It is.
I've seen some of the Aussies post about the conversions. I think some older cars are exempt. But they pay a lot of money for the conversions. Not to mention the trouble fixing the car without a real manual.
I too have a RHD vette, 1968 convertible.
Like Gary, my car was converted to RHD before it was old enough to leave it left hand drive.
For the older vettes (C1~C4), there are two methods of converting to RHD....
Mirror conversion, and Chain conversion.
There are advantages and disadvantages for both systems, and it really comes down to how well the conversion is engineered.
The mirror conversion is as it sounds.... You remove the dash, and replace it with a new custom dash which is opposite to the original.... ie , a mirror copy down the centre line. Steering column goes to right side, along with main instrument cluster. Under dash heater box gets transferred to left side, centre gauge and console remain as they are.
Same thing under the bonnet. All the components on the firewall get swapped over to the opposite side.
If it is done well, it does look very good. But it is costlier due to many custom fabricated components and brackets etc.
If it is done badly, it can look very poor.
The chain conversion system was popular on later model C4 series cars.
This involved a dual chain drive adapter which allowed the steering wheel to be moved to the right side, but retain the original location of all the steering components on the left in the engine bay. That is, the steering wheel drives the steering shaft via a continuous chain drive under the dash.
Once again, if it is engineered properly, it works well and retains a factory correct appearance under the bonnet.
The new C6 conversions in Australia are very costly, as there are a lot of custom components which need to be manufactured. Also, there is not a lot of volume to spread the development costs. I believe Performax International (formerly Corvette Queensland) is the only company in Australia able to issue legal compliance plates for RHD C6 Corvettes.
Maybe you could import a converted RHD car from England or Australia if it's what you really want.
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OzzyTom, from the Land DownUnder
We're allowed to drive LHD cars here given our proximity to the Continent and the numbers of tourists driving LHD cars here.
I can only think of one RHD Camaro but no Vettes.
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2002 A4 Convertible, Mag Red II
Euro head and tail lights, Z06 screens, frame savers and rocker rails, Pioneer AVIC X1R nav/DVD player, EE catch can.
Tattershall Castle, England *** **** **** *** Las Vegas, NV
I drive a LHD in england there aren`t any rules against it. But if someone suggested it I wouldn`t be surprised if the government put a tax on LHD cars.
Late C4s are expensive to convert to RHD. There are so many extra things that need to be made. On C3 and early C4 the centre of the dash, dash top, console and doors need no changes. On late C4s all these things have to be made. A conversion on late C4s is around $25-30,000. Here are some photos of the finished product.
Corvette Store
RHD Corvettes?
