Im looking to convert my cube van into a pickup, but as the tailgates are proving extremely hard to find Im finding it hard to get off the starting blocks. Will a caddy tailgate fit? My Felicia is 1999 plate. Thanks.

Basically yes. However you will need to drill 7 holes, 4 for the latches, 2 for the retainers and 1 for the loom. The 4 holes for the bottom hinges are already drilled and plugged with bolts (which is very helpful). You'll need to take the back bumper off to gain best access. Also you'll need to make a loom for the number-plate lights and feed it through th bottom.

You'll need a tailgate from the Mk2 Caddy pickup, which just so happens to be the Felicia pickup in disguise. If you can find the "hockey sticks" from the sides of a pickup, that would be a bonus.

Alex

Not cheap though are they.

Interesting. I wonder if I should take the one off the other truck then

i would have given my eye teeth for a decent tailgate not so long ago ended up welding/filling/etc on mine.

to the op: you thought about putting a bully net on there instead of a tailgate? seems to be all the rage nowadays

^^^^^^^^ more aero-dynamic too.

I lied. Sorry. :-(

The holes for the tailgate are already in the Cube. The lower hinges on the rear doors use the same hole as the latches for the tailgate and the metal retainer straps just need the rubber grommet removed from below the latches. I suspect the hole for the loom has just a rubber bung on it too.

(I put the van and the pickup side-by-side at the office today)

All you need then is the tailgate and wiring. Whereabouts are you?

Edited 29 March, 201115 yr by RainbowFore

Thanks guys for your fast responses

Im in Nottingham. I have thought about the netting yeah. Got me wondering where Id put the number plate and lights. Think Id prefer the tailgate for a neater job. When I first got the van I registered with breakersyard.com and they had one in. Didnt know how rare they were then so I thought about it too long and it went!

I might get myself a caddy tailgate then and put up with the fact it says Volkswagen on the back. Unless of course, they are just as rare??

I might get myself a caddy tailgate then and put up with the fact it says Volkswagen on the back. Unless of course, they are just as rare??

lol, they are just as rare, they are identical except for the £10 badge on the back.

Given that you'd have to modify the loom any way, you could put the number plate on a couple of brackets below the rear bumper, if you go for a net.

The tailgates are so rare because they rot like an absolute sod. If I remember, the pickup & cube van only came with a 2 year anti corrosion warranty, unlike the cars which had a 6 year..They knew the commercials would lead a very hard life. I know the cube I used to drive certainly got a hammering....

well my tailgate was like a rusty colander before i painted it, all sorts of crazy holes etc, you wouldn't even know now it's been repaired though

The cube van also had rust spots on the sills at less than 2 years old..The local dealer bless em tho, gave the sills a rub down & respray for nowt...Only had the van 4 years, and by the time it was chopped in for Berlingo, it was pretty grotty in a fair few places..

There are two tailgates on Ebay at the moment. :-)

surely the netting would reduce structural rigidity. qa solid tailgate would be my choice.

The tailgates have a reasonable amount of clearance side-to-side and only latches in one direction. (A 'loose fit' if you like). There is enough give in the latching mechanism to add nothing to the structure.

yeeah what he said ^^ the tailgate is not a structural part of the wagon tbh, it's purely a 'cover' for the back

Ive currently replaced my cube top with some galvanised 1" mesh and a painted decking joist. Looks ok till I can get a tailgate locally