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Solid rear panels (ie blanking out rear windows)

Posted: Sat Jul 09, 2005 12:39 pm
by robz
Jst wanna see if any1 has anymore of a clue than me on this, in my case ill b using a mk3 polo squareback. if i bought solid panels to replace the rear windows would this make it a LGV (ie a van)?

the reason i ask is that i had this plan a while back but then lost interest but Genesis GT looked at gettin insurance quotes for the black G40 thats up 4 sale on Porka (thing its Dan Knights) but its regd as a van. Therefore harder & more expensive 2 insure

but yest i was at a car market & a Clio wif solid rear panels was sold as a car, so........

any info welcome.

:)

Posted: Sat Jul 09, 2005 2:05 pm
by Tahrey1043
they can be had but i'll be they're rare as anything. don't know if the mk2/mk3 was ever sold as a factory-specced van (vw probably pushed the caddy more for that purpose) but i have seen the odd one around.

probably more of a european thing however, like the diesel engine was.

Posted: Sat Jul 09, 2005 8:08 pm
by GroovyCarrot
There's a bit of a hazy area in the classifications. If you have no rear windows or seats then it is a van, if you have both it is a car, but if you have no rear windows but you still have rear seats then it is whatever you can convince the insurers it is.

I don't understand why a van is more expensive to insure than a car anyway, seems a bit illogical?

Posted: Sat Jul 09, 2005 11:32 pm
by robz
well i i can get the panels if needed (see the VAG parts sectioni f interested)
I don't understand why a van is more expensive to insure than a car anyway, seems a bit illogical?
supposedly brcause it is a van, its more likely 2 have valuables in it so more likely to be broken into.....

Posted: Sun Jul 10, 2005 4:02 pm
by tainmrk3polo
my mate george is doing this with his 1litre mark 3 hatchy! he found direct replacement panels from VW for £25 a side. they will be here on monday.............

Posted: Sun Jul 10, 2005 4:56 pm
by Tahrey1043
what if you have windows but no seats (and just tack some fabric or something over the inside surface)??

Posted: Sun Jul 10, 2005 6:11 pm
by robz

what if you have windows but no seats (and just tack some fabric or something over the inside surface)??
hadnt thought about that..... dam its all fooked.
my mate george is doing this with his 1litre mark 3 hatchy! he found direct replacement panels from VW for £25 a side. they will be here on monday.............
is he gonna tell his insurance company that hes puty the panels in instead of windows? if so wot did they say?

Posted: Sun Jul 10, 2005 6:57 pm
by tainmrk3polo
we're leaving a rear seat in there and saying its a security measure to allow him to move his bikes around

Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2005 2:55 pm
by genesisGT
vw did make a mk3 van but its very rare only ever seen one im the metal the other 6-7 in photos. When i phoned up to find out about insuring the g40 van if i bought it they all said it was a light commercial so i would need to change company. the fact it was a g40 wasnt really a problem.

Only some insurers do vans and then when you list the mods they get worried. If the van was standard it would still cost more than a standard GT to insure dispite being a 1.0 L = mad!!

So I quized them and said "but whats the difference?"

As if i put van panels in my squareback GT and left the seats in or out surerely its a van/countryman (countryman is a van with rear side windows and fold down seats in classic car talk) but they couldnt answer that as they were confused as to why i would want to!

So Im still as confused. :roll:

Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2005 5:32 pm
by tainmrk3polo
just dont tell them and dont worry about it lol

Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2005 12:00 am
by Tahrey1043
talking of rarities, i passed by a mk3 saloon in the works car park this evening, in an almost black charcoal colour. looked nice.

(we get all sorts..)

wonder if van panels would fit in the rear window of one of THOSE? just for ultimate pointlessness (assuming of course they are available both in hatch and coupe shapes, as the saloon shares coupe rear quarter glass)