I suppose most of you already knew about this, but it was new news to me.
http://www.minispares.com/Article.aspx?aid=564
They make 4 a week, that's a couple hundred every year ??
There must be a lot of people either re-shelling or writing off their Mini's world wide.

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'98 Mpi Sportspack + 7 port alloy head

They do UK clubman shells as well (different from Aussie clubmans as they have internal hinges) , here's a brochure a Pommy mate managed to get for me .

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I doubt these new shells have body numbers, so in Oz you would be in the same boat as the Chinese Moke shells.
Can buy em, but hard to register in Oz legally. If you stamp your old numbers on you are accused of rebirthing, could get a holiday at HM the Queen's expense.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

From what I've read they are made for the UK market basically and sold bare (no numbers) for the buyer to reshell an existing mini with and take on it's identity . They have different laws there due to the amount of rot and rust in road cars from their weather .

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There's nothing to stop you buying in all the panels separately and using them to replace all the rusted out panels on your old mini, replacing individual panels is perfectly legal.
Tim

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1951 Morris Commercial J Type Van
1955 BSA C11G
1961 Morris Mini Traveller
1969 Triumph TR6R
1977 Leyland Moke Californian

Ha ha, I know how you think.

A case of Dad's old axe. Five handles and 2 axe heads, but it's the same axe he's had for years.

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

Although that's a logical argument you're still dealing with a heartless methodical government department so there would be some sub clause somewhere about you not being able to replace more than XX% of a vehicles structure . Would be interesating to find out , sounds like another excuse to bug the RTA's enquiries email and see what the letter of the law actually is .

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pfft, patches are cheaper than panels.
If my 1970 Mini was that bad I'd just cut the bent ugly off my rustless 78 Clubby shell, make it a roundy and use that instead.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

Yeah of course, but if the car you have is so far gone that importing a full shell is a viable option, then the "patches" might be quite large (say maybe one big patch from the compliance plate backwards)

Tim

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1951 Morris Commercial J Type Van
1955 BSA C11G
1961 Morris Mini Traveller
1969 Triumph TR6R
1977 Leyland Moke Californian