27 replies to this topic

[aavayro]

Hello, 

 

Just wondering How do i stand legally re shelling my mini into a age related Shell?, Is there anything i have to do / inform anyone? or can it be as simple as swopping things over and scrapping the old shell. 

 

Have a car that is past its limits but has all paper work and vin tags etc, and can get hold of a very good shell, same mark and year that has no v5 or identity.

 

Just seeing what my options are. 

 

Any information would be great.

 

Thanks

[Cooperman]

Don't post about this on here or the 'bodyshell police' will get all 'fired up'!!!

[sonikk4]

Have a search on Google for the TMF threads with regards to this.

 

http://www.theminifo...99-re-shelling/

[mini-geek]

I'd be questioning why, or how a shell has no identity?

But legally you can't change the shell for a used one.. Only for a new one..

[aavayro]

Hello, tankyou for the help, just seeing were i stand on the subject. 

 

The shell has no paper work as it has been stored many years after somone starting a restoration and all documents etc have been lost thought time , front chapped off ec and has no vin plates

 

Thanks Guys 

[The Matt]

There are all sorts of legalities, have a look through some of the previous threads about it.

 

Essentially, you shouldn't do it.  But loads of people do.

 

From a "TMF Admin disclaimer" point of view.  No, you can't do it legally with a used shell.

[adam_93rio]

Reshelling is illegal if using a used shell. But if you don't tell anyone then nobody knows

[Bungle]

There are all sorts of legalities, have a look through some of the previous threads about it.

 

Essentially, you shouldn't do it.  But loads of people do.

 

From a "TMF Admin disclaimer" point of view.  No, you can't do it legally with a used shell.

 

You can, you have to register the car is a freshly built new car that was built using second hand parts

 

you then would have to pass a IVA test like a kit car does and would be given a new Q reg for the car

[Carlos W]

Unless the shell turns out to be stolen, then the whole lot will be taken from you!

[Cooperman]

One thing I've never been able to discover is where, apart from the scuttle front edge on later cars, is the body-shell ident. number(s) located.

Now, if it is, as I think, only on the scuttle rail and as the scuttle rail is one of the rusty parts which is almost always replaced, what happens to the ID of the shell?

I asked my MoT person and he said he never checks with a Mini as the number is usually missing. He just checks the riveted-on VIN plate for the numbers.

I asked a police inspector friend who is also a Min I enthusiast and he said that if the number is required just get a set of metal number stamps and re-stamp the new scuttle panel or cut out the ID from the old panel and weld it into the new one.

So when replacing the scuttle rail do you stamp the numbers in anew, leave all the numbers off or weld in the small length with the numbers. How on earth will that confirm the originality or otherwise of the shell. In fact that also applies to other classic cars. It's only modern cars which have body-shell numbers which should always be identifiable.

The entire argument about re-shelling classic cars is nonsense and never happened when the Mini was a more current non-classic. Even large body-shops used to re-shell with good used shells and insurance companies paid for it, especially when a Mini had been rolled or had a severe front-end shunt.

Re-shelling of Minis is very common, especially with the early cars and that keeps the cars alive. I know I would re-shell my 1964 Cooper 'S' if I crashed it badly.

[Carlos W]

But does this give a market for stolen minis, therefore encouraging theft?

[Cooperman]

Not a lot can be done about that. People will re-shell classic cars if it becomes necessary with or without it being legal.

I can tell you this. If I crashed my 1964 Cooper 'S' on a rally where it is not fully-comp insured I would most definitely rebuild it, with another shell if necessary (and I do have a spare Mk.1 shell) as I can't afford to scrap a car valued at c.£30,000 (could you?).

Re-shelling of classic cars has always happened and always will.

Is the theft of classic cars greater than of modern cars? I have no statistics on this. Now I speak as someone who once bought a 'ringer' (a Cortina 1600E in 1970) and it took me 2 years to get my cash back. But that was nothing to do with re-shelling, it was simple car theft for profit.

[Mini 360]

I replaced my scuttle panel and have kept the vin section of the old one to prove the identity if ever it were required.  Not that it will be but better safe than sorry!

[Carlos W]

Not a lot can be done about that. People will re-shell classic cars if it becomes necessary with or without it being legal.

I can tell you this. If I crashed my 1964 Cooper 'S' on a rally where it is not fully-comp insured I would most definitely rebuild it, with another shell if necessary (and I do have a spare Mk.1 shell) as I can't afford to scrap a car valued at c.£30,000 (could you?).

Re-shelling of classic cars has always happened and always will.

Is the theft of classic cars greater than of modern cars? I have no statistics on this. Now I speak as someone who once bought a 'ringer' (a Cortina 1600E in 1970) and it took me 2 years to get my cash back. But that was nothing to do with re-shelling, it was simple car theft for profit.

 

There are MANY reasons why cars are stolen, for joy riding, for export, to be broken for spares, etc etc!

 

Some burglars break into houses, and if they find a set of keys for a car, they'll steal the car and drive it around until they get to where they want to go, crash, or run out of fuel!

 

If you're happy about the origins of your spare Mk1 shell then fair enough! And no, I couldn't afford to scrap a 30 grand car, but I couldn't afford for it to be seized as stolen either!

[Guess-Works.com]

Whilst I agree with cooperman that loosing a historic vehicle due to accident or misadventure is unfortunate, it does happen. If a historic vehicle is beyond repair and replacing the chassis ( or monocoque in the case of a mini ) is the only option then I see no reason why this should not be done, HOWEVER.... This 'modification' should be notified to the DVLA, it is their decision if the title should remain with the vehicle or be changed.

 

If you reshell a vehicle on a like for like basis then if you don't tell anyone then it's very unlikely anyone will find out... but if you do put a pre-73 ( 74 next year ) reg on an MPi, then more fool you and you deserve everything you get.