25 replies to this topic

[rayjake]

Hi guys,

I have a 14 yr old rover thats covered in rust, i am wondering what would be need to change to a fiberglass shell? I was looking at the one from ABS. Anyone done it and had experence/tips/advice?

Also does anyone know what i would have to do with the DVLA?

Cheers

Ray

[DAVEY_C]

is the body realy that bad???.... i haven't done one but it depends on how good the fibreglassing is because it can shrink when drying depending on a few factors.... therefore you might want to be able to make things fit, i would advise on reinforcing mounting points to be sure and a knoledge of fibreglassing.

its all doable and you might find out info on you tube if you done a search like "how to fibreglass" or similar...... like i say i haven't done one but i know about fibreglass so ring abs to see how good their shell are and be patient while doing it because its a totaly different ballgame to a steel shell but you will deffo learn from it.

hope that helps in some way.....

[Wil_h]

is the body realy that bad???.... i haven't done one but it depends on how good the fibreglassing is because it can shrink when drying depending on a few factors.... therefore you might want to be able to make things fit, i would advise on reinforcing mounting points to be sure and a knoledge of fibreglassing.

its all doable and you might find out info on you tube if you done a search like "how to fibreglass" or similar...... like i say i haven't done one but i know about fibreglass so ring abs to see how good their shell are and be patient while doing it because its a totaly different ballgame to a steel shell but you will deffo learn from it.

hope that helps in some way.....

Eh? It'd be a bit cra.p if you bought a GRP shell that none of the mounting points were in the right place. I have two GRP mini based kit cars (which is what you'll be building) and there is no differance building a GRP car to a steel one, it's just nuts and bolts. If you use the FRA shell I know it's a straightforward job.

The main issue is that you are building a kit car, so you will have to have an IVA, which means a Q plate. It is by no means impossible to get such a car through the SVA but you can't build it then look at the regs, you'll need to read them first.

[Ethel]

You ought to be able to get an age related plate if you use one donor vehicle.

Don't forget plastic makes for very poor earths

[yousmeg]

Another factor is safety - how well would it stand up in a crash?

[jay whiting]

If your going to build a kit ie GRP body mini, as long as you use 60% of parts from a singal donor car ie a mini (both subframes, engine, gearbox and lights) you will be able to cary the reg number from the mini to the kit. This is what i did when i built my Midas. The DVLA will insist on an SVA test being done but once you have it the DVLA will allow the mini reg number to be carried.

[Wil_h]

Another factor is safety - how well would it stand up in a crash?

Much better than steel I suspect. GRP is a composite, much like carbon fibre, and no-one is suggesting that F1 cars aren't strong. It is a myth banded around by the ignorant that GRP is not crashworthy. There is a BIG difference between the construction of a monocoque shell and, say, a mini 'flip' front.

If your going to build a kit ie GRP body mini, as long as you use 60% of parts from a singal donor car ie a mini (both subframes, engine, gearbox and lights) you will be able to cary the reg number from the mini to the kit. This is what i did when i built my Midas. The DVLA will insist on an SVA test being done but once you have it the DVLA will allow the mini reg number to be carried.

I'm not sure this is still the case. Can you point me to where this is written, I'm not being funny, I'd like to know if it's worth me persuing this line with a current build.

When did you build your Midas, there has been a revolution in the SVA (mow the IVA) in the last 12 months.

[finch661]

where can you get these shells from?

[Wil_h]

There is this one that is the same as my sabre sprint FRP

Or ABS Which is also the same moulds from looking at it as my sabre sprint.

Edited by Wil_h, 19 October 2010 - 08:28 AM.

[Ethel]

"Kit Conversions" can have age related plates - DVLA INF26 leaflet (online as a pdf). V795 is the form to apply for the original registration, I don't know if they'll let you have the donor plate for a kit though, I guess not if they give you an age related plate instead - but it is the DVLA.

[Bungle]

found this

[jayare]

From the Direct.gov website (here), it looks like you can get an age related plate for the type of conversion you are proposing:

Kit Conversions

This is where a kit of new parts is added to an existing vehicle or old parts are added to a kit comprising a manufactured body, chassis or monocoque bodyshell. The general appearance of the vehicle will change and result in a revised description on the registration certificate.

A vehicle will retain its donor registration mark if either the original unmodified chassis or unaltered monocoque bodyshell and two other major components are used. If a new monocoque bodyshell or chassis from a specialist kit manufacturer is used (or an altered chassis or bodyshell from an existing vehicle) together with two major components from a donor vehicle, an age related mark will be assigned. The mark will be based on the age of the donor vehicle. An IVA, ESVA, SVA or MSVA test will be required to register the vehicle.

Where there are insufficient parts from a donor vehicle or in cases where the original registration mark is unknown, an IVA, ESVA, SVA or MSVA certificate will be required to register the vehicle and a 'Q' prefix registration number will be allocated.

This page was linked to from the page Bungle posted. You'd still need to ensure IVA compliance but wouldn't end up with a Q-plate.

JR

[steviejam73]

Another factor is safety - how well would it stand up in a crash?

I'm really considering putting my mini into a fibreglass shell in the near future. Safety for me wouldn't be a major concern to begin with, I drive a sports bike, I drive with caution but if somethings gonna happen, it's gonna happen. The benifit of fitting a roll cage that I see is safety and making seat belts easier to fit. This is one of the technical aspects I can't work out from my research on grp shells; where the shoulder point of the seat belt would mount front and rear, the grp shells all seem to be single skinned so apart from putting an ignorant bolt through the shell how could you mount?

I have just seen these guys though Minitech

They say they add steel tubing for seat belts down the side.

This shell is also the cheapest I have seen, ABSmotorsport when you add vat want about £2700.

Does anyone know if the minitech shell is based on the sprint with different size components?

[Body stylist]

There is this one that is the same as my sabre sprint FRP

interesting link that one, are they actually trading?

[Wil_h]

From what I can tell the FRP and the ABS shells are one and the same. Not sure who ownes the original moulds.

Both shells are derrived from the Sabre Sprint moulding. My Sprint has a rollover hoop built into the B pillar for the seatbelt mounting. I would presume that these derivatives are the same.

Edited by Wil_h, 20 October 2010 - 03:21 PM.