Date: Sun, 10 Dec 2006 22:02:03 +0100 From: Nel <nelfrikandelnospamail.com> Subject: Re: right drive vs. left drive
On 8 Dec 2006 21:04:31 -0800, "Inno" <inno.dubelaarnospaml.com> wrote: >I was reading an article in the paper last week about an industry in >South America (Chile maybe?) where they import used cars from Japans >(right-hand wheel) and tear them apart to move the steering wheel to >the "normal" side of the car. Photos showed the interior of the car >completely torn apart. > >I guess these mechanics are quick and cheap enough to make it >worthwhile... This story is true, however it is Bolivia importing cars through the tollfree zone of Iquique, Chile. Story is this: Iquique is a tollfree port, and thousands of used cars from around the world are imported to the latin american continent trough this port. Bolivia is in the backland of this port, and being the poorest of south american countries, Bolivians import cars, mainly to serve as colectivos (cheap collective taxis). The cheapest used cars on the market are old run down cars from asian countries, the RHD's are even cheaper, because there are less markets to sell them to. Probably there's a road law forbidding RHD cars, so the Bolivians rebuild them to LHD's in an amateuristic way, and drive them till they fall apart. They look really funny, with the dash still on the right, but the steering wheel sticking onto the interior in the left sid through the (former) glove compartiment...
