Watch HSV Convert a Chevy Silverado to RHD in 129 Seconds

Making the new Silverado legal for use in Australia takes 100 man-hours to install around 700 new parts.

The video above comes to us from the Official HSV YouTube channel and it features a quick look at how Holden Special Vehicle converts a new Chevrolet Silverado to right-hand-drive. Every new vehicle sold in Australia must be right-drive and Chevrolet doesn’t build them with the steering wheel on the proper side, but Holden Special Vehicles offers imported trucks for sale in the Aussie market.

To do so, HSV much switch every truck to right-hand-drive and that isn’t as easy as just moving the steering column from one side of the engine to the other. All  said and done, the process takes 100 man-hours over the course of five days, installing somewhere in the area of 700 new parts that make the truck legal for Australian road use. The video above quickly walks us through each of the 11 stations used to switch the new Silverados to right-drive, with HSV product line manager James Seath narrating our virtual tour.

Station 1

The first stop for the Chevrolet Silverado at HSV removes the body from the chassis. This is done by two men and once the two sections are separated, the cab goes to Station 2 while the chassis goes to Station.

Station 2, 3 and 4

These two areas both focus on preparing the cab of the Silverado for the right-drive conversion. At Station 2, literally everything is stripped out of the inside of the cab, from the seats and dash to the carpeting and wiring.

Once the interior is bare, the cab moves to Station 3, where an HSV technician cuts 15 holes in the firewall, adding the new panels needed to accommodate the new steering column, pedals and other relocated components of the big Chevy truck.

Meanwhile, as the cab is being stripped bare and cut apart, the chassis is at Station 4, where the area around the engine is prepared for the new steering system location and the new steering column.

Station 5, 6 and 7

After the cab clears Stations 2 and 3 and the chassis is done at Station 4, the cab moves to Station 5 and the chassis goes to Station 7.

At Station 5, the interior components are prepared for installation. The right-hand-drive dashboard is assembled with a reconfigured HVAC system, the seats are modified for a driver on the right side and various interior plastic pieces are trimmed to accommodate the relocated steering wheel and pedals.

The cab is then moved to Station 6, where the finishing touches are added to the inside of the cab before all of the main components are installed. This includes final welding and sealing of the cab box, new interior primer and paint, new carpeting and all of the items that were prepared at Station 5. At that point, the cab is ready to be installed.

While the cab is being finished up, the chassis is at Station 7 having new transmission lines, new power steering lines and other hoses are relocated for the right-drive layout. Once this process is completed, the chassis of the new Chevrolet Silverado is also ready for the final build.

Watch HSV Convert a Chevy Silverado to RHD in 129 Seconds continued…

Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com

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