18 replies to this topic

[Poloniumsoup1]

Hi
New poster here. Onto my 5th Mini. Picked up a 1991 Cooper. It was cheap but needs a shed load of welding. Roof, door Jams, boot floor, wings, A pillars, A panels, scuttle and sills.

Wondering if it's time to roll up my sleeves and start cutting or source a replacement shell.

Has anyone else swapped shells and does anyone know the implications of the V5. Obviously needs to have Cooper on the V5 still.

While I'm at it. Anyone know any decent welders in Cheltenham/Gloucester area.

Cheers for any responses/help

[Avtovaz]

getting a shell is quicker, but its not the original car, and if you want good value to it, id stick with the original and keep its history.

 

 

As for welding it yourself, unless you want to spend a long time doing it, spend your time doing more hours on your day job and send it to someone like Ben_0 on the isle of white, not only will it be done right, you could be driving it again next year and and providence of his work can only add value to the restoration. 

 

I WISH i had sent my advantage to him.

[nicklouse]

Be aware if you wish to resell your car you must do it with a brand new shell.

 

if you buy a used shell with ID you car rebuild that car with your parts and then scrap your car.

 

or you can repair your shell with cuts and or new panels.

 

putting your reg on a pre register shell is known as ringing and you may end up with a Q plate or a scrapped car.

 

be very aware of what you put out there in the public domain.

[Tupers]

You can’t legally use your Cooper log book on another shell that’s already been on the road it another log book.

You are allowed to use your Cooper log book and all the parts from your car on a new Heritage shell.

It really hinges on whether you want to spend £8500 on a new shell or spend 12 months learning to weld and £2500 on panels.

[beardylondon]

I’d beg to differ here, Nick you are always a fountain of brilliant knowledge, and I don’t mean to piss on your bonfire, but as far as I’m aware, and Google:

“A 'ringer' is a stolen car that has had its identification numbers replaced by a set from another.”

So although the original poster is in the realm of getting into trouble with the DVLA, I would think if done with a legally sourced shell of similar age you’d likely be fine. Remember hundreds if not thousands of Mini owners have “reshelled” their minis over the years with second hand shells. I’m not agreeing with it, as original is always best, but if done right, you are unlikely to suffer the sting of DVLA, especially if you have a current V5, and hence don’t need an inspection.

For the record I don’t condone this, have never done it myself, and totally expect to be shot down in flames, but here we are!

Be aware if you wish to resell your car you must do it with a brand new shell.

if you buy a used shell with ID you car rebuild that car with your parts and then scrap your car.

or you can repair your shell with cuts and or new panels.

putting your reg on a pre register shell is known as ringing and you may end up with a Q plate or a scrapped car.

be very aware of what you put out there in the public domain.

[Homersimpson]

I’d beg to differ here, Nick you are always a fountain of brilliant knowledge, and I don’t mean to piss on your bonfire, but as far as I’m aware, and Google:

“A 'ringer' is a stolen car that has had its identification numbers replaced by a set from another.”

So although the original poster is in the realm of getting into trouble with the DVLA, I would think if done with a legally sourced shell of similar age you’d likely be fine. Remember hundreds if not thousands of Mini owners have “reshelled” their minis over the years with second hand shells. I’m not agreeing with it, as original is always best, but if done right, you are unlikely to suffer the sting of DVLA, especially if you have a current V5, and hence don’t need an inspection.

For the record I don’t condone this, have never done it myself, and totally expect to be shot down in flames, but here we are!
 

Be aware if you wish to resell your car you must do it with a brand new shell.

if you buy a used shell with ID you car rebuild that car with your parts and then scrap your car.

or you can repair your shell with cuts and or new panels.

putting your reg on a pre register shell is known as ringing and you may end up with a Q plate or a scrapped car.

be very aware of what you put out there in the public domain.

 

Indeed, back when the tax exemption was fixed at pre 1973 it was amazing how many pre 1973 cars appeared with rubber mounted front subframes...

