Reshelled RS2 question, would Audi restamp a VIN?

[Golfboy666GTI]

For years here in New Zealand there has been a rumor that a well known Property Developer/Drug addict wrote off his RS2 (around 2000ish). The rumor is that the car was reshelled with a new shell from Audi. It turns out that a friend of mine now owns this car. The thing is that the car has all the factory stickers in all the right places, and the VIN is the original.
Im trying to get to the bottom of this rumor to see if its true or not. So my question is, would Audi restamp an old VIN into a new chassis?

[poor-boy]

No.. As the shell is not the original.

[UrS4boy]

Nik: There is some RS2 VIN info in this recent thread (which BTW I found using Advanced Search with my name as the author and RS2 as the topic)

http://www.s2forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=58795&highlight=rs2

Dave F.

[Mikes2]

If Audi provide a shell, it would come with the VIN in place

[ManiacuV6]

I don't think that AUDI AG will make a new bodyshell for RS2. To good to be true ...

[UrS4boy]

I don't think that AUDI AG will make a new bodyshell for RS2. To good to be true ...

They don't have shells available now, but at one point in time, empty shells were available.

[UrS4boy]

If Audi provide a shell, it would come with the VIN in place

Thinking about this, I am guessing that a replacement shell was possible. Probably required a bunch of paper work and at the very least return of the cowl piece that had the VIN number stamped into it and a stamping of the exact same VIN at the factory (Ingostadt for the body, not Zuffenhausen). This is pure speculation.

Nik: I'll contact you off line (reply to your email)

[quattro_rs]

In the past i"ve replaced a empty shell. It was not from an Audi but a volkswagen golf VR6 but nevertheless it was possible. The empty shell came without a VIN stamped on it. After arrival of the shell Dutch customs stamped the "old" VIN into the new shell en removed te Vin from the old shell. So the identity from the car stayed the same. just like you would change an engine.

[4WheelDrifter]

For years here in New Zealand there has been a rumor that a well known Property Developer/Drug addict wrote off his RS2 (around 2000ish). The rumor is that the car was reshelled with a new shell from Audi. It turns out that a friend of mine now owns this car. The thing is that the car has all the factory stickers in all the right places, and the VIN is the original.
Im trying to get to the bottom of this rumor to see if its true or not. So my question is, would Audi restamp an old VIN into a new chassis?

I seriously doubt you could have bought a new RS2 body shell from Audi as late as 2000.

[UrS4boy]

I seriously doubt you could have bought a new RS2 body shell from Audi as late as 2000.

But that is pure speculation on your part. (That said, I have no idea when the RS2 shells were still available, but it could have been years after 2000). The Kate is no direct help. Maybe one of her previous versions would say.

Kate does say that in 2007, a 2002 C5 Avant shell *was* still available, eg: 4B9800403P, LHD, avant, quattro, sunroof, body shell. So five years, 2000-1995, "works" for a potential RS2 body shell replacement.

Maybe

[lcsmith]

The shell doesn't necessarily have to have been bought in 2000.

My friend has finally gotten his 3 door Ford Sierra Rally shell registered after it sitting in a shed for 20 odd years!!

It would be some find to come across a new RS2 shell.......but it's not impossible!

[quattro_rs]

As far as i know there are 3 or 4 for places where the VIN number is stamped to a shell in the factory. This should be in places not to been without the removal of some bodyschutz. If you can find the places you can check if a shell is call it restamped or new. One place should be in the front right side on a small beam, but i'm not sure.

[s2avant]

The VAG group build shells to order and thus they are only available whilst a model is current. Even a car out of production for 6 months will not be available.
They have to be ordered with the VIN but are not stamped with the VIN from the factory. They are not available 'off the shelf'. As we all know Audi is not particularly bothered about older models so it's unlikely an 80 based shell would have been available after 1996 let alone in 2000.

I have ordered several shells over the past few years (mostly for thatcham to cut up and destroy) and it is a ball ache every time. The worst was for a brand new Polo last summer where the shell was made and then it got stuck in a crate at a port in South Africa as no one at VAG had ever planned a delivery route for it.

Ben