The DVLA don't seem to think that Cut & Shuts are illegal and even state that they would give them a Q plate

Which would also imply that selling them with anything other than a Q plate on would be fraud, which would be where Trading Standards and the police would get involved. :rubchin:

Rob.

I always thought cut'n'shuts were perfectly legal and safe if the job was done properly by a good welder/mechanic and inspected by an DVLA or similar engineer, they would then be put on a Q plate after passing rigorous inspection.

The illegal ones are the ones done by backstreet type garages who use non recorded damaged vehicles and dont weld them to a high enough standard and then try to conceal the identity and history of the vehicle.

Dont get me wrong here though - I still wouldn't wanna buy one!!

http://www.car-crime.com/durham.htm

"The frame was welded in the middle and the front section. The officer was unable to ascertain the identity of the donor vehicle for the rear half of the motorcycle but could say that it dates as being older than the front end. It is a cut and shut. The vehicle was a two halfer and a ringer; the frame is not a full original that has been repaired.

The

This letter from the Police/Courts seems to imply that a cut and shut would never get a Q reg?

They describe it as a "two halfer and a ringer"...I'd suspect that ringing the vehicle would be why it wouldn't be suitable for re-registration, rather than it being made out of two vehicles.

Rob.

They describe it as a "two halfer and a ringer"...I'd suspect that ringing the vehicle would be why it wouldn't be suitable for re-registration' date=' rather than it being made out of two vehicles.

[/quote']

Think you might be right Clicky here for trading standards comments on it.

Though the term has negative connotations, there are perfectly legal vehicles made up from sections of other vehicles out there, the term 'cut & shut' is used negatively but can reprisent a perfectly safe, legal vehicle.

I always thought cut'n'shuts were perfectly legal and safe if the job was done properly by a good welder/mechanic and inspected by an DVLA or similar engineer' date=' they would then be put on a Q plate after passing rigorous inspection.

The illegal ones are the ones done by backstreet type garages who use non recorded damaged vehicles and dont weld them to a high enough standard and then try to conceal the identity and history of the vehicle.

[/quote']

Correct on both counts.

It is perfectly legal to use two halves of a car to make one good one as long as the work is done to a satisfactory standard and this is all declared.

What is completely illegal is bodging a wreck together and selling it as an undamaged car.

http://66.102.9.104/search?q=cache:CAfZZUWHAvAJ:www.carltontv.co.uk/data/carltonpeople/factfiles/motorcut.pdf+%22cut+and+shut%22+car+illegal&hl=en

http://www.carlton.com/citysurvivalguide/fullview.jhtml?TEMPLATE_NAME=TV_CITYSURVIVAL_FULL_VIEW_37

http://www.speedways.co.uk/learning/cut-shut.htm

These links suggest they are illegal and other web sites suggest they are not.

It may well be the case that they are not.

However, on phoning the DVLA I was told that any cut and shut cars coming before them would certainly not be considered road worthy and would not be awarded the Q plate.

Because of this the cars are ringed, and normally given the ID of one of the cars used.

These links suggest they are illegal and other web sites suggest they are not.

It may well be the case that they are not.

However' date=' on phoning the DVLA I was told that any cut and shut cars coming before them would certainly not be considered road worthy and would not be awarded the Q plate.

Because of this the cars are ringed, and normally given the ID of one of the cars used.[/quote']

They are ringed because they are worth far more as a car with no history than one that obviously has been in two accidents.

If either half of the vehicle has been a category A or B write off then the vehicle would not be allowed back on the road even after repair , and lets face it , if its so heavily damaged that it needs to be cut in half then it is a write off. That doesn't necessarily mean that cut & shut cars are never allowed to be re-registered though , and Cat C write offs are allowed back on the road.

Has anyone not considered that stretch limo's are, effectively, a cut & shut?

The 'donor' car is cut in half, a few extra feet of body are inserted and then the front and back ends are then welded on. The point is that welding two, or more, bits of cars together is not necessarily dangerous or illegal, if it's done properly and the owners/buyers know exactly what they're getting.