Don't now about the later GT5 and GT5S but the earlier cars don't.
This means the passenger gets several more inches of leg room than the driver.
Did you look in the UK for a RHD car before getting this one from the USA?
Early RHD cars have a cross shafts to connect the brake and clutch pedals to the master cylinders. Later cars have the master cylinders relocated to the drivers side.
Hi Rapier, thanks for that,
So I guess that means anyone over about 5'10" could not drive an early model RHD car without making this change?
I didn't look in the UK, because the relative exchange rates aren't favourable enough. It takes 2.5 AUD to buy 1 sterling, so for us the UK is expensive for everything. AUD to USD is at its strongest for 23 years, so I looked at PIM's collection and found one I liked.
I have driven a LHD car in Aus, and its a bit disconcerting, but if the conversion looks to work out too expensive, then I'll just reassemble after the repairs and use it as is.
Peter #6368
So I guess that means anyone over about 5'10" could not drive an early model RHD car without making this change?
I didn't look in the UK, because the relative exchange rates aren't favourable enough. It takes 2.5 AUD to buy 1 sterling, so for us the UK is expensive for everything. AUD to USD is at its strongest for 23 years, so I looked at PIM's collection and found one I liked.
I have driven a LHD car in Aus, and its a bit disconcerting, but if the conversion looks to work out too expensive, then I'll just reassemble after the repairs and use it as is.
Peter #6368
quote:
So I guess that means anyone over about 5'10" could not drive an early model RHD car without making this change?
The guy I bought it from was over 6'. But he was skinny enough to squeeze in. He could drive it but didn't look comfortable.
The seat back rests against the bulkhead and the seat base hits the cover over the hand brake.
I'm 5'9. I find that the headrest is below my head. I have enough just enough leg room, but cannot lean the seat back enough. My head is very close to the roof. I've never really found the car comfortable to drive - which is part of the reason I'm selling it.
Good luck with the RHD conversion.
Hi Peter,
Welcome to the BB. It's looks like your RHD conversion is going to be the easy bit! It's interesting to see how your front fender has split along the join. You would think Vignale would have been able to press that panel in one. There is a join about 10mm down from where the top is attached to the side of the fender.
I relocated my alternator to be able to get the drivers seat all the way back. You have to either modify your existing steel baulk head panel, or make a new one. (It's much easier to modify your existing one) I made one from aluminium for my friends car. You will also have to modify your fibreglass bulk head panel. Kirk Evans of Amersport http://www.amerisportindustries.com/home makes a nice fibreglass bulkhead panel with removable centre section. This means you can get to the steel bulk head panel without having to remove the whole thing.
As you will be doing a lot of work at the front of the car, you will have the opportunity to re-engineer the pedal box over to the right hand side. There must be a reason why De Tomaso went to all the bother of engineering the bars that go across on the RHD cars, but as Rapier said, they changed it over on the late cars.
You can have a new RHD steering rack made by Titan Engineering.
Johnny
PS, the picture is up side down.
Welcome to the BB. It's looks like your RHD conversion is going to be the easy bit! It's interesting to see how your front fender has split along the join. You would think Vignale would have been able to press that panel in one. There is a join about 10mm down from where the top is attached to the side of the fender.
I relocated my alternator to be able to get the drivers seat all the way back. You have to either modify your existing steel baulk head panel, or make a new one. (It's much easier to modify your existing one) I made one from aluminium for my friends car. You will also have to modify your fibreglass bulk head panel. Kirk Evans of Amersport http://www.amerisportindustries.com/home makes a nice fibreglass bulkhead panel with removable centre section. This means you can get to the steel bulk head panel without having to remove the whole thing.
As you will be doing a lot of work at the front of the car, you will have the opportunity to re-engineer the pedal box over to the right hand side. There must be a reason why De Tomaso went to all the bother of engineering the bars that go across on the RHD cars, but as Rapier said, they changed it over on the late cars.
You can have a new RHD steering rack made by Titan Engineering.
Johnny
PS, the picture is up side down.
Attachments
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As Johnny says the flat bulkhead kit that Kirk Evans makes would be the way to go as it allows the passenger (your driver) seat to go all the way back.
Hey Rapier, maybe you should think about this as an alternative to selling your car, or better still get in touch with Johnny
Hey Rapier, maybe you should think about this as an alternative to selling your car, or better still get in touch with Johnny
Hi Joules,
I had thought about it.
And replacing the seats, and the wheels (I want 8 & 10 instead of 7 & 8).
But I'd still have a car I can't really afford to drive. Petrol is now £1 per litre here. That translates as $7.56 for a US gallon.
I just don't earn enough.
So instead I'm going to sell up and put the money into finishing my other projects. A '46 Hillman Minx and my modified and fuel injected 1968 Sunbeam Rapier.
I had thought about it.
And replacing the seats, and the wheels (I want 8 & 10 instead of 7 & 8).
But I'd still have a car I can't really afford to drive. Petrol is now £1 per litre here. That translates as $7.56 for a US gallon.
I just don't earn enough.
So instead I'm going to sell up and put the money into finishing my other projects. A '46 Hillman Minx and my modified and fuel injected 1968 Sunbeam Rapier.
Thanks Johnny and Joules,
the comments and the photos really help in this game. I think it may take me some time however, but I have some guard tops (fenders) and a front panel on their way from PIM as the first step. With shipping it takes a couple of months door to door.
