Well group I tried to get my car registered today via all the information that was taken from the forum for Texas registration. I had all my paperwork in order, affivadits, pencil sketch of the FFR number, title application, inspection form and green sheet, proof of insurance, pictures,etc.
Guess What Happened? 
I went to the DPS office on Dacoma where others have gone to get the cars registered today and tried to get my car registered. After much discussion with the clerk and her supervisor they told me that the DPS is
NOT going to register our cars as 1965's regardless!
They don't care if they are Assembled, Replicas or etc. They will be registered in the year that they were assembled, in my case 2003. Not only that, the supervisor said if she ever found out who was able to get there cars registered as a 1965 she would have their titles pulled. Also they wanted me to make an appointment to take the car to a DPS Theft Prevention officer so that he could inspect the body, chassis, motor, tranny, rear end, etc to make sure it wasn't stolen. He would then issue me a Vin# that I was to have stamped on the body, chassis, etc. Then I was to make a tracing of that number and bring it back with all the other information that I had to them and then they would register my car as an 2003 "Assembled" vehicle.
I was so frustrated that I left thinking well there has to be another way to get this done.
So I went to my local Harris County Tax Accessors Office and tried again.
They also said they would only register the car as an Assembled Vehicle in the year in which it was assembled, however they were willing to accept all my paper work and put on the title a 1965 Replica Cobra . The asst. mgr. there was more than pleasant and advised me on what to do so that I would not have to go through the DPS "BS" and that if the car was an assembled car we did not have to pay taxes on the parts used. However, if it were a "home built" car we would have to pay taxes and would have to go to the DPS "BS".
Quote:
|
According to the Texas "Vehicle Title Manual" from last year, pages 199 and 200, "Assembled Vehicle's" are titled as the YEAR MODEL according to these rules: "The year model is the same as shown on the evidence of ownership covering the prefabricated body. If no year model designation is shown or if the make of the vehicle is "assembled", the year in which the vehicle was assembled will determine the year model."
|
I pointed that out to both supervisors at both places and
they said it has to be registered in the year that it was assembled...not what the MSO says! They contend that it was not built nor assembled in 1965 because the the FFR MSO was dated in 2002. They also said that this proves that it was manufactured and sold in 2002 not 1965. And since I assembled it in 2003 that is what must be shown on the title.
I pushed it as far as I dared at the time and got absolutely nowhere with the dps. They wouldn't register it at all without the dps officer involvement. The dps was not cooperative at all (and believe me I really worked all the "nice guy" angles before getting into a very strong discussion with them about their interpetation of the manual.) I was told flatly
they would not register it as a 1965 no matter what the MSO says !
At least Harris county was nice about it and let me register it with the info I presented.
It would be nice if we could get a "legal" ruling on this from one of our attorney members before it becomes impossible to register these cars. T
The vehicle ID#: is FFR #______
Yr/Make: 2003ASVE (assembled)
Model: 302 (427 or whatever you want)
Body Style: CV (convertible)(they don't have an abbreviation for roadster)
Previous owner: Factory Five Racing, Inc.
Replica: 1965 Cobr
It cost me $105.30 to get all this done today but I walked out with my registration, title applied for, sticker and plates.
So for the rest of you going to get yours registered in Harris County...
BE PREPARED
and go to your local tax accessors office to apply for your registration and title.
If you want to email or give me a call I will put you in touch with the lady who helped me and was willing to help others with this process.
Terry