hole blocked off. As it was a 2a the dash panel was in the middle too.

A new LHD steering box, relay, and swivel housings, some RH dip headlamps, altered flashers and you're away.

Chris

It all started when I called the guys shop up to ask some Q's and get some prices on vehicles he might have. The shop is out of Oregon. Already forgot his name but it doesnt matter cause Im not interested in making a purchase from him now. I mentioned that I had been looking at a Series III 109 and it was a RHD vehicles... thats all it took for him to start speaking in a negative tone about any RHD Rover in north america. I figured I'd at least see what the list had to say about this being Im such a newbie to rovers. If this had been a Land Cruiser it wouldnt be an issue. But not all circles are the same. Thats pretty much why I asked about it. Im so new in this circle that I didnt know if the guy was blowing smoke up my ass or not. But there was a certain pucker factor to his statement. I didnt argue with him and just gave him the benefit of doubt for then. Ofcourse I came here to see if he was bullshitting me. Sounds like he was. And he didnt hold back on trying to sale me something in his rover stock.

As for the RHD issues... still have to see what I end up with. I thought that many folks where importing 109 5 doors so I just thought that they would be RHD for the most part. Dont know if I will end up with a Series IIa or III but I dont plan on taking it in the shorts. When I do finally decide on a rig it will be the daily driver. If it happens to be RHD , I dont have any plans on changing it over to a LHD. But that fellow brought up a good question on resale. In his mind a RHD was not a good investment. And he used the term investment. I also look at many of my rigs as an investment to some extent. I dont know how applicable this is with 109 5 doors.