Thanks Brett. I know California now has a system where you can rebuild a car with a new replica shell, whether they then stamp the numbers legally (or the shell has new numbers) I'm not sure.
This was done as there is so much demand for well restored cars.

Many years ago here in Oz it was common to reshell cars with a `body in white' from the factory, if the unthinkable happened.
I know of a Mini K which had this done after a writeoff in 1969, the body number on the rego (and stamped on the rad shroud) is the part number of the shell..

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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.

It's only in the last few years or so that this has been banned in Aus. Previously Ford would happily sell you a new current model Falcon shell as a spare part in a "body in white" form with a VIN already stamped. You could then buy a write-off and build a new car out of it. If done correctly nobody would ever know.

Cheers,

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Brett Nicholson
Greendale (near Ballan) VIC.
1971 Morris Mini Moke
1966 Austin Mini
1965 Morris Mini Traveller
1973 LR Series 3 88
2007 LR Freelander 2

I believe my 4 week old GTR was rebodied in 1972 after I had a bad accident when I was T boned and the car looked like a banana
Can't remember any details as to body number, but it was definitely a new body

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1969 Cooper "S"
1967 Mini Deluxe
1973 Clubman Van (the fleet spare)
1978 ex 1275 LS ("Wizard" Eaton Supercharged)
2015 HSV GenF GTS(occasional drive & tow car)
2019 MINI F55 Cooper S

Its only (much later) after the fact that these things become important. One of my sister's ex boyfriends used to finance his ski boat racing hobby (not a cheap activity) by rebuilding and selling written off Foulcan GTs and Munroes. He owned a panel shop and it was quality work done in the quiet periods between customer cars. Buyers were happy as they got "brand new" GTs etc at significant discounts.

I suppose rebodying is much like re-engining... Back when if (when?) you trashed your S motor you could go back to BMC for a genuine (new) replacement. However, it came with a Gold Seal number and not the usual 9Fsa etc No idea what the Gold (or Silver) seal discount would be on said car today.

Cheers, Ian

There's a million different ways of looking at this subject and the same number of answers. Someone said you can call it anything you like and later got razzed for the coment but they're right, you can call it what you like......doesn't mean it is. Also I can make a cooper s that's correct in every way out of a deluxe body, but it's not genuine. And what do you call a car thats been built up from a genuine cooper s shell, has a 1100s motor in it clubman suspension and drum brakes all round? Sure it's a 'genuine' cooper s but not original. I bet there's not a genuine original cooper s still in existance. WHAT! you might say, how many 40+ year old cars would still have all their original parts.

Back when (in the late 60s) you could buy from any BMC dealer a brand new Cooper 1275S short motor, or a new Morris 1100S (1275) short motor. The S was $100 dearer, so I bought the 1100S one for my `850'.
These were NOT rebuilds, they were brand new motors, and there were NO numbers stamped on their blocks.

I'm sure some clandestine number transferring happened, but the correct method was to take your engine receipt to the Police station, they allotted you a `Police' number and told you where to go get it officially stamped. Then they checked it was stamped correct.
I got this done twice (previous one was with a new 997 Cooper block).
[edit] after 46 years i can still remember the Police number I got stamped on the 997 block- it was N66 1771P. haha......

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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.

I could never afford a new engine for my 850 - fitting and turning (??) apprentices were obviously paid too much

In the UK I'm pretty sure they had numbers. Gold seal were new and Silver Seal were factory reconditioned..

Cheers, Ian