I've never owned an automatic transmission car. Two things that I've always wondered about concerning manual transmission cars. First, any of you left-handed? I'm a righty in all respects, so driving a manual is perfectly natural to me. But I've always wondered if driving a U.S. manual is a challenge for left handers. I know that I can't do jack with my left hand. Ever try brushing your teeth with your opposite hand? Bloody impossible.

For cars that are sold stock right-side-drive (Great Britain, Japan, Bahamas, etc.), are the transmission gates reversed also? In other words, is 1st gear on an English car in the same place that 5th gear is in our Maximas? 2nd where our reverse is, and so forth? Or do they work the shifter from far to close, as opposed to our close to far? Just one of the things that my twisted mind ponders.

 

But I have never had any problems drive my 5 speed.

 

You get used to it. Just like learning to punch left handed(trying to get the hang of a speed bag now) or dribbling left handed. The question you should ask is how do RHD guys drive their cars in the USA? Tolls and drive thoughs must be a *****

 

My family took a trip to England a couple of years ago and our rental car was a Vauxhall Cavalier. It was a pretty decent car in need of a good engine...ANYWAY... I am extremely right sided. I didn't really have a problem working the gear shift with my left hand, it was that the clutch was still left foot. It was hard to switch to left hand left foot. I think it would have been easier to switch completly to left hand right foot, at least for me. Then again, that would have made left foot throttle damn near impossible I think. All I'm saying is switching hands but not feet is what threw me. Driving on the wrong side of the road is and altogether different animal however....

 

well it took me about 30 min of getting use to and then it was very fun(r32 skyline). but i didn't have to drive on the other side of the road so i guess it was less challenging.

 

I am from Singapore, and we drive in right handed cars. The part about driving on the wrong side of the road is totally true...esp in car parks and stuff, I alway veer over to the right side of the lane and ppl give the the "what the f#*k look"..thankfully...knock on wood...I've yet to drive on the right side on the roads yet...!

anyways with regards to the shift gate qs, it stays the same...so now...instead of pulling first gear closer to you (for USA's left side seated drivers) you push it to the upper left gate and fifth gear is pulled closer towards you (cos you are sitting on the right side) instead of pushing it further from you....get it?! get it? the pedals remain the same...left most is clutch, then middle brake and right is gas.
The other thing is the signal and light stalks...always end up flipping the wiper stalk and having the wipers sweep when I want actually want to signal to turn.

well, I don't have to deal with stick here cos my parents insisted I get an auto...they know I tend to drive fast and always like to go racing...hehe! have borrowed a couple of my friends' cars home before and dad gawked...WRXs, EVOs..etc. going home this dec to meet up with a junior school friend who owns a canary yellow skyline GTR V-spec R34...going to take lots of pics and post it here...! =)

ok...later

 

I'm a righty and I've never driven a right hand drive, but I did learn to play french horn after learning trumpet. For those of you that don't know, you do all the fingerings on a Concert French horn with your left hand. I didn't have much of a problem with that, and it's very easy to switch from trumpet to horn. I would say that RHD shouldn't be much harder.....

Can you pat your head, and rub your stomach? (or visa-versa)