28 replies to this topic

[T-Crip]

Anyone know where I can get some used or cheap? I don't have 700 dollars to drop on a set for my car.

[jimwa]

Check ebay

Jim

[gsp23]

ditto... I bought mine on eBay for less than $200 shipped.

[T-Crip]

Cool...thanks guys! Hey I saw some portable hand controls...cheaper and look cool...ever use 'em or see anyone that has?

[gsp23]

T-Crip, on Sep 7 2007, 02:08 PM, said:

Cool...thanks guys! Hey I saw some portable hand controls...cheaper and look cool...ever use 'em or see anyone that has?

I know some of the portables dont strap to the steering wheel very well and can end up laying in your lap which is hard to maneuver. The portable ones arent really made to be permanent and I know that even the ones that do come with a strap for steering wheels, the strap can come loose... I had it happen to me once. The temporary ones also sometimes have two seperate knobs and sit underneath your steering wheel, your arms can get tired at the angle that you need to use them and two seperate knobs can be a bit of a pain on a day to day basis. If you are looking for a permanent setup I wouldnt personally buy those ones you are talking about as those are somewhere around $275 on eBay if memory serves and you can bid on some good permanent used ones and get them for even less.

[Nichole]

I have some portable ones that I've used for over two years now, and they work great for me. My parents bought them brand new off ebay, and that's what I taught myself on. Now i do have to say that they are the only kind that i've ever used, so i'm not sure how much better the permanent ones are. Anyway they've worked great for me. Good luck.

[Texaswheelz]

I've used the same set of portable hand controls for a decade. I've have a permanent set in my ol '74 bronco, but the portable set has been in our main vehicle and gone through 4 different ones so far. The two guys I work with who are both para's also use portable ones and have so for longer then I have.

I have a strap over the steering column on mine and have never had a problem with it, the other two guys both go with out a strap on theirs.

[Nichole]

Texaswheelz, on Sep 8 2007, 02:56 PM, said:

I've used the same set of portable hand controls for a decade. I've have a permanent set in my ol '74 bronco, but the portable set has been in our main vehicle and gone through 4 different ones so far. The two guys I work with who are both para's also use portable ones and have so for longer then I have.

I have a strap over the steering column on mine and have never had a problem with it, the other two guys both go with out a strap on theirs.

Yeah, I have one of those straps over the steering column too. I like that it kind of keeps them out of the way when you're getting in and out. I'm glad to see someone else uses the temporary all the time. I like them because I can drive my car, or I can drive my dads truck if I need to haul something in the back, or I can drive my friends cars if they have something cool lol.

[Texaswheelz]

Yea Being able to pull them out and put them in another vehicle in less then 5 minutes is great, also they don't have to remove dash panels and in some cases cut into the dash panel to place the permanent ones in there, which help when it comes time to sell or trade in that vehicle.

[wreckinball]

What brands do you guys use? Especially the ones who've been using them for ten years! I just got the Colours ones but haven't had a chance to use them yet...I got the controls so I'd be able to rent a car every so often and drive long distances, not for everyday use.

Also, what about renting cars? Anyone have any tips on the best models to work with portables?

Thanks!

[Nichole]

wreckinball, on Sep 9 2007, 02:22 AM, said:

What brands do you guys use? Especially the ones who've been using them for ten years! I just got the Colours ones but haven't had a chance to use them yet...I got the controls so I'd be able to rent a car every so often and drive long distances, not for everyday use.

Also, what about renting cars? Anyone have any tips on the best models to work with portables?

Thanks!

I'm not sure what brand mine are, I'll try to look at them and see if they say, or my dad might know since he bought them for me, i'll check.
As for renting cars I've never done that, but I can tell you I've had mine in a Pontiac Grand Am, an Oldsmobile Alero, and a GMC Sonoma. I'm guessing that the rental company would let you try them in a few cars and see what works, it only takes like 5 minutes.
That's a great point that they also don't ruin your dash! I've seen the permanent ones in peoples car where they've cut up a bunch of stuff to put them in! I'd be mad not only for re-sale but just for the fact that i like to keep my car looking nice!

