What makes a right-hand drive car illegal in the US?

PyroVTEC · 11-15-2002, 01:49 AM

Now I realize you can legally drive a Skyline here w/ RHD. But w/ all those JDM enthusiasts out there... one would have figured that there would be a lot more people doing RHD conversions in their Hondas. Does anyone know exactly why people can't convert their cars to RHD?

Duck Sauce · 11-15-2002, 01:52 AM

It isn't illegal driving a RHD car in the U.S

Mailtrucks and the cars meter maids drive are all RHD.

VTi NA · 11-15-2002, 02:00 AM

The question is, why would you want to convert anything LHD to RHD? The conversion process is a pain in the ***, and its unpractical as heck.

Duck Sauce · 11-15-2002, 02:02 AM

But it's JDM y0~!

PyroVTEC · 11-15-2002, 02:11 AM

That's the point--it's JDM! For the JDM diehards, I would think that would be a goal in their mind. And perhaps for lefties too--they oughta love a RHD car!

Meter maids and mail vehicles--government vehicles. As we know, there's a double standard for anything government!

Roach2k · 11-15-2002, 02:39 AM

Quote:

That's the point--it's JDM! For the JDM diehards, I would think that would be a goal in their mind. And perhaps for lefties too--they oughta love a RHD car!

Meter maids and mail vehicles--government vehicles. As we know, there's a double standard for anything government!

maybe the fact that it's a bitch to learn how to drive a RHD car? not to mention they'd have to redesign the interior, i'm pretty sure any safety precautions will go to hell too. Imagine a JDM diehard having to learn how to autox a rhd car after driving normally all of his life? it's just not practical.

ijjz · 11-15-2002, 02:45 AM

Quote:

maybe the fact that it's a bitch to learn how to drive a RHD car? not to mention they'd have to redesign the interior, i'm pretty sure any safety precautions will go to hell too. Imagine a JDM diehard having to learn how to autox a rhd car after driving normally all of his life? it's just not practical.

Don't know, never driven a RHD car before. People who have usually say its not that bad is not that hard to get used to, so who knows until you try it. I'd give it a try if it was a pratical thing to do, but it is not so I will never know.

prelude1897 · 11-15-2002, 04:09 AM

IMO that would be pointless and a waste of money to do, but if you have nothing else to spend your money on, go ahead and do it

sackdz · 11-15-2002, 04:16 AM

Driving an RHD car on LHD is not safe.

2lowintegra · 11-15-2002, 04:45 AM

Quote:

Driving an RHD car on LHD is not safe.

true, how would you pass....? you'd have to look way around to the left lane from your right side....

silvercivicgrl · 11-15-2002, 04:48 AM

Quote:

And perhaps for lefties too--they oughta love a RHD car!

thats why i want a RHD car! it would be a hell of alot easier to shift

11-15-2002, 05:31 AM

my goal in the next few years is to find a 5th gen RHD Prelude SiR-S an have it impported. i really don't know what i want a RHD car so badly, i just think it'd be cool as hell to black out the windows, and when some stnna rolls up on the right side and revs at you, you could roll down the window and be like a foot away and be like,"what the **** do you want riceboy?"

plus i think it'd jsut be cool as **** to have one

RacerBowie · 11-15-2002, 05:37 AM

Quote:

i just think it'd be cool as hell to black out the windows, and when some stnna rolls up on the right side and revs at you, you could roll down the window and be like a foot away and be like,"what the **** do you want riceboy?"

That is one of the funniest things I have ever read in my life!!!!!! what a mental image!!!!! LOL

sackdz · 11-15-2002, 06:13 AM

Quote:

i just think it'd be cool as hell to black out the windows, and when some stnna rolls up on the right side and revs at you, you could roll down the window and be like a foot away and be like,"what the **** do you want riceboy?"

That is one of the funniest things I have ever read in my life!!!!!! what a mental image!!!!! LOL

hehe yep

incubus · 11-15-2002, 06:22 AM

there is a guy by my house (maryland) that has a R33. IT is very uncommon around here considering there are no JDM importers around here. the Guy had it shipped from MotoRex I think.
If I had 38grand I would undoubtedly buy a r35, I would love to drive a RHD vehicle.
My only question is: what is the gear layout of the tranny? same as ours ? I.E. 1st is all the way to the left and 5th all the way to the right. or is it reversed?
I know that the pedals are still the same: clutch...break...gas.

S13Koop · 11-15-2002, 06:30 AM

Quote:

My only question is: what is the gear layout of the tranny? same as ours ? I.E. 1st is all the way to the left and 5th all the way to the right. or is it reversed?
I know that the pedals are still the same: clutch...break...gas.

