Converting passenger car to commercial vehicle?

The Pontiac

Tried the search function but a lot of older threads.

Is it possible to get an estate passenger car converted to a commercial vehicle? I think the windows would have to be blacked out and the seats removed..

Obviously converting something like a BMW 530d would make financial sense for motor tax purposes.

I'm self employed and would be genuinely using the car for work.

Just not sure if the laws have been changed in the last few years.

dgt

Seats out
Disconnect windows
Belts out
Mounting holes welded
Weld in steel floor
Black out windows

Visit engineer, get signed off
DOE it
Change tax class at tax office after inspection
CRW and and tax it

The Pontiac

dgt wrote: »

Seats out
Disconnect windows
Belts out
Mounting holes welded
Weld in steel floor
Black out windows

Visit engineer, get signed off
DOE it
Change tax class at tax office after inspection
CRW and and tax it

Thanks.

Sounds excessive, but probably not as bad as it sounds. Any idea of the cost?

Seems a shame to destroy a decent motor (like a 530d for example) but it'd be still a great car/van.

dgt

The Pontiac wrote: »

Thanks.

Sounds excessive, but probably not as bad as it sounds. Any idea of the cost?

Seems a shame to destroy a decent motor (like a 530d for example) but it'd be still a great car/van.

I couldn't tell you the cost because I done it myself, fitted fibreglass panels instead of windows and all :pac: The engineer was €100 at the time, a DOE is €87, a CRW is €6.... Someone else should be able to quote garage prices though

Believe me I thought of butchering an E46 330d myself back in the day....!

The Pontiac

dgt wrote: »

I couldn't tell you the cost because I done it myself, fitted fibreglass panels instead of windows and all :pac: The engineer was €100 at the time, a DOE is €87, a CRW is €6.... Someone else should be able to quote garage prices though

Believe me I thought of butchering an E46 330d myself back in the day....!

No one ever sits in my back seats anyway, just work gear. Can't believe I never thought of this before.

Might even look in to doing some of the work myself. Not sure about welding a steel floor though!

Great loophole!

K.Flyer

You also need a solid panel between the back of the seats and the cargo area and there is also some rule about the distance from the panel to the back door has to be equal to or greater than some percentage of the wheelbase.
So revenue informed me when I enquired about it 3 years ago.

kuro2k

dgt wrote: »

Seats out
Disconnect windows
Belts out
Mounting holes welded
Weld in steel floor
Black out windows

Visit engineer, get signed off
DOE it
Change tax class at tax office after inspection
CRW and and tax it

You don't need to blank out the windows if the VRT has been paid in full as a private car

dgt

K.Flyer wrote: »

You also need a solid panel between the back of the seats and the cargo area and there is also some rule about the distance from the panel to the back door has to be equal to or greater than some percentage of the wheelbase.
So revenue informed me when I enquired about it 3 years ago.

Never had one, not required at the time (circa 3 years ago too )

Although it was a hatchback I converted :pac:

kuro2k wrote: »

You don't need to blank out the windows if the VRT has been paid in full as a private car

I was told different at the time, things must have changed since

The Pontiac

K.Flyer wrote: »

You also need a solid panel between the back of the seats and the cargo area and there is also some rule about the distance from the panel to the back door has to be equal to or greater than some percentage of the wheelbase.
So revenue informed me when I enquired about it 3 years ago.

Think you're correct as from my limited research on Google. An estate should easily exceed this though?

kuro2k wrote: »

You don't need to blank out the windows if the VRT has been paid in full as a private car

Better still, if this is true.

NuckingFacker

The Pontiac wrote: »

Think you're correct as from my limited research on Google. An estate should easily exceed this though?



Better still, if this is true.

Have the rules/ability to do this not all changed recently? I thought they had knocked this route on the head pretty much? Hopefully not though...

The Pontiac

NuckingFacker wrote: »

Have the rules/ability to do this not all changed recently? I thought they had knocked this route on the head pretty much? Hopefully not though...

I honestly don't know if they have or not.

cornee

Got it done last Sept on Mitsubishi pajero. cost 1200 euro. Steel floor up to back of front seats. Everything removed from back

The Pontiac

kuro2k wrote: »

You don't need to blank out the windows if the VRT has been paid in full as a private car

cornee wrote: »

Got it done last Sept on Mitsubishi pajero. cost 1200 euro. Steel floor up to back of front seats. Everything removed from back

Was it a requirement to black out the windows Cornee?

K.Flyer

K.Flyer wrote: »

You also need a solid panel between the back of the seats and the cargo area and there is also some rule about the distance from the panel to the back door has to be equal to or greater than some percentage of the wheelbase.
So revenue informed me when I enquired about it 3 years ago.

Just remembered...
This was when I was considering converting a KIA Carnival (7 seater MPV) to a Crew Cab with 4 seats and that was what they quoted me in the revenue motor office in Tallaght.
The rules might be a little different for an estate where you will only have the two front seats.
Sorry if I misled anyone...

Bandara

Absolutely no requirement to black out windows or disable the electric window function in the back windows

cornee

The Pontiac wrote: »

Was it a requirement to black out the windows Cornee?

Passenger windows left as it was. rear windows blacked out

magic9911

Can anyone tell me if a person driving a commercial vehicle actually needs to own a company and/or use it as a work vehicle? Or can I just use it for commuting to work/recreation only?

The Pontiac

magic9911 wrote: »

Can anyone tell me if a person driving a commercial vehicle actually needs to own a company and/or use it as a work vehicle? Or can I just use it for commuting to work/recreation only?

You'd have to be VAT registered and/or C2 holder, Sole Trader etc.

BangOlafson

Is there somewhere a proper manual/list of requirements?

I need a new family car and had a look at a Merc Vito 6 seater And for myself an older Focus ST... rear seats are not required ... will be full of scaffolding anyway

If I register a sole trader... do I actually have to trade?

Cheers

andy t

bringing up an old thread here,,, but considering doing this to a bmw 325 coupe,

is the steel floor required ? or will welding up the belt holes do ?

John1313

Hello was wondering how you got on with the conversion what was the regulations and costs or were do i get this info im thinking on a conversion myself thanks.