WAV that's not a van or a Fiat or a....

[Matt]

Hello. Great site. Love the Chrysler conversion. I'm hoping to get some insight on the forum into WAV conversions.

My wife is a wheelchair user and with MS. She is yet to have her style bypass operation, so we are looking for a WAV that doesn't scream 'special needs' or cause people to think there is a papal visit (Doblo?)

She wants to sit in her wheelchair, in the passenger seat.

The closest thing we've seen to ideal is the old Kia Sedona WAV-evo, but I don't really want to drive a Kia (sorry!) or a people-mover type thing. Ditto for the WAVs based on any kind of Fiat. (I' not a car snob 0 I currently have a 10 year-old Honda Civic.)

Given that my she is tiny, and we don't need a lot of headroom, do you think it would be possible to modify what you might call a "small family car" - Golf, Focus, Civic...

Most converters we ask say no - but from my foolish perspective, if I took the passenger seat out of my Civic and used some fibreglass ramps, I reckon I could get my wife into the car. So why couldn't something professional be done along those lines?

Confused!

[Burgerman]

Because the head to ground measurement of someone sat in a wheelchair requires about 57 inches. In your case maybe a little less. But a conversion is a big development job where special panels, trim and carpets, etc are manufactured in bulk to get the price sensible. So they will all aim for 56 or 57 anyway...

[ex-Gooserider]

As another take on the same idea that BM said, the conversion places tend to look for the vehicles they can convert in the highest possible volume, which pretty much limits the available choices. From what I've seen on the forum here, we have even fewer choices here in the US than are available in the EU...

It is more of a challenge, but if you can deal with having your wife transfer into the passenger seat, there are many more options available, as they make various seat units that can be installed in most cars and do some variant of turning sideways and lowering down / out to let her transfer, and then return to the normal passenger position. Of course that still leaves you with the empty wheelchair to deal with, but there are also options to deal with that as well...

ex-Gooserider

[Martin O Refurbisher]

If you are in UK, I would consult Motability and Ricability for more information.

Otherwise, I think that BM and ex-Gooserider have explained everything. We live in a world of type approvals, and conversion specialists are restricted by what manufacturers will approve them doing when it comes to major surgery. If you do it yourself, that voids warranty and type approval!

Best,

Martin

[Burgerman]

http://www.wheelchairdriver.com/images- ... -roadshow/

Get yourself to a mobility roadshow. Like Naidex. Here are a couple...

[Matt]

Thanks for the replies. We have seen the swivel seat things on wheels but I reckon a manual transfer and chair in the boot is better than than (keeps me fit),

We're heading for a show in Peterborough and another one near Coventry over the summer.

[Burgerman]

Never understood the facination of small cars myself though. Cant get any gear in them!

[Matt]

Ok - what are the chances of getting someone to convert one of these Chrysler Crusier things - http://www.wheelchair-information.com/images/PTCruiserwheelchair.jpg

Am I looking at left-hand drive import - or could I get a second hand UK version converted along these lines?

Matt

[Burgerman]

When I bought my black Chrysler 3.8 SXT (new) I waited for the exchange rates to get to just over 2 dollars to the UK Pound. I did so because

a) I am very stingy! I live like a king on little money because I am very very organised. Never used credit to buy anything in my life, never used a credit card and havent paid before the end ov the month.

b) The US left drive car ready converted (to a better standard than the UK ones) was 30k including shipping, hand controls, insurance, all tests and UK adaptions, and a electronic tie down. Delivered. A UK right drive one was 54k for almost the same vehicle with lower trim level...

c) Once you drive left hand drive for the first time, after first 30 mins you dont notice it again. I have had left hand drive cars before.

d) resale is lower but I didnt intend selling it until it was so old it wouldnt matter! So saving 24k at least.

So right now the rate is climbing again. Its 1.62 to the pound today. So keep watching! I doubt you will find anyone converting them in the UK. Which means if you find someone to do it, it will be a one off. Expensive, and all the custom parts will be less "proffesional" as therey will need to be made individually rather than mass produced. EG the door pillar plastic mouldings on mine are rollx parts. They are longer. This kind of thing applies to many internal and external parts. Including exhaust, fuel tank, etc etc...

[ex-Gooserider]

Haven't heard of any US companies doing a roll-in conversion on a PT Cruiser. I don't know how it would work to try given that the PT is really an oversized body on a Dodge Neon chassis...

Far as I know, the only vehicles currently being converted in the US are the Dodge / Chrysler minivans, the Honda Odyssey and the Toyota Sienna. And those last two may be getting taken off the list - The sheet that I got from Braun the other day when asking if the Chrysler was OK, said that they were no longer accepting "customer supplied chassis" - don't know if that is because the recent problems in Japan have made parts a problem, or if there is some other reason, but....

ex-Gooserider

[Burgerman]

The PT cruiser is converted in the US, but cannot remember who does it. No space to move though. And very complex door/entry system that strikes me as a source of problems and it takes a long time to open/close etc. Saw one here at last years Naidex show in the car park.

List?

[Cal]

FMI (Freedom Motors USA) do conversions for the Honda Element, Chrysler PT Cruiser (both passenger and driver versions - as well as convertible!), and the Scion (as well as the other minivan conversions):

http://www.fminow.com/

Cal

[gac3rd]

We have the XWave element. Love the Honda. Not that excited about the conversion. Next vehicle likely a Honda Odyssey to accommodate the power chair, but would hesitate to use an FMI conversion again.

[LorrieT]

FMI (Freedom Motors USA) do conversions for the Honda Element, Chrysler PT Cruiser (both passenger and driver versions - as well as convertible!), and the Scion (as well as the other minivan conversions):

http://www.fminow.com/

Cal

The PT Cruiser and new Scion conversion look really complex and expensive. It's pretty ingenious to basically create a new floor over the driver area that goes up and down. The thing I wonder is if that messes up the rigidity of the frame of the car with a big hole on the side?

[maaprilette]

The Honda Sienna is typically popular but comes with a bigger space as compared to the rest of the wheelchair accessible vehicles.

http://www.nmeda.com