[wheels5894]

I would be interested to see some of the hand controls people are using in North America. A set I tried I found very odd.

In the UK hand controls tend to be fitted by a mechanic or a specialist fitter. here are mine...



For north America people the grey lever below the wheel is pulled towards the steering wheel to accelerate and push away to brake. no much more to it really.

p.s. Hope the picture works!

[Tim13]

I would be interested to see some of the hand controls people are using in North America.

The only pic i have handy is this one of my Chevy Avalanche, the lever goes down for gas and forward for brakes. Very simple to install and usually doesn't require chopping the lower dash (I usually just remove it)

BTW, T-Crip, I think i have an extra set i could spare, PM me and let me know what kind of vehicle you're putting them in.

Edited by Tim13, 09 September 2007 - 03:24 PM.

[Texaswheelz]

The guys i work with both use these I think z4, I bought mine from the sportaid website about a decade ago, but they don't seem to have that kind anymore. Found the ones i have here, came with the blue bag and all.

[hockeydahc]

i have the kind like tim13. forward is break, down is gas. but i have a foam rubber grip.

[PsychoSimon]

these are mine.
Standard UK pull to go push to stop deal in a mitsubishi colt:

[Tim13]

Here are some more of the same type controls as in the Avalanche in my (ex) 1979 Corvette and my 2007 Mustang, the Vette required removing a plate under the steering column and the lever was dangerously close to the inside door panel and sometimes hung up on the outside mirror adjuster.
The local installer told me the controls would not fit at all in the Stang so me and a neighbor did it ourselves, it appears the pro was wrong :-).

[T-Crip]

Texaswheelz, on Sep 8 2007, 06:12 PM, said:

Yea Being able to pull them out and put them in another vehicle in less then 5 minutes is great, also they don't have to remove dash panels and in some cases cut into the dash panel to place the permanent ones in there, which help when it comes time to sell or trade in that vehicle.

Yeah that's kinda what Iwas thinkin' too. And they did seem cheaper. Thanks for the input! Where in TX are you? My family is in Beaumont.

[T-Crip]

Texaswheelz, on Sep 9 2007, 08:25 AM, said:

The guys i work with both use these I think z4, I bought mine from the sportaid website about a decade ago, but they don't seem to have that kind anymore. Found the ones i have here, came with the blue bag and all.

I went to your link and it said 480EU for the price. I'm a tard where is the USA amount and whatnot.

[Nichole]

Tim13, on Sep 10 2007, 02:16 PM, said:

Here are some more of the same type controls as in the Avalanche in my (ex) 1979 Corvette and my 2007 Mustang, the Vette required removing a plate under the steering column and the lever was dangerously close to the inside door panel and sometimes hung up on the outside mirror adjuster.
The local installer told me the controls would not fit at all in the Stang so me and a neighbor did it ourselves, it appears the pro was wrong :-).

OMG! I want a new Mustang so bad but i don't have the money lol. It looks beautiful from the inside!

[Tim13]

OMG! I want a new Mustang so bad but i don't have the money lol. It looks beautiful from the inside!

With the end of model year incentives and sales ford is having, they're really pretty affordable.
I've had it about a month and have never gotten so many compliments on a vehicle in my life-no kidding, people have knocked on my door and asked if they can look at it.
It's very comfortable to drive, has plenty of power and is getting well over 20 mpg, another nice feature-the seat is exactly the same height as my w/c, really neat being able to just slide straight across to get in or out.

here are a few pics:

http://www.tim13.com/Mustang/

[Texaswheelz]

T-Crip, on Sep 10 2007, 10:19 AM, said:

Texaswheelz, on Sep 8 2007, 06:12 PM, said:

Yea Being able to pull them out and put them in another vehicle in less then 5 minutes is great, also they don't have to remove dash panels and in some cases cut into the dash panel to place the permanent ones in there, which help when it comes time to sell or trade in that vehicle.

