(first posted 1/7/2013) The reason that I blog about cars is because there is so much to learn, and what better way to do that? glenh posted this at his photostream, and I did a double take when I first saw it. Whoa! One of the most expensive dashboards of the sixties was made in a RHD version? I didn’t know that. Which opens up a huge area of inquiry: Were pretty much all American cars routinely converted to RHD? I don’t mean the Australian versions built locally, but exports from Detroit. I know many were, but I assumed that expensive cars like the T-Bird wasn’t. Time to stop assuming things; there’s so much yet to learn…
Probably a CKD kit, like most other American cars of the day in Australia.
Bryce or NZ Skyliner, feel free to prove me wrong on my assumption if I am wrong.
US Fords and Chevrolets ex Canada were assembled in NZ Pontiacs, Ramblers Plodges only the basic models usually anything unusual was available thru dealers but my dad having ordered cars for import said it was quite a mission to achieve back then, no computers etc
Were they assembled by CKD kits or not Bryce?
Yep CKD packs
Bryce is correct for NZ, our American cars were RHD CKD kits until they faded from the market in the early 1970s. I believe the same is true for Australia too. The only exceptions are the Falcons and Valiants that were built in Australia from 1960 and 1962, respectively. Of course they differed more and more from their American cousins as the 1960s rolled on – and by the early 1970s they were uniquely Australian designed and built.
Some things to note re our CKD kits:
* Generally the GM/Ford CKD kits came from Canada (probably because Canada and NZ were both in the Commonwealth so got cheaper trade rates or something).
* Although the exteriors were generally updated in line with the USA models (although usually a year behind), the interiors often weren’t updated, and would remain unchanged for some time. For example, all our NZ-new RHD 1957 Chevs still wore the 1956 dashboard – so the first time I saw a LHD USA ’57 Chev here I was mightily confused!
* GM: In the 1960s, the CKD RHD models sold here were Chev Impalas/Caprice and Pontiac Parisienne/Laurentian. They shared the same dashboard regardless of brand.
* Chrysler:CKD RHD Plymouths and Dodges sold here through the 50s – although only the front clip differed – eg my grandparents bought a ’59 Plymouth Belvedere here new; the ’59 Dodges shared the Plymouth body and rear end. Once the Australian Valiant was on stream, I the Dodge Phoenix was the sole (I think) remaining RHD CKD Chrysler model assembled and sold. It was phased out in the early 70s when the Australian Valiant got bigger in size.
* Ford: Despite being a Ford fan, I’m not too familiar with what they sold. I know the American Galaxie was available in CKD RHD until the early 70s, when the Australian designed and built Ford LTD (a lengthened Falcon) replaced it. Ford Australia did import a hundred or two Mustangs in 1967ish – they were CBU (completely built up) and converted to RHD in Oz.
* AMC: A variety of models – mostly the Matador sedan/Rebel/Ambassador – were assembled here until the early 1970s.
Fascinating stuff — especially the wrong-year dashboard. Just encountered exactly that here in Thailand on a ’73 Volvo. Just wrote it up; it should be posted tomorrow. I suspected this was a CKD quirk and your statement confirms my theory.
Unless someone can correct me I think that only the standard fullsize cars were CKD assembled in Australia, something like a T-bird would have been imported and converted.
Correct.
Or, could this have been a reversed photo of a car never built as rhd? I will defer to our kiwi and aussie friends on this.
Not reversed, check the pedals.
Photoshop!
Aussie magazine and with Aussies anal road rules RHD would have been compulsory. Whether it was built that way or converted I have no idea. T Birds were in NZ from new but where they came from is anyones guess. Ford may have built a batch for display and market testing.
With an asymmetrical dash like that, it would be a pretty expensive conversion from LHD to RHD.
I used to have a 64 T-Bird, looking closely the only difficult part to change over, trim wise, would be the “L” trim where the dash meets the console.
Some where made RHD at the factory while others were done by the importers.Virtually all the Ramblers sold in the UK were RHD from the factory.There were a few Ford Falcons,Fairlanes and Galaxys converted over here at Lincoln Cars (I think).I was less than impressed by some of them,a Mustang with a crude bike chain type of conversion and a Pontiac where the electric window switch was still on the left door’s armrest.Later the Australian Fords and Chryslers were sold here.
This T-bird photo is definitely not a reverse imaging of a negative. I never knew that Ford went to the trouble – perhpas this was a factory prototype of an RHD to whet the UK Commonwealth’s buying appetite for a high-end T-bird (which with a few thousand sales would possibly amortize the RHD tooling cost). Hard to say. Wonder, how many RHD T-Birds, if any, were produced?
