The Ford Capri Laser Page

So after 3,000km in a Toyota Corolla hire car with an auto box and wipers on the left and indicators on the right (remember when they used to be that way in the UK?) we handed it back and came home. Jumping in our own car at Gatwick seemed a little odd. Couldn't think how to start it as its a push button and I've got used to a key, had to use a clutch to engage reverse, forgot to use the clutch at the car park barrier and stalled, put the wipers on to indicate left at the first roundabout ..... It's amazing how quickly you get in to habits. But that aside its more relaxing to be back on English roads even though they don't drive on the wrong side in Oz.

DSCF5878 by Peter Smith, on Flickr

Ha ha. Sounds like good fun trying to learn again.

Imagine owning a vehicle that has the wipers on left / indicator on the right and sharing the driving between that and others that are the more conventional way around.

As you said, this was the way in Britain before the cars became Europeanised. And actually, driving the car on the rights side / left side of the road, it feels more natural to drive with the indicator on the right side. Means you can indicate and change gear simultaneously. But the European manufacturers dictated our way.

Hi Peter,
Welcome back (as if you've been away from the forum anyway!) and I'm glad to see you survived your close encounter with a "Golden Gaytime"......

Peter-S wrote: put the wipers on to indicate left at the first roundabout

That must be the issue with BMW and Audi drivers....they must be accidentally flicking on their wipers, that's why we never see them using their indicators!

Andrew.

Welcome back to good old England , did you bring us all a ice cream
Also I bet you put the heating on in the morning .

Jasonmarie wrote:Welcome back to good old England , did you bring us all a ice cream
Also I bet you put the heating on in the morning .

Thanks Jason, sorry you will have to make do with the picture and Nick's video

Last full day in Melbourne we had 30C, in a downpour yesterday on the way to the airport it dropped to 9C. The drive home from Gatwick today was 22C. I'm not going to have a clue what to do about heating!

Any time I drive the work van it takes a little while for my brain to recalibrate. So on exiting the car park I press the brake as I would in a Capri, and end up in a heap!

Imagine have a set of motors that some have the indicator stalk on the left and some the right side of the steering wheel, some have 6 speed, some have 5, some have an auto, some have reverse up and left, some have reverse down and right, the 3 of the 4 pumps offered at the Shell forecourt and each motor has to have a separate pump, otherwise, a mis-fuel.

That's the reason my brain can't take any more day to day info - it's scrambled by all of this nonsense.

I hope you enjoyed that good old English Sea Air this morning Peter as it was bloody cold .
Yes we have a Auto for every day’s use and I find that when I am in the Capri it’s the parking sensors I miss on the back and front .

Jasonmarie wrote:when I am in the Capri it’s the parking sensors I miss on the back and front .

You could probably mount a reverse sensor in the hole in the botom of the rear quarter panel. The hole with those rubber bungs in that you're missing. You wouldn't even notice them in there, especially as you said you're missing those bungs anyway....

Andrew.

Know they were there all the time , but had been painted over ( or you have got me ) I do have new ones I have got to fit .
I would fit them but they really would look wrong also got the old man to get out and see me back