shortening cars

[seanc]

Just to make it clear this is not something im going to try im just interested in how it may be done properly and if it would ever be road legal. Ive seen it done to minis/beetles and even a vw camper before but as far as i know cutting a car in half and welding it back together is a cut and shut, unless some kind of new tubular frame is made inside ?
is it a case of cutting in half removing the material inbetweenm leaving some overlap maybe ? the putting new reinforcement in and creating new panels to fill the gaps ?

 

[FranV8]

A lot of the old Beetle buggies used shortened chassis too, might be worth seeing how they were done.

 

[normspanners]

This subject makes me laugh.
All cars are welded together thats how they are made!!
nobody complains about stretched cars,and how are they made ?--- Yep, cut it, a bit put in, and welded together. When you look at how some are bodged together yet nobody bothers.I have been under several stretch limos and some of the metal work is S**t I was under a stretched Hummer the other day 35ft long and it was on a two post lift !!
The welding looked terrible but it stood it !!
In answer a shortened car needs less strength than an extended one so it doesnt need extra bits just knowing where to cut and rejoin, is the key to it.
I have joined many a car, welding roof panels in, and front and rear ends when needed if you follow the seam lines and re-attach you very often find even the spot welds re-align

 

[Wallace]

I have joined many a car, welding roof panels in, and front and rear ends when needed if you follow the seam lines and re-attach you very often find even the spot welds re-align

I have done the same, cars built on production lines by robots are pretty consistent even years apart in build dates. I removed an inner wing from a MkI Cavalier in the scrap yard and there was a small mig weld that stayed on the car and I tore the metal around it. When the panel was offered up to an Opel Manta the Mig weld was there and the tear around it was almost identical!

 

[pedrobedro]

Any car receiving chassis or monocoque modification should under new regulations be tested by VOSA before it is put back on the road. Repairing back to standard only needs MOT and there are lots of Land Rover hybrids running round which are modified so to answer the legality part yes it can be done legally.

 

[Burdekin]

When I was a teenager my dad and me made a beach buggy from an old VW but we didn't need to cut the shell, just the chassis so that was a easy job to do.

I actually plan on lengthening a MX5 chassis/floor pan 180mm for a project.

 

[octo0072000]

iva link

Any car receiving chassis or monocoque modification should under new regulations be tested by VOSA before it is put back on the road. Repairing back to standard only needs MOT and there are lots of Land Rover hybrids running round which are modified so to answer the legality part yes it can be done legally.

big can or worms this

with landys you can shorten the front and the rear no problems but any cutting between the wheel base is now a full IVA here is the link 65 pages of it
there has been lots of arguments about this on landy forums

https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-approval/individual-vehicle-approval

 

[pedrobedro]

big can or worms this

with landys you can shorten the front and the rear no problems but any cutting between the wheel base is now a full IVA here is the link 65 pages of it
there has been lots of arguments about this on landy forums

I just pointed out that it can be done legally not getting into the technicalities of the system and arguing the toss over whether a vehicle should have been tested or is still technically the same vehicle if it has a different or modified chassis with coil instead of leaf suspension.

 

[octo0072000]

I just pointed out that it can be done legally not getting into the technicalities of the system and arguing the toss over whether a vehicle should have been tested or is still technically the same vehicle if it has a different or modified chassis with coil instead of leaf suspension.

not arguing or getting at anyone just saying it's a big can of worms

 

[stuvy]

It most certainly is a headache when looking at the legalities

So long as you brace it and have it IVA'd it's fine

What you thinking of doing?

 

[seanc]

Its not for anything im doing I was just interested. I think its far beyond my skill level.

 

[keithski122]

I've got an austrailian autobody book that shows you how to join the front half of one car to the back half of another.Nothing wrong with it as long as its done well.TV consumer programs have scared everybody too much about repairs in my mind.I remember one program going on about someone selling cut and shuts, when they spoke to him about it he told them how it was done and showed it was done correctly.