Hi
62 T Bird roadster RHD column shifts to the right for easy entry
Would love to know more about factory v conversion
Oops the column moves to the left for easy access
It would none to the right on factory LHD
If converted it’s an awesome job as a small segment of the dash facial slides to the left as well
You can’t select gears unless it’s locked back into place
Hi Evan is this your T-Bird? Do you know it’s history?
In the early 90’s I restored a T-Bird just like this one for a a customer in Melbourne. It was a Chapel engineering conversion done in the 60’s.
If it is the same car I have some photos of it when it was in my workshop.
At the same time my friend and partner were doing LHD to RHD conversions on American cars.
I’d guess it’s a local conversion on a private import. Often the bigger distributors would convert cars in batches, eg Bill Buckle Buicks. Single car conversions for private owners was a viable business years ago (see Chapel Engineering in Melbourne) and carried out via different methods; I’ve seen conversions using local RHD components on related vehicles, a LHD steering box transposed to the the RH chassis (rail fixed to additional plating which is in turn bolted to the rail), and my favourite – a series of chains and sprockets under the dash from the new column location to the existing steering box. There’s a Gullwing 300SL about which has been converted in this manner with rods and universal joints. The dashboards would be convincingly mirrored, and not just as a reflection of the original. I know of a ’56 Cadillac Sixty Special where the fine plated mesh across the panel had to be cut, the jointing of the reconfigured trim was concealed beneath small fillets of bevelled mirror and you had to really look to see something was awry! There’s no legal requirement to convert older cars to RHD anymore (and anything converted now needs engineering approval for registration) but there’s still a local industry converting current Mustangs in Melbourne. I understand factory warranties are even offered but it is expensive in comparison to the Stateside cost and the cars are rarely seen. I should also add Ford imported 50 factory RHD Mustangs in ’65.
Someone converted a Gullwing 300SL with a chain conversion? Thats surprising given the high value of those. Another way to do a good conversion is to use two bevel boxes and a shaft to connect the steering box in its original location and the steering column in its new location. I have a Cadillac with a conversion like that (done in Hong Kong by GM or their dealer there) and its very good, precise and retains the original suspension/ steering geometry. There is a little play now but thats in the original steering box, not the bevel boxes. Moving the entire steering column and box across would not be feasible as the steering column would then pass right through the aircon unit
In Eric Bana’s documentary, Love the Beast, his father owns a RHD 67 T-bird. Highly recommend the movie if you haven’t seen it yet, it really delves into irrational love of car.
Eric crashed that Ford near my place in Tassie
I remember reading that parts from Australian Chrysler Valiants were used to convert the 67 to 69 Plymouth Barracuda to RHD in England.I saw a green fastback at a car show in 2005 ish.
Here’s one that sold at auction fairly recently it looks like. It’s certainly nicely converted. http://www.shannons.com.au/auctions/lot/B8DA5J8N7A0X06BA
Private converters can do amazing feats of replication. OTOH, when the few Kiwi-assembled US cars did get a factory RHD dash they kept them. So ’56 Fords had ’55 dashes. 1955 through 57 Chevs all had ’55 styling inside. Ditto 1965-on Chevs and Pontiac Laurentians all kept the 65 Chev dash. All Rambler Classics of the mid-1960s only ever had the original styling inside.
Ramblers were assembled in Thames NZ in whats now the old Toyota plant.
For our low production levels of these cars (we’re talking hundreds), it wouldn’t have been worth the cost of the update.
And yes, it’s amazing what some craftsmen can do when it comes to replicating trim.
There are before, after and “in process” photos of the conversion of a ’63 Cadillac to RHD at http://caddyclub.tripod.com/rhd.htm. Quite a few years ago I saw another site with more pictures of the conversion process for what I believe to be the same car, but I’ll be danged if I can find them now. To see how amazingly good the job is, take the “after” photo, flip it and compare to the “before.”
My bro had bought a 59 contirental in Hk, was RHD. And many Chebbys, Pontiacs, Fords And T Birds were sold in HK, i am sure they supply the Oz & Uk market.
This T-bird would have been a private import and with exchange rates, duties and the VERY complex conversion of the dash probably would have pushed it into the Bentley Continental price range. Mechanically it probably used a lot of early 1960s Fairlaine and Galaxie parts as these were built and assembled here from CKD kits. As for the quality of other LHD to RHD conversions, they ranged for almost factory like to terrifyingly crude…. A little known fact is that Ford imported 48 1965 Mustangs and 161 1966 Mustangs and converted them locally to RHD using local Falcon/Fairlaine steering parts and a locally sourced sheetmetal dash. They were six and a v8 hardtops.
