Granada Ghia Coupe...ish...

[JPB]

If such a person building a frankencar is a fully qualified automotive structural engineer with years of experience, then thats fine,I trust they know what they are doing!

An understandable reluctance to accept something at its face value, but unless the quoted text is referring to your own field of expertise then you can't really sit in judgement either way.
I've looked back through the entire BMW-Escort build thread and am in the position of being able to state - according to the terms of my fellowship of the relevant professional body - that nothing about the car's standard of construction as seen in that thread raises concerns surrounding its integrity or its crashworthiness. What I see there is welding that's been carried out to a standard that's at least as good as anything required for an inspection relating to type approval. More importantly; the crumple zones of the base vehicle appear to be intact in the end product so although something that's seam welded from front to back won't deform as readily as a new car from a factory, its deformation would be even and as such, the occupant's neck shouldn't snap in an average collision. There'd probably be very little left of the other vehicle involved but there are also modern, relatively conventional mass produced cars that rely on other vehicles' crumple zones rather than deforming in their own right and I'd just as soon be transported in one of the O/P's creations as in anything available new.
In a straight line though please.

[rich.]

was the escort ever legal for the road?

[SirTainleyBarking]

I'll just chime in that most Landrover Defenders / series over 5 years old are probably "Cut n Shuts" as most will have replacement rear crossmembers / Rear quarter chassis. Is this a problem - no, if the welding is up to standard.

My series 3 has pulled full size car trailers. If it was dodgy, well the back end would have been ripped clean off.

The major fuss about cut and shuts, and the consequent form ticking legislation, is due to crooks poorly tack welding cars together and finishing them off with filler and fiberglass. Thats due to poor workmanship, and judging by the standard of of some repaired moderns I've seen that have been signed off by insurance company "Professionals", its still condoned even now

[rich.]

i used to drive a cut & shut volvo.. that was a tough as old boots but it was done properly by a pro....

[JPB]

Some "cut & shut" jobs are better than others. Some people chop stuff and forget in the middle of the job how much of each car they should use:

[TerryG]

Are you starting your own limousine company?

[JPB]

I would, but the last person who tried that with tricycles found out the embarrassing way that lengthening a Reliant Rialto isn't always the best way forward:



I'm not even slightly laughing, not the slightest titter. No Sir, I'm not.

[Willy Eckerslyke]

Perhaps it would have been OK if they'd been able to count.
Wheels, that is. :o

[TerryG]

Is that the worlds only 5x4?

[JPB]

No, technically it's a 4x2 since it only has two rear wheels on the left, giving total of four on the car.