Fellow mini people - I need your advice and thoughts. It seems that my mini SS has a crisis of identity. I have tracked down the previous owner to discover that he had a nasty accident in the car and instead of writing it off, they stripped the SS shell of all of its insides, engine, interior etc and transplanted it all into a clubman shell, resprayed and restickered it.
This has come as a blow to me, as for the last 17 years I believed that I had a unique little car and it was not until I chatted on this site that I started to doubt it's identity.
So my quandary is do I contiune to restore my now 1/2 a SS and enjoy the car again - or do I try to source a SS shell and transplant it all back to original?
I am torn and very confused with what to do - all I know is that I love the car and I would love to drive it again. Please tell me what you think.

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It's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog!!

1976 Mini SS
1971 Mini Ute (Custom) - really hubby's but I will claim half
1976 Mini SS Shell
Oh and an 850 shell waiting for our dear son to start his resto!

Love of the car shall conquer all worries. As an example, my lil grunt is the biggest POS that I have seen posted on ausmini, but I love it, and will keep it forevermore!
If you truly love it, then set it free. If it does not return, then hunt it down and shoot it!

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Chuck Norris is the only person alive who can kick you in the back of the face!!
mooo, I'm a pig!

Thanks soothing words

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It's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog!!

1976 Mini SS
1971 Mini Ute (Custom) - really hubby's but I will claim half
1976 Mini SS Shell
Oh and an 850 shell waiting for our dear son to start his resto!

the shells are the same on a SS as a S or leyland mini. The only difference was the goodies on the outside, and inside so no it shouldnt be an issue

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How original do you want it to be?
If your worried about the detail down to the last nut, bolt and part number than a shell wont be any good to you anyway.
Build it to the way that you think that you would enjoy it the most.

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'72 English Van...'72 Export Moke ...63' 850...KZ 750E1...'74 P76

If you have all the necessary bits then put it together as a true replica/"once was an SS" and enjoy the hell out of it....as long as you don't try to pass it off as genuine you will be OK by me (and hopefully a bunch of others)

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"Show me the Mini!"

There nothing wrong with a Leyland Clubman Mini SS replica, they only made 500 of the Mini SS, so a replica with a genuine SS interior is the next best thing.

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It's only the shell that isn't original but the shell is the same so I see no reason why not to restore it as an SS (just make sure you disclose it's a re-shell).
Getting another genuine SS shell will be very hard and even if you do get one the car still wont be a 100% genuine SS as the shell is not original for that exact car, although then you could call it a SSSS or a Quad S or a SS+SS, SSx2 blah blah blah

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Respect mine and I'll respect yours.

Does your shell have the ss compliance plate and matching vin?? or were they left on the wrecked 1

Left on the wrecked one unfortunatly

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It's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog!!

1976 Mini SS
1971 Mini Ute (Custom) - really hubby's but I will claim half
1976 Mini SS Shell
Oh and an 850 shell waiting for our dear son to start his resto!

oooh bugga that devalues it a bit. But the real value is the enjoyment it gives you, the ss is a fun lil car, i had the metallic nutmeg one with the rust producing vinyl roof. I still miss her! and its been 15 years

I can feel your pain! It amazes me how the little cars can touch ya!

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It's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog!!

1976 Mini SS
1971 Mini Ute (Custom) - really hubby's but I will claim half
1976 Mini SS Shell
Oh and an 850 shell waiting for our dear son to start his resto!

Mick, I think my current one rates a close second

Think i might go throo my spare shed, im sure i have the rad supp panel and comp plate somewhere. The poor thing was cut up as after it was mauled by a zg fairlane and turned into golf buggy so all the ss goodies r around here somewhere i remember pullin em off an stashing them in a few big boxes with the intention ov doing something with em oneday

you haven't met my mini have you...

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78 Leyland Mini - Prince