Bill RS

Hi Guys,

I need some advice from those with more knowledge/wisdom than myself..

Basically I've put a deposit down on an ex Motorsport shelled escort cosworth. I'm no purist and I'm not fussed about it having to tick all the RSOC boxes but it is registered on an escort gti ID. Although the colour and engine number etc come up correct, what are the legalities with this. Is there a chance I can be stopped by the old bill and have a whole can of worms open.. Or is it something where if I get pulled, I'll be on my way as long as my license and insurance checks out ok?

Any constructive advice is appreciated, please don't tell me I should go and buy a genuine £50k Cossie because I can't afford one lol.

Thanks,

Bill

cozzfather

iTrader: (1)

Good luck if you ever claim on it..try telling a insurance company ya gti is worth 20 grand when they think it's worth a monky

Bill RS

I've spoken with my insurance and agreed £18k with them

cozzfather

iTrader: (1)

Which insurance company is it ?
Im gonna buy a gti and get hit up the RS for that kinda dough

gcfcos

So has someone fitted the I'd from an escort gti onto an escort cosworth shell?

Fullflush

Ring a ding ding?

james kiely

iTrader: (5)

mostly standard practice in the world of motorsport i would say

Turbo Zetec

iTrader: (1)

i know people that have put rs2000 id's on cossie shells. it's a little dodgy, but doesn't really hurt anyone unless you try to sell it as genuine. technically if the shell has never been registered, you can reshell something into it legitimately.

Turbo Zetec

iTrader: (1)

after looking again, you can only really reshell another escort cossie into it and keep the original vin, but you could take this route if you want it to be legit:

https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-registrat...tered-vehicles

Bill RS

So if the old bill pull me will they say ring a ding ding?

Adam-M

I would say ringer definitely so I'd imagine the police would, i'd see the point if it was different cossie ID attached ect it wouldn't be as obvious but not a gti.

Fullflush

The car isn't what it says on the VIN, so it must be?

Imagine if you were driving a Mondeo, got pulled, and the VIN said it was a Volvo. You would expect to get the car taken off you!

Bill RS

On a vehicle check the vin and plate match. It comes up as 'ESCORT GTI 1998' but has cosworth engine number etc. It's the 1998 that startled me aswell tbh.

I've paid £250 deposit, what would you guys do in my situation?

The Youth.

iTrader: (1)

how is the vin stamped into the shell?


back in the day lots of escort cosworths were built using trimmed shells or just the bare shells for motorsport where the V5 wording was less of an issue, so they may just say escort or escort RS ETC, in your case what may have happened is the original builder bought the shell late and wanted to put an id on it so bought a escort GTI just for the V5


as said on here prooving the cars worth to an insurance company may be a real chew regardless of the agreeing to 18K
what was the 18K based on? as all there info points at an escort GTI regardless of what it actually is and the deeper they dig the worse it could become.


Steve

155lee

iTrader: (10)

Heard of plenty rs2000 v5' escort cosworths,all motorsport shells,always thought it was dodgy and I wouldn't buy 1 but that's what went on so I suppose an escort gti was maybe the easiest thing whoever built it could get their hands on.
By rights it should prob be on a q plate but I don't know if q plates get assigned to cars anymore?
My import type r 2 door impreza was down as a wagon on the v5 but clearly wasn't.
Enquire with dvla,they will tell you exactly what's what I'm sure.

COLEYST200

iTrader: (3)

Mate the best thing to do is speak to the DVLA about it . I would think they will won't to see the car

STeve

iTrader: (11)

I would have spoken to dvla first before even getting involved that way you could have decided before laying out any £

Bill RS

That's what I was thinking, it should be a q plate really. £18k is a bit too much collar really when there's genuine ones going for high £19s on eBay.

toutcos

is the car in question petrol blue with gray rondells ? if so it was up at the AvO national day last weekend for sale . Looks a tidy car, the id would concern me though.