BTW, until recently LHD drive cars could not be road registered in most states here. With the recognition of the importance of originality in a cars condition, that rule has now been relaxed for older cars now.
I once met an Aussie fellow in the GM building in New York in the late 1980’s where a Trans Am was on display. He went on to tell me that he had a similar model back home which had to be converted to RHD to be used on local roads, and that a cottage industry existed where this work could be done.
Actually, we’re in luck – I collect Wheels magazine, and have every issue. So, allow me to trot over to the bookshelf and dig out the November 1964 issue pictured…
…ok, magazine in hand… Apparently the car was provided by Ford for the councours d’elegance at the Sydney Spring Motor Show. It isn’t mentioned in the article about the show – but there is a breakout with a second photo (sans model) describing the T-bird’s interior with quite some awe:
“The era of the space-age cockpit is upon us with a vengeance…what does it all mean?…A short course in instrument flying in cloud or fog, approaches and let-downs, and inter-terrestial navigation is generally included with one’s registration papers…”
Wheels’ editor, Bill Tuckey, drove the Thunderbord in the concours, and gained a second place in one class.
The cover image is described thus:
“Prize-winning combination in the concours d’elegance at the Sydney Spring Motor Show: The car, a Ford Thunderbird convertible from the Ford Motor Company; the clothes, from Anthony Hordern’s mid-city store in Sydney; the girl, our model, Marcia…The photographer? Ian Elliott”.
I wonder if this RHD version retained the unique “Swing-away” steering wheel column that was a feature of the Thunderbird…
I’ll read the article tonight and let you know! (or better yet, I might scan it)
Yes, it did retain the swing-away steering wheel. I’ve scanned the article and posted it further down the comments.
That “High Cost of Seat Belts” article could also be interesting.
WTF! Was it an argument against seat belts?
I’ll read it when I get home tonight and let y’all know!
I’ve just read through the Seat Belt article – headed “Do Seat Belts Cost Too Much?”. It’s a lengthy article, and begins by asking “Why, then, are safety belts fitted to such a small percentage of new and used vehicles in Australia? Is it the high cost of belting-up?”.
It discuses the cost of seat belts. Lap belts ranged from £2/19/6 to £4/9/-; and lap/diagonal belts from £3/19/6 to £6/10/-. I guess that’s punds, shillings and pence but have no idea what that equates to nowadays. By comparison this November ’64 issue of Wheels cost 3′- (sorry, I don’t know what that is, google was no help).
The Australian government wanted people to use seat belts, so made them tax free if they were fitted after purchase. They were taxed if fitted from new, so the magazine pointed out that was disincentivising cars being sold new with factory-fitted belts.
Other countries’ laws are also considered – it reports that there is compulsory seat belt legislation in 14 US states, and the same is about to occur in Canada which “is leading up to this with a very heavy educational programme.” The author states that a similar campaign could be useful in Australia – as “The Australian is not a person who likes being told what to do and what to wear”.
Crash stats are looked at next – especially those where seat belts could have saved lives (the article estimates that 50% of drivers killed worldwide each year could have survived if they’d worn a seatbelt).
The final concluson is that seat belts are invaluable; that manufacturers should sort out any design/comfort issues; and that the government should stop taxing factory-fitted belts when aftermaket belts were tax free.
That was Interesting, although not quite how I thought. Thanks for posting the summary.
Here’s the scan of the Wheels breakout about the TBird in question:
Hello,
I’m interested to know if that Wheels magazine article could have mentioned a 1964 Plymouth Barracuda at the Sydney Motor Show?
Regards
Peter Buckingham
65 was the first yr of compulsory seat belts in Aussie
That’s fitting seatbelts, not wearing them! And only to front seats at that stage too.
Australia was the first country in the world to introduce compulsory wearing of seat (safety) belts and the state of Victoria in Australia where I live was the first Australian state to have compulsory seat belt wearing.
However, this did not happen in 1965, it was 1969. General Motors Holden (GMH) started installing front seat seat belts to its Australian assembled Pontiac, Chevrolet, Vauxhall and Holden vehicles from September 1966. But it was not until 1969 that a law was introduced mandating their use.
Nevertheless, Australia was years ahead of the rest of the world with seat belts, there use and even today continues to lead the world in road safety. Mind you the growing issue today is the use of mobile (cell phones) in cars. We urgently need a law that totally bans use of mobile phones in vehicles.
Clearly a Ford-owned vehicle – it would be impossible for a private owner to import the car and convert it to RHD by August 1964, which is about when the Sydney motor show took place. I’m not sure whether you could order one via the factory from your local Ford dealer, or whether they would have to deal with a converter.
