Announcement

**JTR70** · 08-14-2012, 08:04 AM

Yes, you sure created a nice job for yourself. Great looking repair brackets! What is the copper sealer you are using?? Beautiful work! Justin

**restore1** · 08-14-2012, 04:30 PM

This is Just beginning! it gets worse.
I say to my client "noticed the left to right conversion was done real bad"
so here we go.
(the copper spray is a weld through primer made by U POL)

**JTR70** · 08-15-2012, 09:20 AM

Its always worse than you think its gonna be. Lets see how bad. U POL huh? I'll have to look that up. I like it; makes pan seem like solid copper.

**restore1** · 08-20-2012, 02:45 PM

Now we are doing a left to right hand drove conversion. A Big job in itself.I believe it is about $10,000 to purchase the conversion panels from Porsche now days.Luckily I have a stockpile of genuine conversion panels. We always try to spot well as much as possible in order to give that Original look.

**restore1** · 08-20-2012, 02:55 PM

A few changes have to be made to suit at 911T style dash facias that I have are for higher end cars with side vents.

**JTR70** · 08-21-2012, 08:09 AM

Oh my god Jason! I can't believe this car originally came in for just a mirror install! Was the owner very remorsefull on his purchase of this car? How many NOS RHD 911 dashes do you have hanging from the rafters??
Beautiful work by the way; as always mate! Whats next?
Justin

**restore1** · 09-02-2012, 06:08 PM

Justin, I bought a bunch of new conversion parts from a guy in California in the late 80s. I have converted quite a few and still have a lot of parts left. I was worth converting 911s back then but now if I can convince the customer to leave it left I will. We had strict rules about cars having to be RHD but now any car over 30 years old can be left hand drive.

I have both LHD and RHD cars and actually prefer the feel of left hand drive cars, Particularly 911s. As all 356s and 911s were initially designed LHD. When RHD cars were manufactured they were then modified to be RHD.

A couple of good examples are

356 dash panels were pressed LHD and then modified by factory workers to make them RHD by gaswelding in the gauge cluster area and the glove box surround. I am not sure about the glovebox surround but I a am pretty sure the gauge cluster section was a newly pressed piece and has a defined pressing around the perimeter of the gauge aperture. At a guess they did press this new piece as it would have been a simple pressing die to make rather than pressing a whole new dash face in RHD form. and another guess about the defined rib around the aperture would be to tighten up the new panel and help the factory worker as the welding distortion would be minimized by the shape??

On 911s the floors were pressed in LHD format only then a small section of the floor (under the pedals) was cut out and a newly pressed pedal floor section welded in which would accommodate the revised RHD pedals. (This small section was never available as a spare part from Porsche so we have to make them.)

The bottom line is the RHD market was only a very small percentage of sales so it was not worth totally re tooling for such a small market.

Now, what was the question again!!

**restore1** · 09-02-2012, 06:11 PM

After that little RHD rant I forgot to mention the explanation to the image.......

So... we had to remove the interior to do the left to right conversion and this is the Little surprise we found.

**JTR70** · 09-03-2012, 09:11 AM

Very interesting lesson on RHD cars. I never thought of them as being secondary in the tooling process but it makes perfect sense. So you believe that a post factory RHD conversion devalues the car?

I see that this 911 now needs rear seat pan repair. The owner paid too much for this car didn't he? Thanks for the update. Keep them coming Mate!
Justin

**restore1** · 10-24-2012, 05:19 PM

Now he says he wants a sunroof!!!! will it ever end !!

**JTR70** · 10-25-2012, 05:07 AM

Hey Jason,
I am just in AWE of how far down you have taken this car! All I can say is its going to be beautiful once its finished! Great work as usual! Justin