Anyone fancy a debate ?

[rs2000_gb]

Personally would rather have a mint shell than something thats been welded to within an inch of its life. Ive had a couple of reshells (and was told they where when i bought them)and would rather look at unrotted metal than a patchwork quilt of tin, after all its only a mk2 escort with a few plates added. The thing that everbody on this board will agree to is we would all like our car to best of the best possible standard weather its bodywork trim etc, so its all down to personal prefrence. Saying that still against the law, but hey ain't everything nowadays.

[vtaggart]

Nows this is a hot topic, heres my 10p worth.

I own a Ford replacement Heavy duty shell and a rotten Mexico, what I am better doing? cutting up the shell and replacing or repairing nearly all the panels but the roof so that I can state it is "original" or use the heavy shell that Ford produced with all original panels, to me thats a no brainer.

That said when I am finished is my car going to be worth less than one that has been fully restored?

Whos to say that all restro's are done to a good consistent standard myself as a buyer I would be cautious buying a heavly restored RS but hey thats my opinion, I know am more comfortable going the route that I am taking.

I got lucky and turned up a replacement shell that has seen little or possibility no use from new not everyone has that option,

http://bbs.rallyesportescorts.co.uk/showthread.php?t=20991

But should I be swayed to go the route of the restro there are plenty of rally men over here who would be interested in buying the shell unless someone here is interested.

Good Luck

Vince

[daytona_2000]

i always feel its best to take your time and save your hard earned and get the absolute best car you can find .
not all of us have got the skill to restore a car to its former glory, and my admiration is huge for those that do, other wise a lot of our cars would have been scrapped years ago.
but i do not see anything wrong in a reshell as long as it is done totaly correct.
i could tell you about at least 4 concourse winning mk1 avo cars that started life no more than humble 1300s or 1100s and a national concourse winning rs1800 that was a harrier that i used to own as well.
but we all think differently, and rightly so it would be a boring old world if we where all the same.
i am just a lucky bas**d that has found a car with an almost perfect shell

[marky4]

Personally would rather have a mint shell than something thats been welded to within an inch of its life. Ive had a couple of reshells (and was told they where when i bought them)and would rather look at unrotted metal than a patchwork quilt of tin, after all its only a mk2 escort with a few plates added. The thing that everbody on this board will agree to is we would all like our car to best of the best possible standard weather its bodywork trim etc, so its all down to personal prefrence. Saying that still against the law, but hey ain't everything nowadays.

i agree but it's each to their own

[RStu]

If it can be saved, then restoration for me. Just a personal opinion of trying to keep the original on the road

[johnylock]

Debate

i understand that if the cars really bad and you had a shell you would use it but again i say its then some other car ? its not the one that drove out the factory some people call it ringing and dont get me wrong im not sayin anyone is doing wrong here they are just tryin to get the car they want in the best condition . in still think that if you replace the pannels and get the welding right then its better .

[ian parker]

for what its worth, i think this question is a good one, i dont agree with reshelling at all. I personally think it goes totally against what its all about. As for the earlier comments on the mk1,s, i think thats so wrong. What makes these things special is what they are, not what their made into. Charlie is demonstrating this with the RS1600. I take my hat off to him for a, having the knowledge, and b, having the balls to do it. Again, as someone as said already, only the most severe of circumstances should warrant a reshell, and then, in very simply terms, it is not an RS. Full stop in my opinion. Its a GL or a L with RS bolt ons. A little harsh maybe, but my opinion never the less. A Question. Is the value in the car, the shell, or the bolt ons ??. Would a genuine RS shell be worth more or less than a say, 2dr L shell with all the RS bits on ??, again, just a question. Dont do it. Put the time and effort and money into the RS shell, then when its all finished and you look in awe at your car, you know its an RS2000, not a 2dr pop (excuse the terminology Dave) with all the bits.

[wozzy]

My thoughts on this subject are that it must come down to the individual and their ability, restoration to me means repairing and replacing what is already there, reshelling means exactly that, Should we have a reshelled section on the BB? or can you go and buy a log book off the bay and put that id on your 2 door? hey presto my 1.3 is now a rs

[y peril melyn]

resto or reshell

resto is always a first choice for me however some cars are just to far gone in some cases and the inevitable happens scrap. iv seen my mate weld up some right dogs of shells and it is unbelivable what he has done for them, and he will try and save any RS where possible, but i remember one coming in with fire damaged from front engine to the back seats all burned also needed welding needed all over a right dog, it caught fire and the guy left it outside for the next 8yrs. The guy had a few bob and was an RShoarder himself and collected all the parts to restore the car over the period it was standing and he asked my mate what he could do with it. my mate said **** the fire **** welding worse than that its got a sunroof!!! that car was reshelled with a left handed popular from germany and it was stunning when he gave it back to the owner. so i some cases a reshell is a last resort i think!

[cossiematt]

My opinion, for me the appeal of the RS brand is the history of the particular car, who has owned it? has it been chased by police? Did it used to terrorise the streets back in the day?

For me if you change the shell of an RS to a different one then you loose the history of THAT particular car.

I'm not saying a non RS will have definately had a less interesting life but it probably wouldn't have been racing around the streets back in the 70's like an RS and for me thats a large part of the appeal

[lee bishop]

im up for a MASSDEBATE....... anyone else?

[allyb]

resto

thanks again lads for all your comments ! its been doin mi head in since sunday . kept thinkin am i doin the right thing , and it will cost loads more to do a proper job but when its done its probably 90% the same car if its reshelled then ist probably 90% someone elses .

totally agree
have you ever heard the expression "Ceasar's Knife" ?
His 'origional' one apparently had 5 new handles and 3 new blades ! yet today some will argue that its the genuine article !!?

at least you know you've still in essence got the genuine thing, even if its less economical to restore, but it keeps you more intrested in the long run.

Bigjohn mentioned a Carlsberg shell, but as my first bank manager told me.......... "you can only **** with the **** you've got !"
good luck with the RESTO
AllyB

[johnylock]

allyb

never heard that before (you can only **** with your own **** !! ) im sat here ****ing mi self im into that aswell lee the history of the car ! and thats what i meant by the car has soul .

[jimmer]

same here jimmer ! work two jobs pal 13 hours a day , got three kids two jack russells and a wife who likes diamonds lol so this car takes me to a better place where mortgages and all that crap are lost in my mind , shut the garage door and im happy as i can be .

Hello John,
Spent five days over Christmas break in the garage-my bolthole from the kids and wife.Wife came in every few hours with a cup of tea-(well trained).
Welded in a couple of floor pans inner and outer sill and a massive hole in the tank well.Didn't think of work or the bills just sorted out my old motor.
Rgds,Jimmer.

[jimmer]

My thoughts on this subject are that it must come down to the individual and their ability, restoration to me means repairing and replacing what is already there, reshelling means exactly that, Should we have a reshelled section on the BB? or can you go and buy a log book off the bay and put that id on your 2 door? hey presto my 1.3 is now a rs

Quite agree with you.Plenty of these fake RS's around probably more now than twenty years ago.Who wants a 1100 Pop when they could put some decals down the side and call it a Mexico,it's been done for years.