 

Its one of the reasons that you don't seem to see many minis between 1973 and the early to mid 1980's as they were old cars and hence low value and didn't have the benefit of tax exemption so people used them to rebuild the totally rotten earlier cars (or possibly the cars that people used to own and still had the log book kicking about for...).

 

Its definately not right and while I can see why people buy new shells to me a car is the body shell and by changing it you loose the history of it.  I would always opt to rebuild the original shell unless its so rotten or badly damaged that it can't be saved and then I would probably just look for a better car to start from.

[coopertaz]

You can’t legally use your Cooper log book on another shell that’s already been on the road it another log book.

You are allowed to use your Cooper log book and all the parts from your car on a new Heritage shell.

It really hinges on whether you want to spend £8500 on a new shell or spend 12 months learning to weld and £2500 on panels.

wish they were 'only' 8.5K checked now 10K

[coopertaz]

I’d beg to differ here, Nick you are always a fountain of brilliant knowledge, and I don’t mean to piss on your bonfire, but as far as I’m aware, and Google:

“A 'ringer' is a stolen car that has had its identification numbers replaced by a set from another.”

So although the original poster is in the realm of getting into trouble with the DVLA, I would think if done with a legally sourced shell of similar age you’d likely be fine. Remember hundreds if not thousands of Mini owners have “reshelled” their minis over the years with second hand shells. I’m not agreeing with it, as original is always best, but if done right, you are unlikely to suffer the sting of DVLA, especially if you have a current V5, and hence don’t need an inspection.

For the record I don’t condone this, have never done it myself, and totally expect to be shot down in flames, but here we are!
 

Be aware if you wish to resell your car you must do it with a brand new shell.

if you buy a used shell with ID you car rebuild that car with your parts and then scrap your car.

or you can repair your shell with cuts and or new panels.

putting your reg on a pre register shell is known as ringing and you may end up with a Q plate or a scrapped car.

be very aware of what you put out there in the public domain.

 

not illegal but would end up as a q plate, using points system and dvla would find out eventually if you came to sell the car as vin would not match v5, turns illegal if you alter shell identity by transfering vin tag

[beardylondon]

As above, if the poster has a current V5c, clearly the old VIN plate gets screwed to the new shell.
Hence it doesn’t need an inspection, it’s back on the road, job done! No way DVLA can know.

[Cooperman]

I am not sure when it changed, but earlier cars did not have any numbers stamped into them. The VIN was on a rivetted plate and that was all.
Then later on the VIN was stamped into the scuttle panel front lip. However, corrosion is very common and a complete new scuttle panel is often necessary. The BIG question then is what to do about the missing number. There are three options:
1. Cut the small piece with the number from the now-scrap scuttle and weld it into the new scuttle.
2. Buy or borrow a set of correct size stamps and stamp the number into the new scuttle.
3. Don't bother with the number at all.

I asked a friend of mine who is an MoT tester and he could offer no answer. Another friend, who was a police inspector before retiring and who is also a Mini enthusiast, and he didn't know either.
I normally don't stamp the number into a new scuttle and have never had any issues. I guess you just do what suits you.
Therefore, if you do decide to reshell with another used shell, just don't openly talk about it. Unless you sell the old shell with the VIN number still on the scuttle panel how would anyone know?

[beardylondon]

Off the top of my head the stamped VIN in scuttle was around 1985 on, could be wrong; but not many know it’s there, and it’s hard to see

Edited by beardylondon, 04 August 2022 - 09:14 PM.

[Richard e]

Our April 1985 registered car had the scuttle stamped.

[Pairaminis]

My '85 also.

[stuart bowes]

Of all the places to stamp it, what a daft choice

Couldn't they stamp it into the dash rail or under the edge of the carpet or something i.e internally

[beardylondon]

I read ages ago it was there, as it was meant to be covert at the time, but once the naughty folk found out, they just cut it out or ground it down. 3 years ago or so I was at a well known mini supplier and a young guy turned up with his new purchase from a local car dealer and a couple of us had a look over it, as it appeared to be a bitsa and someone had cut the vin out of the scuttle completely, left a gaping hole. We all told him to go back and get a refund ASAP