1979 reshelled gti for 900 quid

1979 reshelled gti for 900 quid, looks a bit dodgy though.

Sorry here is the ebay link. If the car has been reshelled will the car be on a Q plate? or a ringer?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=9873&item=4512427232&rd=1

Why would anyone use a rare hellos blue campaign to reshell a early mk1? Probably geniune but must raise a few serious questions.

Would have been worth re-shelling if had been done to a full '79 spec.

As it is it's too much of a hybrid. Looks like he found out the instrument cluster connections are not compatible too, hence the separate rev counter. The dash itself should also be black not bronze.

Cheers
Rajan

Good points, also the price looks far too low! :roll:

I'm sure I saw this on i-net for sale a few months back - for whatever that's worth!

Looks a bit dodgy to me... Why has he not stated what plate it is running on? What should it be on - a 79 plate or an 83 plate?

If he had all the documents for the 79 still then I guess he can use the 79 plate.

I've seen the same done on the mini scene before, where a MK1 mini was re-shelled with a later shell but retained the original plate.

However, I had heard argument before that the majority of the car must be from the original but I don't know how true that is?

…just noticed on the pics on ebay there's no VIN plate on the front panel top - that would worry me - esp. with the lack of much history.

Kind of car I would stay clear of personally, if no other reason than lack of originality

Indeed this was on the net awhile ago, on ebay funny enough. I'd stick well clear of this one.

The seller said that the reshell job was very good, yet why was the 1979 GTI loom not transfered the to the donor car? as one poster said the rev counter was not working because because the s2 loom plugs will not fit the rev counter!

Anyone lost a Hellos blue mk1?

Mmmmm.  Sounds like you could spend a grand on a dodgy motor to me :? .

Barge pole and don't touch it with spring to mind.

Who's to say the Helios Blue is original - probably not.

Not just the money! If a copper pulled you up in that car and he was a MK1 fan you could land up in deep s**t. Not only would you be prosecuted for ringing but would lose the car.

i asked the bloke and he said its still on a v plate??

How did he get around the vin number ? I thought that a reshelled car had to be on a Q, maybe I'm wrong, anyone know?

the only reason a car goes on a Q plate is when there is no known history. but if you have a log book off say a v reg car and then you purchase a later model shell then legally you can transfer all info off your v plate onto a later car with no come back

I nearly reshelled an Omega 3.0 MV6 which had had a heavy rear shunt. Fortunately the guy at the bodyshop did a cracking job so I did'nt need to reshell it.

I talked to the police about it and they say it is OK to reshell a car so long as the shell you are using is either a new unused shell, the same age or an older shell. You then have to give the vehicle the old shell's ID. As with the Omega it was a 2000 W reg but the donor shell would have been an 1996 N Reg. It would therefore have to go on an N reg number.

Like if this guy with the 1979 car had reshelled it using an 1983 shell and tried to put in on an A reg it would be a no no. The fact that it is on a V reg I think makes it OK. Still would'nt want to get my legs into that as someone has already said it is far from "right and original"

If you anyone is thinking of doing this sort of thing, have a word with the Vehicle Inspection Branch at the local fuzz station. They are helpful as they want you to do it right.  :wink:

Read about this in Practical Classics a while ago. They claimed that The DVLA guidelines when reshelling was that the main structual part of the vehicle (which is usually the monoque) that retains its identity. If you think about it the VIN is to identfy the main structual part of the car and nt the engine or running gear.

If this is the case the example of the Omega is correct. However the guy in the advert should have kept the A plate reg of the helios blue when reshelling? Can you actually legitimatley swap vehicle VINs? Whatever the case if the reshell is legimate, I'm sure he would have had to inform the DVLA of the change and a new V5 issued noting the reshell. Still wouldn't touch though…

I think you're being a bit hard on the seller here !  Probably someone in the past has bought a stolen recovered Mk1 shell (ie, stripped Helios Car) and decided to use the mechanicals / interior from a rotten series 1 to build it up. I agree it's a bit of a mongrel now, but is a 'reasonable' price. If it had an early rear panel and was in Mars red, black, silver, it would look a whole lot better !  You do sometimes come across cars like this. A friend at college had a Mk1 Mini Cooper S that had been reshelled into a Mk3 Mini shell. Looked wrong, but was totally above board and legal !