Flame Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 Hi All, I'm Flame (yes, that's my real name) and I'm originally from Australia, now living in central London (Islington). I'm looking to buy myself an FV432 and am currently investigating the possibility of using it to run a limousine service. I'd be interested in getting to know any MV owners in London, particularly any with tracked vehicles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
griff66 Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 personal opinion what a waste of a 432 to spend its life ferrying around pissed stag and hen parties ! ( each to their own i guess) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 Central London traffic is bad I know. But if you did get a 432 it would have to be a petrol one, any disiel would fall foul of the LEZ. If there are arguments over Land Rovers, you have no chance. There are various by laws applying in London Bouroughs about 'Tanks'. Also to avoid congestion charge your only hope would be to be a licencened mini cab. Good luck on insurance for that one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flame Posted June 10, 2011 Author Share Posted June 10, 2011 personal opinion what a waste of a 432 to spend its life ferrying around pissed stag and hen parties ! ( each to their own i guess) A lot of 432s are ending up in the scrap metal yard recently, so a retirement spent actually driving (regardless of the passengers) and out in public where it can be admired is maybe not such a bad thing. Central London traffic is bad I know. But if you did get a 432 it would have to be a petrol one, any disiel would fall foul of the LEZ. If there are arguments over Land Rovers, you have no chance. There are various by laws applying in London Bouroughs about 'Tanks'. Also to avoid congestion charge your only hope would be to be a licencened mini cab. Good luck on insurance for that one. LEZ & congestion zone I have sorted. Insurance is something I haven't got a price on yet but I think the main difficulty is going to be with parking it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 Be intrested to know how? I live on the edge of the LEZ, literally in for two hundred yards out for two hundred yards. The situation is ridiculos. Actually there was a blinged up FV432 for sale recntly all kitted out, and don't forget that HMVF perinial, the blinged up Ferret! Seriously a 432 is a major maintince headache. What about an ex military ambulance? That would take less people but goes down well on the Hen Night market. My 101 ambulance did that duty for a friend once. I had to fight people off asking if it was for hire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 Every one here now know what pictures I'm going to post! :-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flame Posted June 10, 2011 Author Share Posted June 10, 2011 Be intrested to know how? I live on the edge of the LEZ, literally in for two hundred yards out for two hundred yards. The situation is ridiculos. Actually there was a blinged up FV432 for sale recntly all kitted out, and don't forget that HMVF perinial, the blinged up Ferret! Seriously a 432 is a major maintince headache. What about an ex military ambulance? That would take less people but goes down well on the Hen Night market. My 101 ambulance did that duty for a friend once. I had to fight people off asking if it was for hire. "Historic vehicles - built before 1 January 1973 ... are also exempt from the LEZ." The idea of running a limo service is a secondary thought. I want an FV432 (actually I want a Soviet IS-3 Tank but I can't see myself having one of them any time soon), and it would be nice to have an excuse to drive it around London. I have a feeling that the limo service may complicate things too much to be be practical. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flame Posted June 10, 2011 Author Share Posted June 10, 2011 Actually there was a blinged up FV432 for sale recntly all kitted out, and don't forget that HMVF perinial, the blinged up Ferret! I've been looking at the blinged up 432 (trying to organise to see it in person next week) but the asking price of 10k seems a bit high. For that price I could buy 2 non-bling 432s and still have 2k left over to fix them up. I'm not even going to comment on the blinged up Ferret Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 Yeah I can see the attraction. Clamp that you B*****! You could sell tickets watching the Traffic Wardens trying to tow it away! OHH I'm getting to like the thinking! :cool2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike65 Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 Welcome in. An ambitious plan you have there. I cannot see why you think parking would be a problem. Its a larged tracked armored vehicle you can park on anything you like. You also need to be careful on the free road tax and LEZ exemption for pre 1973 vehicles. IIRC the free road tax only applies to vehicles used for non-commercial reasons. You may also find this also applies to the LEZ. If not it may be worth running a haulage business in and out of London using 1960'2 trucks. I would also consider a vehicle that is already road registered and rvrn then you may have problems as limo's are prone to be spot checked for compliance by the authorities. I believe there are various issues with certain vehicles. Anyway Good Luck Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robin craig Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 Dear Flame, not too shoot you down, congratulations on having the spherical objects to consider such a venture. My hat is off to you for having a go. I presume you will have a pre-arranged recovery plan with a local company for those impromtu hiccups caused by 1960s engineering! I would presume you will be hiring "Terry" to be the last person in and oversee