I've wondered this also, I've tried hard to see the guys shift in the Options/Drift Tengoku vids but its hard to tell, I say its the same since when you have, say an SR20DET imported, you get the same transmission....its the same as ours then, I guess.

11-15-2002, 06:33 AM

think about it.... if you buy a JDM swap, all the gears are as they should be, right?

they are still laid out the same

Brandon · 11-15-2002, 06:40 AM

Driving RHD isn't hard, but it sucks for about 95% of daily driving. No Taco Bell drive thrus, can't use ATM, can't pass on a 2-lane road, etc...

bussetech · 11-15-2002, 06:42 AM

RHD it self is not illegal in the US. Go to this site, it should answer all your questions about greymarket vehicle imporation:

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/import/

The cliffs notes for this site are: Unless you want to import a vehicle older than 25 years, or setup an operation on par w/ MotoRex, forget about doing it legally for street use.

busse - who owns a legally imported and titled RHD grey market vehicle (under the 25 year grandfather window)

Superhatch · 11-15-2002, 06:44 AM

Ive driven a coupe RHD in scottland, and my dad has a mail jeep. Its not that hard to get used to. Driving the jeep is pretty easy, but yeah..if you want to pass you have to pull out a bit. The fiats Ive driven in scottland felt kinda different at first, but after a week or two...it juts becomes second nature.

-Jake

es four · 11-15-2002, 10:37 AM

RHD is healla JDM y0!

vivid02 · 11-15-2002, 10:52 AM

How do you make left hand turns when there is a huge SUV or bus opposite of you making a left too?

RED_October94LS · 11-15-2002, 10:57 AM

Quote:

How do you make left hand turns when there is a huge SUV or bus opposite of you making a left too?

a fawk

BDiddy · 11-15-2002, 11:02 AM

driving an RHD isnt hard. Ive driven a couple old Ferraris and Jags that were RHD. Took me about 3 minutes to get used to it.

PyroVTEC · 11-15-2002, 11:10 AM

Yeah it doesn't seem too hard to do.

I've always wondered well, if MotorEx has already gotten the paperwork thru for the Skylines... and it's already been approved by the federal gov't... can't you import your own Skyline and register it for street-use because MotorEx has already done the work?

Apparently, MotorEx is trying to levy a hefty fee to "help you" register a Skyline brought in by someone other than them.

11-15-2002, 01:49 AM	#1
PyroVTEC New User Garage is empty, add now Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: LA, CA Posts: 549 iTrader Rating: (0)	What makes a right-hand drive car illegal in the US? Now I realize you can legally drive a Skyline here w/ RHD. But w/ all those JDM enthusiasts out there... one would have figured that there would be a lot more people doing RHD conversions in their Hondas. Does anyone know exactly why people can't convert their cars to RHD? __________________ 222hp SOHC EK Civic: Sold. [img]http://images.honda-tech.com/set1/smile/emsad.gif[/img] 280hp CV35 G35: Engine blew. [img]http://images.honda-tech.com/set1/smile/emthdown.gif[/img] 300hp Z33 350Z: Now we're talking!! [img]http://images.honda-tech.com/set1/smile/emsmile.gif[/img] Shopping: EG hatch, B18C5. [img]http://images.honda-tech.com/set1/smile/emwink.gif[/img]

11-15-2002, 01:52 AM	#2
Duck Sauce Honda-Tech Member Garage is empty, add now Join Date: Sep 2001 Posts: 1,685 iTrader Rating: (0)	Re: What makes a right-hand drive car illegal in the US? (PyroVTEC) It isn't illegal driving a RHD car in the U.S Mailtrucks and the cars meter maids drive are all RHD.

11-15-2002, 02:00 AM	#3
VTi NA Junior Member Garage is empty, add now Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Bangkok / Bay Area, Thailand Posts: 799 iTrader Rating: (0)	Re: What makes a right-hand drive car illegal in the US? (PyroVTEC) The question is, why would you want to convert anything LHD to RHD? The conversion process is a pain in the *, and its unpractical as heck. __________________ 94 Integra GSR - Sold 94 Integra VTi-R - Sold** 05 Lancer Evolution VIII 03 CBR F4i

11-15-2002, 02:02 AM	#4
Duck Sauce Honda-Tech Member Garage is empty, add now Join Date: Sep 2001 Posts: 1,685 iTrader Rating: (0)	Re: What makes a right-hand drive car illegal in the US? (STi -RA) But it's JDM y0~!

