64 replies to this topic

[mini1976]

I know that carbon weave is alot more expensive than glass fiber but surley at the mo most of the cost is in the labour as glass is dirt cheap. So I would have thought yes it would cost more for a carbon one but not that much more ( other than they may charge a preimium to make them)

[minimadjonesy]

Jammy, registering them would not be a problem as you will be using a NEW Shell! as long as you use everything else off your old one you should be fine

[Jammy]

Theres a world wide shortage of CF at the mo (or at least the grades that are used to make this kind of thing), something to do with Boeing or Airbus buying up loads for their latest plane. Its also harder to glass with CF, hence the higher price.

Jammy, registering them would not be a problem as you will be using a NEW Shell! as long as you use everything else off your old one you should be fine

I thought you could only use a new replacement shell. IE, one that was pretty much identical to the original? Isn't that why theres sometimes problems with Minuses?

[minimadjonesy]

it effectively becomes a kit car, hence if you retain enough of the original car you can re-register it!

[Steve@RetroDash]

http://www.austin-ro...zuelaindexf.htm
this made an interesting read, slightly off topic but i didn't know about this

[minimole]

meh deny it all. and if anything happen plead ignorant

i thought you had to use a new unmodified shell. pretty sure that completly changing the material the car is made from is a mod :lol

[Steve@RetroDash]

meh deny it all. and if anything happen plead ignorant

i thought you had to use a new unmodified shell. pretty sure that completly changing the material the car is made from is a mod :lol

also if you change to a glass fibre shell then what happens with the vin plates?
not sure of all the legalities

[pikey7]

Surely it's pretty much the same as either a reshell or kit car build. It's all to do with points. each major part of the car gets a points allocation. the total number of points must reach a certain level, and it can retain the original plate.

So, just do a reshell (with original subbys, suspension & engine), get the car checked by the DVLA, and you can keep the plate. THEN modify the car as you will (the fibreglass shell will then count as part of the "original" structure and be worth its points in another rebuild!)

Of course, that last bit in brackets is just a guess........

[Dan]

Under the new rules it would have to be SVA tested as it's a whole new body. The body is the most important thing for maintaining the identity of a vehicle, and a replacement must be "new, unused original specification" to count as original. So in theory even a Mk3 built into a new Mk4 shell is a ringer, BMH don't make Mk3 shells. That was the death knell for most of the Mini GRP based cars as a Mini pretty much won't pass an SVA test due to it's basic shape and all the parts that stick out all over it.
I do believe that Domino Cars are still trading though, they seem to be building a new website currently and they purchased the domain that was being used for the best Domino site in the past from the Domino Club so there must be some activity there.

Oh and the points system doesn't exist any more, it's "the body or chassis AND body and at least two other major components" now.

Edited by Dan, 14 March 2006 - 11:02 AM.

[Steve@RetroDash]

Under the new rules it would have to be SVA tested as it's a whole new body. The body is the most important thing for maintaining the identity of a vehicle, and a replacement must be "new, unused original specification" to count as original. So in theory even a Mk3 built into a new Mk4 shell is a ringer, BMH don't make Mk3 shells. That was the death knell for most of the Mini GRP based cars as a Mini pretty much won't pass an SVA test due to it's basic shape and all the parts that stick out all over it.
I do believe that Domino Cars are still trading though, they seem to be building a new website currently and they purchased the domain that was being used for the best Domino site in the past from the Domino Club so there must be some activity there.

Oh and the points system doesn't exist any more, it's "the body or chassis AND body and at least two other major components" now.

ok thanks for that info.
just found this on ebay... says it has a v5
http://cgi.ebay.co.u...1QQcmdZViewItem
would that be anymore help?

[minimadjonesy]

^^^ that's an FRA Shell! it has a hatchback!

[Steve@RetroDash]

^^^ that's an FRA Shell! it has a hatchback!

ah ha not too sure with whats been done to the front though!
and what v5 would it have surely you need a car to have a v5?

[Jammy]

Under the new rules it would have to be SVA tested as it's a whole new body. The body is the most important thing for maintaining the identity of a vehicle, and a replacement must be "new, unused original specification" to count as original. So in theory even a Mk3 built into a new Mk4 shell is a ringer, BMH don't make Mk3 shells. That was the death knell for most of the Mini GRP based cars as a Mini pretty much won't pass an SVA test due to it's basic shape and all the parts that stick out all over it.

Thought so.

[minimadjonesy]

Oooh Err! didn't realise they changed it! bummer!

[Dan]

Yeah, that would be called a ringer if you built it up. It's not allowed to just buy a logbook and turn it back into a car by buying parts. If the logbook is for a car that was previously registered with that shell then you would still need two other original major components in order to retain the identity, and a roll cage doesn't count!

The rules are trying to get to a point where it's OK for a car to evolve over time but not OK for it all to be replaced with second hand parts of dubious origin at the same time, as parts of any machine will always wear out and need replacing so a car could never remain as it came down the production line forever, if they tried to apply that ruling then we'd all be driving ringers as soon as they were serviced.