UK Car Repair: Building a classic esq van, vw camper van, ford transit

Question
Okay this may not be your area of expertise but you sound like you might be interested in this, sorry if it is a little long.

I have always loved the old VW campervans however they cost a fortune to do up, repair, and are not very fuel effecient, plus they are as I am sure you know plagued with rust.

so...

something that I would be interested in doing is taking a common van, lets say a transit which has better fuel efficiency and remove its shell, weld on a roll cage and then place over it a fibre glass shell in the shape and style of a VW but made to fit the transit shassy, this way it will cost less to run, be cheaper to fix and be less likly to break (in theory).

but with this there are a few issues such as probably needing a rear engine and also if this was to be registered as a kit car then I have heard the insurance will be much higher.

but I have also heard that so long as 90% of the original van remains then it can be registered as that. in effect this means I could have saw a ford transit that looks like a VW camper van.

so to my questions, Am I right with the 90% rule, is what I propose possible, and how realistic would it be?
thank you for your time

Answer
you need something with the same wheelbase.
this would be expensive, youre making a body,
cutting a body, changing a transit etc to MR config,
make and fit rollcage...
still havent got an iterior.. its a lot of work, time and money for "not really a VW camper"
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then registering it.

if its less than 70% new its a modified car, retains original logbook.
if its over 70% its a new car/kit car (Q plate), you're looking around 60%.


***as far as I remember from ages ago... laws may have changed. ask VOSA...


-- oof, it is a huge task, can't you just find a cheap combi, it will at least be worth something in the end, the modded transit would be worthless in comparison.

both would take relatively the same amount of work.


save up, get a combi?

but it could work, it just takes absolute skill, bloodey mindedness and money, tools, premises, lungfuls of solvents, welding, patience.