Converting a car into a commercial

johnfaul

Hi lads,

I recently purchased an e46 m3 in the uk.
I have no issue paying the VRT but the tax €1800 is a bit of a joke for a car that will do about 2-4k miles per year.
I was thinking of removing the rear seats and registering it as a commercial.
Is this possible..? I have a farm so can say I’m using it as a van for that.

Thanks,
John

Harry Palmr

Is it even an estate?

colm_c

johnfaul wrote: »

Hi lads,

I recently purchased an e46 m3 in the uk.
I have no issue paying the VRT but the tax €1800 is a bit of a joke for a car that will do about 2-4k miles per year.
I was thinking of removing the rear seats and registering it as a commercial.
Is this possible..? I have a farm so can say I’m using it as a van for that.

Thanks,
John

Seriously?

Don't you think everyone would be doing this if it was possible.

You'd have a hard time converting something that was a passenger version of a commerical vehicle, never mind an m3.

colm_mcm

It’s been done on 350z and 300zx but they’re hatchbacks and from back in the days when SQIs weren’t being watched as much as now.

Surely you considered the tax before buying it?

Homer

colm_mcm wrote: »

Surely you considered the tax before buying it?

Apparently not

wexie

.....was there not something about needing to be able to fit a europallet in the back in order for it to qualify for conversion?

Now I don't have the measurements for an M3 to hand but if I had to guess that's going to a no

wexie

johnfaul wrote: »

Hi lads,
Is this possible..? I have a farm so can say I’m using it as a van for that.

Yeah that's totally plausible they definitely won't see through that.

By the way....have you thought about how you're going to be obtaining commercial insurance on this monstrosity?

colm_mcm

https://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/9000-cars-re-registered-to-save-on-cheaper-tax-128806.html

ted1

wexie wrote: »

.....was there not something about needing to be able to fit a europallet in the back in order for it to qualify for conversion?

Now I don't have the measurements for an M3 to hand but if I had to guess that's going to a no

No, there’s lots of golf vans around

wexie

ted1 wrote: »

No, there’s lots of golf vans around

yes but they were sold as such. I might be wrong and it could well be pertaining to 4x4's.

I'll have a wee google to see what I can find.

Either way, while I'd love to be able to tell OP that he'll get this sorted no problems as I think the 'system' is screwed and hideously unfair....I can't see how he's ever going to pull it off, between tax and insurance.

wexie

from here , in typical Irish fashion the links in the document don't seem to be working.

No. In order for a
vehicle to be reclassified/converted from an M1 to an N1 (or private to commercial) it must meet a set of specific criteria. For example; it must meet the required height of 800mm and/or the area of 12,800cm2for 2 seat rowconversions. For a full list of requirements/specifications please

Full requirements from the NSAI are to be found here : https://www.nsai.ie/images/uploads/certification-automotive/M1-to-N1-conversions-Rev-02.pdf

Eric Cartman

They completely changes the process, you won't clear an M3 no matter what you do, the 370z's etc... were done at different times with different loopholes.

Also I think you'll find that any conversion would count as a modification for insurance. Find me anyone who'd take a modified M3 normally, let alone as commercial.

DaveyDave

Why buy a performance car if you're too cheap to tax it?

kona

DaveyDave wrote: »

Why buy a performance car if you're too cheap to tax it?

Should have put a m3 badge om a 318

Sleeper12

Converting it to a van you have to make it so it can't be turned back in to a car. Any anchorage for the seating & seat belts have to be cut out with an grinder. Rear side windows need to be removed and replaced with metal. At least that's the way it had to be done 20 years ago. I d suppose that it has changed.

colm_mcm

Sleeper12 wrote: »

Converting it to a van you have to make it so it can't be turned back in to a car. Any anchorage for the seating & seat belts have to be cut out with an grinder. Rear side windows need to be removed and replaced with metal. At least that's the way it had to be done 20 years ago. I d suppose that it has changed.

Welded over will do for the seat belt mounts. Easy enough to cut a bolt, stick it in then do a little weld over it.

If VRT has already been paid as a car, then the requirement isn’t there to have a flat floor or to cover/replace the side windows.

Sleeper12

OP you'd also need commercial insurance. Now here's the fun bit, you can't you your private insurance no claims bonus on a commercial vehicle. Bottom line is you'll be starting out from scratch with zero no claims bonus & have to build it up over the next 5 years.

Sleeper12

Sleeper12 wrote: »

OP you'd also need commercial insurance. Now here's the fun bit, you can't you your private insurance no claims bonus on a commercial vehicle. Bottom line is you'll be starting out from scratch with zero no claims bonus & have to build it up over the next 5 years.

This isn’t true, I know plenty of people who changed from private to commercial and used their private no claims. Just got a few quotes Myself on a commercial using my private claims also, no issues.

Now maybe you mean that you can’t insure a car and a commercial with the same no claims at the same time. In this case you would be correct aside from the one or two companies who claim to mirror the bonus (which should be just standard).

Toyotafanboi

This topic is against the charter so I'm closing the thread.

Plenty of us are out there paying high road tax and not flouting the system.

* Posts that encourage drivers to break the law e.g. telling people to make false motor tax declarations may result in either an infraction or a banning.
Similar punishment will be awarded to those who request such advice.