I can only speak here about 1970’s Cadillacs. The only CKD stuff I know of in the ’70s were the ’76/’79 Sevilles sent to GM Iran.The cars for Australia and indeed Europe were not CKD cars. Typically they shipped (through GM Canada) standard US built GM cars to Oz and Europe and homologated them there.
Most Australian RHD conversions were done by Chapel Engineering. They were very good jobs as well. The instrument panels always killed me, like your eyes were lying to you. I’m an Englishman in France, I had a great friend from Melbourne who grew up around Chapel, learned many things about the RHD conversions. Both his engineering skills and instrument panel alterations were superb. Real craftsmanship.
Someone here mentioned chain drives under the dash? Yes some were done that way, the ’76/’79 Sevilles converted in Britain were like that. Nothing in the engine compartment was altered. The Chapel ones (as I understand it) were complete conversions, including everything in the engine compartment.
I think many new Cadillacs (and other GM cars) came from a dealer called Steens. I think they closed in the mid 1980s. We always wondered just how expensive a new Cadillac converted to RHD would be?
I believe I knew “your friend who grew up around Chappell Engineering”. I also knew Chappell Engineering and F & B Steen who sold the Chevrolets, Buicks and Cadillacs and yes Chappells did nice RHD conversions, however there were at least 3 or 4 other RHD conversion companies located in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane who did conversion work that was often better than Chappell conversions.
During the early 1960s Melbournes Rhodes Motors did some stunning RHD conversions to Cadillacs and Melbournes Preston Motors did outstanding RHD conversions to Buick Electra 225s and Buick Rivieras. Many have forgotten this history.
Love to know more about my 62 Tbird roadster
RHD with steering column moves to the right for easy access to the car
Hi Evan, the story I heard about your ’62 is that it was one of two cars owned by Ford for a pair of Ford Execs, transferred to Oz in ’63. The other car was a ’62 Lincoln. I’m assuming both would of been converted locally.
Wow ~ imagine driving ths R.H.D. T-Bird to a local U.S.A. Cars & Coffee meet ! .
I have a buddy in Au. who has multiple old ex U.S.A. cars that were converted to R.H.D. before being allowed registration .
The dashboards look nice, not cobbled up .
-Nate
Over the past 4 or 5 years I have been regularly writing articles covering export RHD Chevrolet / Pontiac and in particular General Motors Holden (GMH) CKD assembled 1949 to 1970 RHD Chevrolet and Pontiac. These articles are published in the well known Australian magazine Restored Cars.
I could write pages and pages on this subject.I agree for the most part with the replies posted , but some of the detail needs correction. I own a factory RHD export 1962 Chevrolet Impala, and a mirror image RHD converted 1983 Cadillac Eldorado and 1965 Chevrolet Corvair.
These correctly converted RHD cars are becoming unique when compared to thousands of LHD drive examples that now populate Australian roads, as vehicles over 30 years old no longer have to be converted to RHD.
Also, interesting to note there was RHD versions of the Chevelle who was sold in South Africa.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ifhp97/4641236210
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ifhp97/8309070417
Very interesting ads for RHD Chevelles. I note that windscreen wiper sweep has also been corrected to favour the drive sitting on the ‘right’ side.
I’m assuming they were assembled in Sth Africa. I wonder if the RHD converters in Australia used SA components?
Thanks for the images too.
Ten years later, a LHD for sale in Oz today: https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/ferntree-gully/cars-vans-utes/1964-ford-thunderbird-white-3-speed-automatic-hardtop/1308536060
Yes, but it’s just a ‘garden variety’ left hand drive example. Nothing special about a LHD car, they built them in there tens of thousands.
Not even close to a well converted RHD example. Its reached a point where I no longer even bother to look at LHD cars, as they are so common.
I was able to find a few of this kind of thing in 1960s Australian papers, but have no idea if one-off, etc. (this is Canberra Times, April 1967, so car quite new):
Re the ‘chain under the dash’ conversions, I wonder if it was possible vary sprocket sizes for a faster ratio?
And I’ve read articles re poor conversion on a Thunderbird. An extra idler arm and some questionable linkages, if memory serves.
Without question, I am certain that over the years there are been some RHD conversions that were not carried out as well as they could have been. However they were few and far between. In my 50 plus years of playing with US cars that have come to Australia, I have only ever seen outstanding RHD conversions.
The far greater concern is the growing number of LHD cars that have been imported into Australia and left in LHD form with their original 50 to 60 year old fuel lines, brake lines and fuel tanks. It’s only a matter of one before one of these car causes a fire at a car show.
