where do we stand legaly on a reshell ?

[chief]

the law is the law

you don't have to agree with its sense

its still the law

there is a few i've come across that are in this category

[march109]

Tread carefully! Unless the law has changed, which as far as I'm aware it hasn't, doing what the original poster was asking about is illegal.

Yes, altering it without informing them, thats illegal, but there are legal ways to reshell a car.

oh and buy the points system my ka project is verynearly needing a q-plate, it would only score a 9

Theres no nearly about it, it either scores 8 or more or not.

TBh it could be argued on the points system that my Nova would fail to meet it.

if i change it to independant trailing arms like im thinking of doing and use a differnt gearbox at some stage then bang its a Qplate. lol.

Nope not at all you've misunderstood.

Based on how I understand it from helping with kit car builds and SVA tests.

If you are properly reshelling a car, you need to inform the DVLA and VOSA too.

They will then decide based on the points system wether your car is eligble to have the VIN of the donor OR the victim, based on the points system. If neither car is eligble, ie. when you haven't used enough components from the donor and there was no victim (such as in the case of a kit car build), then the vehicle is issued a Q plate.

Recently some kit can manufacturers have gained small production liscenses and if your kit car is made from a majority of 'new' parts (often reciepts and photos of the build are required to prove) then you can even be issued with a new plate relevent to the year the build was completed and SVA'd.

This is why you see kit cars completed post 2000 with F, E and G plates as the majority of Lotus 7 type builds use ford sierras as base cars for near enough all the running gear. And bigger kit car manufacturers (and poeple with deeper pockets) have kit cars with post 2001 plates of the XX01 XXX variety because the car was completed from new parts.

What this means for the E30 person is provided you go to VOSA with both log books, photos of the build, reciepts for new parts and such like and can prove your car is eligble for the reg of the donor based on the points system, as in the case of a reshell where ONLY the shell has been changed, then they will issue the new shell (regardless of if its new or second hand) with the ID of the original vehicle.

Some kit cars only have a VIN after the SVA, and ones given the plate of the donor are often given the VIN of the donor too. You also have to prove the donor shell has been/will be scrapped or not be possible to reused at a later date.

HairyScreech when you say you will have to get a new ID for your vehicle if you change the independant trailing arms like your thinking of doing and using a different gearbox, you are very wrong, why would you? You are not trying to reliscence the car as its doesn't suddenly need an SVA for this type of work as it doesn't radically alter the vehicle and you don't want to change its ID to the donor of the trailing arms or gearbox?!?! VOSA have no interest if you do this provided the parts are fit for use. Besides DVLA have a record of the VIN in your car, if you change your trailing arms and gearbox like for like then they would never know! And there is also no point ringing a car by just changing the trailing arms and gearbox is there?!

[HairyScreech]

its off the road for a rebuild, had a new front end put on it, and its got to have a vic check before it sees the road. theres not much of the origional car left realy, its quicker to list whats origional, only the interior and the shell from the screan back and the doors. its had a lot more than just a few bits done.