the rear door while underway? You will of course have to have "Rupert" up top as your crew commander! Please post pictures of pre and post bling machine and in use Robin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferretfixer Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 Talk to Nick Mead at Tanks a Lot. He runs 'TankLimmo'. It is a 432 cut in half & a section of another 432 welded in to make it a Stretched Limmo! Got a fox Turret on top also! If you look at his website, you will observe some of the hire venues it has attended. (& some of the Girlies who went with it!) It does mention when it has been used in London a couple of times. Very proffesionaly done in my opinion. :cheesy: NOTE: I do NOT have a connection with this Firm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andym Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 Talk to Nick Mead at Tanks a Lot. I was going to say exactly the same thing .... Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landyandy Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 here is the machine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted June 12, 2011 Share Posted June 12, 2011 So how many seats? Would you need a H licence and a D licence? Also the ***** waste of space CPC now to drive for hire and reward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antarmike Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 (edited) FV432 are too wide to comply with Construction and use regs, and as such it is illegal to drive them on public roads. Similarly they do not comply with Braking standards requirements in particular the need for a secondary braking system. Dept of Transport has confirmed that any that have been road registered in the past have been registered in error, and any that any that have been road registered are being driven on British public roads are breaking Construction and Use regulations and such use is therefore illegal. Since Fv432 does not comply with aspects of Construction and use regs, it has no place being used on the public road by anybody but the Government's Armed Forces, who have permission from Secretary of State to use them in this way. A Civilian operator cannot get that permission. I can PM you the Dept Of Transports reply to my query if you want to see the full text of their official response. Edited June 18, 2011 by antarmike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stormin Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 FV432 are too wide to comply with Construction and use regs, and as such it is illegal to drive them on public roads. Similarly they do not comply with Construction and Use regs regarding secondary braking requirements. Dept of Transport has confirmed that any that have been road registered have been registered in error, and that any that have been road registered are being driven breaking Construction and Use regulations and such use is illegal. Since Fv432 does not comply with aspects of Construction and use regs, it has no place being used on the public road by anybody but the Government's Armed Forces, who have permission from Secretary of State to use them in this way. A Civilian operator cannot get that permission. I can PM you the Dept Of Transports reply to my query if you want to see the full text of their official response. I've not seen any mention that the DVLA are revoking registrations of already registered vehicles or VOSA going out to remove them from the roads. Are we to assume that the problems are only for those trying to register "new" vehicles, either those recently released or not previously road registered? It could leave someone in an interesting position re an insurance claim if DoT are declaring them illegal on the road. Is anyone on here still regularly driving a 432 on the road since this information came to light? I would have thought the possibly dodgy position regarding insurance would be enough to put someone off using one as a limo / public service vehicle with the increased risks it presents. If your going to the trouble of cutting in the middle and stretching a 432 how much more work is involved in narrowing it to come in under width limit? Narrower track, different wheel offset and remove track guards spring to mind. Would've thought the brake issue shouldn't be too hard to comply with though I'm no expert on 432s. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antarmike Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 I think it might be the other way round....Getting one within width is only a matter of re-routing the Exhaust. Early FV432 complied with width. The fact that FV432 series, with a few in service exceptions, do not comply with regulations regarding braking standards is in my opinion more of a problem to get around. The whole Braking system needs re-designing to give a secondary braking system totally independent from the existing single circuit. The new design would have to providea secondary service braking system providing adequate braking, that can be still be applied in a controlled manner, and released gradually should the primary circuit fail. Unless the braking system is re worked they cannot comply with regs and their use is therefore illegal. Whether anybody cares or not is a matter of debate. What is certain that having a FV432 road registered does not make it legal to use on the road. A vehicle must comply fully with Construction and Use regulations, and FV432 does not. But if you are running a FV432 limo and your brakes fail and you drive through/ over a Renault Clio killing everybody on board, your brakes will be examined and found not to comply and I suggest the trouble you will be in is not worth any profit you might make from inviting drunks to puke up in the back of your vehicle..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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