In my experience when someone goes to the trouble and effort of converting their prized car to RHD, they do it to the highest possible standards. It was a sad day when Australia aloud LHD to be used on our roads.
With respect to “chain conversions”. There have some exceptionally well engineered chain conversions that in many cases improved the cars steering.
Be assumed poor quality RHD conversions were very few and not the norm
Poor quality RHD conversions were few and far between. When someone goes to trouble and expense of converting their prized car to RHD, in almost every case they do it to the highest possible standards and take the opportunity to restore, repair other parts while carrying out the RHD conversion.
The far greater concern, is the thousands of 30 plus year old US cars have been imported to Australia and registered in LHD form with original (old) brake lines, fuel fines and fuel tanks. It’s only a matter of time before one of these cars causes a fire at a local coffee and cars event.
But I agree, that there has been some less than good RHD conversions, but they are the exceptions and far from the norm. It was a sad day when Australia relaxed its laws and aloud LHD cars to registered on Australian roads
BINGO Carl ! .
One of the very first things I address on every single old vehicle I touch is the brakes ~ it seems that as long as they work few care to consider their actual condition and safety .
I thought Australia had safety inspections for old cars ~ I was reading the in depth travails of an Aussie who dragged a bedraggled VW Bug out of a field and made it road worthy again ~ he said he had to have all the lights working and the brakes & new tires inspected before he could get license tags for it .
Brake hoses age out, _any_ that have a woven fabric outer cover are dangerous and need changing RIGHT NOW as they’ll seem fine until that panic stop when they’ll pop .
Same thing with newer flex hoses : any cracks no matter how tiny mean FAIL .
Many states in the U.S.A. have annual safety inspections, my state doesn’t and one of my old work mates was the post crash inspector for L.A.P.D., he used to let me read his reports with photographs, I was stunned by the unsafe conditions of many wrecked cars : bald tires with cords showing, metal to metal brake shoes, paper thin brake drums and discs that should have been discarded not turned one more time, on and on….
SAFETY KNOWS NO SEASON .
-Nate
Only if we’ve taken a time trip back multiple decades. Most US states and Canadian provinces do not have periodic vehicle safety inspections.
“I thought Australia had safety inspections for old cars ”
That varies from state to state. NSW does, Victoria doesn’t, to name the two most populous states. But the police will often pull over an older car just to check it’s roadworthy – happened to me, and I got a compliment!
In that respect an old LHD car is no different from an old RHD car. From a personal viewpoint, my Skylark got new brake lines fuel ,lines and a much more.
So did my HK Holden. Both got disc conversions
I disagree re the LHD vehicles. Given they have to be 30 years old ( in Qld) there’s not exacty a flood.
I have a 1964 Ford Fairlane, it was assembled in Sydney in October 1964, from a CKD kit and some local materials. Interior, including the cloth seats match the USA ‘64, engine is a 289 with a C4, but it rides on 14” wheels and had a raised suspension compared to the USA model. Also it’s got a clock, and didn’t come with a heater / demised, which in my car was a dealer fitted accessory. My car also didn’t get a radio, so still has the radio delete panel, which is the only plastic piece in the dash board.
Scott,
Based on your description of your Ford Australia CKD assembled 1964 Fairlane 500, certainly sounds like a stunning survivor.
These ‘64 RHD Fairlanes were assembled in very small numbers. In Australia, they were marketed as high end luxury cars selling in the same price bracket as Jaguars, Rovers, BMWs, Chevrolet Belairs and Pontiac Parisiennes.
I am old enough to remember these 1962 – 64 Ford Fairlanes when they were brand new. Your ‘64, for a lot of reasons, is probably the choice of all of them. I agree with all of your comments but one, I have believed that by 1964 Ford Australia was fitting a 2 speed fresh air heater as standard equipment.
From 1963, General Motors Holden (GMH) fitted heater to its CKD assembled Chevrolet Belair and Pontiac Laurentian as did Chrysler Australia with its Dodge Phoenix. I happy to proven wrong. Perhaps the original sales brochure has the answer?
My ’63 Bel Air had a factory heater.
Chris,
If your 63’ Belair was GMH assembled example then it would have had a Smiths 2 speed fresh air heater with the controls mounted centrally below the dash.
1963 was the first year that GMH assembled Chevrolets and Pontiacs had a heater as standard equipment. The heater controls were moved into the dash itself in 1964.
Here’s an excerpt from a 1965 technical paper on the topic, “Development and Testing of [automotive] Products for Export”:
Thanks!