The Age Old Question ...

Soop · backyard mechanic Joined: 30 May 2002 Posts: 748

Yes the age old question..

What I'm talking about is converting a wagon to a van. I am current building up my TD wagon but I realise there is not enough TD vans on the road. So I believe a conversion is in order. Everyone knows how to slap the panels on. However, how is it done legally ? What must be done to the rego of the car and such in order for it to be changed.

I understand that the seats must be removed. I have removed the seat padding and kept the metal, then drilled it down flat then I will probably cover it with checker plate or something similar. I've also removed all the seats belts and such and plan on filling the holes.

So has anyone legally went through the formalities of this simple conversion ? If so could you explain what you did and how you went.

I really want a van Smile

Dave · tinkerer Joined: 04 Oct 2001 Posts: 322

Seeing that you've removed the rear seats and belts and stuff, you may want to look into registering it as a van.

This will cost slightly more per year, but as far as I'm aware, you can legally have a side exhaust! I have and have been defected twice since I got it, but never for the exhaust itself....

Anyway, if you'd kept the back seats and just laid them down, you could have kept the cheaper wagon rego even with the side panels in place.

GasGem · backyard mechanic Joined: 05 Nov 2001 Posts: 755

in Vic PV rego was cheaper than Wagon as only 2 seats

Cheers
Eggy

Soop · backyard mechanic Joined: 30 May 2002 Posts: 748

I had a side exhaust on my old wagon Smile

How much is the the van rego ? Heaps more ?

Neslo · tinkerer Joined: 21 Oct 2001 Posts: 133

Yeh Dave is right, your better off registering it as a wagon, that way you dont have to fuck around with anything....i'm makin mine a panelvan from a wagon, and i'm gonna register it as a wagon. Everyone says that its illegal to have back seats in a panelvan, but i'm determined to do it. Mainly cause of the fact that i can register it as a wagon, then if cops say anything, i just tell them to look at the engine bay!! says TD wagon, 5 seats. i know there's that shit about u have to have windows for back passengers to escape if there's a crash, but fuck, ppl have put back seats in a panelvan before...all the old fords and holdens, and there woulda been heaps of work involed, but with a wagon its as simple as putting the sheet metal where the windows used to be, then bolting up the panels. Also i saw a guy on the gemi cruise that had an original panelvan and conveted it to a 5 seater, got a mod plate, and cops havent defected him for it.

Cheers

Neslo

spud · petrol head Joined: 05 Apr 2002 Posts: 1106

stil curios bout that widows for people to escape from thing since there arent opening windows in a coupe. but like the government makes sence with anything they do.
spud

GEM2NV · tinkerer Joined: 04 Oct 2001 Posts: 157

yeh but you can smash the coupe windows if you need to get out. Its still a gay law, like their not gonna just cut your car up with the jaws of life if they need to anyway

Neslo · tinkerer Joined: 21 Oct 2001 Posts: 133

yeh fuck it, i'm just gonna chuck the covers on, and if i get defected, tell the cunts its a wagon, and its meant to have 5 seats. And then if i still get defected, i'll take them out...

Neslo

Gene FJ20DET · Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2003 6:10 pm Post subject: Re: The Age Old Question ...