When Ordering Car Parts, Which Side is Left or Right?
Posted by Joshlin Grayson on Apr 23rd 2020
“The driver’s side is considered the left side, right?” That’s a question that many restorers have asked themselves time and time again. To be frank, it can be extremely confusing, as your right side if you’re looking at the car is the total opposite of your right side if you’re driving it. Years ago, auto manufacturers realized this and used to stamp an ‘L’ or an ‘R’ on the assembly portion of the headlights and taillights so that you wouldn’t get confused, but there are so many components that differ from the left and ride side of a car, its easy to get one mixed up with the next. Dive in with us as we explore how to tell which side of the car is considered left and right, so the next time you order a part, you won’t be disappointed when you take it out of the box.
It’s clear why some people get the “left side and the right side” of the car very confusing. Simply referring to the “driver’s side” and the “passenger side” doesn’t always suffice because in different parts of the world, the “driver’s side” can be on either side of the car.
The “Left” is on the left and the “Right” is on the right.
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To answer the troubling question we bring you a scenario:
Picture your dream car: it doesn’t matter what it is, as long as it has four wheels and a steering wheel. Now imagine yourself getting inside and looking straight ahead. Now look to the left, see that? That’s considered the “Left” side of the car. Now look to the right. This side is considered the “Right” side of the car.
If you stumbled into this blog because you needed to know which side was which, you might be after interior arm rests. Or possibly, you are after tie rod ends. Whichever part you are after for whichever side you are working on, you can rest easy knowing we are here to support you along your journey!
So the next time you order window seals, interior parts, or suspension or steering partsyou can order with the assurance that you’re purchasing the right part for the right side of the car (even if it’s on the left). For many parts like insulation and sound deadeners this distinction is not as important but for virtually everything else, it is critical to get right.
Now that we’ve established which side is right and left, here are a few easy tips to remember when ordering your next part. These will keep you from making a blunder:
No matter what part of the world you are in, left is left and right is right. Regardless if you’re driving a classic left-hand-drive American muscle car or a classic right-hand drive Aston Martin, picture yourself sitting in the car and refer to the directions as such.
The next time you pick up the phone or go to your computer to order parts, make sure you don’t fall into saying “driver’s side” and “passenger’s side”. Although these terms may help you when ordering from a local parts supplier, where all of the parts in stock are for left hand or right-hand drive vehicles, this may not be the case if you order from an international supplier. Because many classic vehicles were made in both left and right-hand variants, referring to the “driver’s side” can be a roll of the dice, especially if the auto part supplier you’re purchasing from is based in another country. Trust us, nothing is worse waiting for weeks for the classic car parts you desperately need to arrive and it’s for the wrong side of the vehicle.
At Collectors Auto Supply, we encourage you to browse our inventory or give us a call. Here, we strive to get you the right part the first time, every time. Visit us to get started with your next part order.
