fuzzy

I would have thought the sort of person looking to buy this sort of car would be fully clued up about what hes looking at so is unlikely to be taken for a ride financially if its not adding up.

PAUL S

iTrader: (8)

A bodyshell is a replacement part like any other component that can be changed on a car. As long as that bodyshell is original and new/unused then the car can retain the ID of the donor, often all that is left of the donor is the V5 and maybe the VIN tag. The official line from DVLA is that a certain % of components from the donor also have to be used, but as only the engine block has any unique markings on it then it is very hard to disprove once a car is rebuilt that the major components used did not come from said donor.

All road RS500s started out as 3dr Cosworths that were then converted by Tickford to RS500 spec, there is no such thing as an RS500 bodyshell, they are exactly the same as the original 3dr ones. Tickford chopped off the corner of the battery tray that is all they did to the shell.

Not one RS500 touring car started out life as a road RS500 either, they were all built up from new shells.

In 1989 Ford made a new batch of replacement 3dr shells as they had run out of the original spare batch made in 1986, these had a few manufacturing differences, the obvious being the location of the rear tow eye, they can quite legitimately be used to replace an original 1986 spec one.

At a pure guess the car being discussed here is probably just an RS500 V5 and VIN tag and the guy in the past has bought a reshelled moonstone 3dr that never had the donor ID stamped into it and planned to use that to form the basis of the RS500 resurrection.

I have heard an RS500 V5 and tags can fetch over £10K alone these days without a donor. It goes on throughout the classic car world, and has done since cars were invented.

costina

iTrader: (1)

The above is so true and really is no different to changing a engine.

As long as nothing is stolen all is good.

Mr RS500

iTrader: (6)

wrong thread ,,lol

steppy

In my eyes it's no better than a replica using all the correct parts

But it's their money they make the choice