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JH classics deon LHD?

6 Sep 2012, 7:29pm
Did they make any LHD Deons?
I live in Canada and have thought about getting an orignal Deon from the 80s-90s but haven't seen one with LHD.
Thanks.
8 Sep 2012, 12:10pm
baggs wrote:
Did they make any LHD Deons?
I live in Canada and have thought about getting an orignal Deon from the 80s-90s but haven't seen one with LHD.
Thanks.


Hi
I have their original sales brochure and in it they do indeed state a lhd version
was available with cars being sent all over the world even one car going to japan. Wether this was sales hype or not I don't know.
ian
8 Sep 2012, 3:45pm
Ian, thanks for reply to my posting. It's good to know they offered the deon in lhd but now try to find one. The only time I've seen deons for sale are in the UK and of course they are all rhd. I wonder if John Hurst remembers building any lhd deons and if so where they ended up?
I imagine changing a rhd to lhd would be expensive and challenging?
9 Sep 2012, 2:27pm
baggs wrote:
Ian, thanks for reply to my posting. It's good to know they offered the deon in lhd but now try to find one. The only time I've seen deons for sale are in the UK and of course they are all rhd. I wonder if John Hurst remembers building any lhd deons and if so where they ended up?
I imagine changing a rhd to lhd would be expensive and challenging?


Hi
I not sure how hard it would be. I guess if you wanted to it could be done.The steering rack is from a original bmc mini,and an internet search would reveal if it swaps over or they made a lhd one as the mini was sold all over the world.The dash and pedals would all swap over, so I would guess some chassis work and some work in the cockpit for mounting the steering to the other side. Maybe a new dash moulding or altering the existing and your about there. Not for the faint hearted I agree but possible.
ian
9 Sep 2012, 3:37pm
Or would it just be easier and cheaper to get one of the current ones being made now by De Havilland and Cascu?
9 Sep 2012, 8:38pm
Hi baggs;

Just to let you know that I made a conversion to LHD, using a mini steering rack (available from several sources in LHD) and a LHD dashboard from cascu.
No problems with the chassis or steering column, as it´s the same at both sides, left and right...

Hope this helps

kind regards

Dino_GT
9 Sep 2012, 8:45pm
dino gt, you didn't happen to make a step by step instruction manual did you? :)
9 Sep 2012, 9:26pm
no, definitely not. Different situation...
9 Sep 2012, 9:35pm
Well, its good to know there is someone with the info and has done it before. When the time comes I hope you don't mind if I pick your brain for info?
9 Sep 2012, 9:39pm
no problem. The difficult thing to do would be modifying the frame to which the steering column is attached, but the rest is pretty straight forward...
10 Sep 2012, 2:55pm
rhd to lhd

baggs wrote:
Or would it just be easier and cheaper to get one of the current ones being made now by De Havilland and Cascu?

Hi
Cascu isn't at the moment making or marketing complete cars. Dehavilland almost have a complete car that will hopefully be on the road soon-wether they will do a lhd car I don't know. Dino gt has done the conversion your after.
ian
10 Sep 2012, 3:00pm
rhd to lhd

dino_gt wrote:
no problem. The difficult thing to do would be modifying the frame to which the steering column is attached, but the rest is pretty straight forward...

Hi
If you get a complete deon shell with the metal work in, it would be easy to swap it over. My shell came with no metal work or baulk heads at all.I just copied deons metal work and bonded it to the shell. I don't see why you couldn't just mirror this to the other side.
Ian