Converting a Supra to a van

Conor_M1990

Seen a few big engined cars like Supras and GTOS converted to commerical and I have a few questions

1: What exactly needs to be done Is it just a case of ripping out the back seats and throwing down a bit of mdf
2: Can I bring a Supra in from England convert it and pay the 50 vrt or would I still have to pay the full amount
3: Insurance Can I insure it privately ?
4: Can Customs or the gards say anything once she has a full window

B00MSTICK

Could be wrong on all of this but....

-Take out seats, put in mdf/fake floor, get it weighed/inspected/fill in all paperwork etc.

-I think it already has to be a commercial to avail of the €50 VRT. So if you find a commercialised one over there you'd be ok... you will have to weld the seat belt mounts etc. if you import it afaik.
If its an Irish car that has its VRT paid and you are converting it you can keep the mounts (Read this but not sure if its a fact)

-Pretty sure you can insure privately but you may be able to insure as a commercial and get a private use add-on. Could be worth checking out if you decide to go through with it.

-If you are driving around outside regular work hours and the Gardaí see a commercial tax disc it will certainly raise a few eyebrows (even if its not late at night perhaps) Once they do notice it you can be damn sure they'll keep a sharp eye on you.

They may even ask what business you are doing. i.e why are you driving around at 1am in a work vehicle.

If you get stopped by customs you can be sure that you'll be in for a grilling. Questions like why would you go to the hassle and expense of converting a twin turbo car with little load space/terrible fuel economy to a commercial other than to avoid the high cost of tax.

If it went to court I don't see a judge going easy on you either.

There seems to be a clampdown on agri-diesel/vrt as of late so the chances of meeting a checkpoint are higher now.

Of course if you are using it for commercial purposes whenever you drive it then you're fine.

If you do mobile security or something like that then you might even argue that a quick commercial vehicle is a big advantage.

Conor_M1990

B00MSTICK wrote: »

Could be wrong on all of this but....

-Take out seats, put in mdf/fake floor, get it weighed/inspected/fill in all paperwork etc.

-I think it already has to be a commercial to avail of the €50 VRT. So if you find a commercialised one over there you'd be ok... you will have to weld the seat belt mounts etc. if you import it afaik.
If its an Irish car that has its VRT paid and you are converting it you can keep the mounts (Read this but not sure if its a fact)

It would be pretty hard to find a commerical one over there as there tax is alot cheaper also why do I have to weld up the seatbelt points want happens if I or the person I sell the car onto wants to use it as a car

-Pretty sure you can insure privately but you may be able to insure as a commercial and get a private use add-on. Could be worth checking out if you decide to go through with it. Sound

-If you are driving around outside regular work hours and the Gardaí see a commercial tax disc it will certainly raise a few eyebrows (even if its not late at night perhaps) Once they do notice it you can be damn sure they'll keep a sharp eye on you. How often do you see a commerical jeep at night been used for private purposes

They may even ask what business you are doing. i.e why are you driving around at 1am in a work vehicle. More then likely if its going to be driven at that hour i would have a geniune excuse for driving it I dont like drawing attention to myself and Im not one of these boys that does 100 laps of the town trying to get my knob sucked with 5 other boys in the car so more then likely I wouldnt get stopped and If I am Ill be going somewhere

If you get stopped by customs you can be sure that you'll be in for a grilling. Questions like why would you go to the hassle and expense of converting a twin turbo car with little load space/terrible fuel economy to a commercial other than to avoid the high cost of tax. By law are they actually able to anything If it has a full window and everything is in order and do I actually have to a proper business which is registered or could I just say I run a valeting business and am using the car for advertisement?

If it went to court I don't see a judge going easy on you either. think your right there

There seems to be a clampdown on agri-diesel/vrt as of late so the chances of meeting a checkpoint are higher now. Once the vrts payed can they say anything

Of course if you are using it for commercial purposes whenever you drive it then you're fine.

If you do mobile security or something like that then you might even argue that a quick commercial vehicle is a big advantage.

Sound for that

Owen

Some very naughty people fill in the seat mounting bolts with solder. Looks like welding, and the inspectors can't tell the difference. What's good though, is if you sell the car, and someone wants to buy it again as a passenger car, you can melt the solder in a heartbeat and extract it.

Conor_M1990

PaintDoctor wrote: »

Some very naughty people fill in the seat mounting bolts with solder. Looks like welding, and the inspectors can't tell the difference. What's good though, is if you sell the car, and someone wants to buy it again as a passenger car, you can melt the solder in a heartbeat and extract it.

actually thats quite cleaver

Atomic Pineapple

How often do you see a commerical jeep at night been used for private purposes

Only farmers would really get away with it, you actually dont see many commercial jeeps being used for going for a meal say.


By law are they actually able to anything If it has a full window and everything is in order and do I actually have to a proper business which is registered or could I just say I run a valeting business and am using the car for advertisement?

Yes, they can investigate further and if they find you have no legitimate excuse for driving a commercial and are only doing it to avoid tax then you can be done for tax evasion.

You will then have to pay the full tax back dated all the way back and may incur a fine on top of it.

You need a legitimate business.

Once the vrts payed can they say anything

yes, see above, they will be very interested in sports car thats taxed as a commercial these days

Conor_M1990

draffodx wrote: »

How often do you see a commerical jeep at night been used for private purposes

Only farmers would really get away with it, you actually dont see many commercial jeeps being used for going for a meal say.




