Reshell?

[SherpaMog]

I'm just wondering if any shiters had any experience in reshelling a car. I have a Renault 5 turbo, and the shell is fucked, its too rusty to even contemplate paying to fix, unless I win the lottery. I have owned it since I was a very young man and I have genuine sentimental attachment to it. Parked 15 years on mummies driveway bless her.

I have noticed there are a few great condition giffer owned late registration three door cars around, and am wondering if I could make one good gt turbo from two cars ( I realize there are slight differences at the rear arches which will involve weldage). My budget to do this isn't huge!

I'm not scared of tackling the engine myself, I have done the head gasket a couple of times when younger, cos skint, and it had a small water leak when parked up, so I'm sure frost hasn't cracked the liners, it even turns over! Won't fire probably tdc sensor/rusty flywheel.

I'm also wondering if this is possible to do legitimately. I know its easy to do not by the book, purely on the offers I have received over the years for the v5 and vehicle I.D. I may be tempted by this route myself if its really difficult to do by the book.

Any advice appreciated. I'm based in Cheshire just in case there are any other local gt turbo enthusiasts with rot free shells hanging about that they don't want and I can have for 60p.

[Guest Hooli]

I did a Polo once, ended up on a Q-plate. Although I found out later I could have used the reg from the donor shell.

 

I did it in a weekend with a mate helping. Just put axle stands under the gearbox, unbolted all the front suspension etc & lifted the shell off. It's easier than moving the engine without a hoist. Then did the same with the rear end.

 

I wouldn't bother again unless it was a special car.

 

ID wise, I don't think you can keep the reg of the turbo in your case, the reg goes with the shell. Unless you happen to need to chop the chassis number out & accidently* weld the wrong one back in. But then you run the risk of it getting checked & being considered a ringer.

[Rusty_Rocket]

As Hooli says, It's not possible to do this legitimately.  Best case is ending up with the I.D from the car that supplied the 'shell, so it would be a pointless task.

Of course, there are other very effective ways of returning your car to the road with a good bodyshell, but I couldn't possibly comment on that.

[SherpaMog]

I think there are quite a few differences between a turbo and the later basic cars cars, but that sounds like an excellent way to do it!

[colnerov]

 The only advice I would give is don't write about it on an open forum.

[SherpaMog]

I'm not concerned about it being legitimate, I will have bought both cars and my conscience will be clear. If i go ahead I will be transferring the etched glass, engine, brakes, wheels, interior, bodykit, most of the car. I'm pretty sure the rear beam is wider too.

[SherpaMog]

I won't be giving any details, I'm just after some general advice on how things could be done in theory, maybe. Especially theories about 5 gt turbos.

[Ghosty]

Could you reshell then plate rape the old car, put it on retention and transfer as a 'cherished'?

[fiatdaft]

Pics of your 5 gt turbo please !

 

 

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[Guest Hooli]

Could you reshell then plate rape the old car, put it on retention and transfer as a 'cherished'?

 

 

It'd still come up as modified for insurance I think, which would be a pain in the arse.

[Mally]

Could you reshell then plate rape the old car, put it on retention and transfer as a 'cherished'?

 

Would that not give you the old reg on the 'new' cars V5?

Or am I mis-reading.

[SherpaMog]

No idea, but I'm really after practical advice on the reshell first, any Renault 5 experts on here?

I tried the Renault forums, but I don't think they were on a shiters wavelength, and were only interested if I was going to spend bazillions on making it concourse and worth 25k.

[Guest Hooli]

I'd suspect the turbot shell is stronger in various ways (thicker metal, more bracing etc), but no idea of the details of those things.

[SherpaMog]

I will get pictures at the weekend. She isn't pretty bless her.

The floor is fucked, I think the aerial on the roof has got twatted, leaked, and rusted it to bollocksedness. Its also green, but meant to be white.

It ran perfectly when parked up, no twattish body modifications, 180 bhp on rolling road due to mega intercooler and huge boost yo!

I have an embarrassing confession, its replacement was a six month old Audi TT 225 in 2001. I know I know.

In my defence I was only 24 and had a mega stroke of fortune financially. Would not repeat, but I thought it was the absolute bollocks at the time. 2 years later wife jumped up and down on the roof and bonnet so much it was nearly a write off, roof was resting on the seats, doors wouldn't open. No she wasn't fat. Very very angry.

[DodgeRover]

Only way to do it legitimately would be to find a NOS 5 turbo shell.

How bad is the original shell? Given the following these things have I'm sure a base shell would be quickly spotted by a 5 licker, even if you've done it for yourself if it then gets reported you're looking at a Q at best.

[Rusty_Rocket]

The physical job of a body swap is no harder that unbolting sub assemblies and then reattaching them.  The thing you'll have to watch out for is all the parts that will want replacing while you're at it.  Don't underestimate the need for new nuts and bolts everywhere, bushes, cables, brake pipes, model-specific body clips/ sealing etc.  It's a full restoration for sure, particularly with old/ worn out cars.

 

As far as body differences between different models and years go, that'll be a case of looking as you go; I would start off with cars built in the same year at the very least if you want to end up with a credible car.

You'll need to be very sure about the I.D/ VIN number issue before you start though.  As you rightly say, your conscience is clear regarding theft as both vehicles will be rightly yours, but passing off a car as being something it isn't is a totally different matter and could lead to a mega shitstorm.

[SherpaMog]

I don't really know how bad it is, because I have never worked with cars that are rusty with holes in before. Mechanicals and engines I have dabbled a bit, sometimes fitted bumpers and bolt on wings etc.

