62 replies to this topic

[mab01uk]

Virtually all the ex-works rally Minis, which changwe hands at around £100k have been re-shelled. so what?
The shell used to be just another part number which could be ordered from your local BMC dealer.
So long as the shell is the correct type/model surely there is nothing wrong morally with that. Of course, the V5 Police' will be along shortly.

The problem is that you ocassionally get 2 people claiming to own the same works car haha

Normally happens when a UK Mini is exported, re-registered on foreign plates and the then redundant UK V5 re-used, as always people find loopholes in the system.........

Talking of loopholes here is a recent one found on obtaining UK driving licences:
UK closes loophole on foreign driving licences
http://www.motortorque.com/car-news/uk-closes-loophole-on-foreign-driving-licences-20997.aspx

[jonny95]

Don't forget to sign the Classics Monthly Reshell or Die Petition:
http://www.classicsm...n-our-petition/

iv just signed it

[surfblue63]

I hope all you guys who think that reshelling Minis with old previously used shells don't have your cars stolen. I am getting sick and tired of people saying it is fine to save a Mini by giving it a reshell. What's wrong with rebuilding the donor car, or is it OK for that Minis ID to be lost and not saved. Does anyone not think that the rise in thefts of cars has nothing to do with the prevailing thought that it is OK to reshell a car that's body is beyond economic repair.
There was a thread on here yesterday posted from someone enquiring about how to obtain a log book for a Mk1 that they found in a field so they could married it to another shell which has no ID which came from Holland. Why has a shell come from Holland without an ID I wonder?
Ringing is illegal, it always has been, and I just wish people would stop condoning it.

[JustSteve]

I hope all you guys who think that reshelling Minis with old previously used shells don't have your cars stolen. I am getting sick and tired of people saying it is fine to save a Mini by giving it a reshell. What's wrong with rebuilding the donor car, or is it OK for that Minis ID to be lost and not saved. Does anyone not think that the rise in thefts of cars has nothing to do with the prevailing thought that it is OK to reshell a car that's body is beyond economic repair.
There was a thread on here yesterday posted from someone enquiring about how to obtain a log book for a Mk1 that they found in a field so they could married it to another shell which has no ID which came from Holland. Why has a shell come from Holland without an ID I wonder?
Ringing is illegal, it always has been, and I just wish people would stop condoning it.

G
I said that I think its okay to 're-shell' a legally owned mini with another legally owned mini

At no point did I say that stealing minis is okay. Thats ludicrous!

[mab01uk]

The Classics Monthly Reshell or Die Petition (see link below) details a set of easier to enforce legal guidelines which would make re-shells legal, obvious to buyers and reduce the use of anything stolen, while helping classic car restoration and preservation.
Classics Monthly Reshell or Die Petition:
http://www.classicsmonthly.com/2011/02/11/reshell-or-die-sign-our-petition/

Edited by mab01uk, 04 February 2013 - 07:44 AM.

[surfblue63]

I hope all you guys who think that reshelling Minis with old previously used shells don't have your cars stolen. I am getting sick and tired of people saying it is fine to save a Mini by giving it a reshell. What's wrong with rebuilding the donor car, or is it OK for that Minis ID to be lost and not saved. Does anyone not think that the rise in thefts of cars has nothing to do with the prevailing thought that it is OK to reshell a car that's body is beyond economic repair.
There was a thread on here yesterday posted from someone enquiring about how to obtain a log book for a Mk1 that they found in a field so they could married it to another shell which has no ID which came from Holland. Why has a shell come from Holland without an ID I wonder?
Ringing is illegal, it always has been, and I just wish people would stop condoning it.

G
I said that I think its okay to 're-shell' a legally owned mini with another legally owned mini

At no point did I say that stealing minis is okay. Thats ludicrous!

Were my comments directed at you personally?

Riniging is illegal. Saving a Mini by using a used shell is not saving a Mini from the scrap yard, once done the donor Mini has been scrapped. The more that reshelling goes on the more people will loose faith in any car being original and legitimate. I know of two cases of Minis that have desputed ownership due to reshelling in the last year. That means two people are going to loose their hard earned money because some people think it is OK to buy and sell used Mini shells and log books.
If only BMC/BL/Austin Rover had stamped the shells like most other manufacturers did then this practice would be a lot more difficult to pull off.

