Samochody z Anglii

How to recognise an Englishman by the translation?

How to recognise an Englishman by the translation?

How to recognize an “Englishman” when the steering wheel is on the left? Usually, it is the location of the steering wheel that is considered the simplest method of recognising a car from England, but it is not a good clue at all. An experienced mechanic will easily make a spacer and then finding out where the car comes from becomes more difficult. However, it is not impossible, as you will see in a moment! We invite you to read.

In this article you will learn:

  1. Why are spacers made in cars from England?
  2. How to spot an “Englishman” #1: take a good look
  3. How to recognise an “Englishman” #2: check the VIN

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Why are shifters made?

A good question to start with is why spacers are made and why the seller might want to hide this fact? As you can easily guess, the main motive here is profit. Cars from Great Britain are still attractively priced and it is still profitable to import and sell them in Poland. However, not every buyer is interested in such a car, having limited confidence in the vehicle after modifications. So he would like to buy a car at a good price, but he is reluctant to let it be an “Englishman”.

Are these concerns valid? Well, if a reliable car service starts work, then you should not worry about the steering wheel ratio. The question, however, is whether a reliable service would go so far as to try to sell the car while concealing the origin of the car? The good intentions of the seller can be doubted, so there is no basis for trust in other matters either.

Amendments to the regulations of August 15, 2015

It is worth recalling that it is no longer necessary to switch the steering wheel from right to left. You can insure and register a right-hand drive car in Poland.
How to recognise an Englishman by the translation?

How to recognise an “Englishman” #1: look around in the car

Driving a vehicle on the left side forces more changes in the design of the car than you might expect. Such a car is also exploited differently, and thus, you can easily recognise where the driver was actually sitting:

  • Locking and unlocking the door with the key – turning the key in the lock on the driver’s side should lock all the doors of the car. If only the driver’s door locks and unlocks, it means that a passenger was previously seated on that side of the vehicle.
  • The degree of wear of the seats and belts – while the passenger is not always present in the car, driving without the driver has no chance. In older car models, there are clear differences in the wear of the surfaces of the seats and belts.
  • Rear fog lamp – UK cars have fog lamps mounted on the right side. You can replace the lamp at low cost, but not everyone does it.
  • Exterior mirrors – as in the case of lights (both rear and front) are a removable element, but not only their shape should be noted. Despite the replacement, the way the mirror is adjusted may indicate that it was originally on the passenger side, not the driver’s side.
  • Wipers – a detail that probably everyone would overlook, and may reveal the actual origin of the car. Wipers in British cars work in the opposite direction. Even if the seller took the trouble and replaced them, a trace will remain in the vicinity of the assembly site.
  • Hood opening / tank valve lever – these types of elements are always on the driver’s side.
  • Fuses – a panel with fuses located on the driver’s side. He should therefore be on the left side of the steering wheel. If not, you are most likely dealing with “English” after the spacer.
  • Passenger seat adjustment – as a rule, the driver’s side seat does not allow as much adjustment as the passenger seat. Again, appropriate technical changes can be made, but this is another job on the list that takes time and effort and is therefore often simply ignored.

How to recognize an “Englishman” #2: check the VIN

If you carefully examine all the elements and still have doubts, use the possibility of checking the VIN number. Although the codes are standardised, you may have difficulty deciphering each character with certainty on your own. A decoder will help you then, which will decode the information stored in the VIN number for a fee or free of charge.

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