Ep3 advice needed!

[HF30]

First off i want to apologise for a lengthy post incoming.
So back in March I came across an ep3 on copart (I know, don't judge lol) and I bid on it on a whim.
I had wanted a project car for a while so I just went for it.

I overpaid for what I got, fine I've come to terms with that. Found it to be a rusty one side and no sill at all the other, so thought i'd just get new sills welded in, nothing too unusual with an ep3 right?

Thought I'd just strip back the underneath just to see what I'm actually dealing with. So I do this as and when I can, each time revealing patch welds upon patch welds.

Now a couple days ago I get to the rusty sill, to find the outer sill had been patched up previously but its gone again around half the length of the car, its like cardboard!
I gave up that night. It's the first time I've thought I need to get shot of the car.

Spoke to a couple people for advice and had been recommended to speak to Garage EP3 about reshelling it.

That I have done and I felt optimistic again. But a mechanic I know reckons it's not worth it and I need to cut my losses and sell the car and start over because he's convinced the salt and rot will have gotten into everything else and parts will continue to fail. So I'm back to square one.

Now the questions:
Has anyone had a car reshelled by Garage EP3 before or reshelled at all?
What would you do if this was your car?
Is it actually possible to get a 'mint' ep3 for £4k?

I'm stuck at a roadblock. I've never driven the car because it was never roadworthy and that was my aim, get it on the road.

TIA for any advice

 

[Shoonk]

Depends what you want out of the car, if you are planning on keeping it for a considerable amount of time, restore it, as long as it's done properly it will be fine,

If you wanted a project to sell on, by the sounds of it I would cut losses and get rid,

You've never driven the car so you will be taking a risk on whether it runs right etc, by the sounds of this it is an all or nothing decision that only you can make unfortunately, if you are going through the process of re shelling, I would restore the lot, suspension, brakes, engine, gearbox but you'll never get your money back spending all that on it.

Doubt you will get a 'mint' one for £4k, but you may pick one up that just needs a little tlc for that price, a decentish one but not mint, mint ones are up around £7k plus now for low mileage etc.