11-15-2002, 02:11 AM	#5
PyroVTEC New User Garage is empty, add now Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: LA, CA Posts: 549 iTrader Rating: (0)	Re: What makes a right-hand drive car illegal in the US? (DC2ownz) That's the point--it's JDM! For the JDM diehards, I would think that would be a goal in their mind. And perhaps for lefties too--they oughta love a RHD car! Meter maids and mail vehicles--government vehicles. As we know, there's a double standard for anything government! __________________ 222hp SOHC EK Civic: Sold. [img]http://images.honda-tech.com/set1/smile/emsad.gif[/img] 280hp CV35 G35: Engine blew. [img]http://images.honda-tech.com/set1/smile/emthdown.gif[/img] 300hp Z33 350Z: Now we're talking!! [img]http://images.honda-tech.com/set1/smile/emsmile.gif[/img] Shopping: EG hatch, B18C5. [img]http://images.honda-tech.com/set1/smile/emwink.gif[/img]

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11-15-2002, 04:09 AM	#8
prelude1897 Honda-Tech Member Garage is empty, add now Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: DFW, USA Posts: 5,752 iTrader Rating: (0)	Re: What makes a right-hand drive car illegal in the US? (ijjz) IMO that would be pointless and a waste of money to do, but if you have nothing else to spend your money on, go ahead and do it __________________ 97 Prelude-wrecked 00 Prelude-Daily Driver 99 Prelude-RHD Prelude http://images.honda-tech.com/set1/smile/emwink.gif 98 Prelude-Parts Car-SOLD <FONT COLOR="blue">Retrofit service/pics</FONT> http://www.myspace.com/bceretrofits

11-15-2002, 04:16 AM	#9
sackdz Honda-Tech Member 1997 Acura Integra My Garage Join Date: Jan 2000 Location: Hockeytown, MI Posts: 8,072 iTrader Rating: (0)	Re: What makes a right-hand drive car illegal in the US? (prelude1897) Driving an RHD car on LHD is not safe. __________________ WTB: P28 ECU (virgin, unchipped)

11-15-2002, 05:31 AM	#12
Boostless97Lude Guest Garage is empty, add now Posts: n/a	Re: What makes a right-hand drive car illegal in the US? (silvercivicgrl) my goal in the next few years is to find a 5th gen RHD Prelude SiR-S an have it impported. i really don't know what i want a RHD car so badly, i just think it'd be cool as hell to black out the windows, and when some stnna rolls up on the right side and revs at you, you could roll down the window and be like a foot away and be like,"what the ** do you want riceboy?" plus i think it'd jsut be cool as ** to have one

11-15-2002, 06:22 AM	#15
incubus Honda-Tech Member Garage is empty, add now Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Towson, MD, USA Posts: 2,133 iTrader Rating: (0)	Re: What makes a right-hand drive car illegal in the US? (sackdz) there is a guy by my house (maryland) that has a R33. IT is very uncommon around here considering there are no JDM importers around here. the Guy had it shipped from MotoRex I think. If I had 38grand I would undoubtedly buy a r35, I would love to drive a RHD vehicle. My only question is: what is the gear layout of the tranny? same as ours ? I.E. 1st is all the way to the left and 5th all the way to the right. or is it reversed? I know that the pedals are still the same: clutch...break...gas. __________________ '97 NM SH~ tokico Illumas w/ neuspeed springs, AEM intake, DCSports 4-2-1 header Magnaflow cat, Greddy Evo2 cat-back, 17" 05 RSX-S wheels Tru amps, QSD 3-ways, Boston SPG-555 sub, premier 980 h/u http://www.trutechnology.com <= world's best mobile amps

11-15-2002, 06:33 AM	#17
Boostless97Lude Guest Garage is empty, add now Posts: n/a	Re: What makes a right-hand drive car illegal in the US? (S13Koop) think about it.... if you buy a JDM swap, all the gears are as they should be, right? they are still laid out the same

11-15-2002, 06:40 AM	#18
Brandon Life is Suffering Garage is empty, add now Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Somewhere... Posts: 9,683 iTrader Rating: (0)	Re: What makes a right-hand drive car illegal in the US? (George Knighton) Driving RHD isn't hard, but it sucks for about 95% of daily driving. No Taco Bell drive thrus, can't use ATM, can't pass on a 2-lane road, etc... __________________ Good people drink good beer. -Hunter S. Thompson

