Morris Minor Owners Club

so long as it dont smoke why worry

I have an idea (but please do shoot me down if I'm wrong as I have absolutely no idea how hard it is to remove a van back).
Why not keep the van back (for shows etc), MOT the van each year with van back in place (or even as above- {as per Iain Tenninbury} with no back on at all) and make your own custom pick up back, specifically designed for sheets of 8x4! Use the van as a pick-up the rest of the year with pick up bed in place.

That way you get the best of both worlds!

Excellent idea - no reason at all why it won't work. To be legal - the rear tyres would need to be fitted with some kind of mudguard for the MOT with no van back fitted.

Brilliant cheers guys! That's a great idea... in the eyes of VOSA the van definitely constitutes a monocoque (because of the front sus) but the van back could be argued to be a 'cosmetic' or 'non integral panel' i.e. like the wings (which are exempt from consideration). The potential issue though would be wanting to put some form of 'back wall' on the cab - which would count as modification to the monocoque I think - though if it didn't involve any cutting of the cab then perhaps it would only be an addition, not an alteration.
I'm still yet to pick up the van and have a fair amount of work to get it on the road pick up or not, so I've got some time to research and consider exactly what I want to do
Thanks again

Just get a V5c in your name right away so you can get in MOTd and taxed. Worry about anything else later - much later!

Right on

Yes you should have temp mudguards over the back wheels, in my case i think the tester was surprised enough to have half a vehicle presented for test that it never occured to him, in any case I explained the rear body was being painted, so he knew it was going to have one.[frame][/frame]