Yeah that's kinda what Iwas thinkin' too. And they did seem cheaper. Thanks for the input! Where in TX are you? My family is in Beaumont.

Dallas. Sorry I don't know what the US price would be, I couldn't find the same type where I had bought mine a decade or so again so I just did a search in google for portable hand controls and that was the first site i found that had the same time. Where to get them here in the US, I don't know, but I'll have a look see and I might be able to find em.

[Tim13]

I went to your link and it said 480EU for the price. I'm a tard where is the USA amount and whatnot. 480 Euro converts to 662 USD according to google.

The guys i work with both use these I think z4

sportaid.com has the z4 listed on their website for 399

Edited by Tim13, 10 September 2007 - 10:32 PM.

[Texaswheelz]

Here is the link to the type i have , I looked around and found them being sold somewhere other then where I bought them. Looks like this might actually be the manuf. site, but don't know. They have em down as $379, I think they were $250 or so back when I bought em, either way it probably cost them less then $10 to make each set.

[milosh]

portable/removable are very unsafe.

if you don't need anything fancy, a good cheap deal could be found fairly easy. ebay is your friends as well as forums like this one and contacting the other SCI fellas. it's a general tip when buying any aid/device you might need. so far worked great for me.

normal manual/mechanical controls could be fitted by any decent car mechanic. if it's something more advanced, go to a specialist.

i see both, yanks and europeans as well as brits posting here. what do you find eaier, transfering to left or right seat?

[Texaswheelz]

I can handle left or right as long as it is the front seat. Nothing is worse then trying to transfer into the back seat of a vehicle, be it a SUV or car.

Not for sure why people think that portable ones are less safe. As long as you know how to use the hand controls that is on your vehicle, then portable or not, how safe you drive is entirely up to the driver. I haven't had any problems or wrecks with either. Personally I think you should use which ever type you are most comfortable with, which will make you more comfortable behind the wheel and thus a better and safer driver. Currently I feel much more comfortable with my portable ones then I do with the permanent ones(although they only take a half hour or so to remove/install).

[T-Crip]

Thanks to everyone who has left a reply on here! I am finding everyone and everything very helpful! I am giving careful consideration to everything. Thanks all!

[Nichole]

Tim13, on Sep 10 2007, 08:50 PM, said:

OMG! I want a new Mustang so bad but i don't have the money lol. It looks beautiful from the inside!

With the end of model year incentives and sales ford is having, they're really pretty affordable.
I've had it about a month and have never gotten so many compliments on a vehicle in my life-no kidding, people have knocked on my door and asked if they can look at it.
It's very comfortable to drive, has plenty of power and is getting well over 20 mpg, another nice feature-the seat is exactly the same height as my w/c, really neat being able to just slide straight across to get in or out.

here are a few pics:

http://www.tim13.com/Mustang/

WOW! That is an absolutely gorgeous car! I've got to say you have great taste! I really like how you have the gold accents.

[russ1]

I much prefer an electronic centre ring accelerator with just a bush to brake lever. You don't seem to see this in the US at all and it's not that common in the UK, probably because of the cost. It does mean however that unless I'm actually using the brake I can safely drive with just one hand on the steering wheel which controls the accelerator as well. It's a lot less tiring tha continually having to use two hands on anything other than dead straight roads (which we don't get many of in the UK)

The conversion on my car cost about £2,500 though and if it wasn't being paid for by a govt grant (access to work) would be difficult to justify over a push pull conversion for about £600. It is very nicely done though without any of the ugly push pull rods visible at all in the drivers footwell and the brake and accelerator pedals flip up out of the footwell to allow my long legs the full space of the footwell to rest comfortably without fouling the pedals. The pedals flip down and the electrinic accellerator turns off so that the car can be driven normally.

I'll try to remember to get a photo to show how well the conversion has been done.