Making van panels look like windows?

13spanner

My brother is after buying a red mk4 golf van. It has red panels where the back-side windows should be. He wanted to know how to get the back panels looking like they're just tinted windows? I can see why he wants to, it would look alot nicer. He has no boards.ie account and asked me to put this up. What do ye think?

johnos1984

Could he just remove the blank panels and replace them with proper glass from a scrapped car and then have them tinted?

Jimdagym

johnos1984 wrote: »

Could he just remove the blank panels and replace them with proper glass from a scrapped car and then have them tinted?

Are vans "allowed" have real windows instead of panels?

Owen

I'd imagine it'd be a DOE failure if he put in original glass again.

TBH, nothing's going to look like glass. Even a panel painted black and lacquered, or a panel covered in black gloss vinyl will still look weird.

kildare.17hmr

PaintDoctor wrote: »

I'd imagine it'd be a DOE failure if he put in original glass again.

TBH, nothing's going to look like glass. Even a panel painted black and lacquered, or a panel covered in black gloss vinyl will still look weird.

Just asked the DOT testers in work and they said no it will not fail with glass in it so your good

Daegerty

PaintDoctor wrote: »

I'd imagine it'd be a DOE failure if he put in original glass again.

TBH, nothing's going to look like glass. Even a panel painted black and lacquered, or a panel covered in black gloss vinyl will still look weird.

The trick is mud. And also a sticker from the dealer over the 'glass' and a fair bit of ould thin mud on them

R.O.R

You can get glass panels bonded on to the outside of the van, but it won't be cheap.

A large brewery has Vivaro vans with Glass Panels bonded to the outside of them. I always thought they were 9 seater vehicles, but they are vans.

BOTT in Cork or Dublin would be able to do it, but it's around €800 + VAT - maybe more for the shape needed on a Golf (Van panels are more or less rectangular).

13spanner

johnos1984 wrote: »

Could he just remove the blank panels and replace them with proper glass from a scrapped car and then have them tinted?

I could source windows and have them tinted no problem. Does anyone know if that's easy enough to do? Like could a local ''windscreen & exhaust centre'' do it?

johnos1984

13spanner wrote: »

I could source windows and have them tinted no problem. Does anyone know if that's easy enough to do? Like could a local ''windscreen & exhaust centre'' do it?

I'm sure they can.

Also in case of any trouble with the DOE tester why not fit some carpet to the inside.

mgbgt1978

You could put glass in but as far as the rules go there must be steel panels welded behind the glass.
A lot of the newer car/4wd derived commercials have it done this way...mainly to achieve the look that you are after.

YouTookMyName

Is there still companys that turn vans in minibuses? Coachmakers or want of a better word?

mgbgt1978

Yes there are. KVC (kilbeggan vehicle conversions) is the first one to spring to mind but I'm fairly sure there are another couple in Dublin.

gofaster_s13

You can put the glass back into the van, its not a DOE requirement to have them pannelled out(or to have the glass tinted) so long as there's no rear seats(speaking as a DOE tester)

mgbgt1978

I think you would have more trouble with the Customs than the DOE if you just replace the panels with glass.

gofaster_s13

mgbgt1978 wrote: »

I think you would have more trouble with the Customs than the DOE if you just replace the panels with glass.

Customs won't care so long as there's no seats in it and its not full of green diesel, you only need the panels in the windows when declaring the vehicle as a van on initial registration to avoid passanger vehicle VRT

Cmar-Ireland

I had a commercial 4x4 with glass in the rear doors and rear panels and it went through 6 DOE tests in a few different test centres. No problem with the glass. Custom checkpoints were only interested in it not having seats or seatbelts in the back.

homer90

I assume the panels just swap out.. I would try VW dealers / breakers up north.


*EDIT* Sorry thought it was for a MK5

colm_mcm

homer90 wrote: »

I assume the panels just swap out.. I would try VW dealers / breakers up north.


*EDIT* Sorry thought it was for a MK5

just fit the glass, tint it and stick thin carpet behind that. Job done

Re the vivaros the crew cabs they use have glass on the sliding doors and matching glass over use metal panels at the back, that's just the way the crew cabs come

redforest101

mgbgt1978 wrote: »

Yes there are. KVC (kilbeggan vehicle conversions) is the first one to spring to mind but I'm fairly sure there are another couple in Dublin.

dont think they are about anymore

-Corkie-

redforest101 wrote: »

dont think they are about anymore

Dont think or dont know???

http://www.evm.ie/index.php/Recent

redforest101

KVC was what i was on about and yes i was saying that company was gone,must have been taken over or rebranded