Just to recap.

Ringing is illegal.

[surfblue63]

The Classics Monthly Reshell or Die Petition (see link below) details a set of easier to enforce legal guidelines which would make re-shells legal, obvious to buyers and reduce the use of anything stolen, while helping classic car restoration and preservation.
Classics Monthly Reshell or Die Petition:
http://www.classicsm...n-our-petition/

I have just sent this to Classics Monthly

Dear Sirs

So you think the illegal ringing of cars should be abolished. Thanks for increasing the likelyhood of my classic car from being stolen. Saving a classic with a used shell is not saving a classic car. If the used shell is worthy of use then why is that car not being saved. Once used as a donor that car will be lost.

What a stupid petition, and a stupid idea.

Already in Europe there is legislation to certify the originallity of cars, uasing a shell from one car for another means that two cars will not be original, thus they will not be able to be classed as classic vehicles.

Please take this petition down.

[Cooperman]

Within the motor-sport world, re-shelling has always been the way to fix a badly damaged car. Talking Minis, back in the 60's & 70's whewn a competition Mini was badly damaged on a rally or race it was totally acceptable to buy a 2nd hand 850 Mini with a 'smoking' or 'rattling' engine and/or a rotten rttear sub-frame and use that shell to re-build the rally car. We all did it, even semi-professional teams.
So, let me ask you a question. If you had a Mk.1 Cooper 'S' historic rally car which you had rolled badly in a forest where fully comp insurance could not apply. Let's say the car was worth £30,000. So, would you just scrap it or find a decent Mk.1 shell for around £2500 to £3000 and rebuild it? Honest answers please.

[Noah]

I'd be getting a used shell.

Until BMH start making new Mk1 Shells. Which brings me too, new shells don't need to be 6k.

[jb93]

new shells don't need to be 6k.

A lot of things don't need to be the price they are, but if they can get away with selling them for that much, they will

Take petrol for example

Edited by jb93, 04 February 2013 - 04:29 PM.

[icklemini]

talking about stamps on body shells... i recall building a minicross car a few years back... when stripping out the seam sealer and such like I found a date stamp in an unusual place.. the car (bought as a complete car) was from the 80's

[icklemini]

I'd be getting a used shell.

Until BMH start making new Mk1 Shells. Which brings me too, new shells don't need to be 6k.

My new rover shell came to me for something like 1200 notes back in the mid 90's.....

[MaxAndPaddy]

It is a touchy subject, and in no way going against Mr Cooperman because his point is valid but reshelling back in the 60's/70's was when the mini was still in production

But it is different now they arnt in production anymore, having said that If I owned a Mk1 Cooper S and for whatever reason it needed a new shell would I stand by my morals or buy another shell?....I'd buy the shell

Guilty!!

But how can you police ''yes its ok for that car its rare... but no you shouldnt do it for that one''

[ryan22_lgm]

Mine has late 70s shell 88 reg! So has my van 67 on a 80s shell

[Cooperman]

This is not a Mini issue, it's covers all the classic car movement. Escort Twin-Cams are being re-shelled using Escort 1100 shells fully modified up to 'Type 49 Shell, standard. Sunbeam Tigers have been re-shelled into Sunbeam Alpine shells. Cortina GT's and Lotus Cortinas have been re-shelled using Cortina 1200 shells, and so on. It is impossible to prevent as shells from back then didn't have much in the way of identification. In fact the Mini shell is effectively identical for each mark with a Mk.1 'S' having an identical basic shell to a Mk.1 850. The gearshift hole is just cut from a template and the boot board brackets are easy to fit and available as off-the-shelf items.
If a re-shell is being done to enable an historically significant model that is one thing. If it is being done to avoid road tax then it is another.
If one is talking about degrees of legality, it might be expected that those taking a hard line on this legality or otherwise never, ever exceed the speed limit in their classic cars - because it is illegal .