Rebodied cars and do they get certified

[Belair62]

I think it's all in the way the piece is presented..Ferraris are rebodied and it seems to be a perfectly accepted deal...people will either buy them or they won't if it's disclosed...its a great discussion since these cars are getting pretty valuable...are there people on this board that would not hesitate owning a rebody ? Lets hear from you. Seems to be a grey area in this hobby and MAYBE it shouldn't be such a nasty subject.

[Canucklehead]

Reading this i can't help but think of the yellow duece that is sitting in that field rotting. There really is nothing left of that car but the firewall. So does it get left in the feild to be reclaimed by mother earth?. Becouse it is now a known car to the enthusiests here anybody doing anything to it will not be able to pass it off as anything but a rebody. Sure it may not be as sought after as an original body but it will still be a duece and it will be saved. Does that make it a bad plan?. It may cost more to save it than it is worth so does that mean that the guy doing it is going to be chastised as being an idiot and dumped on by endless taunting, then he will think twice along with anybody else associated with the build as ever trying to save another rare car again. I think that reboding a car is fine as long as the car is represented as such and full history as to what happened to the car. I think for the most part the main problem is someone trying to pawn something off as being real when it's not. Well if the owner has the real shell, uses that to build another he has the right to do what he wants with it. Where would the fraud come from, by making copies?. Now that would be the problem. Personally i would like to see it saved and i would praise anybody who does it, unfortunatly seeing some of the taunts on here i know there will be a few naysayers.

[Supergas990]

Interesting discussion (Again). The L78 Chevelle I'm restoring got full quarters, fenders, passenger door, driver rocker panel and some small patches in the floor.

Everything in the drivetrain is #'s matching. Certainly, disclosure of the work performed is necessary.

Is the car a total rebody? No. It has been repaired/refurbished or in other words restored. In the end this seems like it will be an issue of personal preference, so long as the sellers are honest.

The "what if" scenarios are endless. What if the following:

1. If the car is "Ultra-Super Rare", can be documented and has it's original drivetrain intact. Body is shot, but car is all there.

2. If the car is nothing more than a rotted shell, that doesn't even have rolling gear. Only a VIN tag and Trim Tag, but can be documented

3. Someone happened to have documentation of a car that was destroyed years ago (car is known/confirmed gone) and they recreate the car based on an old title, buildsheet and dealer window sticker. At one time they owned the car, but trashed it years ago.

The possibilities are limitless. Buyers will have to decide what they will accept as the real thing. In the end I believe the market will price these various types of cars accordingly.

Rare cars will always be rare, but rebodies and 95% restorations will drive the prices up on factory original cars.

JMHO...

Blair

[Canucklehead]

3. Someone happened to have documentation of a car that was destroyed years ago (car is known/confirmed gone) and they recreate the car based on an old title, buildsheet and dealer window sticker. At one time they owned the car, but trashed it years ago.


[/ QUOTE ]

In this case it would be a recreation not an original, if the car is gone it's gone!

[YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY]

Field car? As in this one?

https://www.yenko.net/features/2001/field.jpg

If so, I can tell you exactly what was replaced, with pictures to prove it. It was rough, but very original, and is not a rebody or a firewall job. It's a labor of love for many, just a bunch of $ signs for others.

[Canucklehead]

No it wasent that one is was the sunflower yellow (is that the right color name?) that was on e-bay, it has been discussed here before.

[Supergas990]

The Yellow Duece that has appeared on E-Bay on several occassions is the one I think you mean. It is in very rough shape, and has never sold through E-Bay or after the ad was finished - Owner wanted to much.

Blair

[YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY]

Gotcha!

The Sun Yellow car is almost unrestorable in my book, but another guy has a legitimate idea on how to do it without having it collapse. So, no assumptions on it's possibilities

[PeteLeathersac]

Personal opinion again, but I think Rick and Bob are both right....if it's all in the open, let the individual situation be what it is. . With the values now, the time has come to let the "true" pedigree be part of what the car really is....or not! . Somewhere along the line the words "as original" became "original" where original doesn't mean "the original". . "Matching numbers" when a restamp and "restoration motor" terms cloud the facts too also it's a lot to ask that buyer beware is the order of the day when federal offences are being committed. .
On another note, Rick.....sorry to hear you were part of the P51B project and condolences friends and family of the pilot. . Love those warbirds too and have a Spitfire IV on my Christmas wish list! . Love to be able to go for a spin in one of the recently restored ME-262's too! . They just unvieled the Landcaster Bomber up here in Canada this week....not a flying example but still I think 10M. spent on the resto. . The example was pulled out of a lake in Europe, part of the fuselage replaced with one being used as a chicken coop somewhere....all above the board though and no restamping I know of? ~ Pete