Fiberglass mini.
Turbo Mini Forums

If i buy a fiberglass shell and use the old parts from a 1970 mini. Is it just a body change and the car is still an 1970 mini?

Depends on the law where you live, I see in your profile you are from Norway, so I don't know what the registration laws are over there.

in England its a gray area, since if you replace the engine at the same time or a subframe then it counts as a new build, but just the shell and nothing else is OK.

i wanted to do all the work in UK and then import it here. Here its alittle harder. Here i have to pay tax on it like it was a 2007model

Am I correct in thinking if you class it as a kit car (being grp shell) and use the 1970 car as a "donor" you can SVA test it after a normal mot, Then apply to dvla for an age related plate to the donor car? Thats the route a mates dad went I believe with his seira bassed tiger (caterham style) as he didnt want a q plate?
Shane.

You can do that. The problem with doing that with a mini is that the mini would be a pain to SVA.

http://www.twin-turbo.co.uk
http://www.hillclimbandsprint.co.uk/default.asp

A man without a project is like a like a woman without a shopping list.

That is true but from what I heard I think on the day its down to the inspecter, mates dad had the "Ive just got to nip inside to fill in a few forms, If you want to just.....) line to aloow him half hour to tinker.

i want this, but i have almoust restored my mini shell. And i think its going to be more work then i want.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/FRA-Mini-clubman-hat...1QQcmdZViewItem

Most Mini based kits still available have given consideration to the SVA so it's not too hard actally.

On a Mini shell the biggest problems are the seams, roof gutter and the fact the rear lights aren't round enough.

Inside you'd need to mount the switches either in a recessed panel in such a way they fell back into the panel if you contacted them in an accident.

You would need a collapsable steering wheel boss.

You would need to increase the radius on dash lower rail to 19mm or greater and you would HAVE TO take the car to test with approved seat belts as there is no approved mounting point for harnesses (would be at either too step an angle or attached to too weak a panel unless a cage was used with harness mounting rails).

You may or may not have to box around the handbrake too.

Mirrors would have to be carefully chosen and mounted.

It's not impossible.


A fibreglass shell replacement is actually very clear cut ...... it's no longer a Mini and thus needs SVA!

If it usues the orginal steel floorpan then it might be classed as a body conversion and thus could just have the registration document ammended to suit.

Also if you trailer the car to the SVA then you don't need an MOT first and when the test is over you should not need an MOT to drive the car for the first year.

Every day is a school day ...........

How fast and how expensive ...... the same question...

If you have nearly finished a resto then stick with it!! Too many hours of your time lost to abandon it, I only considered a fibreglass shell as it turned up the same week I scrapped my steel one after I deemed it too much work to repair.
Shane.

i dident want to trow away the mini shell. I could build it up whit standard engine. Im trying to build a good mini that i can use all year. And not thinking of the rust.