11-15-2002, 06:42 AM	#19
bussetech New User Garage is empty, add now Join Date: Nov 2000 Posts: 244 iTrader Rating: (0)	Re: What makes a right-hand drive car illegal in the US? (George Knighton) RHD it self is not illegal in the US. Go to this site, it should answer all your questions about greymarket vehicle imporation: http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/import/ The cliffs notes for this site are: Unless you want to import a vehicle older than 25 years, or setup an operation on par w/ MotoRex, forget about doing it legally for street use. busse - who owns a legally imported and titled RHD grey market vehicle (under the 25 year grandfather window) __________________ [B]Busse[/B] [url="http://www.chrisbusse.com"]http://www.chrisbusse.com[/url] 2000 Integra Type-[I]R[/I] 1974 Land Rover Series III 109 5 Door Wagon- RHD, 2.6L Petrol, Manual Overdrive

11-15-2002, 06:44 AM	#20
Superhatch Honda-Tech Member 1991 Honda Civic Join Date: May 2001 Location: MKE Posts: 2,518 iTrader Rating: (0)	Re: What makes a right-hand drive car illegal in the US? (George Knighton) Ive driven a coupe RHD in scottland, and my dad has a mail jeep. Its not that hard to get used to. Driving the jeep is pretty easy, but yeah..if you want to pass you have to pull out a bit. The fiats Ive driven in scottland felt kinda different at first, but after a week or two...it juts becomes second nature. -Jake __________________ thebrz.blogspot.com Kimi passes -into- Eau Rouge!

11-15-2002, 10:37 AM	#21
es four Member Garage is empty, add now Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: You can be my wingman anytime...., Las Vegas, US Posts: 4,604 iTrader Rating: (0)	Re: What makes a right-hand drive car illegal in the US? (SuperHatch) RHD is healla JDM y0! __________________ Formerly integra707. <FONT COLOR="orange"><u>MY VOUCH THREAD!:</u></FONT> Click here to vouch for me! The reason I will never own another Honda as long as I live: <FONT COLOR="red"><u>MY INTEGRA WAS STOLEN!!!!!! http://images.honda-tech.com/set1/smile/emsad.gif http://images.honda-tech.com/set1/smile/emsad.gif http://images.honda-tech.com/set1/smile/emsad.gif http://images.honda-tech.com/set1/smile/emsad.gif:</FONT></u> Click hear to read about the worst day of my life.

11-15-2002, 10:52 AM	#22
vivid02 Garage is empty, add now Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Valley Village, CA, El Salvador Posts: 2,518 iTrader Rating: (0)	Re: What makes a right-hand drive car illegal in the US? (SuperHatch) How do you make left hand turns when there is a huge SUV or bus opposite of you making a left too? __________________ 98 ITR All Motor Drag Car 99 Infinity QX4 the Tow Vehicle/ Wife's Plow into other cars vehicle 03 BMW 330CI The new Daily Beater and panty dropper. [url="http://Hybrids.jp"]Hybrids.jp[/url] camp1320.com [img]http://images.honda-tech.com/set1/smile/emthup.gif[/img] Tom is the shizz [img]http://images.honda-tech.com/set1/smile/emthup.gif[/img] [img]http://images.honda-tech.com/set1/smile/emthup.gif[/img] JERRY BUILT [img]http://images.honda-tech.com/set1/smile/emthup.gif[/img] [img]http://images.honda-tech.com/set1/smile/emthup.gif[/img]

11-15-2002, 11:02 AM	#24
BDiddy Member Garage is empty, add now Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Redding, CT Posts: 3,699 iTrader Rating: (0)	Re: What makes a right-hand drive car illegal in the US? (blckTeg96) driving an RHD isnt hard. Ive driven a couple old Ferraris and Jags that were RHD. Took me about 3 minutes to get used to it. __________________ Random Chuck Norris fact of the week: Chuck Norris crossed the road. Nobody has ever dared question his motives.

11-15-2002, 11:10 AM	#25
PyroVTEC New User Garage is empty, add now Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: LA, CA Posts: 549 iTrader Rating: (0)	Re: What makes a right-hand drive car illegal in the US? (BDiddy) Yeah it doesn't seem too hard to do. I've always wondered well, if MotorEx has already gotten the paperwork thru for the Skylines... and it's already been approved by the federal gov't... can't you import your own Skyline and register it for street-use because MotorEx has already done the work? Apparently, MotorEx is trying to levy a hefty fee to "help you" register a Skyline brought in by someone other than them. __________________ 222hp SOHC EK Civic: Sold. [img]http://images.honda-tech.com/set1/smile/emsad.gif[/img] 280hp CV35 G35: Engine blew. [img]http://images.honda-tech.com/set1/smile/emthdown.gif[/img] 300hp Z33 350Z: Now we're talking!! [img]http://images.honda-tech.com/set1/smile/emsmile.gif[/img] Shopping: EG hatch, B18C5. [img]http://images.honda-tech.com/set1/smile/emwink.gif[/img]

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