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Reshelling Topics (Edited)
- Thread starter NikWilson
- Start date
MaximG
Well-Known Forum User
I still don't understand how this re shelling of cars works. Surely if you take a RH drive car re shell it into a LH she'll swap the necessary bulk head parts over to make it RH drive again. Move the vin number over and remove the vin from the LH she'll that makes it a ringer? Plus of what historical importance is it?
Throttleton
Well-Known Forum User
Why shouldn't you be allowed to re shell a car with a better shell?
MaximG
Well-Known Forum User
Well ok let's put it another way. Is it ok to take let's say a 280 shell from the states and make it look like a 240 vin number and everything? Or are you really importing a 280 imposing the identity of another car on it which in reality is ringing it.
Alphabettispaghetti
Club Member
I think its a conversation all on its own that subject.
As I see it a re-shell isn't an original car at all and i'm not sure how you can say otherwise? Not saying that they're bad but original they're not, it does make sense for rally/race cars. I'm not/don't want to get into the legal side of it as its very murky water and its a well used practice.
Alphabettispaghetti
Club Member
swapping the id from one registered shell to another is what happens though.
Throttleton
Well-Known Forum User
MaximG, you can buy shells legitimately under license to re shell a car and not from the manufacturer.
An example are the Heritage shells for the mini.
The re shell argument is an old one. Is it when you replace the roof , the rear quarters, the floorpans etc, etc.........
At which point of a restoration does it become 'another car'
Is it when the tiny vin plate becomes rotten and you have to cut it out, or if the bulkhead is more rotten you buy a new second hand one and fit it and stick your old vin plate back in?
Or if it's more cost effective change the shell?
Unless you have a great condition Z then you will have to face these problems even if you aren't 'racing and replacing'.
The lh/rd conversions to American shells I have seen have ended up being better than oe.
The word ringer shouldn't be used in this case.......
In the good old days 2 cars of the same type with front damage to 1 and rear damage to the other were chopped in half and the good bits welded together.
An example are the Heritage shells for the mini.
The re shell argument is an old one. Is it when you replace the roof , the rear quarters, the floorpans etc, etc.........
At which point of a restoration does it become 'another car'
Is it when the tiny vin plate becomes rotten and you have to cut it out, or if the bulkhead is more rotten you buy a new second hand one and fit it and stick your old vin plate back in?
Or if it's more cost effective change the shell?
Unless you have a great condition Z then you will have to face these problems even if you aren't 'racing and replacing'.
The lh/rd conversions to American shells I have seen have ended up being better than oe.
The word ringer shouldn't be used in this case.......
In the good old days 2 cars of the same type with front damage to 1 and rear damage to the other were chopped in half and the good bits welded together.
Alphabettispaghetti
Club Member
I don't think they were 'good old days' at all!
The issue is that they're not new shells, they're previously registered with 40ish years of their own history behind them.
Surely the best way would be a good american shell, a RHD bulkhead(if you NEED rhd), then register the car on its original chassis number here in the UK, therefore using the actual cars identity+age but having RHD if you need it?
Throttleton
Well-Known Forum User
I think at the minute the customers in England will want a uk logbook/car even with a re shell.
I would be surprised if someone imported an American car then converted it to r/h drive ...............and then asked to keep the American registration?
I don't know the figures but I think there was only a couple of thousand 240's sent to the uk so expect people to keep those identities at all costs
MaximG
Well-Known Forum User
Exactly your keeping the identity of the imported vehicle and that's the way it should be.
MaximG
Well-Known Forum User
Not really no, the heritage shell or shell from the manufacturer has no history as it hasnt previously been registered.
Throttleton
Well-Known Forum User
MaximG, how do you fix your car if you crash it badly?
Or would you scrap it?
Or would you scrap it?
Alphabettispaghetti
Club Member
I meant regarding 240z's, as there's not 'heritage' shell for us.
Alphabettispaghetti
Club Member
Throttleton
Well-Known Forum User
Then they all will die.
RIP
MaximG
Well-Known Forum User
Unfortunately these are not £100,000 cars, so in all honesty if the car was beyond repair it would probably end up in a scrap yard. If it had lots of very nice bits on it I would take them off first. If I decided to get another one say from the states then the good bits would go on that car but I see no point in taking the the identity of my old car and putting it on another.
Mike B
