Converting a Car into a Van

[UltraWomble]

OK, before anyone says "just buy a van" hear me out on this will you please?

 

As some of you know my eldest is a trainee spanner monkey, but also has Autism. Having tried for some time now to get his head round the concept of looking at whats going on on the road rather than the gear lever / pedals / Bangin choonz on his thumb drive Im wondering if the Badermatic route is the best way forward with him.

And having finally knocked the stupid notion that he is going to buy a 450cc quad bike on the head we are back with him wanting a van - trouble is there are no small auto vans, so whilst the principle of converting a car to a van isnt lost on me (remove rear seats, cover rear side windows, remove seatbelts) the issue with DooVLAy recognising its no longer a car, insurance co recognising its no longer a car etc are less well clear.

 

Can anyone shed any light?
Or would it be easier to marry an automatic engine/box from a car with the equivalent van?

[Tayne]

Horsey Horseless Commercial Badermatic.

 

Should be dead easy to find one of those.

[Aston Martin]

I'd assume auto box from car into van version. Combo/mgzr van

[For Fiats Sake]

Has he tried a manual vehicle before?

[sierraman]

They used to do the Astravan with a 1.6 auto. Likely if you find one it will be a good 'un. Unlikely builder/block paver/plasterer owner. Trouble with old vans is they get sacked off when they are fucked. Has he had a go with a manual yet?

[UltraWomble]

Has he tried a manual vehicle before?

Since last September

Im much much greyer now as a result

[ruffgeezer]

They did make Renault Kangoo automatics, pull the rear seats out and tint/ vinyl over the windows?

[Urko]

Funilly enough I was looking at a Kangoo on ebay earlier - it was wheelchair adapted, but auto, turns out there are loads listed (137) dunno if that is small enough or van enough, but should be easy to change to a van - it only had one rear seat anyway.

 

There are a couple of auto berlingo panel vans listed on ebay but they are very new hence silly money. These things are very rare but not unknown. I saw two mk1 escorts in the scrappy's once that were autos, came from the same firm.

[Alexg]

Bah, I just sold a cracking Astravan Diesel Auto. I don't think you need to tell the DVLA anything, but I'd certainly tell the insurance company.

[vulgalour]

Hatchbacks are the solution.  Functionality of a van by dropping the rear seats with the bonus of cheap insurance (because it's still a car) and better side access.  One-way vinyl on the rear side windows gives the exterior look of a van at a glance while still retaining a good amount of visibility from the inside for the driver.  It's the most insurance friendly option, usually, unless you magically find the one van an insurer is happy with for a new driver.

[Urko]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2004-Vauxhall-Corsa-Van-1-3CDTi-Automatic-No-VAT-Disabled-accessible-/331779169498?hash=item4d3f945cda:g:HhIAAOSwuAVWwK7N

[UltraWomble]

^^^ I hadent spotted that one.

I was thinking about this with the rear seats removed (etc)

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/252284044373?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

 

Oddly insuring a small van for a new driver is cheaper than a car - Im assuming its because of the lack of rear seats, hence no crowds of yoofs

[Stixy]

Estate car with window tint and business use insurance  .

[KruJoe]

Insurance is weird for kids and vans. Best just run quotes through for likely candidates and see what they turn up.

 

A hatchback with the seats laid down flat and a board laid on top is still a hatchback with the seats down carrying some wood. Nobody's bothered if the seatbelts aren't there, even MOT man if the seats aren't there or boarded over. (Just test the fronts.)

 

Back windows I'm less sure, that vinyl that they use to put adverts on bus windows (made of spots or mesh) might be a good idea, or that stuff Vulg mentioned, if that's a thing.

[Urko]

Quite a few newer auto VW Caddys and Astras on ebay - but at big prices.

[Stixy]

The insurance problem will be mainly what tools are being carried / left in it  as anything with tools in is a target

[vulgalour]

Back windows I'm less sure, that vinyl that they use to put adverts on bus windows (made of spots or mesh) might be a good idea, or that stuff Vulg mentioned, if that's a thing.

 

Same thing.  It gives the illusion of solid colour on the outside and tint on the inside.  You can also use mirrored tint if you want to go back to 1992.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

If you convert a car to a van, I would have thought the insurance will increase because it will be a modified vehicle, rather than default to what a factory van is.

[The Moog]

Of no help but my sisters first car was a chevanne. She hated it but I lusted for it.

[UltraWomble]

If you convert a car to a van, I would have thought the insurance will increase because it will be a modified vehicle, rather than default to what a factory van is.

Well, this is what I am wondering myself. I suppose option two is wait a while longer and see if he can master the manual ( he can, but not whilst there are other things going on in the world - stick him on an empty car park or field and hes fine, ask him to drive in traffic and then he gets muddled with the gears / clutch and I get several years taken off my life through stress).

[castros_bro]

I'd go for a 106 to be used like a little van, here's mine after 1000 foreign miles carrying cement mixer, moped, tools etc. Being a car it can take building rubbish to the local dump, not have the van speed restrictions most van drivers don't know about and cheaper ferry crossings than a van.    Your choice will probably come down to the insurance costs with "business" bumping the price up VS the availability of auto vans.

