Reshelling

Just thought I'd ask peoples thoughts on reshelling.

I've just found a real basket case 1300 Lido which has already been stripped of every part. All that remains is the shell with no panels. Just about every panel of it has 4 or 5 good size rusty holes in it. You would have to really have the love of mig welding,endless time and the ability to tear every seam apart to chase ot this much rot.
So I am considering using a reasonable 1500 shell to bring it back to life. In fact it would probably end up as a nice historic road rally car.
I need to check the legalities of this but several years ago I helped a chum do the same and it was quite above board back then.

Anyway, thoughts and comments please.

My answer would be to go for it, keeping and restoring cars is about the passion and the difficult love affair with the car, but hey I’m not big on the annul keep it original line.
I think the purist would totally disagree, and may birch me for my words and thoughts.

My restoration of yap was nothing to do with my annul.

Although the wife has called me that on a few occasions throughout the project. As you have seen Mark shes got some non standard areas and is certainly not original. The lovel lady (im terrible with names) in her Lido at he national loved to tell me that my limited edition stickers were wrong. My response "not bothered"

Les

Johnney

On a serious note id say if you have the will and the means then do it.
Lets face it the number of x19's is depleting every year. Its people like you and the members of this club whom are keeping the x19 alive.

Please keep us informed if you decide to take on the project.

Les

Why not do it, Lidos are a lot rarer than standard 1500's!

Some info here:

www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/Bu ... G_10014199

Of course its perfectly legal to re-shell a car, it would only be dodgy if you were trying to pass off your 1500 body as a Lido right down to swapping over the VIN and using the Lido reg on your 1500 and trying to sell the car on for extra profit under the pretence that it is a genuine Lido - but if you wish to go down that route so that you could enter the car into historic rallying then that is a completely different matter, just keep quiet about it!

See my note in the Cars for sale area of this very forum... there was a shell stripped and ready going for free.