306 van?

[ozonehostile]

Basically, I'm going out as self employed in the new year as a welder/fabricator/engineer so will be looking to get a van of sorts. 

I don't need anything too big as the most I'll be carrying will be a toolbox or two, an inverter mig welder and gas bottle. 

My thoughts are that the hdi I currently have would be perfect, reliable, economic, good performance etc and you can fit a fair amount in a 306 with the rear seats removed. 

On to the subject of vans, I know the 306 van was pretty popular over in Ireland but just looking for information on the rear load bed/bulkhead and the rear window blanks. 
Are they removable fixed in the standard glass mounts? 

What's the deal with declaring a car as a commercial vehicle? I know that a Landrover with plated up rear windows can be reclassed as a van, just a case of writing to the dvla? 

Any thoughts welcome.

[bigcheez2k3]

Surely getting an estate then doing something with the rear would be better than a hatchback?

[Toms306]

Didn't think your HDi was reliable...

What's the point of classifying as a van though? Tax reasons?

[Sambarker]

I'm sure as a professional welder/fabricator/engineer you'll manage to make a bulkhead and some rear blanks out of some sheet steel

[ozonehostile]

Surely getting an estate then doing something with the rear would be better than a hatchback?

with an estate you'd need to do something with the rear doors, more effort than its worth really to blank them off and weld up again tidily. With a 3dr they were made factory as a van and look alright with no rear windows

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Didn't think your HDi was reliable...

What's the point of classifying as a van though?  Tax reasons?

at least I know how to fix it when it does go wrong aha, and yeah it would purely be for tax reasons to declare it as a commercial vehicle

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I'm sure as a professional welder/fabricator/engineer you'll manage to make a bulkhead and some rear blanks out of some sheet steel

the load bay and bulkhead won't be a problem really, it'll just be good to see how they were done on the factory vans.

Im sure on the genuine ones that the rear window blanks just fitted to the same fixing points as the glass on a 3dr just without the hinge and if i could find some, would look a tidier job than just plating the holes over

[Niall]

Window blanks did just fix in at the window mounting points. The rear bed/bulkhead is basically one big bit that bolts right in as well. The actual body of the van is identical to a 3 door car.

[ozonehostile]

Window blanks did just fix in at the window mounting points. The rear bed/bulkhead is basically one big bit that bolts right in as well. The actual body of the van is identical to a 3 door car.

ah thought they did, would make my life a lot easier if i could get hold of some, time to start trawling irish pages i guess.

[Sambarker]

Window blanks did just fix in at the window mounting points. The rear bed/bulkhead is basically one big bit that bolts right in as well. The actual body of the van is identical to a 3 door car.

ah thought they did, would make my life a lot easier if i could get hold of some, time to start trawling irish pages i guess.

Surely just take a glass out, use as a template to cut out shape in decent thickness steel, drill holes and refit?

[ozonehostile]

Window blanks did just fix in at the window mounting points. The rear bed/bulkhead is basically one big bit that bolts right in as well. The actual body of the van is identical to a 3 door car.

ah thought they did, would make my life a lot easier if i could get hold of some, time to start trawling irish pages i guess.

Surely just take a glass out, use as a template to cut out shape in decent thickness steel, drill holes and refit?

I'd certainly give it a try, depends if there's a slight contour which would be the hardest bit to get right

[ConorTRG]

I know a lot of private jeeps that have been converted over here have the seat mounting points etc removed and there's like a very light sheet of aluminum or something it has a black film over it, put in at the back of the glass, best to ring the dvla and ask I'd say.

[swampy]

We have these things at work
Both Mitsubishi and Ssangyong do them

On the five door shogun the doors are still functional, we have one guy that has one he is mechanical engineer goes around small farms fixing things
Inside the side doors of the shogun he had one side with a tool box bolted to it, the other he had racked. Out to store his consumables
Then the rest has his invertor and welder in and storage space
Very neat job and practical

[Redordead89]

No 306 vans on the forum yet then?

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Anyone know what happened to this 205?
This pic on the 2 pages of max power was up on the wall of my old lock up for 5 years ish after print! :-)

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Anyone know what happened to this 205?
This pic on the 2 pages of max power was up on the wall of my old lock up for 5 years ish after print! :-)

[WiNgNuTz]

Mines probably as close as you'll get to finding a van on here. Though mine is still a stock (ish) estate, the boot is constantly full of various tools (bearing in mind I do all sorts, from carpentry, to plastering, to painting and decorating), but it's also used as the family wagon, so the estate is the best of both worlds for me.

[Redordead89]

Hey man I just put 65 k on a 56 k Hdi estate over 2 na half years carrying everything form vintage designer dresses and shit to London and back to my Cr250 to Stafford and back with 3000 tonne of all sorts I between so know and FULLY RESPECT where your at with your estate mate! ;-)
I love the estates and their fill me some more before you go can do attitude! Where else can you get this for a few hundred quid?? Certainly not a t16'd 205 (shame)! ;-)
Love the fact it will take 6x3 or a single mattress should the need arise! ( Stafford classic motorcycle mechanic show 2013) hence my user name Honda Cr250 1989, might one day start a resto shop for them!
https://www.bikepics.com/members/Redordead/89cr250/