Holes in floors/ sills, never dealt with. It might not be too bad to someone who has welding skills. One door and wing are fucked but these seem available. There is also a dent in the rear quarter where someone twatted it. Every genuine turbo shell I have enquired about also needs welding. Or is mega$$$$$.

[SherpaMog]

Also, how does this welding malarkey work if bits need cutting out and replacing? Would buying a fucked but not rusty car and cutting out the required fucked bits work, or is that not how it works?

[Guest Hooli]

Also, how does this welding malarkey work if bits need cutting out and replacing? Would buying a fucked but not rusty car and cutting out the required fucked bits work, or is that not how it works?

 

That could work, but they all tend to rust in the same places. And again if the turbot shell has differences then that needs to be sorted when fitting the 'new' bits.

[mk2_craig]

In theory you could use a secondhand bodyshell in the same way as you use a secondhand gearbox or whatever.  In practice it's the one component whose provenance is key and a VIN stamp that's either non-factory or spliced in from the original shell is always going to be a bit iffy.  If you're never ever going to sell it on then fair enough.  But bear in mind these were frequently stolen/ringed back in the day (like any hot hatch of the era I guess) and if there's a similar one gets nicked elsewhere in the country in future - as will invariably happen now that values of these things are rapidly going through the roof - you might have an awkward exchage should Plod ever pull you over and have a good sniff around.

[omegod]

The original 5 GT turbo only had 115 bhp so I can't imagine the shells were hugely uprated, personally I'd remove the unrusty bit with the VIN on and weld a new shell round it without killing any kittens or nuns in the process. 

[Dave_Q]

The legal position is it needs to be a Q-plate if reshelled into a second hand shell.

 

https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-registration/radically-altered-vehicles

 

The omegod route is the one that has definitely never been done on any mini, ever.

[Guest Hooli]

Never ever done on the millions of LRs running coil springs on 'original' series chassis either.

[AlabamaShrimp]

But the shell is the car....

 

We must have had this same discussion about 5 times and we always come up with the same things.

 

Its a bit like legal ringing but it happens anyway on countless minis, land Rovers and Escorts.

 

Personally I wouldn't do it as it's not the same car it just bits stuck to another but then what do I know

[SherpaMog]

Is there anyone in the north west who would have a look at it and see if this shell is worth saving? I'm pretty sure its quite a lot of welding required. I don't have mega money to spend but do have a bit.

[Hendry]

I could be entirely wrong here, and most probably am, but I always always was under the impression that if enough of the major components of the original car shell were transferred to the new car shell then that made it qualify for being able to legally re-shell the old car into the new one, keeping its identity, and by the sounds of you planning to transfer pretty much the entire car this would be enough.

 

EDIT: Am I maybe confusing this with buying a brand new shell and rather than it being Q plated, it gets to keep the original shells identity if you use enough parts from it?

 

If so that's your only option of doing it legitimately, the other options as have been stated involve removing vin plates, V5s, chassis number stamps on the bodywork etc. of the original car.

 

BTW, slightly off topic and sorry for asking on your thread, but talk of Q plates has got me wondering, does stolen recovered stuff still get Q plated? and what reg do cars newer than the current reg number system, i.e. post September 2001 introduced models, so say for talking sake a mk2 Focus, what reg would it get under the new system like a pre 2001 car would get a Q under the old reg system?

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Rule 1: Don't tell DVLA.

 

Rule 2: Don't tell DVLA.

 

People fuss and fart about, getting sand in their fanny about DVLA inspections, points for original parts. Seriously, WTF? If you don't tell them, how will they know? (hint: they won't).

 

Rebuild the rotten 5T into a nice Campus shell. Swap the VIN plates over, grind out any stamped in numbers on the shell if you want (I would just smear filler over them and rub it down smooth) and away you go.

 

The Pistonheads experts really wet themselves over this. You've built a car into another shell. It's not a fucking ringer, it's a reshelled car. If and when you sell it, be upfront about it.

 

But don't tell DVLA - that's a whole world of pain and using a secondhand shell to rebuild a car is NOT illegal.

[overrun]

I'm just wondering if any shiters had any experience in reshelling a car. I have a Renault 5 turbo, and the shell is fucked, its too rusty to even contemplate paying to fix, unless I win the lottery. I have owned it since I was a very young man and I have genuine sentimental attachment to it. Parked 15 years on mummies driveway bless her.

I have noticed there are a few great condition giffer owned late registration three door cars around, and am wondering if I could make one good gt turbo from two cars ( I realize there are slight differences at the rear arches which will involve weldage). My budget to do this isn't huge!

I'm not scared of tackling the engine myself, I have done the head gasket a couple of times when younger, cos skint, and it had a small water leak when parked up, so I'm sure frost hasn't cracked the liners, it even turns over! Won't fire probably tdc sensor/rusty flywheel.

I'm also wondering if this is possible to do legitimately. I know its easy to do not by the book, purely on the offers I have received over the years for the v5 and vehicle I.D. I may be tempted by this route myself if its really difficult to do by the book.

Any advice appreciated. I'm based in Cheshire just in case there are any other local gt turbo enthusiasts with rot free shells hanging about that they don't want and I can have for 60p.

 

Do it. Say nowt. Enjoy.

[SherpaMog]

If its truly fucked, I will be tempted. Fuck piston heads. And the dvla

[overrun]

If its truly fucked, I will be tempted. Fuck piston heads. And the dvla

 

and Retro Rides!