[am9648]

Thanks SSSammy and ram-g.

I guess I have some work ahead of me.

Originally Posted by SSSammy

Let me give a comprehensive answer, please. There is now only one prescribed way for you to register your new BDR according to current TX DMV regs. The DMV has embodied the guidance from the legislature in the Assembled and Rebuilt Vehicle Manual (see the link in the first post above). You need to download that and read the portions that pertain to assembled vehicles and custom vehicles. Your BDR will become a Custom Vehicle, Replica 1965 Ford, with a year of manufacture as called out by your MSO/MCO, and manufacturer as stated on the MSO/MCO.

The DMV is very strict in the manual .. The VTR 852 for a new assembled vehicle must be signed by an ASE Certified Master Technician who is current in categories A1 through A8. The technician must provide you with a print out of his certificate status report that shows he is current in all 8 categories (that is what makes him a Master technician).

The steps are in this order:
Get an insurance card that describes the car as a "1965 Ford 2DR Roadster (or Convertible) Replica."
Go to the county title clerk and get a 30 day paper tag so you can legally drive the car to the ASE inspection and certified public scales.
Have the ASE inspection done and VTR 852 signed (the ASE will need to see the insurance card)
Have the car weighed and get a weight certificate at a truck stop

Proceed to the county title and registration office with the following:
VTR-61 Rebuilt Vehicle Statement, bearing the signature of the assembler, plus the invoices for chassis, motor, trans,
VTR-130U Title Application, description exactly per the MSO
VTR-852 ASE Inspection augmented by the ASE Certification print out from the inspector,
Weight certificate,
Photo or rubbing of the VIN plate,
3 photos of your car,
1 photo of an original 1965 Cobra,
MSO
Your checkbook.

As far as DMV is concerned, you are titling a new assembled vehicle that you purchased as a collection of components. Never mind how it seems to have arrived in your possession as a complete automobile. The presumption is that any sales tax due on these components has already been paid by you when you bought them. So there is no 6.25% vehicle sales tax due on a car registered in this way. Now if you bought a previously registered car with a title, then it is a different story. That would be a used car and tax is due.

None of this is difficult. Tedious, yes. Pain in the posterior, yes. If you can do your Federal Income Tax, this is not hard. Stupid? Sure. Good luck! Report back on how it went so others can learn ...

Sam