Bill RS

He did say he went to AvO.. It's imp blue with azev a's. Carbon roof. The car itself is fantastic it is literally just the ID that's doing my nut in. I'm no purist but the last thing I want to do is be worrying every time I see the old bill. Been through all that before in my hey day driving fiestas around with different engines etc.

toutcos

that's the one lol , as I say it looks nice, I even liked the cage. it was for sale on the day at £17400 though

london_chris

im the owner of a few rs's, two escort cosworths, one of which is a 909 escort cosworth, my log book states, escort cosworth on the 909 with advice notes saying "kit built/converted - assembled from parts all of which mat not be new." with a non rs cosworth vin number.

on the non 909 escort cosworth book it is registered as Escort RS cosworth with a genuine escos vin number obviously. the Rs bit is missing from the 909 log book description.

the 909 tag does have cosworth motorsport on it though, ive seen some with different motorsport names on.

Bill RS

Basically I've agree'd to PX my mk1 focus RS (which I class to be in the higher end of mk1 RS', low mileage etc) and £6.5k. Which to me adds up to around £18k. I love the car and the cage it is literally the ID. I don't want to be paying over the odds for something either. Tbh it's not really the right time for me at the moment but I thought I was getting a good deal and it's easier to PX the focus than sell it.

Hi mate, Sorry I've just read your reply. I did want to ask you a couple questions about the Motorsport shell etc but you've basically answered them for me so thanks for that.

Fullflush

I would walk away

gcfcos

Is this a full up and running car mate?

james kiely

iTrader: (5)

i also would walk away bill,even if it meant losing my deposit .

too much money involved

irishescorts

If it's registered as a 2.0 engine and you declare to your insurance that it's 4WD with Cosworth engine etc. etc. then I don't see a problem.

Bill RS

Yeah fully up at running, msd 380bhp, hi spec brakes, koni suspension etc

My mates saying if there's any doubt then I shouldn't do it, I'll have to sit on it for a few days I think.

Comes up as 1.8 but Cossie engine number.

gcfcos

So would someone have converted a gti shell to 4wd layout or are they using a gti id on an escort cossie shell? Beats me why u would have an escort gti id on an Escos shell?? Unless the guy who built it bought a bare Escos shell with no id at all and then to cheat to get it on the road he took the id off a cheap old rotton escort gti. Sounds well and truly dodgy to me mate especially at the money involved

gjh

I was looking at that yesterday, it looks very nice to be fair, was also questioning its history mind, would it be a rally converted into a road car??

Bill RS

Hope your weren't looking at it because I put a deposit down on it haha. The bloke seems a decent guy, pretty genuine. Story adds up with the car, signs of a cage box sections near turrets, old plates and blanked off holes where a cage would have come through the bulkhead. The one thing I forgot to do was measure the length of the car. I just don't wanna be driving around in something that could cause me issues with the old bill, I just can't be arsed with it. The only thing I'd want the old bill to be pulling me over for is to appreciate the car lol.

irishescorts

Get it registered as a 2.0

Not hard to do and will avoid any confusion.

gjh

No just looked online, does look like a very nice car. There was a purple one on there for 20k too, with gold wheels, did you see that?

Fullflush

How do you know the car wasn't stolen and put on to that ID?

The fact you, or the current owner can't answer that means you are at risk of having it taken off you

Bill RS

This is my point. So back to the original question, is it legal?

gcfcos

I think you'd be best giving it a wide birth mate. If he's taken the risk to build it and use it then that's up to him. Before he sells it the owner should make it 100% legal through the correct channels or break it for parts. Get an inspection done on it and I bet they'll report it as a ringer unless there's paperwork to back up the build and to say it's an original motorsport shell? Sounds well dodgy to plough £18k into something without doing your homework bud

Bill RS

I'm not interested in reporting it or anything like that, if I was to avoid it it's not my place to start causing grief for the owner. He seems to have been as honest as he can with me and has told me straight about what the car is. I'm thinking of wether to buy it and then source a genuine shell with v5 from a breakers where I can then build a proper escort cosworth.

Adam-M

I think he's selling it because he is too paranoid to use it and so would I be tbh, but I can tell your head over heals with it as it is a nice looking car so it's upto you really.

I'm not a purist either but just wouldn't like a car that causes unnecessary grief.

Goodluck

dave cos4x4

iTrader: (5)

the best thing to do if you can find one, the value would go up too to cover your costs if the shell and id is hpi clear.

fuzzy

id go into your local police station and explain it all to them and they willput you straight.