GRP body bonded kit

[thepuddlejumper]

I have a Cool 500 which is a GRP replica Fiat 500 body, without the roof I.i 2 seater open top car. The body is bonded to a Fiat 126 chassis, it has all the Fiat’s running gear. The car was used on the road by the previous owner. Is this a body swap? It is still registered as a 126 bis, it was originally built in the late 90’s I think 1998. How legal is it and how would I go to make it legal if it’s not. Any advice welcomed

[metalshapes]

Interesting...

This came up with a Google search.

www.fiat500.ch/de/500/derivate-a-l/barchetta-595/

[Darkspeed]

Simple answer is that if it's not what it says on the logbook then there is a very good chance that it's not correctly registered.

Making it legal would probably require (B)IVA - plenty of advice around on the net and a search on this board will bring up plenty of conversation. If you are prepared to put the time effort and money in to get a car to pass an IVA then it generally ends up a vehicle built to a good standard.

[RetroWarwicK]

when you say "Fiat 126 chassis", do you mean it was once a monocoque and the upper body has been unpicked from the floorpan, then the new grp body bonded on? If so its incorrectly registered as the monocoque has been substantially altered. Can you prove when the conversion was done?

[thepuddlejumper]

I know when the conversion was carried out but have no documentation to prove this only the builders word. The kit construction is remove the body of the 126 and bond the new fibreglass body on. There are a couple of kits which are similar in look to a soft top Fiat 500 and the have the same construction.

[Rebuilda]

Hopefully the body type was altered to convertible when the original build was completed. The DVLA will have records of this which will verify the date of the conversion.
If this date was pre-SVA then you should get away with using the original reg etc as the rules were less stringent on what constituted a 'chassis'. If not then it may have to be tested under the current IVA regs.