7 replies to this topic

[bikewiz]

So because the GBP is cheap for us Yanks I'm thinking of buying a new shell. It's about 1700GBP to get it to me. Has anyone actually bought one, rebuilt their car, and driven happily into the sunset? I'd really like to hear from people who actually bought one. I know there are tons of "a friend of mine got one and it was crap" stories but I'd like to hear the actual story that went along with it. It's about 8000GBP for me right now which isn't chicken feed but it would cost me a bit more to buy the panels and have my current car rebuilt and painted, and there's nothing like "new".

[Magneto]

You still have to have it painted, that's the most expensive part isn't it? I have a friend who bought one and built his car up from scratch and lived happily ever after - still has it 15 years later.

 

Edit: Magneto = Minidave

Edited by Magneto, 13 July 2016 - 02:52 AM.

[sonikk4]

A new round nose shell is a few pence just shy of £7k. So that plus your shipping costs are nearer £9k unless of course you get the VAT off.

The other thing to consider is depending on the age of your car you can loose a lot of original features so for example external hinged doors as per Mk1 shells etc etc etc this will have a detrimental effect if you decide to sell the car on.

Now personally if I was to go down that route I would also get the car E coated before I did anything else paint wise. Maximum effort to protect my investment.

To get it properly painted inside and out will cost a lot. Lots of seam sealing etc and obviously prep work. So in GBP that in itself will be somewhere around the £3k upwards range. ( not sure how much you can get a full paint job for in the states)

Now obviously all of this is hypothetical but having done three full body restos one with paint done professionally I do have an idea of what it would cost me over here to do one from scratch to a level I would want it. And it would be well over £14k by the time you add in the E coating process prep work and paint.

[pete l]

Are they not ecoated then ? like their panels are.

[sonikk4]

I'm not fully convinced that is an E coat, for something that is supposed to be very resistant i have seen new Heritage panels with spider tracking of rust before with no obvious signs of surface damage??  Don't quote me on this but i'm sure somebody mentioned before its not actually e coat but a primer. (not the crappy type you find on Magnum panels)

 

I do know when i ordered directly through BMH (there is a story behind this as you cannot actually buy direct through them) they provided me with a bare metal inner arch for my lads car (via Somerford Minis). He did mention then about no primer coating?? Nothing about E coat.

 

So in answer to this i am not 100% sure, if it is then happy days but if not then that is a cost to be factored in if you want to go down that particular route.

[Cooperman]

It has to be said that the build quality of the Heritage shells could be better, but at least it is possible to get a new shell.

[mini-geek]

I was told that they stopped e coating them because the water they use made them rust..

Nothing to do with the £1000 they save but never dropped the price...

[Stevie W]

Hi,

 

I bought a BMH shell back in 2007 and spent extra money on further "fettling" to give a better panel fit and finish. Minispeed in Surrey at the time charged £2000 GBP on top of the price of the shell for fettling, prep and paint. 

 

I have to say that although I'm happy with the finished product 9 years on with regard to the total absence of any rust , the finish of the roof gutter still needs more work if you were considering concours. 

 

Hope this helps!

 

Cheers, Steve.