By law are they actually able to anything If it has a full window and everything is in order and do I actually have to a proper business which is registered or could I just say I run a valeting business and am using the car for advertisement?

Yes, they can investigate further and if they find you have no legitimate excuse for driving a commercial and are only doing it to avoid tax then you can be done for tax evasion.

You will then have to pay the full tax back dated all the way back and may incur a fine on top of it.

You need a legitimate business.

Once the vrts payed can they say anything

yes, see above, they will be very interested in sports car thats taxed as a commercial these days

Suposse your right could argue till the cows come home but I reckon its more hassle then its worth. I'll think I just try and find and unmolested 200sx or something like that and get a supra in a few years when Im finished college

Ferror

This thread from the motors forum, seems to answer just about everything possible: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055759047&highlight=350z

B00MSTICK

How often do you see a commerical jeep at night been used for private purposes

Unfortunately that won't fly in court/when talking to a guard.
It's like if you get stopped for speeding and saying the car in front of me was speeding too.

By law are they actually able to anything If it has a full window and everything is in order and do I actually have to a proper business which is registered or could I just say I run a valeting business and am using the car for advertisement?

If you get stopped by Gardaí once they'll know its a commercial vehicle. If they see you leave Xtravision or something they might pull you over and ask you why did you use a commercial vehicle to rent a DVD? I know its nit picking but it could happen...

If you say you have a registered company they'll check up on it. They may even ask for a VAT number etc. on the spot.

If you said it was for advertising you'd have to get stickers etc. put on it which would significantly detract from the look and they'd probably check it out as above too.

I'm young enough and would really like a stonking car for little money (I even considered this idea for about a day, my old man has a company where you'd always have a plausible excuse if stopped) but I think its better just to wait and save untl you can do it properly.

EDIT: Just noticed this

Conor_M1990 wrote:

Suposse your right could argue till the cows come home but I reckon its more hassle then its worth. I'll think I just try and find and unmolested 200sx or something like that and get a supra in a few years when Im finished college

Smart move

paddy147

The gardai and customs are currently on a checkpoint blitz at the moment inpounding and cars converted for the sole purpose of avoiding the tax on them.

No amount of bullsh!t excuses will fly with them and they will and have every legal right to take the car off you,if you cannot prove that you are using for commercial purposes.

The state and revenue are losing money every day,so the gardai and customs are even more determined to take converted cars off the road now until you cough up the big fine and impound fees.

You have been warned.;)

eire1990

i dont think they are that bad alot of people i know have commercials and they use them every day and they dont have registerd companys and also thay have been stoped by police when thay were just spining round late at night and there was notting said about the fact thay were commercial the only trouble would be getting registerd as a commercial to start with if you get a picky lad doing the paperwork but once its registerd its sound

Atomic Pineapple

eire1990 wrote: »

i dont think they are that bad alot of people i know have commercials and they use them every day and they dont have registerd companys and also thay have been stoped by police when thay were just spining round late at night and there was notting said about the fact thay were commercial the only trouble would be getting registerd as a commercial to start with if you get a picky lad doing the paperwork but once its registerd its sound

Any of those people you know drive a Supra 3 litre twin turbo or a 280bhp 350z as a commercial though?

The gardai/customs wont bother anyone with a diseal carvan/van/jeep but I bet they would bother with someone taxing a Supra as commercial

ShadowHearth

to be honest, i wouldnt go all the hassel m8, garda are not stupid. they wount leave you alone with this. yhey understand what you trying to do, and they will bring you down just becouse of that. Such cars are just a red flag to garda, if they wount take you in for this thing, they will find anather way just to annoy you...

Just bend over and take it in lads, like moust of us do...

Armin_Tamzarian

draffodx wrote: »

Any of those people you know drive a Supra 3 litre twin turbo or a 280bhp 350z as a commercial though?

http://www.midnightclub.ie/forum/showthread.php?t=41873&highlight=commercial+supra

stellarartois

Armin_Tamzarian wrote: »

http://www.midnightclub.ie/forum/showthread.php?t=41873&highlight=commercial+supra

Can't view this.

Armin_Tamzarian

stellarartois wrote: »

Can't view this.

Works fine for me.
Perhaps you have to register yourself.

stellarartois

Armin_Tamzarian wrote: »

Works fine for me.
Perhaps you have to register yourself.

I don't want to register to such an awful site.

cp9a

If you were to do this it would prob work out cheaper to register as a window tinting and mobile valeting company. You can then use the Vat number to get cheap servicing parts and your driving the Supra as Advertising. Look how good the tint is Garda and how the paint work buffs up well in the street light. The reason im driving it at this hour of the night is because most of my customers are Boy Racers who come out at night.

ShadowHearth

cp9a wrote: »

If you were to do this it would prob work out cheaper to register as a window tinting and mobile valeting company. You can then use the Vat number to get cheap servicing parts and your driving the Supra as Advertising. Look how good the tint is Garda and how the paint work buffs up well in the street light. The reason im driving it at this hour of the night is because most of my customers are Boy Racers who come out at night.

this is actually best message i have read in boards.ie!

What he said! spot on lol

paddy147

stellarartois wrote: »

I don't want to register to such an awful site.

Bye bye so.;)

stellarartois

paddy147 wrote: »

Bye bye so.;)

Where are you off to?

Atomic Pineapple

Keep it to pm if you guys want, dont bring the thread off topic