And the Titan rack looks good, but has anyone considered that the Morris 1100 (which Johnny pointed out in another post contributed its front lamps to the UK Pantera via Innocenzi), may also be the source of the RHD steering rack? A LHD morris (Innocenzi) rack turned around and in front of the axle, looks like it may be the actual correct source. I don't yet have the final measurements but from the photos in my 1965 Morris workshop manual it looks almost exactly the right unit, and they quote 3.25 turns lock to lock and 5 inches travel.
We are still lucky here with petrol Rapier, AUD $1.40 per litre or just over half your cost in the UK. But my theory is as long as you don't drive it every day, then its almost irrelevant.
thanks for the helpful comments from all,
Peter
the comments and the photos really help in this game. I think it may take me some time however, but I have some guard tops (fenders) and a front panel on their way from PIM as the first step. With shipping it takes a couple of months door to door.
And the Titan rack looks good, but has anyone considered that the Morris 1100 (which Johnny pointed out in another post contributed its front lamps to the UK Pantera via Innocenzi), may also be the source of the RHD steering rack? A LHD morris (Innocenzi) rack turned around and in front of the axle, looks like it may be the actual correct source. I don't yet have the final measurements but from the photos in my 1965 Morris workshop manual it looks almost exactly the right unit, and they quote 3.25 turns lock to lock and 5 inches travel.
We are still lucky here with petrol Rapier, AUD $1.40 per litre or just over half your cost in the UK. But my theory is as long as you don't drive it every day, then its almost irrelevant.
thanks for the helpful comments from all,
Peter
Peter,
The Austin rack is externally the same, but has a different ratio. A few people in the DT drivers club have been down that road before and found the rack to be to quick. I suppose it make the steering extra heavy. I have not personally tried it though.
Johnny
The Austin rack is externally the same, but has a different ratio. A few people in the DT drivers club have been down that road before and found the rack to be to quick. I suppose it make the steering extra heavy. I have not personally tried it though.
Johnny
Update: Bought a 70 year old Singer off ebay and it works ok with leather! (Then found another one in the cupboard under the stairs, but that’s another story.) Bought some offcuts off ebay too for practicing – So far so good. Signed up on Freecycle.co.uk and got given a black leather sofa and chair in really good condition. I now have enough material to do both seats, all the interior – and probably a jacket too – I’ll be posting pics of the first seat soon. Phil.
Hi Phil,
I have a couple of 70 year old singers under the stairs. Are these the pedal versions or have you gone electric power?
I'm actually staying with a retired upholsterer this weekend to get some lessons. Watch out for the leather sofas, I stripped one last week and most of the rear and sides was vinyl, to match the leather that you sat on.
Good luck, looking forward to the story.
Peter
I have a couple of 70 year old singers under the stairs. Are these the pedal versions or have you gone electric power?
I'm actually staying with a retired upholsterer this weekend to get some lessons. Watch out for the leather sofas, I stripped one last week and most of the rear and sides was vinyl, to match the leather that you sat on.
Good luck, looking forward to the story.
Peter
Hi Pete,
It's electric - but by the looks of it only just! The serial number gives a build of 1937 - but from the instruction manual downloaded off the 'net it's exactly the same model (15) that was available with treddle.
We're a bit closer to italy for the cheap leather here - so i'm pretty sure it's all the real deal.
Phil
It's electric - but by the looks of it only just! The serial number gives a build of 1937 - but from the instruction manual downloaded off the 'net it's exactly the same model (15) that was available with treddle.
We're a bit closer to italy for the cheap leather here - so i'm pretty sure it's all the real deal.
Phil
Phil,
checked the serial no. and mine is a 1907 model, with something called a vibrating shuttle! That seems to be the bobbin carrier. Still had its original 1896 owners manual plus all the attachments for doing fancy sewing (none specifically for leather though).
My upholsterer friend strongly recommends the make it in vinyl approach (I'm talking dash here) to get an accurate pattern, then once it is right (doesn't matter if the vinyl is full of holes from stitching undone and redone) you dismantle the vinyl and cut the leather to accurate shape and size. The main issue is to get a vinyl that has a similar stretch to the proposed leather.
With any other item, you need to carefully unstitch the existing cover and use that as a pattern to cut out the new.
The nice thing with the treadle machine should be that you can't burn out the motor by going too slowly - which can be an issue with a normal (unmodified) domestic machine doing this sort of work. But I can see that it would be easier with a walking foot (as recommended by Johnny) as feeding the fabric by the normal "grippers" under the foot, can vary giving different length stitches, particularly around corners.
Peter
checked the serial no. and mine is a 1907 model, with something called a vibrating shuttle! That seems to be the bobbin carrier. Still had its original 1896 owners manual plus all the attachments for doing fancy sewing (none specifically for leather though).
My upholsterer friend strongly recommends the make it in vinyl approach (I'm talking dash here) to get an accurate pattern, then once it is right (doesn't matter if the vinyl is full of holes from stitching undone and redone) you dismantle the vinyl and cut the leather to accurate shape and size. The main issue is to get a vinyl that has a similar stretch to the proposed leather.
With any other item, you need to carefully unstitch the existing cover and use that as a pattern to cut out the new.
The nice thing with the treadle machine should be that you can't burn out the motor by going too slowly - which can be an issue with a normal (unmodified) domestic machine doing this sort of work. But I can see that it would be easier with a walking foot (as recommended by Johnny) as feeding the fabric by the normal "grippers" under the foot, can vary giving different length stitches, particularly around corners.
Peter