 

 

[Dave_Q]

Id say the engine swap has got to be the one, only issue I can think of is that most surviving combos, berlingos etc will be dizzle and most potential donors will be pez.

 

There are some 1.4 pez Berlingos about though and an auto 306 or ZX is worth about 12p.

 

To get around getting rinsed for modifying the car/van, could you claim that the conversion is because of his disability, if so I dont think they're allowed to load your premium cos DDA etc.

[Des]

When I was a lad a rolled up newspaper was an effective teaching aid.

[Asimo]

This is what you need.  

 

NISSAN SCARGO 1.5 AUTOMATIC

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NISSAN-SCARGO-1-5-AUTOMATIC-VAN-LOW-MILES-IDEAL-PROMOTIONS-OR-TEA-COFFEE-VAN-/272120426422?hash=item3f5ba42fb6:g:2fMAAOSwAKxWXyu2

[djimbob]

If I may be so bold as to ask why does he need a van? Is it for works purposes etc or hobbying, carrying equipment around etc?

 

I agree the only real issues are whether his insurance would be void if he's using it for commercial jobbies.

 

Other than that, I have for many years been running autos for property developing, shifting PA equipment etc and never had any bother with any authorities, perhaps because I've never had a prang yet touch wood that involved the insurance, other than a car park altercation which didn't need much explanation.

 

I've favoured people carriers due to the load lugging and comfort aspects, and you get all the toys and more, but I have used estate cars and small hatches as well, and never had any bother from tea leafs or authorities.

 

I suppose at his age you must be looking at the lowest insurance as a priority, then MPG and tax, then finally suitability for the actual jobs he will need a van for?

 

Usually something dreadful like a 1.6 pezzer Astra hatch will tick most boxes, and estates in auto and diesel are also quite common, something will turn up I'm sure

 

Edit - what sort of a bonehead am I, totally forgot my Hyundai Atoz in my fleet, fold the back seats down and tint the back windaz, and bob is your uncle, huge load space and easy to pick up in auto flavour, relaible and cheap to buy and maintain - lots of choices when you get down to searching nearly forgot, to increase load capacity, get some roof bars and a roofbox, very useful for ladders and brushes etc.

[Junkman]

Did someone say badermatic van?

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1989-GMC-4-3-V6-700R4-Auto-Safari-Astro-Van-6-Seater-MOT-Cheap-Insurance-/291679573941

 

This would also avoid the insane insurance premium you'd have to shell out on a 'real' van.

[UltraWomble]

This is what you need.  

Picture 11.png

 

NISSAN SCARGO 1.5 AUTOMATIC

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NISSAN-SCARGO-1-5-AUTOMATIC-VAN-LOW-MILES-IDEAL-PROMOTIONS-OR-TEA-COFFEE-VAN-/272120426422?hash=item3f5ba42fb6:g:2fMAAOSwAKxWXyu2

Just shy of £3 large for a 16 year old snail? He would kill me if I suggested that.

 

If I may be so bold as to ask why does he need a van? Is it for works purposes etc or hobbying, carrying equipment around etc?

 

Hobbying. He has a large selection of RC cars and DJ equipment, purely a hobby and not in any way shape or form a business - when I looked at insurance small vans were coming out cheaper for younger drivers than cars - again Im making wild assumptions on the fact that most 17YO's wouldnt want a van, nor would they be lugging round a load of mates to Maccy-D's if they had a van. I dont know if we have anyone from the insurance industry in our midt who can shed any light on this?

[155V6]

How about an MG ZR/Rover 25 stepspeed auto?,there was someone on eBay selling fibreglass copies of the side panels needed to turn one into an Express/Commerce van.

[Clanger]

You are all wrong...  THIS is what is needed.

 

 

You're welcome.

[New POD]

When I looked at Van insurance (in 1992) there was nothing in it, but I was over 21 and had 4 years no claims.

 

I mistakenly purchased a mk2 1.1 Pop Plus Car Derived Van with Rear side windows and rear seatage. because it was cheap. And then had to convince the insurance company that a Fiesta Hatchback, which hadn't had the rear window removed in the factory, but built with all the correct fixing points for the rear seats, wasn't exactly "modified" in the normal sense, and was actually not much different than the car it might have been based on, once converted. It did help that Ford had a technical query department, who sent me a lovely letter, explaining how the body was identical, but the rear springs heavier duty, and the exhaust, more like the mk1.

 

If he's aspergers, you might find that given a bit of training on internet insurance searching he can probably find out exactly which hatchback or van, available with an auto will have the lowest insurance, for himself. Maybe.

 

As an aside, I found that a Honda JAZZ was the cheapest decent car for a 17 year old, which is why the BINI cooper was purchased (as I fucked up on one of the price comparision websites, and put the 20 year old's dob in the search engine. DOH. a £1500 mistake)