To Reshell or not Reshell

[evilally]

So I retired my 405 a few years back, but it's been on my driveway ever since. I've decided to turn it into a project for when I have spare time. At present, it's more or less a bare shell. I knew it had rust problems, but the more I stripped it back, the worse it got. List of rust:

No chassis legs left on the rear.
Numerous holes in the boot floor.
Rot extends up rear arches.
Patch or 2 of rust on underside.
Extensive rust around front subframe rear mounting.
Rotten sill, rear (already fixed).
Extensive rot around front arches (already fixed).

Engine bay and arches have all been welded, painted and undersealed.

I have a complete OE boot floor with factory fitted chassis legs. I do a bit of welding but will ship it off to my tamed welder for the structural work. He reckons at least £300 to fit boot floor and sort other rot.

To compound matters the storms this year flipped the bonnet up smashing the windscreen which won't be cheap to replace.

I have rebuilt an engine (which should give me 170-200bhp), rebuilt high spec rear beam, new steering rack, rebuilt front struts, big brakes, new wheels, tyres, new front sub frame and various other goodies, all waiting to be bolted on.

So the question is, do I sink more money into this shell, or go and buy a donor vehicle? I see a lot of cheap 1.6 petrols out there, often £250 or less (nobody wants petrol). The way I see it:

For:
Cheaper than welding
I don't have a smashed windscreen to contend with
Weighing in old shell and left over parts will bring in some £££

Against:
Another shell might be just as bad, given the 405's ability to hide horrendous rot.
Sorting the one I have will at least mean I know I have a solid shell
.....and I'm kind of sentimental about cars, and would love to see this one on the road again


Opinions?

[Peter.N.]

You have not chosen an easy project either way. If you have plenty of energy and are a lot younger than me you hopefully will enjoy doing it. If you repair the one you have its at least a known quantity and you don't have to strip everything out, if you reshell it you first have to find a good one, and there are not many about now even in the Westcountry , there were loads down here just a few years back. Once you have found a good body you have to strip it down and then reassemble into the old one.. I'm and advocate of the devil you know, but you just might came across a good body.

That helps a lot doesn't it I think I would get a 406.

Peter

[daviemck2006]

I would persevere with the shell you have. At the end of the day a few hundred on welding and a windscreen is not going to add anything to the build cost really. You could go buy a donor car for a few hundred and still end up with lots of welding. If you weld up your own one and rustproof it correctly and paint it correctly you know it is sound and should last a long time, and would give more satisfaction as its the original.

[evilally]

Well, I think you are right. I'm going to stick with the devil I know.

I have a 406, and by all measurable metrics it's a better car. However there is some old school driving enjoyment to be had with a 405, not to mention the 406 is a whopping 300kgs heavier, and feels like it too

[Peter.N.]

Same goes for the BX of course, much lighter and faster than the Xantia - but that's progress.

Peter

[evilally]

Ha, isn't the BX a distant cousin of the 405?

[Northern_Mike]

Same goes for the BX of course, much lighter and faster than the Xantia - but that's progress.

Peter

Lighter yes. Faster? 1 mph faster flat out and the same 0-60 times? Despite having the same 90bhp in the TZD Turbo BX?

I'd call the fact that the Xantia was 300kg heavier (for the 1.9 TD SX) than the BX, a whole lot safer because of it, performed the same with the same power and gave better economy progress...

[Peter.N.]

The BX TZD estate we had really flew, I changed it for a ZX eventually but my wife didn't like it because she couldn't beat all the traffic away like she could in the BX.

Peter