Engine swap question.

[Bald Eagle]

Hey BigBobE, just saw your post. Can you give me some details on how to convert and what I need to do to apply for the new rating? You can get me here ssinclair207@gmail.com Thanks,

[BigBobE]

Hey BigBobE, just saw your post. Can you give me some details on how to convert and what I need to do to apply for the new rating? You can get me here ssinclair207@gmail.com Thanks,

basically from the back of the seats to the tailgate has to be >45% of your wheelbase, i.e. from the centre of the wheels, mine was about 10mm short but inspector just let it go, and you need to have a fixed bulk head in.... i am in lucan so if you want to have a look at what i did you can drop me a mail and have a look, email is robjeng@gmail.com

http://s749.photobucket.com/albums/x...%20Surf%20now/

[Bald Eagle]

TonyN I understand your concerns and I certainly don't want or need encouragement to break the law. As to asking my question in a different way, I could'nt think of one that anyone with more than two brain cells would'nt be able to see through. I also asked for other suggestions apart from what I'd considered and BigBobE came up with one. If it works I won't have to be naughty.

[Albannach]

The easiest thing to do is sell it and buy something you can afford to run.

[TonyN]

Bobs way is the way to go TBH, I've not had the back seats up in my surf for over six months now anyway, they are overrated!



As a forum moderator I HAVE to point out anything illegal isn't to be endorsed on here.





but its not a personal opinion....

[BigBobE]

i still have my back seats tony, dont know how much smaller a 3rd gen boot is and how longer/shorter wheel base is compared to 2nd gen....

[flounderbout]

go the route i have, you'll find the boot is just about the right size to actually turn the truck into crewcab for tax purposes €288 a year...

On balance, this is probably a better solution then spending large amounts of money doing two unnecessary engine swaps solely for the (publicised) purposes of defrauding the tax authorities.

[Predictable Bob]

Bobs way is the way to go TBH, I've not had the back seats up in my surf for over six months now anyway, they are overrated!

remind me again just how many legs the other occupants of your house have ?

My kids would whinge like hell if I was to just drop them in the loadspace not to mention the legal implications !

PS
Are you and Linda at all interested in purchasing an 18 year old ? She can cook, clean, moan, shout etc ...

[Bald Eagle]

Just measured the 3rd gen. I took two measurements from the back of the seats to the inside of the tailgate. Shoulder height on seats 37.5" (952mm), floor level = 45.0" (1145mm) wheelbase centre to centre of wheels = 105" (2667)mm. This works out at either 35.58% or 42.88% so it looks like that idea is f@*ked. Any other ideas?

[TonyN]

PS
Are you and Linda at all interested in purchasing an 18 year old ? ...

Good job I didn't read this after couple of beers, could have got in a lot of trouble...

[Albannach]

Any other ideas?

http://www.hiluxsurf.co.uk/showpost....9&postcount=19

[Predictable Bob]

Good job I didn't read this after couple of beers, could have got in a lot of trouble...

You must be getting old - I don't need beer to get in the sh!t !

[Bald Eagle]

http://www.hiluxsurf.co.uk/showpost....9&postcount=19

When they peel my cold dead fingers off the wheel and they'll have to dig us up to do it.I'm putting it in my will, to bury me in it.

[Sclerotic Hen]

When we moved to Rep of Ireland I was told they had stopped letting you register Surfs as commercial vehicles for tax purposes even if I removed the rear seats and blanked out the side windows. The amount of money I saved by not having to pay Council Tax while we lived in Ireland was taken up by road tax and private rubbish collection charge. There was no water rates either but seeing as the stuff that came out the tap rarely resembled anything you'd want to drink that was only fair, I think.
On the new toll roads you get charged more for a commercial/crew cab vehicle than a private large 4x4. But you'd have to use the toll routes a lot to make up the €1000 difference in road tax.

[Sancho]

Is this a joke? Doing two engine swaps a year to save a little bit of tax would be about the most insane thing I've ever heard.

If you're absolutey convinced you have to do it, I would start looking for a scrapped RWD car with a smaller high power diesel engine. You could look at the 2 litre BMW diesel (M47 and variants). That would give you similar BHP and torque to what you've got at the moment. You could find it in a 320d, 520d or, I think, a Rover 75 diesel (but the box would be set up for FWD in that). I think the same engine was in some Freelanders so that could work.

The only other option I could think of is a Lexus is 200 or 220 diesel.

In any of these cases, I'm advocating a permanent engine swap to something smaller and more modern, not dicking around changing it constantly to try and defraud the tax man.