Hey,
I recently got some rear and middle seats for my (bare) Kombi. They're real VW ones (pretty ratty though), and I even have real VW stamped T-bolts and clamps. I put them in using all the standard holes in the floor and walls.
The thing is, the car chassis number plate thing says the seating capacity is two. I asked Vicroads without mentioning it's a Kombi, and the helpful lady there said I'd need an engineers certificate, and then I'd have to take it to Vicroads and they'd update the plate info to recognize the additional seating capacity.
I found these at the Vicroads website:
]General changes-to-vehicles regulation requirements
Additional Seats - Vehicle Standards Info
Additional Seat Belts - Vehicle Standards Info
General questions - Vehicle Standards Info
The above three are linked from
this page at vicroads.
Now, my question is, has anybody else got any ideas about this? Has anyone done this already? ( I guess only Vic people, the regulations probably differ interstate right? )
I wonder how much the engineers certificate is likely to cost me! Great! I mean, it's official seats in official seat brackets, just with non-vw belts! The chassis number is 234.... so it's a plain old Kombi, never been camper-ified.
Thanks folks, all suggestions welcome.
Aurel
Just done the same thing here. You have to get the Engineer to look over your belts and bolts and give ou the green light.
The engineer then gives you a modification certificate, and installs a blue Mod plate. This cost me $130.00, up $30.00 since last year (DOH!).
I then took the Kombi to Qld Transport, and they update their computer records for nothing. Just have to fill out a form. A non-engineer usually will have to look at the car just to make a seat count.
I expect that the procedure is pretty similar in Vic?!?
Best of Luck!
:beer
Oh, thanks. $130. Bummer - guess I'll have to wait a while. These seats turned out more expensive than I thought they would: I got the rear one for $30.
Aurel
what it's gonna cost in Vic. You might pay less.
What are the chances tho' that a Police Officer is going to check your seating capacity on a pull over? If I didn't have regular passengers, I would've just taken the risk. Of course if they do check while you have passengers on those seats, you're in trouble big time.
Call your local club about a compliance engineer, and give him/her a call. It may be worth the 50 cents.
BOL
Aurel,
I haven't read the regs. carefully, but I would be making an argument that you are *not* fitting additional seats, rather that the original seating capacity was higher since this is a *Kombi*, bot a Panel Van.
hth
Peter Hill
1975 Type 2 Double Cab
modulus.com.auThat depends on if they registered it first as a Panel Van or a Microbus. If the paperwork says Panel, you're screwed usually. Standard burocrat crap.
All the mounts are there, and it's just some bolts, but each part of Govt. wanna do their best to help pay for the politicians prostitutes. Like it, or become a Politician yourself, and have the rules changed.
it obviously wasnt originally registered as a panel oif it is an ordinary kombi, because beside the lack of windows, the mounting holes for the seat and seatbelts are missing on panelvans.
Reimagined/Recycled/Upcycled Cool
I've got all the mounts, and windows too, and it was still registered as a Panel. Then, I'm in Queensland, and the school system up here is of a dreadful standard chaps!
Hmm, interesting.
My main concern is third party insurance (?) coverage - ie: the insurance which is part of the registration cost. I mean, in case of an accident (I am real careful, I love that bus, but ya never know!)
I read this on one of the pages I linked earlier (emphasis mine):
Seats supplied as an option by the vehicle manufacturer may be fitted. An Engineers report is not required for this type of seat replacement provided;
* the seat is one supplied by the vehicle manufacturer as an option for that vehicle and is actually replacing an existing seat.
* the original seat mountings are used, and
* appropriate seat belts are fitted.
But, since I am not 'replacing' seats (to the best of my knowledge this bus never had them), I believe that I will need the certificate. Funny that VW plated the Kombi as a two seater isn't it. I thought it would make more sense to plate it as allowing more from the factory even without the seats in it - maybe that costs more.
Thanks for your replies. I might try a few things before going fo the eng' cert'.
Cheers folks,
Aurel.
Oh - at the risk of hijacking my own thread... In the engine bay on the left there are two numbers right above oneanother (+ a third on the engine itself). The lower one is the usual 234xx- volksy number, but the upper one, on a strip of metal, is similar - same format I think, even 234 at the start. Is this an aussie production number or something?
My plate has also the 2 seat capacity, which is why I think they call it a panel van anyway. Maybe there were just people who needed a panel van with more natural light, hence the windows??? Probably easier for VW to just leave some seats out of a standard Micro than invent a different model?
just get a plate off a bus that has a seating compacity of 8!! cheapest way
cheers
rhys
p.s. this is illegal
it aint just cool its aircool'd
Hmm, I have a plate from a 69 camper - that doesn't have anything about seats on it I think. ;-)
It had a "hecho en mexico" motor.
Aurel.
I've had the same arguement with the NSW RTA for years.
An engineers ticket is required for a modification to a vehicle.
These are factory seats, mounted on preset factory lugs with factory bolts & clamps. Seat belts are bolted where VW fitted the lugs.
Exactly what have I modified???
As for the third party, GIO is fully aware my truck runs 8 seats.
Well my friends are gone & my hair is grey, I ache in the places where I used to play.
Spoke to one engineer guy yesterday. Apparently it'll cost between $250 - $300 in Vic!!! Holy crap Batman! He said that the government instantly take $180 straight out of any application, before the engineer even gets a cent.
I have rellies in SA. Anyone know if it might be cheaper over there?
Aurel
got any relo's in QLD??? there the cheapest!
if i get an engine conversion inspected and passed in QLD then i cant register in NSW without getting it complied with NSW rules so really u can only do it in your home state!!! (only advantage of these new rules coming out making it national rules not state by state- why did we ever federate?)
cheers
rhys
it aint just cool its aircool'd
Yep, Rhys is right. VicRoads have a list of approved engineers. If you want it rego'd in Vic, you'll have to just pay the money. Shop around though, coz you might find an engineer willing to do it a bit cheaper.
Kruizin Kol
Oh OK, thanks.
Yeah, I'll ring around a bit. The first guy I spoke to said there weren't many people doing it any more (legal sh*t problems... liability). They had a three week waiting list.
Seems pretty daft to me still, that a car designed to carry people, and fitted with official-design seats, even once certified, needs to be RE-CERTIFIED (!) in every state. What a crock.
Oh well, what can you do hey? Thanks folks. Aurel
Well I spoke to VicRoads today. Be nice and reasonable, etc, bla bla...
It turns out that as long as the seats I intend to fit are factory options, installed in the official factory manner, I won't need an eng' cert'. Reason prevails in this case after all.
I just need a written 'report' from 'someone knowledgable' in Volkswagenism; ie - someone to certify that these seats are indeed original and fitted correctly, and, importantly, that these seats were actually an option for this paritcular vehicle. So, does anyone know a friendly Volkswagen mechanic or dealer in Eastern Melb that knows about kombis? 😉 (I asked the VicRoads guy, and he said that a VW-specialist garage would be OK, and if the dude/dudette mentions that he/she specialises in aircooled vehicles, for instance, I'll have no worries).
Cool hey!
Aurel
try volkspower in burwood and good work🙂 no $300 to have standard seats!! 😀
Tagedeezee Heezy
Yep, Volkspower in Burwood were happy to help. I got the paper from them this morning, and went to vicroads, and now I can officially carry 8 people legally.:thumb
I had to convince the guy at VicRoads that the eng' cert' wasn't needed. After a while he agreed, after reading some brochures he found on a shelf somewhere.
